The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1891-05-08
HOW JOE LOST HIS ARM.

HUW JUL LUSI HlS Aim.
Paul Grant, in Atlanta Constitution.
On the Tombigbee river SO bright, ! was
born,
In hut made of lusks of the bright yell
low corn.
Aud twas there that met my Julia SO
trne,
And rowed her about in my gumtree
canoe,
Singing, row away, row DER the waters so
blue, -......
Like feather well float in my gumtrec
canoe,
The clerk Of the Pretty Jane bad
a mellow voice, and blended
sweelly with it was little Jennie'S
childish treble.
He sat upon the deck OF he little
steamboat gazing around on the
bright waters of The Tombigbee
AS The sun danced on them, gazing
irtenlly, and smiling absently to
himself.
He was a man OF about thirty,
and his red coat sleeve was empty
and pinned upon his heart.
Lulle Jennie leaned upon his
knee, staring him lnlen,ly in the
face in way that children have.
She pushed her broad brimmed hat
back from her eyes hat she might
stare the better. The hat was II
queerly shaped palmetto structure,
for his WAS in 'G3, and clothes were
at premium. She was the child
OF one Cf the passenger, and be-
tween her aud the clerk quite
friendship had sprung up.
"And did you sure enough meet
vonr Julia here on The rombig-
bee?" asked the child, stroking
the empty sleeve with a plying
touch.
Yes" sail the clerk, reused
from his reverie and smiling down
on the eager little face; Il have
often taken her rowing on The
Tombigbee before he war, when |
had my other arm"
How nice !" said Jennie. "How
nice! And in IA gumlree canoe 2"
well, wasn't particular as 10
The kind of canoe, 50 it was ca.
noe" said he, smiling.
"And your Julia amt named Ju-
liza, but Mary Jane, after ALL" said
the child.
"Yes," said he, "but she's just
as sweet AS if her name Was Julia,
though 'twouldn't fit in the song
so we'll"
mo, you couldn't say, i rowed
my Mary Jane so true 'Twould
make the song too long-legged."
"True," said he, laughing, "but
that makes no difference. | think
of her while sing il, so that it
seems as if it was her name.'
swell, Mr.. Perkins," said Jen-
ME, tell me why you haven't mar
RED your Julia, if you've been
rowing her around in your gumtree
canoe these ever 20 many years y
"You see," said the mate, smil-
ing, "my Julia couldn't make up
her mind that she loved me till the
war broke out and | voluteered; ;
then she SAID she'd marry me. but
twas too late then; had 10 go
off to fight
"You had both of your arms
lhenw interrupted Jennie; you
was born with 'em y
"Of course, child. Did YOU ever
hear of any one born with one
armg Nature don't ever make no
such cobbled, lop-sided work as
that"
"Well, if you had both of your
arms then, l don't see why she
wouldn't have you."
"Bless you, child, everybody had
plenty of arms then; that was no
inducement 10 take fellow. But
rs | was saying, when she found
| was going off 10 The war and
might get killed, then She found
that she loved me-"
''She'd rather marry you than
that you should get killed." said
Jennie. "Yes, | think she ought,
after you rowed her around in The
canoe"
"You are righi,~ SAID Perkins,
laughing, ''but twas too late 10
marry her then. We agreed that
if ever ! got back safely, when the
war was over. we'd marry"
"Tell me now, how you came 10
lose your arm, SAID Jennie.
"'rwas in one of the great bat
Ties around Richmond that year. |
had been i'm many fights before,
but this was about the hottest.
The enemy were bound 10 get the
hill on which we stood, aud We
were holding on desperately. But
At last The boys began 10 waver
and give way. Then our colonel
came out TO The trout. and the rest
of our officers followed him, and
they ran up and down the lines
cheering up the men.