The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1896-05-02


.A WARTIME EXPERIENCE
An Irate Southern Woman Gives q
Sharp Recepti0n to q Northern
Boy. 81 is 81 8s5s5.s s5
Thomas Edwin Turner contributes q
story, 'Lieutenant Harry recounting
an episode of the War Of the Rebe ellion,
to st. Nicholas The thirteen-year-old
son of a Federal officer was put in
nominal command Of a scouting party,
and the following was one OF his ex-Ss
periences in Versailles, Mo-: ss5
Feeling that already he had display
ed generalship to be favorably com
pared with Napoleon's crossing the
Alps, the young lieutenant, with his
two men, a 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 pre-
tentious house in his district and
boldly pulled the door-bell. After re-.
peating the operation two or three
times, applying increased strength to
each repetition, the door was flung
vide open and there stood a lady clad
in black Her hair was black, her eyes
were blacker, and the expression of
her face was biackest. This somber
female looked at the boy moment
and then asked:
'.Do you want a bell 2"
.tNo, ma'am. Why? said he,
ssOh, when you first rang / thought
some one needed a door-bell and had
concluded to take mine; but, before
reaching here decided it was not a
bell but the whole house you were go
ing to take. Now, what do you want??"
It must be confessed that this recep-
ton was not what the young lieutenant
expected, and for moment it stag
gered him. But ne drew himself up to
his full height Of four feet eleven.
inches, allowed the left hand to rest
gracefully on his knightly sWord-hilt,
and, his face beaming with a concili
ating smile as he assumed the air Of
an humble and unwilling instrument in
the hands Of Uncle Sam, he proceeded
to answer the lady's last question thus,
me to inform you that my duty COM
to bottom. 1 would spare so fair a
lady if it were in my power; but my
orders from our commanding officer
cannot be disobeyed. So please lead
the way, and .Fill annoy yousas
little as possible. :
Here the lady to whom this grandilo-
quent address had been directed,
struck dumb with arnazement at the
boys words and air Of condescension,
recovered her speech. Her face was
flushed and her black eyes flashed dan
gerously as she screamed:
Hold your tongue, you impudent
little peacock or Ill box your ears!
Why does a baby like you wear uni
form? Haven't the Yankees men
enough? If your commanding officer
wants anything of me let him send q
man, not a stuck-up doll like you. Run
home now as fast as your little legs
will carry you and tell mamma to
trounee you soundly for impertinence
to lady old enough to be your grand
mother!'' =.s
Never was humiliation so whitening,
so blighting, so complete. The boy
would have given worlds to have ex-
changed his uniform for his rounda-
bout and breeches and the slouch hat
in his room at his far-away Northern
home. In somewhat tremulous voice,
it must be confessed, the young lieu
tenant thus answered his derider:
Madam, / may be a peacock and a
doll. 1t is easy to listake ones self.
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 garret,
and il you won't show us the way, I
will send you to the hotel with Cor
poral Sands, where we have some 9th
er prisoners I am big enough to- tell
you this and to do it,
ScoWling darkly, the woman replied:
Come on, you little brute! Oh, how
I wish had you alone ten minutes!''
Truth to tell, the little BRUTE was
very glad to escape a private Interview
with the irate woman.