Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1891-02-26

followed me. Right toward tbs blazing
line we ran
AL at once saw the colonel, who
was riding by me, grasp the colors, 70,
they were falling. I looked and saw
that my hand. my whole arm was gone,
and hadn't felt it. I grabbed the fIaa
in my left hand.
81 can carry the colors yet, colonel,
said. i don't feel any pain
Il ran on some fifty steps, when thu
blood began spouting from my shoul
der. Tdropped- Joe Ashe. one Of the
color guards, snatched the flag. and they
all rushed ON.
Il fell senseless- I never knew an.
other thing till weeks after. when woke
up one day in Chimborazo hospital and
found some funny looking ladies in blaci
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 % car.
ssxied Away BY the interest he felt I'm 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?'
mo; TO be sure not. never went to
look for it."
"You couldn't fasten it ON again, them
'tOf course not, child. I am not a
jointed doll"
what pity you couldn't" !" said the
child. "What pityi 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 Mt FIRST, but I learned
at last to oitwith the help of my teeth. "
But how when you get old and lose
emT said Jennie. who was Of an inves-
tigating mind.
Providence will raise me ND some
other way" +" he said with pathetic smile.
''I'n have my wife to wait on me-"
ITO be sure. forgot; Miss Mary Jane
will What did she sayg'
81 got one of the sisters to write her
for me, and | set her free. said |
wouldn't bind her to q poor cripple like
me-"
"And she said no, sir-reel 'spose, "
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 ewes
filed and he gazed steadily in the water.
well. now, Joe," said Jennie, who
was suddenly struck with bright idea,
maybe il you would lose both arms
she'd love you betterer and betterer."
81 believe I'm satisfied with what she
feels now" !" said Joe, laughing.
"But why hain't you married?r con-
tinued Jennie, pursuing her investiga-
tions.
Because I first had to get well, and
then / had to get something to do.
had been o mechanic, and / couldn't
work ut my trade with my left hand.
So Capt. Ramsey gave me a place on his
boat, and I've been trying to learn how
to write, SO that can keep his books. I
think I'm doing pretty well. See."
He drew from his pocket little blank
book in which were scrawied divers
hieroglyphics. at which he gazed COM
placently.
why, yes" said Jennie approvingly.
There's t. with the cross mark, and
there is X with his broken back, and
that's an i.' / know him by mis- eye
brow. You see can read q little" she
said proudly.
so see" said he, laughing and put
ting mp his book. "Now I must 60
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.