The Morris County chronicle., 1902-10-17
How Joe Lost
His Arm.
BY PAUL GRANT.

On the Tombie 5,cc river 50 bright was born,
In hut made of ht.sSs OF the bright yellow corns
And twas there that mel my Julia so true,
And rowed er about in nay gumtTee canoe,
Singing, Roe way, o'er the waters SO blue;
Like feather wen Goat N my gumtree canoe.
The clerk of the Pretty Jane had q
mellow vo Ice, and blended sweetly
with it W MS 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, sur
danced on them, gazing intently and
smiling abseRtly to himself.
He was a. man of about 30, and his
right coat sleeve was empty and pin.
ned upon his heart.
Little Jennie leaned upon hisA knee,
staring himA intently in the faceNin a
way that, children have. She pushed
her broad brimmed hat back from her
eyes so that she might stare the bet
ter. The hat was queerly shaped pal
naetto structure, for this was in 1863,
and clothes were at premium. She
was the child of one of the passengers,
and between her and the clerk quite
friendship had sprung up.
And did you sure enough meet your
Julia here on the TombigbeeW asked
the child, stroking the empty sleeve
with plying touch.
"Yes." said the clerk, reused from his
reverie and smiling down on the eager
little face; II have often taken her
rowing on the Tombigbee before the
war, when had my other arm"
How nicer said Jennie. "How nice!
And in a gumtree canoe?"
We'll. | 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 WELL"
mo, you couldn't say. 4 rowed my
Mary Jane so true.' 'Twould make the
song too long legged"
True" said he. laughing, ''but that
makes no difference. l think of her
while | sing it, so that it seems as if it
was ber 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 yearsT
"You see," said the mate, smiling,
my Julia couldn't make up her mind |
that she loved me till the war broke |
out and volunteered; then she said |
directly she'd marry me, but twas too
late then; had to go off to fight"
you had both of your arms thenr'
interrupted Jennie; you was born
with emp" ~>s--- ---------
"Of course, child. Did you ever hear
Of any one born with one arm? Nature
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
1ucement to take fellow. But, as l
was saying. when she found | was go
ing off to the war and might get killed
then she found that she loved me-"
Shed rather marry you than that
you should get killed." said Jennie.
Yes. think she ought, after you row.
ed her around in the canoe"
You are right" said Perkins, laugh /
flA..A lo4A l..
then. We agreed that if ever l 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 des-
perately. But at last the boys began
to waver and give way. Then our
colonel came out to the front, and the
rest of our officers followed him, and |
they ran up and down the lines cheer
ing up the men.
Steady, my boys said the old colo
nel; keep pouring it into them.
Steady! Re-enforcements will soon be
here! Never let it be said that the line
broke where the Alabamians stoodP
"The whole air seemed black with
shot and shell. A piece of one grazed
the coloneps cheek, and the blood kept |
trickling down his face, but he didn't |
seem to feel it. The firing grew so hot
that the men seemed fairly moved
down, and the line began to waver and