The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-03-02

heHrts OF eveky pody " the r19imeuti
They sent q committes down from our
town one TAanksstsin time to bring lot
Of good thing and e see how s9on Fe were
goin 70 capture Richmond. Mr. Hubbell,
the minister, was one Of them. Deacon
one time that Eonky had soft spot in his
heart for the deacon's eldest girl, Tryphena,
but always allowed that he paid as much
attention to the other daughter, Tryphosa,
as he did to her elder sister, and guess he
hadn't any more hankerin for one than be
had for the other, for when the committee
come to 60 home Conky says TO Deacon
Cooley, well, goodby, deacon" says be,
Romans xvi, ~"
We had to look 1t up in the Bible before
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 1t: Romans xvi, 6.e You see,
Mr.. Carter's wife had been Conky's Sun
day school teacher, and Conky did not for
get to greet Mary, who bestowed much
labor on u.s."
Down at Elnathan Jones' general store
the other day heard Elnathan tell how
Conky clerked 1t for him spell and how
one day he says to Conky; THAT Baker
bill has been runnin on for more'n six
weeks. We can't do business unless We
get our money. Conky, wish you'd just
kind o. spur Mr.. Baker up a little"
So Conky sat down on the stool at the
desk and dropped Mr.. Baker short epistle
to this effectt Romans l. IA; Psalms xxi,
IL; Psalms cxlii, g. Next day who should
come in but Mr.. Baker, and he allowed
that that letter had gone straighter to his
conscience than any sermon would have
gone, and he paid his bill and bought a kit
of salt mackerel into the bargain, so Ell
nathan Jones says.
could keep on tellin things like this day
In and night out, for lots of just such
stories are told about Conky all over Hamp
shire county now. Some OF EN- doubtless
are true, and some of 'em doubtless amt.
There's no telfin, but it can't be denied
that most of ON have the genuine Conky
favor.
The histories don't say anything about
the skirmish we had with the rebels at
Churchlll's Bridge along in May of 1854, but
we boys who were there remember it as the
toughest fight in all our experience, They
were just desperate the rebels were, and
well, we were mighty glad when night
with fewer chances of interruption. Out OF
our company of $50 men, only go were leftl
You can judge from that of what the fight
In was at Churchill's Bridge. When they
called the roll in camp next day, Conky
Stiles wasn't there.
Had we left him dead at the bridge, or
was he, Younded, dyin the more awful
death of hunger. thirst and neglectY
by -" says Lew Bassett, lets go
back for Conkyi'
That was the only time ever heard an
oath without a feelin of regret.
A detachment of cavalry went out to rec
onnoiter. Only the ruin of the precedin
day remained where we boys had stood and
stootsand stood-only to be repulsed at
last. 1Bluecoats and graycoats lay side by
side and over against one another in the
reconcilin peace of death. Occasionally a
manned body, containin just a remnant
of life, was found, and one of these crippled
bodies was what was left of Conky.
When the surgeon saw the mimic hole
here in his thigh, and the saber cash here
In his temple, he shook his head and we
knew what thas meant.
Lew Bassett, "A man who had never been
to meetin in all his life and who could
swear new and awful way every time
Lew Bassett says, mo, Conky Stiles amt
goin to die, for | shan't let himl' and he
bent over and lifted up Conky's head and
held 1t, SO, and wiped away the trickles OF
| blood, and his big hard hands had the
tenderness of a gentle, lovin woman's.
We heard Conkys voice once and only
once again, for when, just at the last he
| opened his eyes and saw that we were there
/ ne smiled feeblelike, and the grace Of the
| book triumphed once more within him. and
| In SuvS--it SaepopI alrnngt lika n ChiSppr
| he spoke so faint and low; "Goodby, boys
Second Timothy iv, a."
And then, though his light went out
the sublime truth of his last words shon,
from his white, peaceful face.
| II have fought good fight; l have fin
ished my course; have kept the faith. -
Eugene Field in Chicago Herald.