Evening journal., 1891-02-09
followed me. Right toward the blazing

followed me. Right toward the blazing
line we ran
a 4 at once / saw the colonel, who
wa Y, riding by me, grasp the colors, for
fey were falling. l looked and saw
that my hand, my whole arm was gone,
and hadn't felt i'll / grabbed the flag
in my left hand.
4 can carry the colors yet, colonel,
said. i don't feel any pain.
Il ran on some fifty steps, when the
blood began spouting from my shoul-
der. | dropped. Joe Ashe. one Of the
color guards, snatched the flag, and they
all rushed on.
II fell senseless. never knew an
other thing till weeks after, when woke
up one day in Chimborazo hospital and
found some funny looking ladies in black
bonnets, that the boys called the sis
ters. bending over me. If it hadn't been
for their good nursing, | should have
died"
Perkins ceased. He had been so car
ried away by the interest he felt in his
own narrative that he had gone quite
beyond his auditor.
But tell me, joe" Jennie eagerly
asked--she had been impatiently waiting
for an opportunity for some minutes
tell me, did you ever find your arm
that you dropped?n
mo; to be sure not. Inever went to
look for it"
You couldn't fasten it on again, then?n
"Of course not, child am not
jointed doll"
What a pity you couldn't, said the
child What pityl And how do you
manage to dress yourself and tie your
cravat and shoesT she asked, for she had
been burning to make these inquiries
ever since she had seen the one armed
confederate.
Twas awkward at first, but learned
at last to doit with the help of my teeth. .
But how when you get old and lose
emf" said Jennie, who was Of an inyes-
tigating mind.
Providence viii raise me up some
other way" he said with pathetic smile.
'Ill have my wife to wait on me-"
ITO be sure, forgot; Miss Mary Jane
will. What did she sayy'
Il got one of the sisters to write her
for me, and l set her free. said /
wouldn't bind her to poor cripple like
me-
"And she said no, sir-reei 'spose,n
cried Jennie, full of fiery zeal for her
new friend.
Something to that effect, said Joe,
smiling.
"She wrote me that she loved me more
with one arm than she ever had done
with two. And whenever could get
home she was ready" Here Joe's eyes
filled and he gazed steadily in the water
'Wen, now, Joe, said Jennie, who
was suddenly struck with bright idea.
maybe if you would lose both arms
she'd love you betterer and betterer."
Il believe I'm satisfied with what she
feels now, said Joe, laughing.
''But why hain't you marriedP' con-
tinued Jennie, pursuing her inyestiga-
tions.
Because l FIRST had to get well, and
then | had to get something to do. III
had been a mechanic, and I couldn't
work at my trade with my left hand.
20 Capt. Ramsey gave me place on his
boat, and I've been trying to learn how
to write, 50 that | can keep his books.
think I'm doing pretty well. See."
ne drew from Ills PooIsot Q. little blank
book in which were scrawIed divers
hierogiyphics, at which he gazed com
placently.
Why, yes" said Jennie approvingly
There's 't' with the cross mark. and
there is * with his broken back, and
that's an IL I know him by his eve
brow. You see can read little" She |
said proudly.
so see, said he, laughing and put
ting up his book. Now / must 20.
The sun has set. It is time for me to
see after things for the night"
He stroked Jennie's curly head with
his left hand, and walked away, softly /
singing in his mellow voice, my own |
Mary Ann. Paul Grant in Atlanta
Constitution.