The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-02-28
The TALE Of A SHIRT.


The tale of a shirt is an old one and
has often been told, but | have "A new
chapter To all TO IL. a chapter of my
own experience in Cuba last summer"
volunteered a member OF an Ohio regi-
ment to a Washington Star reporter.
Some years ago, following closely
upon the Johnstown flood, there was
an appeal made for clothing for those
made destitute by the flood, by several
charitable associations. among them
branches OF the Red Cross society. /
was in Cincinnati at the time, and had
just purchased half dozen under
shirts. Upon opening the bundle on
arriving at my house my mother made
Il remark that | should share the shirts
with some Johnstovn sufferer. The
idea seemed a good one To me, and
put three of them in a box and left il
at a drug store where collections
were being received for the Johnstown
sufferers. l wrote my name on a card
and pinned ii on the inside of the sleeve
of each shirt The card / used was the
business card of the drug store. That
was the last | heard Of the shirts and
/ had no reason to think l would ever
hear from them again. Well time went
on with it's whirlgig and soon the
Johnstown flood became "a thing OF the
past and was forgotten. In the same
whirligig OF time war was declared
against Spain. and last spring found me
a soldier in an Ohio regiment. In the
summer | was one OF the many volun-
teers i'm Cuba, III and about destitute OF
clothing having lost my knapsack and
the stock Of underclothng 1t contained.
An agent of the Red Cross Society visi-
ted our camp hospital and distributed
n quantity OF Undertaking that had
been sent hiuf for distribution.
1T was my fortune to receive n full
suit of underclothing which | assure
you was very highly appreciated. for,
like the others who received similar
gifts, | was very badly i'm need of IL. in
trying to put on the shirt ] had difficult
~ i'm getting my arm into the sleeve.
ON investigating the reason for it |
found that IL had been pinned up
Judge of my wonderment when pulled
out the card from sleeve the very
card had myself written and
pinned there at the time Of the Johns
town nood, nine years ago, in June.
1889. Never before was there Il more
striking cXemplifcation of casting
bread upon the waters and It's return
an hundred fold. AS I read the card l
thought OF my saiuted mothers advice
10 share my shirts and how l felt on
doing So. Little did ever think that
the shirt would ever come back TO M.
or that would ever welcome II as glad
~ as did But IL came. Just the same
and from all appearances had never
been opened The Red Cross agent
could not explain IL then. but later ON.
on his return from cuba and 90 this
city. he asccrtained that the Red Cross
received great quantity of cloth ng
after they had made alNhe distribution
necessary az Johnstown. and had slowed
some OF the surplus I'm this city. ~ was
from this surplus that some Of the
clothing that was sent 90 our regiment
came, that is n few of the pieces. ana
among the lot was my shirt returned
Go me, and ne n time. too. when 7 need
cd " as badly as anv NJ Tho Johustown
sufferers ever did. What became OF the
shirt? Well. | wore NJ for several
weeks. and on my return to Ohio on
furlough put it away. came on tothis
city Co attend my son's wedding and
part of the clothing he viii wearon that
occasion VIII be that identical shirt
And he VII be as proud of II as l am. -