Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-11-13

he was "Old Jack" to his young COM
rades while he ratified the sticks on the
drum-head, and when he had gained
promotion by exceptional bravery he
became sold Jack" to men thrice his
age and five times his superior In
rank.
He was "a born gentleman" was
dear old Jack, and is yet, if he still
lives; but from what o ruck of mire
this flower of manhood had sprung!
learned his story soon after he be-
came Adjutant of my regiment. A
street arab. boy who knew not who
or what his parents were, his earliest
recollections were of rags and cold and
hunger, and alternate blows and pet
tings, fastings, and starvings, in the
low neighborhood to which he seemed
to belong.
% Then Molly Delaney, the worst
tongued, strongest-armed, ,best-looking,
Understanding woman in the ward,
"took likin'' to the little chap, and
gave him part of her bed and board,
all of her love, and the odds and ends
of such abuse as she didn't see fit to
throw at the heads of the people about
her, but she allowed no one else to
berate him, and the boy grew fat, hap
py, and lusty.
Soon he was seNing papers and
"doin' for himself" Somehow he
learned the letters and how to read in
o sort of fashion, and how to count and
change money. Then ambition seized
him to learn, and the night schools
offered no opportunities that Jack did
not eagerly embrace. And he was
good boy, not of the "goody- goody"
kind, but real boy, honest and brave,
not taught by moral lessons and ex-
amples, but because the good" was
born in him.
Molly's pride was aroused. She would
not have her Jack shamed any more by
her carryin's on" and she worked her
hands harder and her tongue less. She
saved her money-and she could earn
plenty of it, too-and had only an oc-
casional "burst" once or twico year.
Otherwise she became "as dacint
woman as throd in e-leather," and
her soul was beautifed by the love of
Jack-her boy.
When the war came, and the little
fellow earnestly protested that he must
go, she bade him Godspeed; she went
with him to the recruiting Office, and,
acting as his only parent, gave her
consent.
With streaming eyes she said,
@Sure, an he's none of mine, flesh nor
blood, but / love every hair on his
head, and it's proud I am to have him
go, the darlint I'll go bail the father
of him was solger, and the mother of
him was lady, an bad luck to em both
for desartin' such boy--if SO they did.
But I'm the only father and mother
the child has, at all, at all, an / amt
no kin to him whatever, an I give my
free, willin' consint an blessin' till his
going"
All this and much more; and Jack
Delaney, aged II, was duly enrolled
q handsome, bright-witted, under-sized
boy.
Twelve months of campaigning
worked wonders. Jack was Lieuten-
ant; every step had been gained by
acts of brilliant courage. He had
sprung up in stature, too, and was tall,
slender. and aristocratic in looks and
bearing, with solid sense in his head
for man of so. -Four months he was
my Adjutant, and in that time he be-
came @Dear Old Jack" to me, very
dear.
Then the General, who was partial
TO smart young officers, spied out his
worth, and Jack went to brigade head
quarters as Captain and A. A. G..
He never paraded his family, or lack
of family, before others. ] think was
the only one who knew his real history,
30 far as he knew it to tell. To Mother
Molly he wrote constantly and low
ingly. She had, with her savings,
been buying, for ridiculously small
sums, certain lots OF land on the out
skirts Of New York City. Dumb luck
it was in her, but the activity and
trade consequent upon the war in