The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-24

formation, and turned back long before
they reached their destination.
one such ardent band marched from a
little village some thirty miles from Lex
ington. only to be met by a messenger
from the next town and sent home again
before it had gone five miles. That dis
lance it made in hot haste returning home
leisurely, yet scarcely absent in all more
than two or three hours; but during that
brief period one young patriot underwent
what-so family tradition relates-he was
wont to term his hardest experience dur
ing the revolution. He was prisoner of
war-and his mother was on guard.
Living on the outskirts of the town, the
alarm had reached the Jeckley house first
of ALL and Joe Jeckey a youth of 10,
took down his gun, and was ready and
waiting TO join his village friends who
would have to pass the gate on their
march for Lexington. But Mrs. Jeckley,
a widow with one son, though she was
not Tory, was a rather n lukewarm re-
bel, and cared more for Joe for the pres
ent than for independence in the future.
She did not wish her boy to get into any
lighting, and the more eager he showed
himself, the more frightened she be-
came.
Suddenly a bright idea struck her, and,
telling him that with the long march in
prospect, and not knowing when he would
get nythng TO eat 1t would certainly be
wise to fortify himself beforehand. she
sent him TO the pantry TO snatch the best
meal he could while waiting for the men
from the village.
He complied readily enough, but the
moment he was inside the pantry he heard
the key turned and the bolt shot and
realized that he had been caught. Indeed.
Mrs. Jecley so informed him, with ma
ternal triumph in her tones, and, though
he begged and pleaded and raved and
stormed, she was not to be moved from
her determination.
Soon he heard afar off the cheers from
the village green which marked the de-
parture of the company, and in despera-
ton he passed from words to deeds. He
kicked and pounded al the door, but it
held fast. Then he tried to squeeze
through the pantry window, but the at
tempt proved disastrous 1t was too
small, and he stuck half way, waving his
arms without and his legs within, while
pans and jars crashed from the shelves
under the assaults of his vigorous heels.
Quite out of breath and unable 20 get
either in or out, he paused at length, and
humbly entreated his mothers help That
shrewd matron guessing that If she went
into the pantry and pulled him in he
would rush past her out of the door and
be off, and knowing he would bolt If she
pulled him through into the yard, discreet
ly went around the house out of doors, and
with much difficulty and many gasps and
groans from the bruised and outraged
Joe, succeeded in showing him back by the
shoulders, so forcibly that a loud crash
and spatter of milk announced his arrival
on the pantry floor
Meanwhile the company-one man short
had passed by during the struggle and
were already out of sight and hearing.
The case was plainly hopeless His moth
err hand conquered. Realizing his defeat
and the ignominious manner Of it's accom-
plishment, Joes sef-control vanished,
and still seated in puddle of milk, smear
ed with jelly and powdered with meal, he
burst into sobs and tears OF wrath, dis
appointment and wounded pride.
Mrs Jeckley, after a little good advice
administered through the keyhoe, went
away and left the poor fellow to have his
cry out in solitude. When the villagers re-
turned, and she learned the danger was
over, she let him out; but though Joe was
not reckoned an unfilial youth, he was so
suky for the next few weeks that he was
scarcely on speaking terms with his too
prudent parent
Nor was his anger assuaged by the fact
that the story got out, and he found him
self cruelty nicknamed Pantry Joe'-a
nickname which stuck to him all his life,
although after~the 18th of June it lost its
bitterness. For Joe had learned wariness,
and when his final resolve was taken to
Join the continental army, he took care
not to be on the wrong side of a locked
door when il was time to march. He join
cd in season to fight on Bunker Hin,
where he had the honor of being wounded
in the service of his country.