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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Plantation Sketches, by Margaret Devereux
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Plantation Sketches
+
+Author: Margaret Devereux
+
+Release Date: September 19, 2007 [EBook #22673]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PLANTATION SKETCHES ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Edwards, Sam W. and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+made from images produced by the North Carolina History
+and Fiction Digital Library.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+  PLANTATION SKETCHES
+
+          BY
+
+   MARGARET DEVEREUX
+
+
+PRIVATELY PRINTED AT
+The Riverside Press, Cambridge
+MDCCCCVI
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: MAMMY]
+
+
+
+
+COPYRIGHT 1906 BY MARGARET DEVEREUX
+
+ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
+
+
+
+
+EDITOR'S PREFACE
+
+
+The descriptions of Southern life in this little book, as well as the
+accompanying stories, were written by Mrs. Devereux during the past
+fifteen years, in large part after she had passed her sixty-fifth
+year. They are essentially reminiscent, and were prepared originally
+with no thought of publication, but merely to be read to her
+grandchildren, so that there might be preserved in their minds some
+conception of the old-time lives of their grandparents. The sketches
+thus came to be read by me to my own children, who are of the third
+generation. They brought to my mind so simply, yet so vividly and in
+so attractive a manner, a picture of the old plantation life, they
+showed such remarkable memory of interesting details, that they seemed
+to me to merit publication. The charm of the descriptions will
+impress all readers, and the truthfulness of the illustrations of
+negro character and habits will be recognized by all who are familiar
+with the South. The sketches are simple, homely little tales prepared
+for children, and they must be read with this fact in mind; but they
+have nevertheless an interest and a lesson for maturer readers, to
+whom they are now offered.
+
+          Arthur Winslow
+
+  18 Chestnut St., Boston, Mass.
+  April 27, 1906
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+    _Letter to my Grandchildren_                         ix
+
+    _Plantation Life_                                     1
+
+    _Going to the Plantation_                            40
+
+    _My Own Early Home_                                  52
+
+    _Two Bob Whites_                                     59
+
+    _Little Dave_                                        74
+
+    _The Hog-Feeder's Day_                               85
+
+    _The Junior Reserve_                                113
+
+    _Mammy_                                             119
+
+    _War Reminiscences_                                 150
+
+
+
+
+TO MY GRANDCHILDREN
+
+
+As the "New South," with all its changes and improvements, rises above
+the horizon, those whose hearts still cling to the "Old South" look
+sadly backward and sigh to see it fade away into dimness, to be soon
+lost to sight and to live only in the memory of the few. Hoping to
+rescue from oblivion a few of the habits, thoughts, and feelings of
+the people who made our South what it was, I have drawn from memory a
+few pen sketches of plantation life, based upon actual events, in
+which are recorded some of the good and even noble traits of character
+which were brought forth under the yoke of slavery.
+
+For you, my dear grandchildren, I have tried to fix, before they fade
+entirely, these already faint reflections from the "light of other
+days."
+
+          Margaret Devereux.
+
+  Raleigh, North Carolina.
+  December, 1905.
+
+
+
+
+PLANTATION LIFE
+
+
+I am going to try to describe to you something of the lives and homes
+of your dear grandfather and of your great-grandfather, because I want
+you to know something of them, because their mode of life was one of
+which scarcely a vestige is left now, and because, finally, I don't
+want you to be led into the misconception held by some that Southern
+planters and slaveholders were cruel despots, and that the life of the
+negro slaves on the plantation was one of misery and sorrow.
+
+Before I enter upon my brief narrative I want you to realize that it
+is all strictly true, being based upon my knowledge of facts; very
+simple and homely in its details, but with the merit of entire
+truthfulness.
+
+Your great-grandfather, Thomas Pollock Devereux, and your grandfather,
+John Devereux, were planters upon an unusually large scale in North
+Carolina; together they owned eight large plantations and between
+fifteen and sixteen hundred negroes. Their lands, situated in the rich
+river bottoms of Halifax and Bertie counties, were very fertile, the
+sale crops being corn, cotton, and droves of hogs, which were sent to
+Southampton county, Virginia, for sale.
+
+The names of your great-grandfather's plantations were Conacanarra,
+Feltons, Looking Glass, Montrose, Polenta, and Barrows, besides a
+large body of land in the counties of Jones and Hyde. His residence
+was at Conacanarra, where the dwelling stood upon a bluff commanding a
+fine view of the Roanoke river, and, with the pretty house of the head
+overseer, the small church, and other minor buildings, looked like a
+small village beneath the great elms and oaks.
+
+Your grandfather's principal plantation, and our winter home, was
+Runiroi, in Bertie county. The others were "The Lower Plantation" and
+"Over the Swamp." At Runiroi we lived and called ourselves at home,
+and of it I have preserved the clearest recollection and the fondest
+memories.
+
+From Kehukee bluff, which we usually visited while waiting for the
+ferryman on our return journey after the summer's absence, the
+plantation could be seen stretching away into the distance, hemmed in
+by the flat-topped cypresses. From there we had a view of our distant
+dwelling, gleaming white in the sunlight and standing in a green oasis
+of trees and grass, all looking wonderfully small amid the expanse of
+flat fields around it. Apart as I now am from the restless,
+never-ending push of life, when neither men nor women have time for
+leisure, when even pleasure and amusement are reduced to a business
+calculation as to how much may be squeezed into a given time, I think
+it might perhaps calm down some of the nervous restlessness that I
+perceive in my dear children and grandchildren if they could, for
+once, stand there in the soft November sunshine. The splendor of the
+light is veiled in a golden haze, the brown fields bask in the soft
+radiance and seem to quiver in the heat, while the ceaseless murmur
+of the great river is like a cradle song to a sleepy child; the rattle
+of the old ferryman's chain and the drowsy squeak of his long sweeps
+seem even to augment the stillness. The trees along the banks appear
+to lack the energy to hang out the brilliant reds and purples of
+autumn, but tint their leaves with the soft shades of palest yellow,
+and these keep dropping and floating away, while the long gray moss
+waves dreamily in the stillness.
+
+The house at Runiroi was a comfortable, old, rambling structure, in a
+green yard and flower garden, not ugly, but quite innocent of any
+pretensions at comeliness. Neither was there, to many, a bit of
+picturesque beauty in the flat surroundings; and yet this very
+flatness _did_ lend a charm peculiar to itself. My eyes ever found a
+delight in its purple distances and in the great, broad-armed trees
+marking the graceful curves of the river. The approach from the public
+road, which followed the bank of the river, was through the "willow
+lane," between deep-cut ditches, which kept the roadway well drained
+unless the river overspread its banks, when the lane was often
+impassable for days. In the springtime, when the tender green boughs
+of the willows were swayed by the breeze, it was a lovely spot, and a
+favorite resort of the children.
+
+I was so young a bride, only seventeen, when I was taken to our winter
+home, and so inexperienced, that I felt no dread whatever of my new
+duties as mistress. The household comforts of my childhood's home had
+seemed to come so spontaneously that I never thought of _processes_,
+and naturally felt rather nonplussed when brought into contact with
+realities. The place had for years been merely a sort of camping-out
+place for your great-grandfather, who liked to spend a part of the
+winter there; so the house was given over to servants who made him
+comfortable, but who took little heed of anything else.
+
+I recollect my antipathy to a certain old press which stood in the
+back hall. The upper part was filled with books. In the under
+cupboard, Minerva kept pies, gingerbread, plates of butter, etc. The
+outside looked very dim and dusty. I could not bear to look at it,
+but knew not how to remedy its defects. I know now that it was a
+handsome old piece, which a furniture-lover would delight in. However,
+my youthful appetite did not scorn Minerva's gingerbread, and, as I
+had many lonely hours to get through with as best I could, I would
+mount the highest chair that I could find, and ransack the old musty
+volumes in search of amusement. The collection consisted chiefly of
+antiquated medical works, some tracts, etc., but once, to my delight,
+I unearthed two of Mrs. Radcliffe's novels, which were indeed a
+treasure trove; one of them was "Gaston de Blondeville," which I
+thought beautiful. I have regretted that I did not take care of it,
+for I have never seen another copy.
+
+Minerva was a woman of pretty good sense, but of slatternly habits.
+She had been so long without a lady to guide her that her original
+training was either forgotten or entirely disregarded. Once, when
+starting to Conacanarra for Christmas, I charged her to take advantage
+of the fine weather to give the passage floors a thorough scrubbing;
+they were bare and showed every footprint of black mud from the
+outside. When it came time to return, in spite of our pleasant
+Christmas week, we were glad to think of our own home and were rather
+dismayed when the morning fixed for our departure broke dark and very
+cold, with little spits of snow beginning to fall. I was much afraid
+that we should be compelled to yield to the hospitable objections to
+our going, but at last we succeeded in getting off. We crossed at
+Pollock's (your great-grandfather's ferry), so that should the storm
+increase we need not leave our comfortable carriage until we should be
+at home. It was a lonely drive; the snow fell steadily but so gently
+that I enjoyed seeing the earth and the trees, the fences and the few
+lonely houses that we passed all draped in white; though we were
+warmly wrapped, the anticipation of the crackling fires in our great
+old fireplaces was delightful. When we got home, the first sound that
+greeted our ears, as we stepped upon the piazza, was a mournful,
+long-drawn hymn. Shivering and damp from our walk up the yard, we
+opened the door, to see Minerva, with kilted skirts, standing in an
+expanse of frozen slush and singing at the top of her voice, while she
+sluiced fresh deluges of water from her shuck brush. I was too
+disgusted for words, but resolved that this should not occur again. As
+soon as I could communicate with the outside world I had the hall
+floors covered with oilcloth (then the fashionable covering). Also,
+Minerva was displaced, and Phyllis reigned in her stead, but Minerva,
+nevertheless, always indulged in the belief that she was indispensable
+to our happiness and comfort.
+
+In honor of my advent as mistress, the floors had been freshly
+carpeted with very pretty bright carpets, which were in danger of
+being utterly ruined by the muddy shoes of the raw plantation
+servants, recently brought in to be trained for the house. Although
+the soil generally was a soft, sandy loam, I observed in my horseback
+rides numbers of round stones scattered about in the fields. They were
+curious stones, and looked perfectly accidental and quite out of
+place. Their presence excited my interest, and aroused my curiosity
+as to their origin, which has never been gratified. They seemed so out
+of place in those flat fields! However, I determined to utilize them
+and had a number collected and brought into the yard, and with them I
+had a pretty paved walk made from the house to the kitchen.
+
+Our house stood upon what was known as the "Second Land," which meant
+a slight rise above the wide, low grounds, which were formerly, I
+believe, the bed of the sluggish stream now known as the Roanoke. All
+along the edge of these Second Lands, just where they joined the low
+grounds, there was a bed of beautiful small gravel. I was delighted
+when I discovered this and at once interested myself in having a
+gravel walk made up to the front of the house, and this was, when
+completed, all that I had hoped, and served as a perfect protection
+against the offending mud.
+
+There was one evil, though, which I could not guard against, and this
+was the clumsy though well-meaning stupidity of a plantation negro.
+One afternoon the house became offensive with the odor of burning
+wool. I followed up the scent and, after opening several doors, I
+finally traced it to the dining-room. It was filled with smoke, and
+there, in front of an enormous fire, squatted Abby. In a fit of most
+unaccountable industry she had undertaken to clean the brass andirons,
+and had drawn them red hot from the fire and placed them upon the
+carpet. Of course, four great holes were the result and, as the
+carpets had been made in New York, there were no pieces with which the
+holes could be mended. As I had already decided her to be too stupid
+to be worth the trouble of training, I felt no desire to find fault
+with her, so I merely told her to put them back, or rather stood by to
+see it done. I did not keep her in the house after that, but do not
+suppose that she ever at all realized the mischief that she had done.
+
+One of my amusements was to watch the birds; they were so numerous,
+and appeared to be so tame. I set traps for them. This was childish,
+but I was very young and often rather at a loss to find something to
+do; so I used to take with me my small house boy, "Minor," whom I was
+training to be a grand butler; he would carry the trap and, after it
+had been set and baited, I would make him guide me to the trees where
+the sweetest persimmons grew; there I would while away the morning and
+on the next we would find one or more birds fluttering in the trap,
+which, to Minor's silent disgust, I would set free.
+
+The squirrels, too, were a pleasure to me in my horseback rides toward
+Vine Ridge, especially. Your grandfather and I would pause to watch
+them playing hide and seek just like children, scampering round and
+round, their pretty gray tails waving, until some noise would send
+them out of sight, and the silent forest would seem as if no living
+thing were near. It was upon one of these rides that your grandfather
+told me how, when he was about twelve years old, and spending his
+Christmas holidays at Runiroi with his grandfather, he once said that
+he could shoot one hundred squirrels between sunrise and sunset. His
+uncle, George Pollock Devereux, happened to hear him and rebuked him
+sharply for so idle a boast, and when your dear grandfather manfully
+stood his ground, saying that it was not an idle boast, his uncle
+called him a vain braggart, which so offended your grandfather that he
+told his uncle that he would prove the truth of his assertion. And so,
+upon the following morning, he rose early and was at Vine Ridge gun in
+hand, ready to make his first shot, as soon as the sun should appear.
+The squirrels were very numerous at first, and he made great havoc
+among them. Many a mile he tramped that day, scanning with eager eyes
+the trees above him, in search of the little gray noses, hidden behind
+the branches, and thus it happened that he got many a fall and tumble
+among the cypress knees; but what did that matter to his young limbs?
+he had only to pick himself up again and tramp on. As the day
+advanced, fewer little bright eyes peeped from the tree-tops and his
+number was not made up; he was getting tired too, and very hungry, for
+he had eaten nothing since his early breakfast. He stumbled wearily
+on, however, determined not to fail, for he dreaded his uncle's
+triumphant sarcasm should he do so. A few more shots brought his
+number to ninety-nine, but where was the one-hundredth to be found?
+The sun was sinking to the horizon; he had come out from the swamp and
+was tramping homeward; the gun, so light in the morning, now weighed
+like lead upon his shoulder. As he looked into every tree for that
+hundredth squirrel which could not be found, the sun's disk was
+resting upon the horizon when he turned into the willow lane leading
+to the house. Just at the entrance there stood a great chestnut oak.
+This was his last chance. He paused to take one hopeless look, when,
+to his unspeakable joy, he beheld a fox squirrel seated up among the
+branches. Now he knew that the fox squirrel was the slyest, as well as
+the shyest of all his kind; no creature so expert as he in slipping
+out of range; there would be no chance for a second shot, for now only
+a rim of the sun was left. With a wildly beating heart he raised his
+gun, took time to aim well,--fired,--and down came his hundredth
+squirrel. His wager was won; fatigue and hunger all gone, he hastened
+gayly home and with pride emptied his bag before his uncle and his
+delighted old grandfather, who loved him above everything, and who
+finally made him his heir, so that your grandfather was quite
+independent of his own father.
+
+When I first became acquainted with the plantation, the sale crop was
+taken down to Plymouth in a great old scow, but this was afterward
+superseded by the introduction of freight steamers, which took the
+produce direct to Norfolk. These steamers proved to be a great comfort
+and convenience to us. By them we might receive anything that we
+desired from Norfolk, of which the things most enjoyed were packages
+of books,--Vickry and Griffiths, booksellers, having standing orders
+to send at their discretion what they thought desirable, besides the
+special orders for what we wished to see.
+
+The advent of a steamer at the landing would cause much pleasurable
+excitement. If anything of special interest was expected, the first
+puff of steam from down the river would be eagerly examined through
+the spy-glass. Then would follow several days of busy life down at
+the different barns from which the corn was to be shipped. Before the
+introduction of the corn-sheller, the corn was beaten from the cob by
+men wielding great sticks, or flails; others raked the grain into an
+immense pile; from this pile it was measured by select hands and put
+into bags, which were carried to the steamer lying at the landing. The
+men who measured and kept the tally maintained a constant song or
+chant, and designated the _tally_, or fifth bushel, by a sort of yell.
+The overseer stood by with pencil and book and scored down each tally
+by a peculiar mark. The constant stream of men running back and forth,
+with bags empty or full, made a very busy scene.
