El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-31


face. his gir]ish voice and his thi
little frame, he WAS anything but so
dierly looking.
| When he presented himself at tn
armory the day before the troop lei
for rendezvous at San Antonio, tn
captain could hardly repress a smile
and a laugh ran through the group @
big well-built cavslrymen who stoo
talking with the captain. The "Cap,
as he was known among. the boys
quickly hushed the merniment by
commanding look, but they though
they could detect a trace of pity in hi
voice as he asked:
"How old are you?"
Eighteen years, SIR came the timit
answer.
"Don't you know you are too young?'
81 have the written consent of my
guardian. SIR" and he took from hit
inside coat pocket little slip of paper
neatly folded, which the captain reat
aloud:
81, JULIUS Morrison, the duly appointed
guardian of Guy A. Clifford, eighteen years
of age, hereby give my consent to the enlist
ment of the said Guy Clifford in the army Of
the u 8. in the war with Spain.
JULIUS A. MORRISON.
YOU'RE not physically able to stand
the examination" the captain unused,
half to himself, "No, I can't take you. .
AS the boy turned to go q big teal
found it's way down his cheek.
"Well' said the captain, 'iJ won't hurt
anything for you to try the examina'
tiOn."
The big, fat, jolly face of the examin.
ing surgeon showed plainly that he
looked at it all as a joke. ana probably
more for q joke than anything else, he
uua ollnwon on and (TnV Clifford
was duly enrolled as a member of
Troop 3D." 1st. U. S. volunteer cavalry.
That evening at roll call the name
s'Guy Clifford,'' was called, and as the
answer "Here, came in boyish voice
q murmur of surprise went down the
line, and after the troop had been dis
missed, they wanted to know all about
the new addition.
That night as they tried to sleep on
the old armory floor, with one thin
blanket as covering and bed. they
from little Guy.
After that first roll call, he was al
ways spoken of as 1.-THE kid"
The next morning when the train
pulled out bearing them away, q great
crowd gathered at the depot to bid the
troop goodbye. An old gray haired
mother came with aching heart and
ear dimmed eyes to say farewell, per-
1aps forever, to her only son, yet with
! spirit of true patriotism, glad that
he could give so much for her coun-
RVS cause; sweethearts came to cheer
heir .soldier-lovers in the parting
our; fond mothers held little Growing
abies up that they might catch a last |
limpse of papa, but no one was there to |
az kind word to- little Guy-no one
AIRED whether he stayed or went.
After the train had left the boys |
ound him alone, his face laying on his
rm, crying as though his little heart
7ould break.
But he began to brighten up as the
sy wore on, and when q crowd near
egan laughing and talking, he joined
a, in his timid childish way. His
roll sayings often caused general
Iugh among the boys, in which he
,ined good naturedly. Altogether.
it'll his funny little sayings, pathetic
,ngs, and power of mimicry, he made
lends with even the eruffest; and
very body knew and liked 'the kid"be-
re the journey's end WAS reach
When they reached the camp they
und no tents, SO the first night they
ept out side with nothing but their
ngle blanket for bed. In the middle
the night it began to rain. The
swore, but little Guy, huddled !
ose to the trunk of q big tree, wrap
ID in his blanket. sang and joked.
The tents up and each man assigned,
ON out his little bundle of belongings {
lied up in his blanket, he brought
70 pictures: One of a sweet-faced old
dy, with his own big eyes of blue
e of those dear old faces which it e
ways makes one better to have seen; t
e other girl of fifteen with bright, q
ucy eyes, and roguish, mischevous
lille about the corners of her mouth. G
That night he told the boys all about G
EN-. t
"This one," he said with just touch
pathos in his voice, as he took up g
g picture of the gray haired lady, t
: my mother, boys" Then half to
mself, "We were 80 happy together, q
)ther and L. l can't see why it was 8
at she had TO leave me. She's been c
ad two years, and in memory I can "
her dear face tonight as it shown n
tn heavenly light when she bid me b
let her On the other shore:I can hear
1T sweet voice as it spoke to me that te
,ht saying long farewell: even now d
an feel the kiss upon my lips which Ell
, imprinted there just before she to
t me forever" Then he broke down ey
ried his face in his hands and sobbe6 &C
nd Mother" He laid the picture 70
lderly aside and went on as he picked
the other. ''No, this is not my sis. m
)" in his boyish bashful way, ''it's 81
sweetheart, Annie,' and the boys
lied at the very idea of him having ,
sweethearts 81 used to walk to Of
DOL with her every morning and 10
ry her lunch basket for her. til