The Morris County chronicle., 1902-10-17


there arose tremendous yell. 1t grew
louder and louder and ran down the
line toward us. Then, at last, we saw
a courier galloping down the line. /
shall never forget how he looked. His
black horse was all white with foam,
and it's fianks were bloody from his
spur He rode bareheaded down the
line as if he bore charmed life. and
he kept waving his cap around his
head and shouting something to the
men. and as they heard him the waver-
ing line rallied and sent up deafening
cheers. Then he galloped by where
we were and yelled:
"Rally, meni Rally! Stonewal
Jackson istin ,theirjrear and giving EN-
sutF
I 'SThen we cheered. too, until we We're
hoarse- The courier galloped on, and
presently our officer shouted:
/ "'Forward, mer1 'Chargev
"And away we went, down the hill
and across field. right toward the
Yankee lines Yelling like Indians.
II held the ,colors in my hand, and
ran a little ahead l didn't 'seem to
have any feet; Used med to fly, and the
men followed me. Right toward the
blazing line we ran.l ~
'Au at once | sa " the colonel who
/ was riding by me, Irasp the coitrs, for
! they were falling. | looked ard saw
that my hand, my whole arDh, was
gone, and hadn't felt it! | grabbed
the flag in my left ha md.
"I can carry the ulors yet, colonel
| = -,
81 ran on some 80 steps, when the
blood began speuting from<my shoul-
der I dropped. Joe Ashe, one of the
color guards. ssnaxehed \the flaA. and
! they all rushed m.
II fell seuselessI never knew an
other thing tfh weeNs after, when n
woke up one day in G. lSilnporazo hoss-
pital and found some funn Cooking Ia
diesin black bonnets that the SQys CALI
ed the Sisters bending over mes II it
hadn't been for their good nursi W,
should have died" ~
Perkins ceased He had been so car
rfed away by the interest he felt in his
own narrative that he had gone quite
beyond bis auditor
But tell me, joe" Jennie eagerly
asked-she had been impatiently wait
ing FOR an opportunity for some min
utes-"tell me, did you ever find your
arm that you droppedT'
mo; to be sure not. never went to
look for it."
"You couldn't fasten it on again,
then?"
"Of course not child. / am not a
jointed doll"
what pity you couldn'tp' said the
child What pity! And how do you
manage to dress yourself and tie your
cravat and shoes?" she asked, for she
had been burning to make these in
quiries ever since she had seen the one
armed Confederate.
Twas awkward at first, but learn
ed at last TO do it with the help of my
teefh.o
But how when you get old and lose
'em? said Jennie, who was of an in
vestigating mind.
Providence will raise me up some
other way" he said, with a pathetic
smile. "I'll have my wife to wait on
me-"
ITO be sure. l forgot; Miss Mary
Jane will. What did she say?"
II got one of the sisters to write her
for me, and set her free. / said l
bind her to poor cripple like
me-"
"And she said no, Stree! s'pose,'
cried Jennie. full of fiery zeal for her
new friend.
Something to that effect" said Joe,
smiling
"She wrote me that she loved me
more with one arm than she ever had
lone with two; that whenever ] could
get home she was ready" Here Joe's
eyes filed and he gazed steadily in
he water.
"Well, now, Joe," said Jennie, who
was suddenly struck with a bright
dea, maybe If you would lose both
arms she'd love you betterer and bet
terer."
II believe Pm satisfied with what
she feels now," said Joe, laughing.
"But why hain't you marriedY' con-
linued Jennie pursuing her inyestiga-
tons.
Because | first had to get well, and
then | had to get something to do.
had been mechanic, and l couldn't
work at my trade with my left hand.
So Captain Ramsey gave me place on
his boat, and I've been trying to learn
how to write, so that l can keep his
books. think I'm doing pretty well.
SeeY
He drew from his pocket a little
blank book in which were scrawled
Divers hieroglyphics, at which he gazed
"Why, yes" said Jennie approvingly.
There's t. with the cross mark and
there is * with his broken back, and
that's an H. | know him by his eye
brow. You see, | can read little"
she said proudly.
$50 see" said he, laughing and put
ting up his book. "Now, must go.
The sun has set. 1t is time for me to
see after things for the night"
He stroked Jennie's curly head with
his left hand and walked away, softly
singing in his mellow voice, "My Own
Mary Ann"
Hang an old eiderdown quilt in the
am for few hours to restore it to all