+
+After the corn had been shipped, the boat had steamed down the river,
+and the place, lately so full of busy life, had returned to its
+accustomed quiet seclusion, the redbirds came to peck up the corn left
+upon the ground. I remember how once, upon a cold, gray afternoon, I
+put on my wraps and ran down to the Sycamore Barn, on purpose to
+watch the shy, beautiful things. Snowflakes were beginning to fall and
+whisper about the great bamboo vines; twisted around the trees upon
+the river banks, the long gray moss hung motionless and a thick
+grayness seemed to shut out the whole world; all about me was
+gray,--earth, sky, trees, barn, everything, except the redbirds and
+the red berries of a great holly tree under whose shelter I stood,
+listening to the whispering snowflakes.
+
+The Sycamore Barn derived its name from a great sycamore tree near
+which it stood. This tree was by far the largest that I ever saw; a
+wagon with a four-horse team might be on one side, and quite concealed
+from any one standing upon the other. When I knew it, it was a ruin,
+the great trunk a mere shell, though the two giant forks,--themselves
+immense in girth--still had life in them. In one side of the trunk was
+an opening, about as large as an ordinary door; through this we used
+to enter, and I have danced a quadrille of eight within with perfect
+ease.
+
+This tree gave its name to the field in which it grew, which formed
+part of the tract known as the Silver Wedge. It was about the Silver
+Wedge that an acrimonious lawsuit was carried on during the lives of
+your great-great-grandparents, John and Frances Devereux. She was a
+Pollock, and the dispute arose through a Mr. Williams, the son or
+grandson of a certain Widow Pollock, who had, after the death of her
+first husband, Major Pollock, married a Mr. Williams. She may possibly
+have dowered in this Silver Wedge tract. At any rate, her Williams
+descendants set up a claim to it, although it was in possession of the
+real Pollock descendant, Frances Devereux. It was a large body of very
+rich land, and intersected the plantation in the form of a wedge,
+beginning near the Sycamore Barn, and running up far into the Second
+Lands, widening and embracing the dwelling-house and plantation
+buildings. I have heard your great-great-grandfather laugh and tell
+how Williams once came to the house, and, with a sweeping bow and
+great assumption of courtesy, made your great-great-grandmother
+welcome to remain in _his_ house. After the suit had been settled,
+Williams had occasion to come again to the house, feeling, no doubt,
+rather crestfallen. Mrs. Devereux met him at the door and, making him
+a sweeping curtsy, quoted his exact words, making him welcome to _her_
+house.
+
+One of my pleasant memories is connected with our fishing porch. This
+was a porch, or balcony, built upon piles driven into the river upon
+one side, and the other resting upon the banks. It was raised some
+eight or ten feet above the water and protected by a strong railing or
+balustrade and shaded by the overhanging branches of a large and
+beautiful hackberry tree. It made an ideal lounging-place, upon a soft
+spring afternoon, when all the river banks were a mass of tender
+green, and the soft cooing of doves filled the air. We usually took
+Minor with us to bait our hooks and assist generally, and often went
+home by starlight with a glorious string of fish.
+
+The drawback to the plantations upon the lower Roanoke lay in their
+liability to being flooded by the freshets to which the Roanoke was
+exposed. These were especially to be dreaded in early spring, when
+the snow in the mountains was melting. I have known freshets in March
+to inundate the country for miles. At one time there was not a foot of
+dry land upon one of the Runiroi plantations. It was upon a mild night
+in that month that I sat upon the porch nearly all through the night,
+feeling too anxious to sleep, for your grandfather, the overseer, and
+every man on the plantation were at the river, working upon the
+embankments. The back waters from the swamp had already spread over
+everything. This gentle and slow submersion did no great damage, when
+there was no growing crop to be injured; the thing to be guarded
+against was the breaking of the river dam and the consequent rushing
+in of such a flood as would wash the land into enormous holes, or
+"breakovers," of several acres in extent in some places, or make great
+sand ledges in others, to say nothing of the destruction of fences,
+the drowning of stock, etc. On the night that I speak of, the moon was
+at its full and glittered upon the water, rippling all around where
+dry land should have been. I sat listening anxiously and occasionally
+shuddering at a sharp cracking noise, like a pistol shot, and,
+following upon it, the rushing of water into some plantation up the
+river. Once in the night I heard a noise and, upon my calling to know
+who it was, a man replied that they had come up in a canoe to get some
+water. I could not help laughing; it struck me that water was rather
+too plentiful just then. They worked upon the dam until there was no
+more material to work with, water being level with the top on both
+sides and only a foot of standing-room at the top, so, having done all
+that they could, all hands took to canoes and went to their homes.
+That "March freshet" did incalculable damage to the whole region, but
+still fine crops were made that season. Your grandfather was
+indefatigable while anything could be done, but, having done all that
+human energy could, he would resign himself cheerfully to the
+inevitable, and his family never were saddened by depression on his
+part. This wonderful elasticity was most noticeable at the fearful
+period of the surrender and, indeed, through all the succeeding
+years, when this power of his, despite all of our losses and
+anxieties, made our life one of great happiness.
+
+When, during the winter months, a moderate freshet meant nothing more
+serious than the flooding of the low grounds, it was considered rather
+a benefit, owing to the rich deposit left upon the land, besides the
+advantages gained in floating out lumber from the swamps. This March
+freshet caused great pecuniary loss; new dams had to be constructed at
+a heavy expense, and many miles of repairing had to be done to those
+left standing. The few days before the water had reached its height
+were most trying to the nerves (that is, my nerves). I believe my
+fears culminated upon the night that I saw the water rippling over our
+own doorstep and realized that there was not a foot of dry land
+visible for miles; by morning, though, the river was "at a stand," and
+by evening little spots of green were showing themselves in the yard
+and garden.
+
+The word garden recalls to my memory our pretty garden, a most
+beautiful continuation of the smooth green yard, its many alleys
+bordered with flowers and flowering shrubs. It was, I own, laid out in
+a stiff, old-fashioned manner, very different from the present and far
+more picturesque style; still, it was charming,--the profusion of
+flowers, fed by that wonderful river loam, exceeded anything that I
+have ever seen elsewhere. In the springtime, what with the flowers,
+the beautiful butterflies, and the humming-birds, the sunny air would
+actually seem to quiver with color and life.
+
+Every plantation had a set of buildings which included generally the
+overseer's house, ginhouse, screw, barn, stable, porkhouse,
+smokehouse, storehouse, carpenter's shop, blacksmith shop, and
+loomhouse, where the material for clothing for each plantation was
+woven,--white cloth for the underclothes, and very pretty striped or
+checked for outer garments. At Runiroi, the weaver, Scip, was a
+first-class workman, and very proud of his work. I often had sets of
+very pretty towels woven in a damask pattern of mixed flax and cotton.
+The winter clothing was of wool, taken from our own sheep.
+
+The carpenters at Runiroi were Jim, the head carpenter, Austin, and
+Bill, who were all good workmen. Frank, "Boat Frank," as he was
+called, from having formerly served as captain of the old
+flat-bottomed scow which carried the sale crop to Plymouth, was also
+in the shop and did beautiful work. I was fond of visiting Jim's shop
+and ordering all sorts of wooden ware, pails, piggins, trays, etc.;
+these last, dug out of bowl-gum, were so white that they looked like
+ivory. Boat Frank was very proud of the smoothness and polish of his
+trays. Our children, with their mammy, were fond of visiting "Uncle
+Jim's" shop and playing with such tools as he considered safe for them
+to handle, while Mammy, seated upon a box by the small fire, would
+indulge in long talks about religion or plantation gossip. That shop
+was indeed a typical spot; its sides were lined to the eaves with
+choice lumber, arranged systematically so that the green was out of
+reach, while that which was seasoned was close at hand. Uncle Jim
+would have felt disgraced had a piece of work made of unseasoned wood
+left his shop. The smoke from the small fire which burned in the
+middle of the big shop, upon the dirt floor, escaped in faint blue
+wreaths through the roof, leaving behind it a sweet, pungent odor. The
+sun streamed in at the wide-open door, while Jim and Frank tinkered
+away leisurely upon plough handles and other implements or household
+articles.
+
+Uncle Jim was a preacher as well as a carpenter. He was quite superior
+to most of his race, both in sense and principle and was highly
+thought of by both white and black. Upon two Sundays in each month he
+preached in the church and his sermons were quite remarkable, teaching
+in his homely way the necessity of honesty and obedience. His
+companion in the shop, Boat Frank, was of a more worldly nature, and
+wore great golden hoops in his ears and a red woolen cap upon his
+head, and resembled an elderly and crafty ape, as he sat chipping away
+at his work.
+
+Next came the blacksmith shop, where Bob wielded the great hammer and
+grinned with childish delight at seeing the children's enjoyment when
+the sparks flew.
+
+After the blacksmith's shop came the loomhouse, where Scip, the
+little fat weaver, threw the shuttles and beat up the homespun cloth
+from morning till night; there, too, were the warping-bars, the
+winding-blades, and the little quilling-wheel, at which a boy or girl
+would fill the quills to be in readiness for the shuttles. Scip was an
+odd figure, with his short legs, and his woolly hair combed out until
+his head looked as big as a bushel.
+
+The dwellings of the negroes were quite a distance from the "Great
+House," as that of the master was called, and were built in two or
+more long rows with a street between. This was the plan upon every
+plantation. Each house had a front and back piazza, and a garden,
+which was cultivated or allowed to run wild according to the thrift of
+the residents. It generally was stocked with peach and apple trees,
+and presented a pretty picture in spring, when the blue smoke from the
+houses curled up to the sky amid the pink blossoms, while the drowsy
+hum of a spinning-wheel seemed to enhance the quiet of the peaceful
+surroundings.
+
+The church at Runiroi was large and comfortably furnished with seats;
+colored texts were upon the walls, and the bell, which summoned the
+people on Sunday mornings, swung amid the branches of a giant oak.
+Both your great-grandfather and grandfather employed a chaplain. At
+Runiroi, he officiated only upon alternate Sundays, as the people
+liked best to listen to Carpenter Jim. It used to be a pretty sight
+upon a Sunday morning to see the people, all dressed in their clean
+homespun clothes, trooping to church, laughing and chattering until
+they reached the door, when they immediately would assume the deepest
+gravity and proceed at once to groan and shake themselves more and
+more at every prayer. The singing would often sound very sweet at a
+distance, although I must confess that I never sympathized in the
+admiration of the negro's voice.
+
+Of course, like all other laboring classes, the negroes had to work,
+and of course, as they had not the incentive of poverty, discipline
+was necessary. They knew that they would be housed, clothed and well
+fed whether they earned these comforts or not; so, in order to insure
+diligence, reliable men were chosen from among them as assistants to
+the white overseers; these were called "foremen," and were looked up
+to with respect by their fellows. Upon every large plantation there
+was also a Foreman Plower, his business being to take the lead and see
+that the plowing was well done and that the plow horses were not
+maltreated. With the settled men this was unnecessary, but it was very
+needful with the younger hands. These colored foremen were, in their
+turn, subject to the overseers, who, in turn, if not found to be
+temperate and reliable, were dismissed. Upon well-ordered plantations
+punishments were rare, I may say unknown, except to the half-grown
+youths. Negroes, being somewhat lacking in moral sense or fixed
+principles, are singularly open to the influence of example; and thus
+it was that a few well-ordered elders would give a tone to the whole
+plantation, while the evil influences of one ill-disposed character
+would be equally pronounced.
+
+The plantations of which I am speaking were singularly remote, being
+so surrounded by other large plantations that they were exempt from
+all outside and pernicious influences. The one or two country stores
+at which the negroes traded might have furnished whiskey, had not
+those who kept them stood too much in awe of the planters to incur the
+risk of their displeasure. As the town of Halifax could boast of
+several little stores, and was the trading post of Feltons,
+Conacanara, and Montrose, your great-grandfather, in order to prevent
+the evils of promiscuous trading, caused certain coins to be struck
+off, of no value except to the one merchant with whom his people were
+allowed to trade.
+
+Perhaps you will be surprised to know how important to the country
+merchants was the trade of a plantation, so I will explain to you of
+what it consisted. Of course, a few of the careless, content with the
+abundance provided for them, did not care to accumulate, while others,
+naturally thrifty, amassed a good deal from the sale of otter, coon,
+mink, and other skins of animals trapped. Then, some owned as many as
+thirty beehives. One old woman, known as "Honey Beck," once hauled
+thirty or more gallons of honey to Halifax and back again, the whole
+distance (twenty-five miles), rather than take a low price for it.
+Besides skins, honey, and beeswax, eggs and poultry were always
+salable. One of my necessities in housekeeping was a bag of small
+change, and, as I never refused to take what was brought to me, my
+pantry was often so overstocked with eggs and my coops with ducks and
+chickens, that it was a hard matter to know how to consume them.
+
+The beautiful white shad, now so highly prized in our markets, were
+then a drug. It was the prettiest sight in the early dawn of a spring
+morning to see the fishermen skimming down the broad river with their
+dip-nets poised for a catch. My opportunities for seeing them at that
+early hour were from my bedroom window, when I happened to be visiting
+the family at Conacanara. Our home at Runiroi stood some distance from
+the river, but the dwelling at Conacanara was upon a bluff just over
+the stream.
+
+Beside the sale crops of cotton and corn, sweet potatoes were raised
+in large quantities for the negroes, to which they were allowed to
+help themselves without stint, also a summer patch of coarse
+vegetables such as they liked.
+
+The regular food furnished consisted of corn meal, bacon or pickled
+pork, varied with beef in the autumn, when the beeves were fat, salt
+fish with less meat when desired, molasses, dried peas and pumpkins
+without stint (I mean the peas and pumpkins). I don't suppose any
+laboring class ever lived in such plenty.
+
+A woman with a family of children always had the use of a cow, the
+only proviso being that she should look after the calf and see that it
+did not suffer, for your grandfather was particular about his ox
+teams; they were the finest that I ever saw, and were well
+blooded,--Holstein for size and Devon for speed and activity.
+
+Our dairy was very pretty; it was built of immense square logs, with a
+paved brick floor, and great broad shelves all around. The roof was
+shaded by hackberry trees, and the grass around it was like velvet,
+so thick and green. Old Aunt Betty, who was the dairy woman until she
+grew too infirm, was the neatest creature imaginable; she wore the
+highest of turbans, and her clothes were spotless. She took the
+greatest pride in her dairy; for milk vessels she used great
+calibashes with wooden covers, and, as they naturally were absorbent,
+it was necessary to sun one set while another was in use. She kept
+them beautifully, and the milk and butter were delicious.
+
+There was a man upon the plantation called "Shoe Joe," or "Gentleman
+Joe." He had, when a young man, been body-servant to his young master
+George, your great-grandfather's brother. I never in my life have seen
+finer manners than Joe's, so deeply respectful, and so full of
+courtesy. Notwithstanding his really fine deportment, Joe's nature was
+low and mean, and something that he did so offended his young master
+that, to Joe's great disgust, he was remanded back to the plantation
+and field work. In consequence of this, he always bore his young
+master a grudge, which, of course, he kept to himself. Once, however,
+he made some disrespectful speech before old Betty, who was devoted to
+her Master George, and this so offended her that she never again spoke
+to Joe, nor allowed him to make her shoes, though this last was more
+from fear than vindictiveness. For Shoe Joe was suspected of being a
+trick negro, and of possessing the power so to trick his work as to
+cause the death of any one wearing his products. Nothing was
+productive of more evil upon a plantation than was the existence upon
+it of a "Trick" or "Goomer" negro; and so insidious was their
+influence, and so secret their machinations, that, though suspected,
+it was impossible to prove anything, for, although detested by their
+fellows, fear kept the latter silent. Nothing would cause such abject
+terror as the discovery of an odd-looking bundle, wrapped and wrapped
+with strands of horse-hair, secreted beneath the steps, or laid in an
+accustomed path. Instantly after such a discovery the person for whom
+it was meant would begin to pine away, and, unless some counter spell
+were discovered, death would ensue. These occurrences, fortunately,
+were rare, but if the thing once took root upon a plantation, it
+wrought much evil in various ways. Joe was suspected of these evil
+practices, and, though a wonderfully capable man at all kinds of work,
+and a most accomplished courtier, was always looked upon with
+suspicion. His death was sudden, and the people firmly believed that
+he had made a compact with the devil, that the term had expired, and
+that Satan had met him in the woods and broken his neck. He was a
+tall, finely formed man, as black as ebony, and his movements always
+reminded me of a serpent.
