The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1915-11-12

tors influence DID Not Become APP
prem Until the Next Day and After
He Had Taken His Departure.
II was n the spring Of 1862, when
stOlewall Jacks on, marching down the
shenandOf valley. had won bril-
liant victory over General Banks.
whom lie drove north until the friend
l. Potomac intcrposed its screen am
h ouni safety and care for his sick
aId wounded IN the hospitals Of Fred
etic<.
A new 1urse had been assigned to
OF @ Of the hospitals the day before the
II ttle-a Massachusetts woman named
Charlotte Mckay, widowed and made
eli il Hess within a single year. The
ps tlents she had under her care were
nos tly FCderals Of course, but there
vas good sprlnklng Of wounded
Condolences who were prisoners OF
war.
One day Just after dinner time, the
chief surgeon entered Mrs. McKay's
ward, accompanied by stranger. The
mlr had the appearance Of student
4 y heal was bent and his brows were
dri'gn together, with two deep lines
between tl EN-, az If he had spent long.
tiolghtful hours at his desk, and his
ever the color OF blue steel, swept the
to lake IN everything. His grizzled
beaId showed that he was no longer
young, but his step and bearing were
eli s &c and vigorous.
"Ir Janeway is from Louisiana" ex
plliled the CHIEF as he introduced the
STA lger. "He had to abandon a large
slS:r plar tation there when the wai
br)le out because Of his loyalty. He
WIS surgeon In the Crimean war and
so 4, interested In seeing how we dc
tl n IS here"
Tie stranger chatted genially with
tn, nurses end The surgeon, discussed
thrl' cling facilities, compared
thcrl with those OF the Crimea, ques
tened them about the rations Of the
pr sonerB and accepted n steaming cup
OF IT soup from the nurse.
,be prisoners were watching and lis
teI,ing to al that passed, I'm strong con
til 81 to the sullen indifference they
hal shown lefore. One young Virgin.
iat, tail ard muSc1lsr, looked as IL he
were about ID spring from his cot.
That boy looks like he came from
ncar my place." Observed the southern
Unit MIST. May speak to him"
Yes, doctor; you may talk to any OF
thtm."
With q cirlously quick and noiseless
step the visitor reached the bed and
COW srsel 'or a moment In tones that
were maud bile TO all but the young sol
der. He returned In moment.
Il was mistaken. A chance resem-
blln,e deceived me. The man says he
Is 1ankcring for n drink nurse. I
tod aim would ask you for it,
The wounded man drank the water
st IT ,hed o II on his side and appeared
TO slnep, W nile the two surgeons went
or to anotl er ward and presently left
the building. Mounting his horse, Dr.
Jar eway bade cordial goodby to the
chief. bowed with deep respect to the
two women and rode slowly out of the
hosp tai grounds.
The prisoners were i'm better spirits
the next morning. A laugh passed
fro n time ID time. IL was almost as II
soule excellent joke unknown to their
attendants had raised their courage.
"Oid you know the gentleman who
waJ here yesterday" Mrs. Mckay
asked the boy soldier. The lad grinned
up II her and replied:
les, ma'Nn."
"'TCu did? Who was hep"
1T was S onewill Jackson, ma am"
1ISc nurse stared, then she said:
"Nu're making fun of me, Pryor.
our armies!"
"lt wouldn't be the first time," re-
torte eel the boy, nettled by her unbelief.
"More than once, when he hadn't just
the scout h. wanted at hand, he has
gon, on bis own errands."
"Iiut what IL ne should be recog-
nized"
Wyho's to recognize him? None Of
you iolks, FOR those who would know
him tre fglting, not nursing the sick.
Ant none Cf ours, for they wouldn't
tel IL they saw him. Reason he spoke
to M vest ,rday was cause l was
showing too much interest. I'm one OF
his foot cavalry ma'am. He wanted
to know just how we was bein' treat
cd, N d so lie cane to See"
"ITc try ID do the best we can for
yor, Pryor"
"TeH, ma'am. told him so. We've
beer treated a heap better than we ex-
peoted to be. But it's tough TO be a
prisoner, you know. And that was
Stor vail Jackson. youths Compan.
ion