Show JOHN ALLEYS ONE LIE the anent for the truth congressman john alien had the floor says the washington post you know told but one lio in my life said tha that cured me it was back in 1863 a day or two after the second battle of manassas I 1 was a small barefooted bare footed soldier boy about fifteen years old marchins with lees army toward maryland my feet became so sore from marching over the rocks that I 1 had to fall out of line and became separated from my command and consequently from all commissary stores on which I 1 could draw the country had been so often raided by both armies that it was difficult to got any thing to cat I 1 was very hungry and thought I 1 should starve when I 1 suddenly spied a house away from the road which seemed to have been missed by the soldiers the family was just sitting down to a good dinner and abc my special request they invited man I 1 do not remember ever to have a dinner so much and cot knowing when I 1 would get any thima more I 1 tried myself and ate a acry big dinner in fact I 1 took on about tarco days rations I 1 left this bouso and had gone about a half a mile when I 1 saw some nice looking ladies going toward a hospital with a covered basket I 1 was sure they had something for the sick soldiers an d while I 1 did not feel that 1 could cat any thing moro then I 1 thought I 1 had better anake provisions jor the future and that I 1 might get something to take along in my haversack I 1 was small for my age and a rather hard looking specimen you would never have supposed I 1 would have developed into the specimen 0 manly beauty you now see before you I 1 approached these kind h carted ladies and putting oa my hungriest and roost pitiful look said ladies can you tell me where a poor soldier boy who has not had a mouthful to cat for three days can get something to keep him from starving you should have seen the look of sympathy on their faces as they said wo must this poor boy starve and opening their baskets in which they had two pitchers of gruel they began to feed me on gruel out of a spoon now when I 1 was a child they used to feed mo on gruel when 1 was sick and I 1 disliked it above all things eatable but having told tha story about my hunger I 1 had to eat it well I 1 never was so punished for a story as I 1 was for having to eat that gruel on my dinner but I 1 have often thought that may bo it was a fortunate thing for mo it broko telling stories I 1 have never told ono since U |