+
+Negroes, even in these days of school education, retain many of their
+superstitions, though ashamed to own it. One of their beliefs was that
+the word _you_ meant the devil's wife, and it was insulting to address
+any one by that word. To one another it was always _yinna_. So marked
+was this custom that the negroes of that section were known as the
+yinna negroes. This word, though, was never used toward their
+superiors, who were invariably addressed in the third person. Manuel
+was rather a common name among them; there were always two or three
+Manuels upon every plantation, and one was always called "Hoodie
+Manuel." No one could ever discover what this meant; perhaps they did
+not know themselves, though I am rather inclined to think that it was
+a superstitious observance, understood, perhaps, only by a select few.
+I think it must have had some sort of significance, as it was never
+omitted. As soon as one Hoodie Manuel died, another Manuel assumed the
+title, though not always the oldest.
+
+It was not required of a woman with a large family to do field work.
+Such women had their regular tasks of spinning allotted to them,
+sufficiently light to allow ample time to take care of their houses
+and children. The younger women (unless delicate) left their children
+in a day nursery in charge of an elderly woman who was caretaker.
+Usually they preferred field work, as being more lively; but if one
+disliked it, she usually soon contrived to be classed among the
+spinners.
+
+When, occasionally, I happened to go to any of the houses, often
+quite unexpectedly, I can assert truthfully that I never, in a single
+instance, saw dirt or squalor in one of them. The floors were clean,
+the beds comfortable, with white and wonderfully clean blankets.
+Everything, though very homely, with clumsy benches and tables, looked
+white and thoroughly clean. I remember hearing your grandfather speak
+of once going at breakfast time to a house to visit a sick child. The
+man of the house was seated at a small table while his wife served
+him. The table was covered with an immaculately clean homespun cloth,
+and coffee, in a tin pot shining with scrubbing, either sugar or
+molasses, I forget which, a dish of beautifully fried bacon and
+hoe-cakes, fresh from the fire, constituted his plain but most
+abundant meal.
+
+Separation of families has ever been a favorite plea for the abolition
+of slavery, and I admit that in theory it was a plausible argument;
+and justice compels me to say that such instances, though rare, were
+not unknown. As a rule, however, family ties were respected, and
+when, through the settlement of an estate, such separations seemed
+impending, they were usually prevented by some agreement between the
+parties; for instance, if a negro man had married a woman belonging to
+another planter, a compromise was generally effected by the purchase
+of one of the parties, regardless of self-interest on the part of the
+owners. Thus families were kept together without regard to any
+pecuniary loss. Public sentiment was against the severing of family
+ties.
+
+Before I close this little sketch I will tell you as well as I can the
+outline of plantation work.
+
+With the beginning of a new year, the crop being all housed, the sale
+corn being stored in large barns or cribs on the river banks, and the
+cotton either being sold or kept for better prices, the plowing,
+ditching, and, when the swamps were full, the floating out of timber,
+were all carried on with great diligence. At Christmas, when all the
+clothing, shoes, and Kilmarnock caps had been given out to the
+ditchers, high waterproof boots were distributed. It was the custom
+to allow to every man who desired it a bit of land, upon which, in his
+spare time, to cultivate a small crop, for which he was paid the
+market price. Christmas was the usual day chosen for settling these
+accounts, and the broad piazza was full of happy, grinning black faces
+gathered around the table at which the master sat, with his
+account-book and bags of specie. A deep obeisance and a scrape of the
+foot accompanied each payment, and many a giggle was given to the lazy
+one whose small payment testified to his indolence. What a contrast
+between those happy, sleek, laughing faces and the sullen, careworn,
+ill-fed ones of now! In the early springtime, what was known as the
+"trash-gang," that is, boys and girls who had never worked, were set
+to clearing up fences, knocking down cotton stalks, and burning small
+trash piles.
+
+I pause here to say that, the woodlands being a long distance from the
+quarters, the supply of fuel was a serious question, and when there
+was a threat of snow or increasing cold, every man would be employed
+in cutting or hauling a supply of fuel to the houses.
+
+Planting time began with the middle of March. In August the crops were
+"laid by." The three days' holiday began with the slaughter of pigs
+and beeves, in preparation for the annual dinner upon every
+plantation. After holiday came the fodder-pulling, a job hated by all,
+especially by overseer and master, as the drenching dews and the hot
+sun combined to make much sickness. This work was never begun until
+late in the morning, but even after the sun had shone upon the fields,
+the people would be drenched in dew to their waists. Next, the
+whitening fields told that cotton-picking must begin, and, later on, a
+killing frost upon the already browning shucks sent the great wagons
+to the fields, where the corn-gatherers, with sharp needles tied to
+their wrists, ripped open the tough shucks and let loose the
+well-hardened ears of grain. As each field became stripped, stock
+would be turned in to feast upon the peas and pumpkins.
+
+With winter came that period of bliss to the soul of Cuffee, namely,
+the hog-killing, when even the smallest urchin might revel in grease
+and fresh meat.
+
+If eyesight permitted, I might tell you some tales of plantation
+doings which might perhaps amuse you, but I have said enough to give
+you some idea of the old Southern life. All that I have said is within
+bounds, but, after all, I fear I have not been able to give you an
+adequate idea of the peacefulness and abundance of life upon a great
+plantation.
+
+
+
+
+GOING TO THE PLANTATION
+
+
+Summer is over; the nights grow chill, and the autumnal tints,
+beginning to glow upon the hillsides, tell the low-country folk that
+the time draws near for the yearly flitting to their plantation homes.
+The planter, who passes the hot season amid the breezy uplands, begins
+to think of his whitening cotton fields, and grows impatient for the
+frost, which must fall ere the family may venture into the land of
+swamps and agues. He looks out upon the flower-beds, glowing with life
+and quivering in the sunshine, and listens to the incessant
+shrill-voiced cicada piping from the tree-tops, while the
+insect-drone, in the heated, languid air, seems to speak of an
+unending summer; but as "all things come to him who waits," so at
+length come the frosts to the planter.
+
+The week preceding the departure is a busy one, embracing, along with
+the numberless good-byes, many important afterthoughts in the way of
+providing the necessities required in the isolated home, where shops
+are unknown. At length, however, the great boxes are closed, and stand
+ready for the daylight start of the wagon; the bird-cage, the basket
+of kittens, and the puppy are also committed by the children to "Ung
+Jack," the teamster, who, with the broadest of smiles, promises
+"little missis" and the "little masters" to take the best of care of
+them.
+
+Giving the baggage a day's start, the family's departure takes place
+on the day following. After an early breakfast, Mammy and the younger
+children bundle into the big carriage, mother and the rest of the
+little mob follow in the _barouche_, while papa, who abhors the
+confinement of a carriage, follows on horseback. Although the animal
+which he bestrides is a noble specimen of his kind, still it must be
+confessed that papa does not present a jaunty appearance as he jogs
+soberly along; and yet, as he sits easily swaying in the saddle, there
+is about him a careless grace which marks the natural horseman.
+
+Three days are consumed upon the journey. It might be made in less
+time; but the party prefer to take it easily, and at midday make a
+halt by a running stream, where, seated upon a fallen log or mossy
+bank, they open their well-stored baskets, and dine. The horses utter
+impatient whinnies as their drivers dip their buckets into the
+sparkling water of the little stream, and, when these are lifted to
+their heads, thirstily thrust their muzzles into the cool depths, and
+drink long and deeply of the refreshing draughts.
+
+At sunset, the tired little ones begin to look out for the white
+chimneys of old John Tayler's wayside inn, where they are to pass the
+night. This house has, for generations, been the halting-place for
+planters' families. Tayler's grandfather and his father have
+entertained bygone generations; and so it is not strange that when the
+little cortège draw up before the old piazza, and the red light from
+the pine blaze streams out from the open door, not only old John, but
+his wife and two elderly daughters stand with beaming faces to give
+the travelers a hearty greeting, kindly to usher them into the
+carpetless room and seat them upon the stiff "split-bottomed" chairs.
+While the women busy themselves in getting supper, old John talks
+crops and politics to his guests, who, on their part, calmly accept
+the discomforts of the little inn as one of the unalterable laws of
+nature, without any idea of the possibility of improvement, swallow
+without complaint the nauseous coffee, and rest philosophically under
+the home-made sheets and blankets, feebly wondering that so much
+weight should contain so little warmth.
+
+When supper is over, the women throw a fresh torch upon the fire, and,
+as it crackles up the wide chimney, and sends its red light and sweet
+odors over the room, they set themselves to their tasks of picking the
+seeds from the "raw cotton," for, being famous spinners and weavers,
+they disdain that which has had its staples torn by the teeth of the
+gin.
+
+Upon the second day, the party leave the hills, now gorgeous in their
+autumnal brilliancy, the rocky roads, and the swiftly running streams
+of the up-country, and enter the lonely region where the great
+turpentine trees rear their lofty crests, and interminable sandy roads
+stretch away into dimness between columns of stately pines whose lofty
+tops make solemn music to the sighing wind.
+
+The third day finds them in "The Slashes," a desolate region inhabited
+by squatters. As they jolt over corduroy roads between pools of
+stagnant waters, the travelers look out wearily upon a sparse growth
+of gallberry and scrub-pine. Now and then they pass the solitary hut
+of a charcoal-burner, surrounded by its little patch of meagre corn; a
+pack of cur dogs rush out and bark fiercely, within the safe limits of
+the wattle fence surrounding the premises; white-headed children gaze
+from the doorways at the passing carriages.
+
+At the last settlement which they pass, a woman and a small,
+pale-faced boy are gathering in their corn crop. They are the wife and
+son of Bolin Brazle, an idle but good-natured vagabond, who spends
+his days scraping upon his fiddle up at the store, or occasionally,
+upon the promise of a drink, lending a hand in rafting tar-barrels. In
+consequence of the presentation of a worn-out mule, Bolin swears by
+the planter, wants to run him for the presidency, and obstinately
+refuses to receive pay for his charcoal. The matter is finally
+arranged by a barrel of corn being sent as a present whenever a load
+of charcoal is needed.
+
+Soon after leaving the "Slashes," a huddle of houses standing
+irregularly in a grove of magnificent oaks comes into view. In passing
+the one which does double duty as store and post-office, the
+travellers look at it with the realization that it is the connecting
+link with the outside world, as from it the bi-weekly mail is
+dispensed. Inside, some one (Brazle, no doubt) is scraping a lively
+jig upon his fiddle; on the long piazza men, lounging in chairs tilted
+against the wall, take off their hats to the carriages as they roll
+by. The planter draws his rein for a little friendly greeting, and the
+men, squirting tobacco juice, stand around and lazily report the
+country-side news as to the opening of the cotton, the state of the
+river, etc. Even the screech of the fiddle has died away.
+
+The long descents of the ferry hill commence, and the carriages roll
+pleasantly between deeply wooded banks. The approach to the river is
+marked by long rows of tar-barrels awaiting shipment, or rather
+rafting. From this point the road has become a sort of concrete from
+years of leakage from the tar-barrels. The children shriek with joy as
+the carriages come to a stop, and, craning their heads out, they
+behold the great tawny river in all its majesty. The repeated
+hallooings for the ferryman are at length responded to from far
+upstream. The old scamp is off fishing, and the party seek the shade,
+where a spring of clear water bubbles from a bank. While the children
+are drinking copious draughts, the parents stroll off and take a
+woodland path, which, after many a twist and turn amid thickets of
+sweet myrtle and purple-berried Bermuda Shrub, brings them to the
+summit of "The Bluff."
+
+Standing there, they look down upon the river, two hundred feet
+below. Upon the further side lie fields, all brown and golden in the
+sunshine, level and limitless; they stretch into the purple dimness
+where cypress trees loom upon the horizon, their flat tops mingling
+dreamily with the soft autumnal hazes. Far away, amid the sun-bathed
+fields, stand the trees which shelter the plantation home, whose
+chimneys and white gables are scarce visible save where a stray
+sunbeam falls upon them.
+
+    "So to the Jews fair Canaan stood,
+        While Jordan rolled between,"
+
+murmured the mother, as she glanced at her husband, to whom she knew
+the lands spread before them were, by inheritance and long
+association, far dearer than could be measured by the mere money
+value.
+
+Descending again to the ferry, they find the carriage already in the
+flat, and the children scarce restrained by Mammy from crossing
+without their elders. They draw deep breaths of delight as they watch
+old Bartley, with active limp, loosen the chain, and, planting his
+iron-shod pole deep into the grating sands, send the flat upstream;
+then, at a given point, they watch with intense admiration his skill
+in taking the sweeps and shooting swiftly to the other side.
+
+The horses know that they are near home, and prick up their ears, and
+go briskly onward. Scarcely a quarter of a mile is gone before the
+buildings of the "lower plantation" come into view,--a row of cabins
+built irregularly upon the highest points straggle along the river
+banks. Each cabin has its little garden with its row of coleworts and
+its beehives, or perhaps a pumpkin or two shows its yellow sides amid
+the withered vines. Outside the cabins, fish-nets are hung to dry, and
+from within comes the sleepy drone of a spinning-wheel; about the
+doorstep hens are scratching, while from around the corner a cluster
+of little woolly heads peep out shyly.
+
+Standing in the mellow sunlight, amid fields of ripening corn, with
+the river gently flowing between levees of such strength as to set
+floods at defiance, these cabins seem the very embodiment of peaceful
+security; the high piles, though, upon which they stand, are rather
+suggestive, and give a hint of what the now peacefully flowing stream
+is capable of when roused.
+
+A story is told of an old negro who obstinately refused to leave his
+house at a time when the unusually high water made it necessary to
+remove the people to a place of greater security. The rafts were
+ready, and the people, scared and anxious, had left their houses, and
+now only wailed for old Todge, who, with mulish persistence, refused
+to be moved. At length, unable to persuade him, and afraid to wait
+longer, they poled the rafts away. For the first few hours Todge got
+on very well. He had plenty of provisions, and, as for the isolation,
+he did not care for it. By and by the water began to make its
+appearance upon his hearth, and, before long, his little bank of coal,
+upon which his bread was baking, began to sizzle, and soon became a
+moist and blackened heap. Todge, however, was not imaginative, and
+when night fell, he lay down upon his bed and slept without fear; that
+is, he slept until his bed began to float, then he awoke and groped
+his way neck deep in water until he found his ladder and managed by it
+to climb up into his loft, where he sat shivering, till suddenly he
+felt the cabin give a lurch, and the water rushed in. It had been
+lifted clear off the piles, and when it should settle down poor Todge
+would be caught like a rat in a hole. It was settling fast, and the
+water was gurgling into poor Todge's ears, when, in desperation, he
+made a bolt at the roof, and, using his head as a battering ram,
+succeeded in knocking a hole in it, through which he contrived to
+creep out. Luckily, the point of the chimney was not quite submerged,
+and Todge was rescued in the course of the following day.
+
+The road, following the winding of the river, is bordered by giant
+trees from whose branches the gray moss waves dreamily, while leaves
+of palest yellow drop and silently float through the still air until
+they fall into the stream. In the fields, the corn-gatherers pause to
+doff their hats and smile their welcome. Ere long the barns and
+workshops of the upper plantation become visible. The tall gables and
+chimneys of the great house glisten in the sunlight. They pass the
+little church, with its bell half hidden amid the brown leaves of the
+great oak from which it dangles; from cabin chimneys, half hidden in
+trees, thin columns of smoke ascend and mingle with the soft blue sky.
+
+At the open gate, a broadly smiling dusky group stands with welcome
+depicted upon every face. Hearty handshakes of real affection are
+exchanged, while the children are being hugged, caressed, laughed
+over, and extolled for their growth and beauty. The master and
+mistress pass under the trees, whose long shadows rest upon the soft,
+green grass between streams of sunshine. The old piazza, gilded into
+brightness, smiles a welcome home.
+
+
+
+
+MY OWN EARLY HOME
+
+
+I was born at the old home in Raleigh, upon the land originally held
+by my great-grandfather, Colonel Lane, from the Crown. It had been the
+home of my grandfather, Harry Lane, and of his wife, Mary, and it was
+there that their children and grandchildren were born. When my oldest
+brother attained his majority, he took possession of this place, while
+my mother settled at Wills Forest, which was also part of the Lane
+land. This, Wills Forest, became our beloved summer home, which I
+inherited at the death of my dear mother. At the breaking out of the
+war between the states, your grandfather left to his subordinates his
+plantation interests in the eastern part of the state, and Wills
+Forest became our permanent home. Although you never saw this place in
+its palmy days, still, you are too well acquainted with its situation
+to need a description. In spite of neglect, Wills Forest is still
+beautiful; to it my heart is ever turning with regret and longing for
+that which can never return. It was for many years the brightest and
+happiest of homes, and as such it is still remembered by many besides
+its former inmates.
