Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1902-06-19
HOW JOE LOST HIS ARM.

a. HE clerk of the Pretty Jane had
mellow voice, and blended
- sweetly with it was little Jennie's
childish treble.
He sat upon the deck of the little
steamboat. gazing around on the bright
waters of the Tombigbee as the sun
danced on them. gazing intently and
smiling absently to himself.
He was man of about 30, and his
right coat sleeve was empty and pinned
upon his heart.
Little Jennie leaned upon his knee,
staring him intenty in the face in a
way that children have. She pushed her
broad-brimmed hat back from her eyes
so that she might stare the better. The
hat was queerly shaped palmetto
structure, for this was in 1868, and
clothes were at Il premium. She was
the child of one Of the passengers, and
between her and the clerk quite a
friendship had sprung up.
And did you sure enough meet your
Julia here on the Tombigbee?" asked
the child, strOking the empty sleeve
with plying touch.
EYES, said the clerk, reused from
his reverie and smiling down on the
eager little face; Il have often taken
her rowing Oh the Tombigbee before
the war, when had my other arm"
How nice!' said Jennie. How nice:
md in a gumtree canoe?'
''Well, l wasn't particular as to the
kind of canoe, SO it was a canoe" said
he, smiling.
"And your Julia amt named Julia.
but Mary Jane, after ALL" said The
child.
YES" said he, but she's Just as
sweet as if her name was Julia, though
'twouldn't fit in the song so WE'LL
mo, you couldn't say. 1 rowed my
Mary Jane so true 'Twould make the
song too long-leggCd"
True" said he, laughing; but that
makes no difference. think of her
while sing it, SO that it seems as if it
was her name"
''Well. Mr.. Perkins," said Jennie.
"tell me why haven't you married your
Julia, if you've been rowing her around
in your gumtree canoe these ever so
many years."
''You see" said the clerk, smiling.
my Julia couldn't make up her mind
that she loved me till the war broke
out and l volunteered: then she said
directly she'd marry me, but twas too
late then; had to go off to fight
"Y0u had both of your arms them.
interrupted Jennie; you was born
with 'em!'
of any one born with one arm? Nature
don't ever make no such cobbled, lop-
sided work as that"
"Well, if you had both of your arms
then, | don't see why she wouldn't
have you"
'Bless you. child. everybody had
plenty of arms then; that was no in
ducement to take a fellow. But, as
was saying. when she found was 60
ing off to war and might get killed
then she found that she loved me-"
'She'd rather marry you than that
you should get killed." said Jennie.
Eyes, think she ought, after you row
ed her around in the canoe"
"You are right" said Perkins. laugh
ing; but twas too late to marry her
then. We agreed that if ever got
back safely, when the war was over.
we'd marry"
'Tell me, now. how you came to lose
your arm" said Jennie.
"'Twas in one of the great battles
around Richmond that year. had been
in many fights before. but this was
about the hottest. The enemy was
bound to get the hill on which we
stood. and we were holding on desper-
ately. But at last the boys began to
waver and give way. Then our colonel
came out to the front. and the rest Of