The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1903-10-01
THE SOLDIER TRAMP.
Scene: A City Police Court.

eyer honor, I pleads guilty; I'm bum
mer,
Idon't deny the cop here found me drunk;
don't deny that through the whole long
summer
The sun warmed earth has been my only
bunk.
| haint been able for to make Twin;
A man with one leg planted in the tomb
Can't get job-an Nv strong misgivin'
Bout bein' cooped up in a Soldiers Home.
''Whar did lose my leg? At Spottsyl-
vania-
Perhaps you've read about the bloody
fight,
But then guess the story won't restrain
you
From doi'n what the law sets down as
right.
Pm not a vag through choice, but
through misfortune,
An as fur drink-well all men have
faults;
An judge, guess I've had my lawful
portion
O'rough experience in prison vaults.
II served as private in the tOthTennessee,
An all the boys 'llsay done what's tight;
Thar Amt a man kin say that Abram
Burressee
Was ever found shirking in fight.
Right in the hell-born, frightfur roars Of
battle
Whar shot an shell shrieked thro' the
| darksom wood,
You'd always find me doin' the best l
| could.
We had brave OIL fellow fur a Colonel
We called him Sweety, but his name
| was Sweat
Why, Judge, swear it, by the great
| Eternal,
That brave oil cuss'd rather fight than
| eat.
An you could always bet your bottom
dollar
In battle Sweety'd never hunt a tree,
He'd allus push into tho front, an holler,
"Brace up, my gallant boys, an follow
| me.
"Well just afor the Spottsylvania battle
OF Sweety cum to me an says, says he,
81 tell you Abe faint many things'll
rattle
A tough, old, wertherbcaten cuss like
ME;
But in my very soul I've got a feelin'
That Pm goin' to get dose To-day,
An faint no use fur me to De concealin'
The skittish thoughths that in my bosom
| play.
SPUR many years YOU We been my neigh
| Dor, BurreSsee,
An have allus found you square and
Back in our little town in old Tennessee
No one has got a better Name than you.
An now | Want your promise squarelv
given,
That if our cause to- day demands my life,
An you yourself are LETT among the
Twin
You'll take me back an lay me by my
wife.
"Well Judge, that day, amidst the most
Internal
An desperate bloody fight ever seed,
"way up in front saw the daring colonel
Throw up his hands and tumble off his
steed.
In half minute was bending o'vr him
An seeing that he wasn't killed outright,
loaded him up on my back an bore him
Some little distance back out o'tha fight.
"Thc blood from out CHASTITY wound was
flown,
An SO snalched the shirt from off my
back;
For could see the brave OF cuss was
goin'
To die, unless held the red tide back,
An purity soon l seed he was revivin'.
An heard him whisper: "Abc, you've
saved my life,
Your OF wool shirt, along with your
connivin'
Has kept me from the grave beside my
| wife.
"Well, Judge, while stood there beside
him, schemin'
An how to get him in Doctors care,
A ten-pound shell toward us came
screamin'
Just like ravin' demon in the air.
An when it passed, found myself a lynn
Across OF Sweety's body, an see
That 'tarned shell, that by us went flyin'
Had TUX my leg along fur company.
"Well, Judge that's all 'cept when the
war was over
found myself a cripple, an since then
I've been sort o. shriftless, worthless
rover,
But just as honest as the most o. men;
! never stole dime from livin' mortal,
Nor ever harmed a woman, child or man
simply been bum, an hope the
court'll
Be just as easy on me as it can"
Then spoke the Judge: "Such helpless,
worthless creatures
Should never be allowed to bum and beg.
Your case, tits true, has some redeeming
features
For in this, our cause, you lost your leg.
And yet feel the world needs an example
To check the tendency of men to roam;
The sentence is, that all your life-your
| campIl
Be the best room in my humble home. /"
The soldier stared! Dumb!-Silent al a
statue!
Then in a voice OF trembling pathos,
said:
l