+
+Hospitality has ever been a marked characteristic of the Lane blood.
+Colonel Lane's doors were ever open, not only to his friends, but to
+every wayfarer, and as the small settlement, originally called
+Bloomsbury, became Raleigh, and the state capital, he found it
+necessary to build an "ornery" for the accommodation of strangers;
+this building stood upon Hillsborough Street, and was torn down only a
+short time ago. These "orneries" were a very common adjunct to
+gentlemen's residences in country neighborhoods, where there were no
+inns for the accommodation of travelers. We once stopped at one
+belonging to the Littles, near Littleton. It was kept by two servants,
+a man and his wife, belonging to the family, and they made us very
+comfortable.
+
+My grandfather, Harry Lane, inherited his father's liberal and
+open-hearted nature, and the old home, even since the death of my
+brother, still maintains its character for genial hospitality. Nor was
+Wills Forest inferior to it in that respect. My mother, accustomed
+from earliest youth to lavish housekeeping, kept it up after her
+removal to Wills Forest, and, so long as her health permitted, ever
+took delight in making her home all that a kindly, open-handed
+hospitality could. Nor do I think its character deteriorated after
+your grandfather became its master. Both he and I were fond of
+society, and few strangers ever came to town who were not entertained
+at Wills Forest. This could not be possible now, but previous to the
+war it was not at all impossible, and, during the war, at times, we
+received whole families of refugees. I do not mention these facts in a
+boastful spirit, but only as a sample of the old customs of the South.
+
+During the winter of 1865, we had the pleasure of entertaining the
+family of Colonel Norris of Baltimore, and early in March we had an
+unexpected visit from a large party of South Carolinians, who had been
+wounded in an attack made by General Kilpatrick upon Gen. Joseph E.
+Johnston's command at Fayetteville. Your grandfather met them in the
+street seeking for shelter; and, compassionating their forlorn
+condition, he directed them to Wills Forest. When we first caught
+sight of the cortège surrounding two ambulances, we were alarmed,
+thinking that it must be the Yankees coming to deprive us of house and
+home. You may, perhaps, imagine the relief when I saw the dear
+Confederate gray. I met the cavalcade at the front steps, and bade
+them welcome; the wounded were brought in and laid upon beds in the
+nursery, after which I directed one of our men, Frank, the
+carriage-driver, I think it was, to conduct the horsemen to the
+stable, to give the horses a plentiful feed, and then to bring the men
+up to the house to get their dinners. In ordinary times, this
+unlooked-for addition of more than twenty guests would, no doubt, have
+been an unwelcome tax, but in those days preceding the sad termination
+of the war there were so many poor, half-starved stragglers from the
+different commands passing to and fro, that we were never unprepared
+to feed as many as called upon us. At this time, two cooks were kept
+continually at work in the kitchen preparing such plain food as we
+could command: such as boiled hams, biscuit, loaf bread, corn bread,
+and wheat coffee. The milk and butter, all that we had, were joyfully
+given to our soldiers. The gray jacket was, indeed, a passport to
+every Southern heart. I have fed many a poor, footsore "boy in gray,"
+but never in a single instance heard a despondent word from one of
+them. Most grateful they were for their good, abundant meals, but
+often too modest to carry any away in their haversacks.
+
+In times of peace, both before and after the war, the social life at
+the table, with family and always welcome friends, was a source of
+much pleasure. For a dinner of ten or twelve persons, including
+ourselves, there would be a ham at the head, a large roast turkey at
+the foot, a quarter of boiled mutton, a round of beef _à la mode_, and
+a boiled turkey stuffed with oysters. In the middle of the table
+would be celery in tall cut-glass stands, on the sides cranberries in
+moulds and various kinds of pickles. With these would be served either
+four or six dishes of vegetables and scalloped oysters, handed hot
+from the plate-warmer. The dessert would be a plum pudding, clear
+stewed apples with cream, with a waiter in the centre filled with
+calf's-foot jelly, syllabub in glasses, and cocoanut or cheesecake
+puddings at the corners. The first cloth was removed with the meats.
+For a larger entertainment a roast pig would be added, ice-cream would
+take the place of stewed apples. The dessert cloth would be removed
+with the dessert, and the decanters and fruit set upon the bare
+mahogany, with the decanters in coasters; cigars would follow, after
+the ladies had left, of course.
+
+At the time of the surrender, General Logan borrowed, or asked to
+borrow, my tables and cut-glass tumblers and wine-glasses; as such a
+request meant an order, I, of course, allowed them to be taken; to my
+surprise all were returned. Generals Grant and Sherman were
+entertained by Logan at this time, the tables being set before his
+tent in the grove.
+
+When my two little girls went to day school at St. Mary's, their
+dinners were sent to them by a negro boy or man. He carried the basket
+of hot dinner, while another carried the ice for their water, while
+another often walked behind bearing a large watermelon. As the other
+day-pupils dined in a similar way, the road at this time of day would
+be full of negroes carrying dinners.
+
+Since these bygone days, knowledge has increased, and men go to and
+fro with ease between the far corners of the earth; but I do not think
+that either virtue or happiness has kept pace with this increase of
+knowledge, nor has there ever been or will there ever be again such a
+country as the Old South, nor a people so good, so brave, or so
+true-hearted as the dear, primitive people of that good old time.
+
+
+
+
+TWO BOB WHITES
+
+
+Two Bob Whites were standing beneath the old thorn-bush at the far end
+of the orchard; indeed, they had been standing there for some time,
+with their heads held close, just as though they were talking
+together. In fact, that is just what they were doing. They were
+talking about the nest that they were going to build. And it was high
+time, for already there was a nice little brood in that nest beyond
+the brook. But our Bob Whites were a prudent couple; they did not
+approve of those early broods which came off barely in time to miss
+the chilly May rains. But the May spell was over now, the sun shone
+hot upon the waving wheat, and over the fence, there in the old field,
+the dewberries were ripe. Already the little boys who live in the
+house over yonder had been after the berries, regardless of briers
+and bare feet. Yes, it was high time that nest was built; but,
+somehow, they could not fix upon an altogether suitable location.
+True, the old thorn-bush, with its wide-spreading branches, was most
+attractive; but there the cart tracks ran too close by. As they stood
+thus in the clover, all undecided, they were startled by a loud cry
+from Robin Redbreast, whose nest was high up in that apple tree.
+Turning to ascertain the cause of the outcry, they espied a great,
+evil-looking, yellow cat, creeping through the long grass. This
+decided them, and without waiting another moment, they abandoned the
+thorn-bush and flew away to seek a safer abode. This they finally
+found over toward the wheat field, far away from cats and all the
+nuisances which attend the abodes of men.
+
+The nest was built back of the old gray, lichen-covered fence, just
+above the brook where the hazels and alders grow. All around was a
+blackberry thicket, and a great tussock of brown sedges sheltered the
+nest like a roof. Just beyond the fence was the wheat field. No one
+ever came there, excepting that now and then on a Saturday the little
+boys who lived over yonder would pass by with their fishing-poles,
+jump the fence, and disappear in the hazel thickets. The Bob Whites
+didn't mind the boys, unless Nip happened to be along, nosing about in
+search of some mischief to get into. But as yet no little white egg
+lay in the nest, and when Nip cocked his impudent little ears at them,
+they were off with a whirr that sent him, scampering, startled and
+scared, after the boys. From the trees to which they had flown, the
+Bob Whites watched the movements of the boys with some anxiety. "They
+might, you know," whispered Mrs. Bob, "be after that brood of our
+cousin's beyond the brook; but no, they've stopped--they are throwing
+something into the water, and there's that good-for-nothing Nip with
+them, so we may go back to the nest." But they did not go, for there
+was that pert Jennie Wren fluttering about, as bold as anything,
+actually peeping into the bait gourd, and, goodness gracious! she has
+stolen a worm and flown off with it; what impudence! And listen,
+there's Cardinal Grosbeak singing to them,--
+
+       "Boys, boys, boys,
+        Do, do, do
+    Fish a little deeper."
+
+There he is, just a little above them, upon the hackberry; now he's
+flown to that willow; he looks like a coal of fire, there among the
+green leaves. Now he begins again with his--
+
+    "Boys, boys, boys,
+     Do, do, do."
+
+"The song may do well enough, but we don't approve of such forward
+ways," sighed Mrs. Bob. "No," chimed in Mrs. Mate Hare, limping from
+her home in the broom sedge. "It's not safe, with that horrid little
+Nip so near; to be sure, they've got wings, but as for me, he just
+frightens the life out of me, with his nosing and sniffing; forever
+nosing and sniffing after some mischief." And she wiggled her nose and
+ears and looked so funny that the Bob Whites almost laughed in her
+face.
+
+Before long there was a little white egg in the nest, and Bob White
+was so proud of it that he just stood upon the fences and called, "Bob
+White, Bob White, Bob White," all day long. And the boys who lived
+over yonder at the farmhouse said, "Listen to the Bob White, he's got
+a nest over there in the wheat." "Let him alone," said the farmer;
+"there'll be good shooting over there by and by." But Bob White had no
+thoughts to spare for by-and-bys. The blue June sky and the rustling
+wheat, the wild roses, and that little egg lying there in the nest
+were enough for him. So he just turned his round breast to the
+sunshine, and called "Bob White" louder than ever.
+
+After a while, when the nest was full of eggs, the Bob Whites would
+creep through the wheat and whisper of the little ones that would soon
+be coming. "They'll be here by the time the wheat is ripe," says Bob.
+"It'll be fine feeding for them," replies Mrs. Bob. They never thought
+of the reapers with their sharp scythes, and of the noise and
+tramping, where all was now so peaceful.
+
+While Mrs. Bob sat upon her eggs, it amused her to see the Mate Hares
+come limping out at sunset, very timidly at first, pausing, startled,
+at every sound. Soon, however, they forgot their fears and began their
+dances, hopping and running round and round like mad, and cutting such
+capers as quite scandalized the Bob Whites.
+
+"How very odd!" said Mrs. Bob, as she settled herself over her eggs.
+"I have heard that the March Hares have a Bee in their bonnets." "Same
+family," Bob White replied drowsily. Then Mrs. Bob, pressing her soft
+feathers gently upon her eggs, tucked her head under her wing and
+slept.
+
+Their dance over, the Mate Hares skipped down to the meadow, where the
+dew lay thick upon the clover. "How good!" they said, as they nibbled
+and munched. "So sweet and tender, with the dew upon it!" "Who would
+eat dry seeds like the Bob Whites?" said one. "And go to sleep at
+dusk!" snickered another. "And whistle all day!" said a third. "As
+much as to say to all men and dogs, 'Here I am, come and shoot me;' so
+silly! Oh, there's no family like the Mate Hares for sense; come,
+let's have another dance." So they skipped and hopped and munched
+clover until the dawn sent them scudding away to their homes.
+
+Well, at last, upon a sunny June morning, the lonely field was no
+longer lonely, neither was it quiet; for the grain was ripe and the
+reapers had come. Yes, the reapers had come, and with them came Nip.
+Yes, there he was, showing that ugly little red tongue of his, and
+poking his black nose into every hole and bush; no place was safe from
+those inquisitive eyes and sharp little cruel teeth. Mr. Bob watched
+him with a fluttering heart, as he ran sniffing about; suddenly, there
+came a sharp yelp, and then Mrs. Mate Hare's cotton tail went flying
+over rock and brier, followed by Nip, with his short, inadequate legs.
+Soon, however, he tired of this fun, and, trotting back, cocked his
+ears at the brier patch, sniffed about it, and crept in. Bob White,
+with an anxious call, flew into a tree.
+
+"He's got a nest somewhere about there," said one of the reapers. "I
+bet it's full of eggs," he added. "Yes, but the boss has give orders
+that they ain't to be tetched," said another. Then there came from the
+thicket a growl and a yelp, and Mrs. Bob, with a loud whirr, flew to
+her mate. "Nip's got 'em!" cried one of the men, and, picking up a
+stone, he ran to the thicket, from whence now issued yelps of anguish.
+"He'll not trouble them again, I reckon," the man said, with a grin,
+as he picked up his scythe.
+
+Nip trotted home with a crestfallen and dejected air, but the Bob
+Whites, still agitated, remained in the tree, with necks craned
+anxiously toward the nest. When, at length, Mrs. Bob found courage to
+return, the melancholy sight met her eyes of three broken eggs, some
+more scattered ones, and a generally disordered nest. Bob now came to
+her assistance, the scattered eggs were put back, the nest repaired,
+and Mrs. Bob contentedly seated herself upon it.
+
+The hatching time was drawing near, and it was a most exciting period.
+Mrs. Bob sat very still, but, as for Bob, he just fidgeted from nest
+to tree and back again, stopping around and asking questions. Yes, one
+egg is pipped; they'll all be out by to-morrow. And so they
+were,--thirteen little puff-balls, upon tiny coral feet. "There would
+have been sixteen, but for that horrid Nip," sighed Mrs. Bob. But she
+was very proud and happy, as she led the little brood through the
+brush, showed them how to pick up ants' eggs, and tore up the soft
+mould for grubs and other dainties. When the nimble little feet grew
+tired, she took them to the alder thicket, where, hidden away beneath
+her feathers, they piped themselves to rest. It was very quiet now:
+the reapers had gone; there was no rustling of waving wheat, only the
+shocks stood up silent; there was only the soft clang, clang from the
+bell-cow, as the herd went home. Then the sun went down, and grayness
+followed, and from the thicket came the sad cry of the Chuck Will's
+widow. But the Bob Whites were fast asleep. At dawn, Bob White stood
+upon the topmost rail, and whistled and whistled as loud as he could;
+he felt so happy that he had to repeat, "Bob White, Bob White" to
+everything that he saw,--to the bell-cow, as she passed by on her way
+to the meadow; then to the boy, who popped his whip and whistled
+back; then to the trees, which nodded in return. When the sun came
+glinting through the leaves and set the dewdrops to glistening and the
+whole world to laughing, he whistled louder than ever, just for joy.
+But presently the reapers came again. Then Bob White slipped away and
+hid himself far down amid the alders, where Mrs. Bob was showing the
+puff-balls how to pick up grubs and how to use their little nimble
+legs in running after gnats and other good things. "Don't try to catch
+that great bee, but come and pick up these ants' eggs," she called, as
+she threw aside the earth with her strong claws. "You must attend to
+what I say, for you are very ignorant little things, and if you are
+not careful to mind what I say you may be caught up by a hawk at any
+moment. So, listen: when I say 'Tuk,' you must hide yourselves
+immediately; don't try to run away, but just get under a rock, or even
+a leaf, or just flatten yourselves upon the ground, if you can't do
+better; you are so nearly the color of the ground that a boy will
+never see you, and you can even escape a hawk's keen eye."
+
+After a while, mother and brood left the alder thicket, and, as the
+reapers were now in a distant part of the field. Mrs. Bob led them all
+to a sunny spot where they might pick upon the fallen grains and
+wallow in the dry, hot sand. It was very nice to do this, and they
+were having a charming time, when suddenly voices were heard, and at
+once two boys were upon them. But not so much as one little brown head
+or one little pink toe was visible; the sign had been given, and now
+only a poor, wounded Bob White lay in the path before them. "She's
+dead," said one of the boys. "No, she ain't, her wing's broke," cried
+the other, as he made a dive at her. But somehow, Mrs. Bob continued
+to flop the broken wing, and to elude them. Another futile dive, and
+the two tin buckets containing the reapers' dinners were thrown down
+and forgotten in the keen interest of chasing the wounded Bob White,
+who managed to flop and flutter just beyond their reach until she had
+led them quite across the field,--then, with a whirr, she bounded
+into the air and safely perched herself upon a distant tree. The
+astonished small boys gazed blankly after her, wiped their hot faces
+upon their sleeves, and turned, reluctantly, to pick up their buckets.
