River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-03-07

the boys, for we weren't used to the
climate. and most of US pinned for the
comforts of home. Looking lack over
the thirty years that lie between this
time and that / see one figure loomin'
up, calm and bright and beautiful in
the midst of fever and sufferin and
privation and death. ! sec a homely,
earnest face radiant with sympathy
and love and hope, and ] hear Conky
Stiles voice again spealin' comfort
and cheer TO all about him. We all
loved him: he stood next 70 Mr.. Lin
coin and zen McClell an in me hearts
of every body in the regiment.
They sent a committee down from
our town one Thanksgiving time 20
bring lot of good things and To see
how soon we were going TO capture
Richmond. Mr.. Hubbeil. the minister.
was one of them. Deacon Cooley was
another There was talk one time
that Conky had soft spot in his heart
for the deaoon's eldest girl. Tryphena.
but always allowed that he paid as
much attention to the other daughter.
Tryphosa. as he did to her eldest sister,
and | guess he hadn't any more hank
erin for one than he had for the other.
for when the committee come to go
home Conlxy saws to Deacon Cooley:
We'll, good-by deacon" says he, ''Ro-
mans, 1G:l2."
We had to look it up in the Bible be-
fore we knew what he meant.
salute Tryphena and Tryphosa. who
labor in the Lord"-that was Conky's
message to the Cooley girls.
He wrote letter once to Mr.. Carter,
who was one of the selectmen. and he
put this postscript to it: Romans.
1876 You see Mr.. Carser's wife had
been Conky's Sunday school teacher.
and Conky did no; forget To greet
Mary, who bestowed much labor on
us
Down at Elnathan Jones general
store the other day ! heard Elnathan
tell how Conky clerled il for him a
spell and how one day he says to
Conky: THAT Baker bill has zen
runnin' on for more'n six weeks. We
can't do business unless we get our
money. Cpnky, wish you'd Just kind
o spur Mr.. Baker up little"
SO ConlSy sat down on the stool at
the desk and dropped Mr.. Baker a
short epistle to this effect: Romans
t:1f; Psalm 22:Ii; Psalm 1926" Next
day who should come in but Mr..
Baker. and he allowed that that
letter had gone straighter TO his con-
science than any sermon would have
gone. and he paid up his bill and
bought kit of salt maekerel into the
bargain. 80 Elnathan Jones says.
could keep on tellin' things like
this. day in and night out, for lots of
Just such stories are told about COnlSy
all over Hampshire county now; some
EN- doubtless amt; there's no tcllin';
but IL can't he denied that most of EN-
have the genuine COnky flavor.
The histories don't say anything
about the skirmish we had with the
rebels at Churchill's bridge along in
Nav of Ga but we boys who were
there remember il as the toughest fight
in all our experience. They were just
desperate. the rebels were. and-well,
we were mighty glad when night
came. for a soldier can retreat in the
dark with fewer chances of Interrupt
tion. Out of our company of one hun
bred and fifty men. only sixty were
left, You can judge from that of what
the fighting was at Churchilrs bridge,
When they called the roll i'm camp
next day. Conkv Stiles wasn't there.
Had we left him dead at the bridge
or was he wounded. dying the more
FL.
lect?
"By - SAYS Lew Bassett, lets
GO back for COnky.''
That was the only time l ever heard
an oath without a feelin' of regret.
\ detachment of cavalry went out t.
recOnnOiter. Only the ruin of the pre-
ceding day remained where the boys
had stood and stood and stood-only to
be repulsed al last. BluecOatS and gray
coats Law side by side and over against
one another in the reconciling peace o.
death. Occasionally MANNED body
containing just a remnant of life was
found. and one of those crippled bodies
was what was left of Conky.
When the surgeon saw the mimic hole
here in his thigh. ana the saber gasf
here in the temple. he shook his head
and we knew what that meant
Lew Bassett. man who had never
been to meetin' in all his life. and who
could swear a new and awful way
every time-Lcw Bassett says: NO
Conky Stiles amt goin' to die, for
shan't let him and he bent over anC
left up Conl<y's head and held it. so
and wiped away the trickles of blood
and his big hard hands had the tender
ness OF a gentle. lovin' woman's.
We heard Conky's voice once, anC
only once. again. For when, just a
the last. he opened his eyes and saw
that we were there, he smiled feeble
like. and the grace of the Book tri
umphed once more within hlm, and HI
says-it seemed almost like a whisper
he spoke so faint and low: ''Good-by
boys; Second Timothy, a."
And then. though his light went out
the sublime truth of his last word
shOne from his white, peaceful face.
Il have fought good fight, / hav'
| finished my course. ! have KEEP -
faith. - Eugene Field, in Chicago &c
ord.