John Smith's Funny Adventures on a Crutch: Or The Remarkable Peregrinations of a One-legged Soldier after the WarHill, A. F. (Ashbel Fairchild)
History
John Smith's Funny Adventures on a Crutch: Or The Remarkable Peregrinations of a One-legged Soldier after the War
Hill, A. F. (Ashbel Fairchild)
Disabled veterans -- United States -- Fiction; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Veterans -- Fiction
“Fine,” he said.
“Do you live here?”
“Yes—or rather, in Alleghany City.”
“I am glad we have met. I stay at the St. Charles to-night. I hope you
are not engaged.”
“No.”
“Then you must take supper with me. Come up a moment; then we will take
a walk.”
I re-entered the hotel, accompanied by Miller, and opening the register
again with the air of the owner, I wrote immediately under my name:
“MAJOR C. MILLER, PITTSBURG ARSENAL.”
“Major Miller,” said I, addressing the clerk, “will take supper with
me.”
“All right, Colonels,” was the obsequious reply; “any times you blease.”
Miller and I walked out for a stroll, and I explained to him, somewhat
to his amusement, my reason for adopting those high-sounding military
titles. We then stopped at the first respectable saloon, and took a
hearty lemonade, with a powerful “stick” in it—dispensing with the
lemons, water and sugar.
We soon returned, and, after supper at the hotel, walked out for another
stroll about the city. At ten o’clock we parted, and I returned to the
hotel, ready to retire.
“Colonels,” said the clerk, “you drunks comes. We puts him in ze rooms
for you.”
“Very well; I will retire,” I said. “See that I am awakened in time for
the seven-o’clock train for Uniontown.”
“Certainly, Colonels; we tends to dat. You vants to go to pet? I shows
you de rooms.”
He went with me to a double-bedded room on the first floor, where I
found my trunk, (with a fresh dent in it,) and lighting the gas for me,
and leaving the key in the door, he bade me a humble good night, as,
with a cringing bow, he retired from my military presence.
It was after one o’clock before the mosquitoes consented to my going
asleep, and I had not been asleep long, when thump, thump, knock, knock,
knock, went some one at my door, breaking upon my slumbers most
unpleasantly. They wanted to put another man in my room, and, as I did
not concur in the arrangement, I lay still and let them pound at the
door till their knuckles were sore. At last I heard some one say:
“There’s no waking that fellow.”
Presently a hurried footstep approached, and the well-known voice of the
clerk who had assigned me my room, exclaimed excitedly:
“Vat you does dere? Dat’s de Colonels! Mein Gott!”
And I was left in peaceable and untrammeled possession of the room.
I was awakened in due time in the morning; and, putting my rusty-looking
clothes into my trunk and donning a more respectable suit, I came down
to breakfast, and received such marked attention that I began to fancy
myself a major-general, instead of a mere colonel. Immediately after
breakfast, I paid my bill—($5.25)—found a carriage awaiting me at the
door; and, having been bidden an affectionate adieu by the proprietors,
three or four times, I rode to the depot.
I have not recorded this incident for the purpose of injuring the St.
Charles Hotel; as it has since changed proprietors, and is now conducted
in a creditable manner.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account