+As they went along, hot and crestfallen, one of them suddenly
+exclaimed: "She's got young ones hid yonder, I bet," and with that
+they set off at a run. Mrs. Bob White, who knew boy-nature well,
+craned her neck to watch, and fluttered nearer. Then Bob White came,
+and both continued to watch with anxiously beating hearts, for those
+little boys were evidently bent upon mischief. Would the poor little
+puff-balls outwit them? One little piping cry, one brown head raised,
+and all would be lost. But, as they watched, their fears began to
+subside. The boys are again wiping their hot faces, they look
+discouraged, they have evidently found nothing; yes, certainly not,
+for, see, they are picking up their buckets, and now they are going
+across the field to where the reapers are calling them to hurry along
+with their dinners.
+
+Such daily annoyances as this now determined the Bob Whites to take
+refuge in the alder thicket, in whose deep seclusion they soon
+regained tranquillity of spirits. The dampness of the situation,
+however, proving most unfavorable to their brood, they anxiously
+awaited the time when the departure of the reapers would restore quiet
+and enable them to return to their haunts. At length the wished-for
+time arrived; from the topmost boughs of the big maple Bob White could
+see neither man, boy, or dog, in the whole length and breadth of the
+field. Summoning the family together, they joyfully crept through the
+brush to bask in the broad stretches of sunshine and to pick up the
+scattered grain amid the stubble. Here they remained through all the
+long summer days, their solitude broken only by the yellow butterflies
+and by the big brown grasshoppers bumping about in the stubble, the
+silence broken only by the occasional jangle from the bell-cow, as she
+shook the deerflies from her sleek sides.
+
+By and by, when the goldenrod was yellow upon the hillside, the young
+ones, in their new brown coats, began to try their wings, and felt
+very proud if they could make them whirr, when they rose to the fence
+or to a low brush. Had they been boys, they would have been called
+hobbledehoys; but, being Bob Whites, they were known as squealers, and
+as such they felt very mannish and ambitious to be independent; but,
+nevertheless, they still liked to huddle together at nightfall and
+talk over the day's doings, close to, if not under, the mother's wing.
+
+By and by, again, when goldenrod stood brown and sere upon the
+hillside and the sumach glowed red in the fence corners and thickets,
+when the fall crickets were chiming their dirge down amid the grass
+roots and the air was growing frosty at nights, then the Bob Whites
+grew restless and took flight for a far-off pea field, noted as a
+feeding-ground. Here they met other families of kinsfolks, and then
+began a right royal time, running nimbly through the rich pea vines or
+scratching in sassafras or sumach thickets for insects, growing fat
+and growing lazy all the time. The gourmand of the autumn was in
+manner quite a contrast to the Bob Whites of the days of young wheat
+and wild roses. No blithe, good music now issued from that throat so
+intent upon good cheer. True, some unpleasant rumors are afloat. The
+Mate Hares, scudding frantically away, reported an advance of men,
+with guns and dogs; but the Mate Hares were always silly and
+unreliable. So our Bob Whites just keep on eating and making merry.
+Fortune may favor them,--who knows? Let us hope, and listen out next
+year for the cheery "Bob White, Bob White," from the old
+nesting-place.
+
+
+
+
+LITTLE DAVE
+
+
+The cool fogginess of an August morning has melted under the fierce
+sun. The level fields, like a waveless ocean, stretch away into the
+dim, green distance. The hot air quivers above cotton-fields, heavy
+with bolls and gay with blossoms, which give out a half-sickening
+fragrance. A languid air rustles low amid the corn, from whose dense
+growth arises a damp, hot breath. Out in the pasture, work-horses
+leisurely crop the sunburnt grass, or stand under the trees, lazily
+switching away the swarming gnats.
+
+A restful quiet broods over the big plantation, for the plow and the
+hoe have finished their task; sun and showers must do the rest. The
+crop is "laid by," and the summer holidays have begun. Three days of
+rest before the gathering in begins.
+
+Over at the quarter, the young people fill the long, lazy day with
+patting and dancing, banjo-playing and watermelon-eating. The elders,
+for the most part, are absorbed in preparations for the big holiday
+dinner. By dawn, holes have been dug in the ground and heated for the
+barbecuing of various meats, and those who hold the honorable posts of
+cooks are busily engaged in basting, tasting, and sending the small
+urchins after fuel. Some of the women are kneading flour hoe-cakes;
+others, gathered about a table under a great mulberry tree, are
+peeling fruit for pies, while now and then they raise their voices
+with blood-curdling threats to hasten the lagging steps of a little
+gang, which, looking like a string of black beetles, troop slowly
+along from the orchard, each holding in the skirt of his solitary
+garment the small store of fruit which he has not been able to eat. A
+row of tables spread in the shade stands ready for the feast, and,
+along the pathway, the guests from neighboring plantations are already
+approaching.
+
+Up at the great house an unnatural quiet prevails, for upon this day
+all work is laid aside and all are off to the barbecue; even old Aunt
+Sylvie has forgotten the "misery" in her back, has donned her Sunday
+garments, and stepped briskly off to the quarter; cook, too, has
+closed the ever-open kitchen door and departed, along with nurse, over
+whose toilet her little charges have presided with so much zeal that
+they have emptied their mother's cologne flask in order to bedew their
+mammy's pocket-handkerchief to their satisfaction.
+
+Tiny curly-headed Jack feels rather disconsolate without his mammy,
+but is partially consoled by flattering visions of what her pockets
+will bring home at the end of the day.[1]
+
+Away down upon the creek the little gristmill stands silent; the old
+mossy wheel has for to-day ceased its splash and clatter, and, like
+all else upon the plantation, is resting from its labor; to-day no
+sacks stand open-mouthed, awaiting their turn; no little creaking
+carts, no mill boys mounted astride their grists are seen upon the
+path, and Wat, the miller, in the lazy content of dirt and idleness,
+lies basking in the sun. Within the wattle fence on the other side of
+the path, his three children, little Dave, Emma Jane, and a fat baby,
+are sprawling upon the ground, along with the house pig, two puppies,
+and the chickens. Little Dave, who is perhaps somewhat dwarfed by
+toting first Emma Jane in her infancy, and now the fat baby, looks not
+unlike a careworn little ape, as he sits flat upon the ground,
+spreading his bony toes for the baby to claw at.
+
+Emma Jane, with her stout little body buttoned into a homespun frock,
+is also seated in the sand, solemnly munching upon a hunk of corn
+bread, while the chickens, with easy familiarity, peck at the crumbs
+which fall upon her black shins. Within the cabin, Polly, the miller's
+wife, has tied a string of beads about her sleek black throat, and
+now, in all the bravery of her flowered calico, is ready to set off
+for the quarter; first, though, she pauses at the gate to speak to
+little Dave.
+
+"When de chile git hongry, you git dat sweeten water off de shelf and
+gie it to him long wid his bread;" then adds, with a suspicion of
+tenderness upon her comely face; "I gwine fetch you some pie." Then,
+calling to Wat, that he had better "fix his sef and come along, ef he
+speck to git any of de dinner," she steps briskly along the narrow
+pathway, mounts the zigzag fence, and disappears amid the high corn.
+
+Some miles below, where the little creek which turns the mill-wheel
+steals from out the swamp to join the river, a clumsy, flat-bottomed
+scow lies grounded upon a sand-bar. This is no evil to Boat Jim, who,
+sprawled upon the deck, snores away the hours, regardless of the
+blistering sun beating down upon his uncovered head, and all
+unconscious of the departure of his chance passenger, an itinerant
+organ-grinder. This fellow, having had the ill luck to lose the
+respectable member of the firm, his monkey, and finding difficulty
+without the aid of his little partner to attract an audience, had,
+while idling about the docks, encountered Boat Jim, and persuaded the
+latter to give him a lift up the river, the condition being that he
+was to grind as much music as Jim should desire. But, disgusted with
+three days of slow progress upon the boat, he had, after viciously
+kicking the unconscious Jim, stolen the small boat and put himself
+ashore. Following the windings of the creek, he came to the little
+mill, where, attracted by the shade, he seated himself close to the
+wattle fence of Polly's little yard. Hearing voices, he peeped through
+the fence, and his eyes were soon fixed upon little Dave, who, with
+the fat baby and Emma Jane for spectators, is performing various
+tricks with infinite delight to himself. He stands upon his head, he
+turns somersaults, he dances, he pats, and finally he swings himself
+into a tree, where he skips about with the agility of a monkey. A
+thought comes into the organ-grinder's head; he glances at the silent
+mill and at the cabin: evidently both are deserted; here is a chance
+to replace the dead monkey.
+
+The sun is sending long shafts of crimson light into the swamp and
+glinting upon the millhouse; the high corn, awakening from its midday
+torpor, rustles softly to the evening breeze, as Wat and Polly wend
+their way homeward. A bucket, lightly poised upon Polly's head, holds
+scraps of barbecue and little Dave's promised pie, and, as she draws
+near the wattle fence, she thinks, with a pleased smile, of how she
+will set it before "de chilluns," when a prolonged howl falls upon her
+ears. Recognizing the voice of Emma Jane, she says to herself: "She
+hongry, I spek," and trudges on, in nowise disturbed by this familiar
+sound. But, when they enter the yard, there is only Emma Jane,
+bawling, open-mouthed, beside the baby, who, with the house pig, lies
+asleep on the warm sand. The chickens are daintily picking their way
+to the house, the old muscovy duck has tucked her head under her wing
+for the night, Old Keep, the stump-tailed coon dog, crawls from under
+the cabin to greet them. But where is Dave?
+
+The miller carries the sleeping child indoors, followed by the still
+bawling Emma Jane, while the wrathful Polly goes to the back of the
+house. Stripping the twigs from a switch, she mutters: "I knows what
+you's arter; you tuck yoursef to dat watermillion patch, dat whar you
+gone; but ne' mine, boy, you jest le' me git hold o' you." Then, after
+a time given to unsuccessful search, calls of "Da-a-vie--oh, oh,
+Dave!" fall upon the stillness, to be answered only by weird echo from
+the lonely swamp. Returning from her search, she finds Wat seated upon
+the doorstep.
+
+"Dave done took hissel off to de quarter," he says; "but no mind, I
+gwine fill him full o' licks in de mornin'."
+
+But, when morning comes and brings no little Dave, wrath gives place
+to fear. The plantation is aroused; finally the mill-pond is dragged,
+and, although the body is not found, the conclusion is that the boy
+has been drowned.
+
+After a time Polly's smile beams as broadly as ever, but her heart
+still yearns for her boy, and amid the sleepy drone of her
+spinning-wheel, she pauses to listen; or, standing in her door, she
+looks ever wistfully along the crooked path. Across the way, the
+little mill clatters on as merrily as of yore; Wat heaves the great
+sacks upon his brawny shoulder, metes out the grist, and faithfully
+feeds the hopper; but, when a chance shadow falls athwart the sunny
+doorway, he looks up with a gleam of hope upon his stupid, honest
+face, then brushes his hand across his eyes, and goes on in stolid
+patience with his work. So the summer and the autumn pass, without
+change, save that Emma Jane substitutes sweet potatoes for corn bread,
+and the fat baby has learned to balance himself upon his bowlegs.
+
+Upon a winter evening Wat enters the cabin at the usual hour. Polly
+has laid a bit of clean homespun upon the table; his bowl of coffee,
+his fried meat, and his hoe-cake stand ready; but, instead of falling
+to, as his custom is, he sits silent and despondent, with his face
+buried in his hands, until Polly asks:--
+
+"What de matter; is you po'ly?"
+
+"I dunno as I 'se, to say, po'ly," Wat replies, "but dat boy's been
+a-pesterin' me dis livelong day, a-callin' 'Daddy, Daddy!' jes' like I
+talkin' now, till seem like I 'se most beat out along o' him."
+
+"Dat mighty curous," Polly answered, "'cause Ole Keep, he's been
+a-howlin' dis blessed day. I 'lowed dat Ung Silas were gwine be tuck."
+
+"'T ain't dat," the miller interrupted. "Ung Silas, he done got
+better; he howlin' arter sompen nother, but 't ain't arter Ung Silas."
+
+Upon that identical winter's day, in a back alley of New York, a small
+crowd of idlers had gathered to witness the performance of the "Man
+Monkey." A little creature, dressed in tinsel, leaped and capered,
+keeping time to the grinding of an organ. When the spectators were
+silent, he would glance timidly at his ill-favored keeper, but when
+they cheered, the poor little figure would strive to outdo itself, in
+spite of laboring breath and trembling limbs. Then a rope was
+stretched, and "The Man Monkey," seizing an end, swung himself up,
+and, amid the acclamations of the admiring mob, began a new act of his
+performance. The day was cold, and at that dizzy height the wind
+struck bitterly through the starved little overtaxed body; he lost
+his footing, caught wildly at the rope, missed it, and--fell.
+
+In that brief second did he see the old mill and the little cabin
+standing in the sunshine? Did he hear his mother's voice? God knows.
+When a pitying hand gently turned the little heap of quivering
+humanity, a happy smile lit up the pinched face, and the dying lips
+murmured, "Daddy."
+
+
+FOOTNOTE:
+
+[1] Little Jack is now a grave and reverend bishop, but I doubt if he
+has altogether forgotten the deliciousness of the flabby pie, eaten
+with such content at the close that day.
+
+
+
+
+THE HOG-FEEDER'S DAY
+
+
+I
+
+The cold gray light of early dawn had given place to saffron, and the
+first drowsy challenge from the henroost had been shrilly answered
+from far and near, when old man Jerry awoke from his nap in the
+chimney corner, and, finding himself chilled through all his old,
+rheumatic bones, bent over the dying embers, pushed together the
+blackened and half-burned "chunks," and blew them until they glowed.
+Then, hitching his stool close into the ashes, he spread his horny
+palms to the blaze, and basked in its genial warmth as it crackled up
+the wide chimney. Reaching his pipe from its nook, he filled it,
+dipped it skillfully in the coals so as to ignite without wasting the
+precious weed, and drew a long whiff by way of a start; then, bending
+still closer to the blaze, he pulled away, now and then rubbing his
+shins in slow content, as though to emphasize his comfort.
+
+All things, though, must come to an end. The "chunks" became a heap of
+white ashes, the pipe was finished, and broad shafts of light stealing
+down the chimney and under the door told "Ung Jerry" that it was time
+to be stirring.
+
+He had, according to his usual custom, risen from his bed long before
+cockcrow, and, having cooked and eaten his "morning bread," had
+unlatched his door in order to throw a morsel to his old hog-hound,
+"Drive," who had already crept from under the house, and stood wagging
+his stump of a tail in eager expectancy. The morsel being thrown, the
+old man had cast a knowing look towards the heavens, and, judging by
+the seven stars that it yet lacked an hour to dawn, had returned to
+the smoky warmth and comfort of his hovel, where, seated in the
+chimney nook, he had nodded till roused by the crowings from all the
+neighboring henroosts--for his cabin was one of many.
+
+The pipe being smoked, Ung Jerry rose stiffly, and, shuffling to his
+bed, fumbled underneath it, and, taking care not to disturb the
+setting hen, brought out two bits of old blanket, with which he
+proceeded to wrap his feet before putting on his shoes.[2]
+
+The hog-horn was now slung over the old coat, a bucket of cold
+victuals was reached from the shelf, and the old hog-feeder, equipped
+for his day's work, lifted the latch, and, stepping out into the sharp
+frostiness of the November morning, plodded with heavy steps toward
+the barnyard, Drive following closely at his heels.
+
+The frosty fields were glittering in the slant rays of the newly risen
+sun, and sounds of busy life came floating through the crisp air,
+telling the old man that the day's labor had begun. The sharp crack
+of the teamster's whip told that the great ox wagons were already
+afield. The plow-boys whistled as they led out their mules; men and
+short-skirted, heavily shod women went trooping to the cotton fields;
+the milkwomen stepped briskly by, with the foaming pails balanced upon
+their well-poised heads. Then came the cowboys, with noisy whoop,
+driving before them the crowding, clumsy, sweet-breathed herd, while,
+fearlessly amid all, pigeons fluttered, greedily picking up the refuse
+grain, heedless of the hoofs among which they pecked and fluttered.
+
+One small, grizzled mule, of great age and much cunning, had contrived
+to slip into the feedroom, and was there enjoying a stolen bait of
+oats when Ung Jerry found her.
+
+"You 'speck I wan't gwine fine you, I reckon, but you 'se wrong dis
+time," he said, taking her by one of the long ears and leading her off
+to the barnyard, where the little cart awaited her.
+
+Drive, meanwhile, had crept under the barn, where, nosing about, he
+had come upon a hen's nest, and was feasting upon the warm, fresh
+eggs.
