Milford chronicle., 1896-04-17
A WARTIME ExPERIENcE.
An Irate Southern Woman Gives shar
Reception to a Northern Boy.

Reception to a Northern Boy.
Thomas Edwin Turner contributes q
story, Lieutenant Harry, recounting an
episode OF the war of the rebellion, to St.
Nicholas The l3-year-old son of Federal
officer was put in nominal command Of a
seOuting party, and the following was one
OF his experiences in Versailles, Mo-.
Feeling that already he had displayed
generalship to be favorably compared with
Napoleon's crossing the Alps, the young
lieutenant, with his two men, sergeant
and a corporal, prepared to carry by storm
or strategy the only castle known in
America--the dwelling house of one of her
citizens. He mounted the steps of the
most pretentiOus house in his district and
boldly pulled the doorbell. After repeat
ing this operation two or three times, ap-
plying increased strength to each repeti-
ton, finally the door was flung wide open,
and there stood lady clad In black. Her
hair was black, her eyes were blacker, and
the expression of her face was blacklist.
This somber female looked at the boy a
moment, and then asked;
do you want bellY'
"No, ma'am. Whyg" said he.
ooh, when you first rang 1 thought
some one needed doorbell and had con-
oluded to take mine, but before reaching
here decided It was not a bell, but the
whole house you were going to take. Now
what do you want2"
It must be confessed that this reception
was not what the young lieutenant expect
cd and for a moment 1t staggered him.
But he drew himself up to his full height
Of 4 feet / inches, allowed the left hand
TO rest gracefully on his knightly sword
hilt, and, his face beaming with "a ooncili-
ating smile as he assumed the air Of a
humble and unwilling instrument in the
hands OF Uncle Sam, he proceeded to ans
swer the lady's last question thus' MAD
9uu, these are war times. 1t pains me to
inform you that my duty oOmpels us TO
search your house from top to bottom. l
would spare so fair lady If it were in my
power, but my orders from our command
ing officer cannot DO disObeyed. So please
lead the way and we will annoy you as lit
tie as possible"
Here the lady to whom this grandilO-
quent address had been directed, struck
dumb with amazement at the hOy's words
and air of oondescensioD, recovered her
speech Her face was flushed and her
black eyes flashed dangerously as she
screamed:
"HOld your tongue, you impudenb little
peacock, or I'll box your earsl Why does
a baby like you wear uniform? Haven't
the Yankees men enoughg II your COM
manding officer wants anything of me, let
him send man, not a stuck up doll Ike
you. Run homo now as fast as your little
legs will carry you and tell mamma to
trounce you soundly for impertinonce to a
lady old enough to be your grandmother!
Never was humiliation so whitening, so
blighting, so complete The boy would
have given worlds TO have exchanged his
uniform for his roundabout and breeches
and the SLOUGH hat in his room at his far
away northern home. In somewhat
tpemulous voice, it must be confessed, the
young lieutenant thus answered his de-
rider:
Madam, l may be peacock and
doll. 1t Is easy to mistake oneself. l
imagined you were the lady you claimed
TO be, but, SO long as even your dress is
like that Of my mother and sisters, we
will not be rude unless you compel it. My
little legs are going over this house from
cellar to garrett, and if you won't show us
the way I will send you to the hotel with
Corporal Sands, where we have some other
prisoners. l am big enough to tell you this
and to do it. -
Soowling darkly, the woman replied
"Come on, you little brute! Oh, how 1
wish had you alone for ten minutesP
Truth to tell "the little brute" was very
glad to escape a private interview with
the irate woman.