+
+The hitching-up was done with great deliberation. Ung Jerry plodded to
+and from the harness-room many times, bringing out first a chuck
+collar, then a bit of leather, finally, after a long search, an end of
+rope. At length, when all seemed to be adjusted, the old man again
+retired to the harness-room, where he remained so long that Drive was
+contemplating another raid upon the hens, when he reappeared, bringing
+with him an old piece of bagging, with which he proceeded with careful
+adjustment to protect the old mule's back from the friction of the
+cart-saddle. She, meanwhile, had stood with closed eyes and flopped
+ears, immovable save for an occasional twitching of her small,
+rat-like tail; but when the loading began, her manner changed from its
+quiescent indifference; watchful glances followed each basketful that
+was dumped in, and an ominous backing of the ears gave warning of what
+would happen should the load be heavier than she liked.
+
+At length, all being ready for the start, Ung Jerry climbed slowly to
+his perch on the cart's edge, gave a jerk to the rope bridle, and
+Rachel moved off, closely followed by Drive, who, conscious of
+egg-sucking and fearful of its consequences, had prudently ensconced
+himself beneath the cart, from whence he eyed, suspiciously, all
+passers-by.
+
+Slowly the little cart crept along the narrow plantation lanes, crept
+past the level cornfields and into the wide pasture, where sunburnt
+mares were grazing with their wild-eyed, unkempt colts; crept past the
+marsh, where the heron, disturbed in her solitary vigil, rose upon
+silent wing and sought some more secluded haunt amid the dim recesses
+of the swamp.
+
+Turning at length into the forest, where the gray moss hanging from
+the trees almost obscured the deep blue autumnal sky, the cart slowly
+creaked through the rustling leaves until it came upon a cross fence
+which barred the way. Here, as Rachel came to a full stop, Ung Jerry
+awoke from his nap, descended from his perch, and, unslinging his
+horn, blew one long blast.
+
+One was enough. In a moment the deep stillness of the forest was
+broken by the pattering of many little feet; from the thickets the
+hogs came; each hurrying with might and main to be foremost, they
+rushed, grunting, squealing, crowding to the fence, where, standing
+with upturned faces and small covetous eyes, they awaited the feast of
+golden grain which the old man hastened to scatter amongst them. Then,
+leaning upon the fence, he noted each greedy grunter as he wriggled
+his small tail in keenest enjoyment and cracked the sweet corn.
+
+No need was there to count; to the hog-feeder each animal possessed an
+individuality so marked that in all the drove the absence of the most
+insignificant was at once detected. So now, as he leaned upon the
+fence, he cast anxious glances into the dimness beyond. Evidently some
+were missing.
+
+Drive, too, divining his master's thoughts, stood with look intent and
+anxious yelp, impatient for the search to begin.
+
+Then the word came, "Seek, boy!"
+
+Scrambling through the fence, he dashed into every covert or tangle
+wherein a hog might lurk, but without result; there came no rush of
+feet, no shaking of the brown leaves, no startled grunt. All was
+still, save for the quick panting of the old hound.
+
+The old man then turned his eyes again upon the greedy mob, still
+hoping to discover the missing ones amongst them. 'T was all in vain.
+
+"De listed sow, _she_ done gone, an' de big white _hogue_, _he_ done
+gone, an' seben head o' shotes!" he at length murmured, still,
+however, casting expectant glances toward the thickets, in which Drive
+was still sniffing with uneasy yelpings.
+
+"Seem like dem creturs is clean gone, sho' nuf," he exclaimed, with an
+air of unwilling conviction; then adding, "well, ef dey's gone, I 'se
+got 'em to fine, dat's de trufe."
+
+He called in the dog, and, taking his dinner bucket, climbed the fence
+and struck off into the woods. Now and again he would pause, put his
+horn to his lips, and give a long blast, then stand listening with
+anxious expectancy. Every thicket was searched. It was a weary
+tramp,--through bogs and sloshes, where the cypress knees stood up
+like sugar-loaves in the shallow water, or sometimes his steps were
+bent to some open glade, where the great oaks dropped sweet mast among
+the brown leaves.
+
+The day was no longer young when a low fence came into view; beyond it
+stretched a levee, and at its base a glint of water showed itself
+through the great trees, which stretched their mighty arms as though
+they would embrace it.
+
+Ung Jerry, after climbing the fence, mounted the levee and stood upon
+the brink of a wide and muddy river. Taking off his hat, the old man
+wiped the sweat from his face, then turned an observant eye upon the
+river, whose muddy waters were already lapping the boughs of the
+overhanging trees, and with a long-drawn breath exclaimed, "Bank an'
+bank!"
+
+Then, as his experienced eye noted the angry swirls near the shore
+and the débris borne rapidly upon the turbid current, "An' still on de
+rise. She gwine be out in de low groun's befo' mornin', bless de Lord;
+I's been 'spectin' she gwine play dis trick eber since de win' set
+like et did."
+
+Then, looking at the field of standing corn upon the further shore,
+protected by a low levee, and seeming to be upon a lower level than
+the red waters of the flood, he soliloquized:--
+
+"I's skeared de fresh gwine 'stroy a sight o' Mars Jones's corn. It
+raly do 'pear like dat corn mout a been housed befo' now."
+
+The old man's thoughts were interrupted at this point by loud and
+animated barkings from Drive, and, hurrying to the spot whence they
+proceeded, he discovered the old hound standing in a broken gap in the
+fence, in a state of excitement over the numerous footprints which
+told that the truants had broken through and made for the river,
+evidently with designs upon "Mars Jones's" cornfield.
+
+"Here's wha' dey tuck de watah," the old man remarked to the dog, as
+together they followed the footprints to the water's edge. "Dat 'ere
+listed sow, she got mo' sense un folks! She know 'bout Mars Jones's
+corn, an' dey ain't no fence gwine stop dat cretur when she take a
+notion for to go.
+
+"Well, well, well, de listed sow, an' de big white hogue, an' seben
+head o' shotes done tore down de fence, an' took deyselves 'cross de
+riber for to steal Mars Jones's corn; I 'clare 't is a disgrace. I
+reckon Mars Jones gwine cuss a plenty when he fine it out. It certinly
+is a pity for master's creturs to do sich a low-life trick as dat. But
+bless de Lord," and a look of crafty triumph came into his face,
+"dey's got dey bellies full, anyhow."
+
+With this pleasing reflection, and the conviction that nothing more
+could be done for the present, the old man seated himself upon a log,
+opened his bucket, took out his jack-knife, and proceeded to eat his
+dinner, while Drive sat by, in eager readiness to snatch the morsels
+flung to him, ere they could reach the ground.
+
+When the meal was finished, dog and man each took comfort in his own
+way. The dog stretched himself in the sunshine. The old man sat with
+bent head "a-studyin'," then nodded, then fell into a deep sleep,
+soothed by the silence, which reigned unbroken save for the distant
+cawing of a crow.
+
+The long gray moss swayed dreamily upon the motionless boughs of the
+giant trees. Where the sycamore lifted its gaunt, white arms, the
+great bald eagle sat immovable, watching with fierce, intent gaze for
+its prey in the waters below.
+
+
+II
+
+The shadows were growing long upon wood and river when the light dip
+of a paddle broke upon the stillness, and old Jerry, rousing from his
+nap, spied a canoe gliding down stream, guided by two youths who, with
+their guns lying crosswise upon their knees, were making for the bank.
+
+"Mars Harry an' Mars Phil," he murmured, eying them with lazy
+curiosity, as they brought their little craft to land, and after
+making it fast, picked up their guns, crossed the levee, and struck
+off into the swamp.
+
+"Dey's after turkey, I 'speck; Mars Harry an' me, we's killed many a
+varmint in dese here woods. Dey want no Mars Phil 'bout here in dem
+days befo' ole Mars were tuck down."
+
+Thus soliloquizing, the old man continued to gaze wistfully after the
+retreating figures; for their appearance had seemed to bring a
+disturbing element into his peaceful dreams, and a look of helpless
+trouble overspread his face as, taking off his hat and slowly
+scratching his head, he murmured:--
+
+"Seem like it mos' a pity Mars Phil trouble hisself for to come here,
+anyhow. Well, well, well! we folks all gwine be 'vided up 'twix Mars
+Harry an' Mars Phil, 'cause ole Mars, he not long for dis world! Bless
+de Lord, whinsoever it please Him for to teck ole Mars to hisself, I
+trus' he gwine 'vide off Jerry to Mars Harry's shere, 'cause I
+nachally ain't got no use for t'other one--he too outlondesh."
+
+So saying, he rose and reached his bucket from the bough where it
+hung. Drive, who had for some moments been watching him out of the
+corner of one red eye, rose also, and the two set out upon their tramp
+back to the cart.
+
+The old man had climbed the fence, the dog had scrambled through, and
+both were threading their way across the swamp, when the report of a
+gun close by caused the dog to beat a retreat from the thicket into
+which he had thrust his nose, and, with tail tucked in, to creep to
+his master's side; while the old man, exclaiming, "Good Gor-a-mighty!
+whot dat?" pushed aside the bushes in order to see what game the boys
+had brought down.
+
+The sight that met his eyes froze him with horror. Philip's lifeless
+body lay upon the ground, while Harry, with scared white face, bent
+over it.
+
+For a brief space the old man stood as if petrified, then muttered:
+"Jerry ain't gwine know nothin' bout dis here. When ole Mars say,
+'Jerry, what you seen in de Vine Ridge Swash?' Jerry, he gwine say,
+'Nothin', Marster, fo' de Lord. I seen nothin' 't all!' An' I ain't
+gwine tell no lie, nuther, 'cause I ain't gwine look!"
+
+Thus thinking, he cautiously drew back, and, with ashen face and limbs
+that through trembling almost failed to support him, he stealthily
+crept away until out of earshot; then took to his heels and fled.
+When, however, he was forced to pause for breath, he considered if he
+had done well to desert his young master, and turned reluctantly to
+retrace his steps, when, as he did so, the air was suddenly rent with
+ear-piercing shrieks for half a second, and Jerry's heart quailed.
+
+"It's boun' to be de debil," he whispered. Then, a light seeming to
+break upon him, he exclaimed: "Bless God! 't ain't nothin' but de ole
+Chieftain a-blowin'."
+
+The Chieftain, a small freight steamer, had recently taken the place
+of the old flat-bottomed scows, and, as the steam whistle was still a
+novelty, it is not surprising that Ung Jerry, in his terror, should
+for the moment have mistaken it for some unearthly sound.
+
+After many irresolute pauses, the old man at length reached the scene
+of the disaster, and with shaking hands thrust aside the bushes.
+Except for the small birds silently flitting to their roosts, the
+place was utterly deserted. The level sunbeams glinted through the
+gray moss, gilded the tree trunks, and glowed crimson upon the brown
+leaves; the solitary peace of nature seemed unbroken; only the pool of
+blood at Ung Jerry's feet told him that what he had witnessed had not
+been a vision.
+
+After a moment's survey he was turning away, when his eyes fell upon
+the two guns: here, at least, was something tangible, and the old man
+proceeded to secrete them in the fallen leaves. Squatted upon the
+ground, he was too busily engaged to note the sound of approaching
+footsteps, and started violently when a rough voice accosted him. He
+mustered courage, however, to quaver:--
+
+"Dat you, Mars Jones?"
+
+"Me? of course it's me! Who did you reckon it was?"
+
+"I dunno, Mars Jones."
+
+"Well, you'll know next time, if you don't keep them hogs o' yourn
+out of my corn. Why, that confounded old sow can destroy more corn in
+one night than you are worth."
+
+"Yes, Mars Jones, dat de trufe," meekly assented the old man.
+
+Mars Jones, warming to the subject, now waxed more and more eloquent
+over his grievances, until, having exhausted his pent up wrath, he had
+leisure to observe old Jerry's ashen face and shaking limbs, and he
+exclaimed:--
+
+"Why, what's the matter with you? are you sick?"
+
+"Yes, Mars Jones, I's been po'ly dis liblong day, an' I's gittin'
+sassifrax for to make me a little drap o' tea, I's got sich a mis'ry."
+
+"Sassafras!" here broke in Mars Jones; and, good-natured, despite his
+roughness, he took from his pocket a _tickler_, and handing Jerry a
+dram, said:
+
+"Drink this, you old blockhead. _Sassifrax_, indeed!--what good you
+reckon sassifrax goin' do you?"
+
+With a scrape and a bow and a "Thank ye, Marster," the old man gulped
+down the dram, and Mars Jones, replacing his _tickler_, was turning
+away, when his foot slipped in something, and looking down he saw that
+it was blood.
+
+The dram had put so much heart into the old man that he was able to
+reply glibly to Mars Jones's questions.
+
+"Its jes' wha' I's been markin' hogs, Marster."
+
+"I don't believe you; I believe you've been killin' one of your
+master's hogs--that's what you've been at."
+
+But as this did not concern him, he did not wait to inquire further,
+and so, turning on his heel, he strode off.
+
+The hog-feeder, too, hastening away, took the shortest path back to
+his cart.
+
+The deserted barnyard lay silent in the white moonlight when the
+little cart creaked through the gate; but up at the "great house"
+there were lights and movements where the family watched the coming of
+the boys.
+
+Thursday, Friday, and Saturday passed without tidings, and the hope
+that they had been caught by the rising water and imprisoned upon
+some isolated knoll had been abandoned after the swamps had been
+searched in every direction. To add to the grief of the household, the
+master, already enfeebled, now lay prostrated in a condition that
+almost forbade hope.
+
+Upon Sunday the waters began to abate, fences again appeared, and
+patches of drowned corn showed themselves above the wastes of water,
+to the no small joy of the flocks of blackbirds which chattered and
+fluttered amongst them.
+
+Mr. Jones, tired of the loneliness of his water-girt home, made his
+way to the meeting-house, more for the sake of a gossip with some of
+the neighbors than for the day's preaching, and it was there that he
+first heard the startling news of the unaccountable disappearance of
+Squire Brace's nephews.
+
+In the excitement, each man was eager to advance his own theory. The
+discussion ended, however, in the general opinion that their canoe had
+been swamped in the freshet and the boys drowned, until a newcomer
+asserted that the canoe, with Phil's overcoat still in it, had been
+found tied up at the Vine Ridge landing, and that their guns had been
+discovered hidden in the leaves at no great distance in the swamp.
+
+Upon hearing this, Mr. Jones could but call to mind his meeting with
+the hog-feeder, his strange behavior, and the blood upon the ground,
+and he at once jumped to the conclusion that old Jerry had been at
+least a party to some foul deed. His suspicions, once made known,
+became certainties, and the whole party, hastily mounting their
+horses, rode off to the nearest justice, their convictions gaining
+ground so rapidly that, ere the house of the justice was reached,
+poor, simple old Jerry, the most harmless of God's creatures, had
+become in their estimation a villain of the deepest dye.
+
+Upon this identical Sunday morning the old hog-feeder betook himself
+to the little plantation church, whose bell, with cracked clamor, gave
+warning that preaching was about to begin.
+
+The frosty brightness of the past week had given place to a soft
+mist, through whose dimness the pale sunbeams looked sadly upon the
+autumnal world; and as the old man, dressed in his Sunday clothes,
+plodded along the path, the tiny crickets from beneath the grass sent
+up their sad, perpetual dirge.
+
+Men and women, all shining with Sabbath cleanness, came straggling
+toward the church, silently and soberly, without the usual
+light-hearted laughter, for the trouble at the "great house" was felt
+by all the little band. Yet their feelings were not without a mixture
+of pleasurable excitement, for all were anticipating with gloomy
+satisfaction the lengthy prayers, the groanings, and the head-shakings
+upon this mournful day.
+
+The congregation had taken their seats, old Jethro had taken his place
+in the pulpit, the long-drawn cadence of the funeral hymn had floated
+sadly up to the "great house," when a noise at the door startled the
+congregation, who, turning, beheld standing in the door a group of
+white men. Among them was the overseer, who, coming forward,
+announced that hog-feeder Jerry was to be arrested upon a charge of
+murder. "Not that I believe it, men," he said, "but the law must take
+its course."
+
+In the meantime two others had approached the old man, who had already
+stumbled to his feet, and, while bowing in a dazed kind of way, kept
+murmuring, "Sarvent, Marsters."
+
+Handcuffs were put upon him, and amid a profound silence he was led
+forth and lifted into a cart. The two sheriffs took their places upon
+each side of him, and the cortège moved off.
+
+The people, having sufficiently recovered from their shock to jostle
+one another out of the building, stood huddled together like a flock
+of frightened sheep; but when the cavalcade had driven off, a subdued
+clamor of voices arose, all unanimous in contempt for "dese here po'
+white, who'd ha' knowed better 'n to come meddlin' long o' Marster's
+folks ef Marster wan't down on de bed an' mos' like to die!"
+
+That the dull and simple brain of the old man should have been capable
+of any formulated plan is not to be imagined, and when upon the
+following day he was taken before the justice for examination, he
+merely acted from an instinct of affection in shielding his young
+master, even at the risk of his own life. When questioned, he
+preserved an obstinate silence; then, when forced to speak, denied
+having seen either of the boys upon the day of their disappearance,
+but, when cross-questioned, admitted that he had seen Mars Phil in the
+Vine Ridge woods; and finally, when taxed with the blood upon the
+ground and with having hidden the guns, he reluctantly admitted that
+"ef Mars Phil had been hurted" he had done it.
+
+"What did you do with the body?" questioned the justice; "throw it in
+the river?"
+
+A murmur from the prisoner, which passed for assent, concluded the
+examination, and the justice, sorely puzzled, committed him to jail to
+await his trial.
+
+With the early morning, the country people had begun to gather around
+the courthouse, and when told that the old miscreant had actually
+confessed to the murder, their innate love of justice gave place to
+fierce anger; and when the prisoner, gray with terror, bent and
+tottering, was led forth, he was surrounded by a silent but determined
+crowd, who, thrusting the sheriffs aside, seized and drove him before
+them, and had already slipped the noose about his neck, when an
+inarticulate shout caused the crowd to sway,--a horseman dashed into
+their midst and proclaimed that both boys were alive. Their
+disappearance had been explained on that morning by a letter forwarded
+by hand, which ran as follows:--
+
+    On Board the Chieftain.
+
+Dear Uncle,--This afternoon, while hunting in the Vine Ridge woods,
+Phil's gun went off and wounded him in the side. I was at my wit's end
+what to do, when I heard the Chieftain blow up the river; so I tore
+off to the levee, where I was lucky enough to succeed in attracting
+Captain Smith's attention, who sent off a boat, and we managed to get
+Phil on board. I wanted Smith to put back to our landing, but he
+thought the current too strong; and on the whole, I believe it is
+better for Phil to keep on to Hilton, as it would be impossible to get
+a doctor at home in this high water. Phil's hurt is not very serious,
+I hope.
+
+    Your dutiful nephew,
+
+          Harry Brace.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+On the day succeeding Harry's homecoming, he entered the room
+designated the "study," in which the Squire was usually to be found
+when indoors.
+
+The room probably owed the name of "study" to a set of _Farmer's
+Magazines_ which, in all the dignity of expensive bindings, divided
+the shelf with a rather damaged edition of "The Turf Register," a
+"Farrier's Manual," a brace of antiquated medical works, and a stack
+of newspapers. Fishing tackle, a cupping apparatus, a set of
+engineering instruments, half a dozen ears of extra fine seed corn,
+medicine scales, and a huge cotton stock filled the rest of the
+bookcase.
+
+The Squire, seated before a blazing fire, in the lazy comforts of
+convalescence, with pipe and tobacco at his elbow, presented a not
+unenviable picture when contrasted with the wintry grayness outside.
+
+Harry, who had been greatly touched by the old hog-feeder's
+affectionate fidelity, now sought his uncle in order to beg that as a
+recompense he might be given his freedom.
+
+"Freedom!" exclaimed the Squire; "why, confound it, my dear boy, what
+would he do with freedom, if he had it?"
+
+"I think he would like it," Harry murmured, a little sheepishly.
+
+"Why, he's as free as air now; a deuced sight freer than I am."
+
+Nevertheless Harry gained his point, and though the Squire growled,
+"You young jackanapes, you've robbed me of the best hog-feeder on the
+river," still he was evidently pleased, and in the evening old Jerry
+was sent for.
+
+When, in answer to the summons, Jerry presented himself at the study
+door, his master said to him, with a stateliness fitted to the
+occasion:--
+
+"Jerry, I have sent for you to tell you that your young master here,
+as a reward for your fidelity, desires to give you your freedom."
+
+Here the Squire paused, and Jerry, not knowing what else to say, said,
+"Yes, Marster."
+
+Harry, standing by, was feeling rather wrought up, while the Squire,
+also somewhat excited, continued:--
+
+"I will give you a house in the free settlement, out in the slashes,
+and your young master will always take care of you."
+
+Another rather disconcerting pause was broken by a second "Yes,
+Marster;" and the old man, picking up his hat, shuffled out.
+
+The Squire glanced at Harry with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes,
+but the boy's face expressed such blank disappointment that he took
+pity upon him, and, picking up a newspaper, dismissed the matter.
+
+Upon the following evening a low knock was heard at the study door,
+then a fumbling at the latch, and old Jerry once more stood upon the
+threshold.
+
+"Well, old man, what is it now?" his master asked kindly. "Come, out
+with it!" he repeated, as the old man, with a feeble grin, stood
+helplessly fingering his hat. "What's the matter?"
+
+And old Jerry, slowly scratching his head, made answer:--
+
+"Thank, Marster; I's come to ax Marster what I done to 'splease Mars?"
+
+"Displease me! Why, what has put that notion into your head?"
+
+"I dunno, Mars, what I's done, but I's skeared Mars mout be set agin
+me, 'cause he say he gwine sen' me offen de plantation."
+
+Then Harry explained that he was to be set free, and eagerly enlarged
+upon the delights of liberty. The hog-feeder listened, but was
+unmoved: he obstinately declined to accept his freedom, his plea being
+that "the varments" would "'stroy up his creeturs" if he were not
+there to look after them.
+
+"De black sow, she got a fine litter o' pigs now, an' de foxes is
+a'ter 'em de blessed time."
+
+After this no more could be urged, and Jerry, scraping his foot, went
+out with a mind full of content.
+
+
+FOOTNOTE:
+
+[2] As this is a true tale of an old-time plantation negro, I think it
+but fair to state that he had a "chist" full of good clothes; but,
+with a parsimony not uncommon among his race, he preferred to protect
+his feet with old bits of blanket, instead of using the excellent
+home-knit woollen socks which lay snugly hidden away in his "chist;"
+and it was the same feeling which caused him to wrap himself now into
+an old garment made up of patches, although three good ones lay snugly
+folded away in the same chest.
+
+
+
+
+THE JUNIOR RESERVE
+
+
+It was in the early summer of 1864 that the family at Swan Manor was
+thrown off its balance by the calling out of "The Junior Reserves."
+That unfledged boys, and among them their own little smooth-cheeked
+Billy, should be called upon to fill up the thinned and broken ranks
+of the Southern army filled their hearts with dismay. The old Squire,
+with bushy brows beetling over his eyes, sat in grief too deep for
+words, a prey to the darkest forebodings. Miss Jemima had wept until
+her eyes were mere nothings, while her nose, coming gallantly to the
+front, had assumed an undue prominence. Kate, with her pretty lips
+drawn to keep down the rising sobs, tried all in vain to bestow upon
+her twin brother bright looks and smiles, ever before so ready and
+spontaneous. In the early secession days it had seemed such fun to
+ride to dress parade and toss bouquets to the laughing "boys in
+gray," while all the world played Dixie!
+
+    "Away down South in Dixie."
+
+How she and Billy had whispered and plotted, and how great the triumph
+when together they climbed the gate-post and, after much toil,
+successfully planted their little red and white flag! But now, alas!
+all was changed,--they were fast getting to be grown-up people, and
+now her own dear Billy must go to help drive the Yankees out of Dixie.
+
+As for Billy himself, a suppressed but exultant grin shone upon his
+face, a trifle deprecating when in the presence of his grandfather or
+his tearful Aunt Jemima, but very jubilant despite these drawbacks. In
+truth this junior reserve was only too pleased to exchange the Latin
+grammar for the musket, and little cared he for prospective hardships,
+provided school were not among them.
+
+In the few busy days before the departure, Kate followed Billy's
+footsteps, trying in vain to share his elation. "Good gracious,
+Kate," he would exclaim, when he discovered her furtively wiping her
+eyes with her little damp ball of a pocket handkerchief, "don't be
+such a little goose; why, what would you have a fellow do? I had no
+idea that you were that sort of a girl." Then, as between laughing and
+crying her face contorted itself into a sort of spasmodic grin, he
+would say: "Now that's right, that's the way to do, if you'll just
+cheer up, I'll be all right; the Yankees'll not bother me much, you
+bet."
+
+At the request of Serena (Billy's former nurse) her boy Cy was chosen
+to accompany his young master as body servant, one of his chief
+recommendations being that, naturally "skeary," he would be a safe
+companion; also, as his mother proudly averred, he was the fastest
+runner upon the plantation.
+
+It was upon a golden evening in June that little Billy bade farewell
+to his home, Miss Jemima and Kate going with him to the little wayside
+station. Cy, gotten up in great style, followed, while the rear was
+brought up by a motley procession,--all eager for the honor of
+carrying some of the belongings. The Squire, with Don the old Irish
+setter, stood in the doorway until Billy passed out of sight; then the
+two together, the old man and the old dog, went back into the silent
+house.
+
+The path to the station wound its way through a field of ripening
+wheat, from whence the clear whistle of a partridge smote sharply
+though the fervid air. Billy paused, and, pointing to a tangle of
+blackberry, exclaimed: "There's a nest there as sure as shooting, and
+I'll go there to-mor--" A quick catching of the breath cut short the
+unfinished words, and the boy, with lips slightly drawn, quickened his
+pace. Kate, choking down her sobs, held his hand in her tight clasp,
+as she kept pace with his hurried step. Miss Jemima, steadying her
+voice, remarked with a sprightly air that there would be fine shooting
+when he should come back in the autumn. Then the little station came
+into view, looking very empty and deserted; two men loading a flat car
+were the only living objects to be seen. They paused in their work to
+greet Billy, and ask where he was off to. It seemed so strange a
+thing to Kate that all the world did not know.
+
+The train was not on time, and the waiting became so painful that it
+was almost with gladness that they heard the warning whistle far down
+the track. A small crowd had gradually collected, and some one
+remarked: "She's blowin' for the bridge. It'll be ten minutes before
+she's here." To the tumultuously throbbing hearts of the little party
+it was a positive relief when a puff of smoke was seen and the engine
+came rushing around the bend. Then there were hurried kisses; the bell
+clanged, a voice called out, "All aboard," and the train was off.
+"Gone, gone, gone," Kate repeated over and over to herself, as she
+gazed with tearless eyes into the dim distance of the now silent
+track.
+
+As the party retraced their steps homeward the partridge was still
+calling his cheerful "Bob White" from amid the wheat, while from the
+shadowy depth of a laurel thicket came the sweet gurgle of the
+wood-thrush.
+
+In the late summer, news--glorious news--came that the foe had been
+driven back, and their boy was unhurt.
+
+Later, a man from the front at home on furlough was heard to say that
+"Billy Swan was a regular trump, and had borne himself like a
+veteran." Kate walked elate, saying the words over and over, with a
+proud smile, "A hero, a regular trump,"--he, her own dear Billy. The
+old Squire, too, with ill-concealed pride in his boy, was once more
+like his former self.
+
+Happy days--brief, hopeful days! Alas, alas! Many Junes have come and
+gone since little Billy was laid to rest in the old burying-ground,
+close to the wheat-field where the partridge calls, calls, the long
+day through. June roses scatter their leaves above him, and when the
+sun drops low, with long golden shafts upon the green mound which
+covers him, from far down in the laurel thicket comes the liquid
+gurgle of the wood-thrush. Kate looks into faces, once frank and
+bright, and full of youth and hope, now grown old and seamed with
+care, and she tells herself that "whom the gods love, die young."
+
+
+
+
+MAMMY
+
+
+Two little snub noses were flattening themselves against the nursery
+window pane, while the four eager eyes watched the soft flakes
+whirling through the air and silently descending upon the whitening
+earth.
+
+"Sposen we was to steal out," whispered the boy, "an' hide, so Mammy
+couldn't never find us no more."
+
+An excited chuckle interrupted the further development of this
+deliciously lawless scheme; but, though the little sister caught the
+infection, she prudently turned from the tempting prospect, saying,
+"No, Sed, I's 'fraid you might git the croups an' die."
+
+The other occupants of the room were a little roly-poly cherub of a
+girl, seated in a tiny chair, holding in her arms a rag baby, which
+she rocked and dangled in servile imitation of her mammy, who, with
+bumpings peculiar to the nursery chair, was rocking to sleep a still
+younger babe. A fair little maiden, curled up comfortably upon a
+cushion, the firelight glistening upon her yellow locks, bent over a
+book, from which she read, in high-pitched, childish voice, to her
+mammy, the story of "Ellen Lynn." Mammy was very proud that her
+nursling could read, and would cast admiring looks upon the child as
+she bent over her book, with finger pointing to each word. Both were
+absorbed in the story, and every picture was examined with scrupulous
+care.
+
+Another occupant of the nursery was "Chany," the under nursemaid.
+Gawky, sleek, and black, she sat flat upon the floor, her large,
+well-shod feet turned to the fire, a picture of lazy, vacant content.
+
+"Ch-Ch-Chany," stuttered Mammy, "look in de top drawer an' git a
+hankcher and blow dat chile's nose. Go on wid yo book, honey; Mammy
+ain't goin' 'sturb you no mo."
+
+"Mr. Lynn left the sleigh, and turning from the island"--piped little
+Caroline. Then there came another prolonged snuffle from Sedley.
+
+"You Ch-Ch-Chany, why'n't you git dat hankcher?" caused that languid
+maiden to bestir herself. Having fumbled in the drawer for the
+handkerchief, she approached the window, but no sooner did the little
+boy become aware of her intention than, with a rebellious shake of his
+curly head, he buried his nose in his little chapped fists, and,
+regardless of Sibyl's advice, that he had better be good, he firmly
+stood his ground, determined to resist Chany to the death.
+
+"He ain't gwine let me tetch him," said Chany, feebly dabbing at him
+with the handkerchief.
+
+"Do, pray, gal, don't be so no-'count," Mammy answered. Then Chany,
+stung by the imputation, made another helpless dive; a scuffle ensued,
+in which she was utterly routed, and the victorious Sedley threw
+himself upon Mammy's lap.
+
+"Gi' me de hankcher," said Mammy, with an air of withering contempt.
+"There, now, you done woke up your little brother," she said, when,
+the nose being blown, she again returned to trying to jolt baby Joe to
+sleep. "He jest had drapped off into a doze."
+
+"Oh, chilluns, le's pop some corn!" Chany now exclaimed. "Here's a
+whole sight of it," she went on, as she searched a basket, which she
+had unearthed from the closet.
+
+"Oh! pop corn!" shouted Sedley and Sibyl, running, and each seizing an
+ear.
+
+"Oh! pop torn!" echoed the cherub, throwing down her rag baby. So the
+shovel was run into the ashes, and Chany and the three little ones set
+to work to shell the corn.
+
+Quiet was again restored, and Caroline, who, all through the hubbub,
+had kept her finger faithfully upon "island," continued her reading.
+
+Mammy now substituted a sideways movement of the knees for the more
+vigorous bumping of the chair, and baby Joe--lying luxuriously upon
+her wide lap--gazed dreamily into the glowing coals upon the hearth,
+until gradually the white lids drooped over the blue eyes, and he
+slept. The nursery was very quiet now. The corn-poppers were intent
+upon their work, and Mammy, soothed by the unwonted stillness,
+listened drowsily to the little reader until fresh interest was
+excited by the following words.
+
+"The men were now still more alarmed," read Caroline. "Farmer Lynn
+said that he would go with them and see what had become of Mr. Lynn
+and Annie. The whole party accordingly went back to the river. After
+searching about for some time, one of the men espied something black
+on the surface of the snow, at a great distance down the river. They
+all proceeded to the spot, and were dreadfully shocked on arriving
+there to find that the black spot was a part of Mr. Lynn's arm and
+that his body was beneath, frozen, and buried up in the snow."
+
+When Mammy heard these words, she threw up her arms, and exclaimed,
+"Lord, have mercy 'pon my soul! What! Mr. Lynn hisself?"
+
+To her imagination Mr. Lynn was a most real person. The book was now
+brought to her and she, with little Caroline, looked with deep and
+mournful interest at the picture of the empty sleigh.
+
+"It certainly is a awful country to live in; seem like it ain't fitten
+for a dog, much less white folks. To think o' Mr. Lynn hisself bein'
+froze to death. Well! well! well! It certainly was onexpected."
+
+The children's story books furnished Mammy with many thoughts. Among
+them was a set of German nursery tales, full of quaint colored
+pictures, in which she took especial pleasure. Seated by the nursery
+fire, the baby asleep in his crib and the others out at play, she
+would turn the leaves feeling that each picture was a living portrait.
+Slovenly Peter, Rocking Phillip, and Greedy Jacob were her favorites.
+Once when shown a pretzel, she exclaimed, "Ef it ain't the very thing
+what Jacob had in his hand when he busted," and, taking the pretzel in
+her hand, she contemplated it with a thoughtful and sentimental air.
+
+The nursery door was now burst open, and in rushed Harry, bringing
+with him a blast of fresh cold air; black Ned came too, and both
+brought upon their feet enough snow to cover the carpet with moist
+tracks.
+
+"You Ne-Ne-Ned, ain't you got no mo' manners than to be a-tracking up
+de house dis way? Go 'long out and clean your feet;" but the hubbub
+was too great for Mammy's words to be heeded; pig-tails were being
+brandished aloft, and the children all clustered round Harry and Ned,
+asking questions and clamoring for pig-tails.
+
+"Look!" said Harry. "Here's somefin better'n pig-tails," and he drew
+from his pocket the mangled remains of a dozen or more snow-birds.
+
+A scramble now ensued, and Sibyl--having secured as many as she
+wanted--retired to a corner, and silently fell to plucking them, while
+Sedley, who was as vainglorious as a Comanche, capered about on his
+short legs, and boasted of imaginary exploits with trap and dead-fall.
+
+Caroline looked on, half pleased and half disgusted, keeping herself
+clear of contact.
+
+"Miss Calline she too proud to tetch pig-tails," grinned Chany.
+
+"'F cose she is," Mammy answered, bridling. She was very vain of Miss
+Caroline's daintiness.
+
+The baby was now laid in his crib. Chany was dispatched for salt and
+pepper; the shovel was again run into the ashes, pig-tails were placed
+delicately upon the coals, and the nursery, pervaded with the various
+odors of wet shoes, burnt corn, fried grease, etc., was given up to
+disorder and cooking, into which Mammy threw herself with as much zest
+as did the children. The pig-tails were broiled to a turn, and the
+small birds were frizzling away upon the shovel, when Sedley, taking
+advantage of his opportunity, made a rush for the door, opened it, and
+was outside, with mouth and hands full of snow. Before Mammy's
+vigilant eye had noted his escape, he was flying back in triumph, with
+a big ball in his fist, when she met him and, with dexterous grasp,
+wrenched it from him.
+
+"Di-di-did anybody ever see your match!" she exclaimed as she hurled
+the ball into the fire. "I clar I's got a good mind to take you right
+straight to your ma."
+
+But Sedley knew the value of such threats and soon wiggled himself
+out of her grasp.
+
+"Da now, go 'long an' 'have yourself," she said, with admiring
+fondness, as he laughed and capered away from her.
+
+"Honey, what is you a-doin'?" she now inquired of Sibyl, who, with hot
+cheeks, was bending over a pile of coals. "Cookin' a bird? Let me do
+it,--you's a-burnin' your little face clean to a cracklin'."
+
+"No, Mammy, I'm cookin' my bird for grandma," the child answered,
+rejecting all help, "an' I'm goin' to do it all by myself."
+
+"Wh', baby honey, your gran'ma ain't comin' before Christmas eve, an'
+dat's a week off. Your bird ain't goin' keep all dat time, but ne'
+mine, I'll make Ned ketch you another one."
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Upon Christmas Eve, the children might have been seen at the big gate,
+straining their eyes down the road, each hoping to be the first to see
+their grandmother's carriage. Visions of waxen dolls, sugar-plums,
+and other vague delights imparted a double zest to her arrival,--to
+say nothing of Uncle Robin (the driver) who, in the estimation of the
+little boys, was of far greater importance than was their grandmother.
+To them he was an oracle of wisdom, and their delight was to follow
+him about the stable lot or to sit in the sunshine and hang upon his
+words; for his imagination was fertile, and the boys would listen with
+wonder to the tales of his prowess and skill with horses. Something
+was now observed to be moving far down the road, which soon proved to
+be the carriage. Yes, there were "Phoenix" and "Peacock," which no
+one but Uncle Robin could handle, and there sat Uncle Robin upon the
+box, and there was grandma inside, smiling and waving her
+handkerchief, and there, too, sat Aunt Polly, grandma's maid.
+
+The carriage stopped, and Uncle Robin, bowing and smiling, descended
+and opened the door, and they all scrambled in and were hugged and
+kissed, and Polly admired their beauty and exclaimed at their growth.
+Then the door was clapped to again, but not before Harry had managed
+to slip out and clamber to the box beside Uncle Robin, who, having
+driven through the gate, handed him the reins, with a caution to keep
+his eye upon Peacock. In the estimation of the boy, this sleek and
+overfed Peacock seemed little less than a raging lion whom only Uncle
+Robin could quell.
+
+"He'll run in a minute, if he gits a chance," said the guileful Uncle
+Robin. So Harry clutched the reins and drove proudly past the lot, in
+full view of some of the men, turned in at the yard gate, and drew up
+before the door.
+
+Grandma could not wait for the hanging of the Christmas stockings, but
+insisted upon opening her trunk at once, and displaying her gifts to
+the children's delighted eyes. The wax babies exceeded their wildest
+hopes. The house was made horrible with horns and drums. Mammy laughed
+and showed her dimples and courtesied over her own gorgeous present,
+and all felt that Christmas had really come.
+
+For several days, indeed, throughout the holidays, Harry felt that he
+had left childhood far behind him, and, as he strutted about the
+stable yard, he now and then expectorated, in imitation of Uncle
+Robin, as though he had a quid in his mouth.
+
+Aunt Polly, though far inferior to Uncle Robin in the children's
+estimation, was yet a person of distinction, and no naughtiness was
+ever displayed when she was by to witness it.
+
+Mammy usually enjoyed a gossip with Aunt Polly over the nursery fire.
+But, sometimes feelings of coolness would arise. Polly belonged to the
+family of the mother of the children, while Mammy came from that of
+the father, and between the two a slight rivalry had always existed as
+to the superiority of her own white children.
+
+"'T is a pity Miss Calline's back's so round," said Polly one night as
+the children were being undressed.
+
+Now, if there was a feature in which Mammy took a pride, it was in the
+straightness of the children's limbs and the flatness of their backs,
+above all the limbs and backs in the other branches of the family;
+so, firing up at once, she replied that she would like to see a
+flatter back than "this here one," laying her hand upon Caroline's.
+
+"Miss Emmaline's is a sight flatter," Polly stoutly maintained. "She's
+got as pretty shape as ever I see,--all our people's got good shapes
+from old Missis down. I reckon this chile's got her back from her pa's
+fambly." When Polly said this, Mammy felt that the gauntlet had been
+flung down, and, at once, with an eloquence all her own, so defended
+the "shapes" of her "fambly" that Polly was fairly beaten in the war
+of words, and was forced to admit, with many apologies, that Miss
+Caroline's back was as flat as Miss Emmaline's.
+
+Mammy accepted the apology with some hauteur, and it was several days
+before entire cordiality was reëstablished; in fact, in all her after
+life, Mammy would, when in certain moods, hark back to "dat time when
+dat long-mouthed Polly had de imperdence to say dat our folks' backs
+weren't as straight as hern."
+
+Full of peaceful content were the lives of both whites and blacks.
+Merrily the Christmas went by, to be followed by others as merry, and
+the winters and summers came and went, turning childhood into maturity
+and maturity into old age. Mammy's glory reached its zenith when, at
+"Miss Calline's" grand wedding, she herself rustled about in all the
+grandeur of a new black silk and Polly was forever squelched. The
+whole world seemed full of prosperity, abundance, and careless
+happiness, when suddenly, like a thunderbolt, the war came.
+
+The plantation home was abandoned very carelessly, and with light
+hearts the family drove away, expecting nothing but to return with the
+frosts of winter. They refugeed to a farmhouse upon the outskirts of a
+little up-country village.
+
+Sedley, though still a beardless youth, shouldered his musket, and
+took his place in the ranks. Sibyl and her mother, in the little rude
+farmhouse, thought not of their lost splendor, but cheerfully looked
+for the good days sure to come when, the war over, the dear ones would
+come back, and the old times. Every Southern woman knows how it was
+when the great battles were fought and a trembling, white-lipped group
+of women and aged men would stand huddled together to hear what the
+midnight dispatches might have in store for them.
+
+In the little upland village the refugees were closely knit together
+by hopes and fears in common. When sorrow fell upon one household the
+little community all mourned. But if the wires brought glad words that
+all at the front were unharmed, there would come a period of happy
+reaction; the little society would be wildly gay, especially if one or
+more young heroes from the front had come home with a slight
+wound,--just enough to make a demigod of him.
+
+Such was Sedley's happy fate one never-to-be-forgotten summer, when
+every girl in the village fell madly in love with his blue eyes and
+his gray coat and his mustache and his lovely voice, as he strummed
+the guitar in the moonlight,--and most of all with his merry laugh.
+Did time permit, I might tell of such odd costumes, such make-ups of
+homespun and lace, fine old silks and calicoes, in which the Dixie
+girls danced so merrily.
+
+It was just upon the heels of one of these happy seasons that a rumor
+was whispered that the army was about to fall back and that the
+offices and stores would be removed in consequence. At first the rumor
+was rejected,--no good Confederate would listen to such treason; but
+finally the croakers were proved to be right. The government stores
+were hastily removed. The office-holders took a sad farewell of those
+whom they left behind them, and the little town was abandoned to its
+fate, outside the Confederate lines.
+
+Sibyl and her mother were among the tearful group who watched the
+little band of departing friends, as it passed out of the town, waved
+a last adieu, and strained their dimmed eyes for a last sight of the
+Confederate gray, ere they went sadly back to their homes.
+
+When Sibyl and her mother reached home, they found Mammy already at
+work. She had ripped open a feather bed, and amid its downy depths
+she was burying whatever she could lay her hands upon. Clothing,
+jewelry, even a china ornament or two,--all went in. It was a day or
+two after that Rita complained of a great knot in her bed, which had
+bruised her back and prevented her sleeping. Mammy heard her, but,
+waiting until they were alone, said in a half whisper, "Honey, I knows
+what dat knot is, 't ain't nothin' but your brother's cavalry boots
+that I hid in the bed. I reckon the feathers has got shuck down. Don't
+say nothin', an' I'll turn your bed over, and then you won't feel 'em.
+An', honey, do pray be kereful how you talks before Jim. I ain't got
+no 'pinion o' Jim, an' it'll never do in de world to let him speck
+where the things is hid."
+
+No one knew how soon the Yankees might come, and all were busily
+engaged in concealing whatever they had of value. People may smile now
+at some of the recollections of that day, but they were earnest enough
+then, and as much importance was attached to the concealment of a ham
+or a pound of black sugar as to that of a casket of diamonds.
+Clothing and provisions were hidden in various strange and
+out-of-the-way places, and, when night came, Mammy and her mistress
+were glad to rest their tired bodies, although too much excited to
+sleep. At last, however, a deep sleep fell upon them, from which they
+were awakened by the distant roar of cannon. The village, though no
+longer a depot for Confederate stores, was not to be given up without
+a struggle. It now became a sort of debatable ground, and cannonading,
+more or less distant, told the anxious listeners of almost daily
+skirmishes.
+
+Awakened by the cannon's roar, Sibyl opened the window and listened. A
+pale glory to the eastward, a low rustle of leaves, a drowsy chirp
+from tiny nests, all merging into one inarticulate murmur of awakening
+nature, told that night was over. Sibyl and her mother hastily dressed
+themselves, called Rita from her fearless young sleep, roused up the
+baby, as they still called little Joe; then asked themselves why they
+did it. There was nothing to do but to sit on the porch or to wander
+aimlessly, listening with beating hearts to the faint and more faint
+boom of the artillery. And the roses glowed in the May sunshine, and
+the honeysuckle wafted its perfume in at the open windows, and the
+bees droned among the flowers, and all was so peaceful, but for the
+incessant dull roar of the battle.
+
+The Confederates were finally driven back, the Federals entered the
+town, and then the bummers came streaming through the country, leaving
+desolation behind them. Cattle, poultry, everything eatable was driven
+off or carried away in the great army wagons that came crashing along,
+regardless of all obstacles in their cruel course. Cut off from all
+news from the army, Sibyl and her mother dragged wearily through the
+long, sad summer, and the two children grew gaunt for want of
+nourishing food.
+
+It was a morning in the early autumn that Sibyl, sitting at work by an
+open window, became suddenly conscious of an unusual presence near
+her, and, looking up, beheld a man gazing fixedly upon her. A party of
+Federals had that very morning visited the house upon a pretended
+search for concealed weapons, and the girl, with nerves still
+vibrating with terror, uttered a little shriek, and, starting up, was
+about to close the window, when the figure leaped over the low sill, a
+pair of strong arms encircled her, kisses fell upon her lips, and, ere
+the shriek of terror could find voice, she recognized, under the rough
+countryman's hat, the laughing eyes of her brother Sedley.
+
+Such meetings can be better imagined than described; seconds had
+become minutes ere Sibyl or her mother could begin to realize their
+joy, which, in its first intensity, was almost pain. Then came the
+breathless questionings as to the well-being of the other dear ones,
+then the deep sigh of thankfulness from the long-burdened hearts.
+
+At the sound of a strange voice. Mammy, peeping in at the open door,
+had fallen prostrate with joy, and, while hugging her boy to her
+faithful bosom, had called upon her Maker to testify that upon this
+very morning the scissors had stuck up twice.
+
+"An' I knowed when dey done dat, dat somebody was a-comin'."
+
+Then Dinah, the cook, came in, courtesying and laughing and loyal as
+though no emancipating army had set foot in Dixie.
+
+When the joyful tidings had reached the children, Rita's thin legs
+might have been seen flying through the high grass. The more practical
+Joe toiled behind, bending under the burden of (their treasure trove)
+a big pumpkin, a basket of persimmons, and a few stalks of sorghum,
+for, like the Scriptural colts of the wild ass, they passed their time
+in searching after every green thing.
+
+In the magnetism of the bright presence of the young soldier, all the
+sad forebodings seemed to vanish into thin air. While listening to his
+brave words of hope, they forgot that the sunny hours of this most
+happy day were hastening by. Already the shadows lay long upon the
+grass, and there remained yet so much to be said and so little time
+wherein to say it! By set of sun Sedley must be on his way to rejoin
+his command. His brief and daring visit had been achieved by his
+assuming a disguise before venturing inside the enemy's lines.
+
+"How did you ever manage it?" asked the mother. "I tremble when I
+think of it."
+
+"Oh," he answered, "it was easy enough. I came in with a fellow who
+was driving cattle into town."
+
+"Oh, Sed!" his sister whispered; "you ran an awful risk; how will you
+manage to get back without being discovered?"
+
+"There'll be no trouble about that," he answered. "Don't you and
+mother go and worry yourselves about me. I'll be all right, so cheer
+up and don't look so doleful."
+
+Urged on by fear, they now almost hurried him away, and Mammy, while
+filling his haversack with provisions, entreated him to be careful.
+
+"De ain't no tellin' what dem Yankees would do ef dey once clapt hands
+on you."
+
+Sedley might guess shrewdly enough what his fate would be in such
+case, but he replied, with his old boyish laugh, that it was his trade
+to outrun the Yankees.
+
+"Never fear, Mammy," he said at parting. "Trust me to beat 'em at
+that game."
+
+Then the sad good-byes were said, and manfully he strode down the
+little path, turning only once to wave a last good-by to the sorrowful
+group on the broad front porch, who watched till he passed out of
+sight.
+
+The night was spent in anxious watching, but confidence returned with
+the morning, and all again settled back to their employments and
+amusements. Sybil wandered into the parlor, and, sitting down to the
+piano, sang in a low, sweet voice some of the pathetic war melodies.
+The "colts of the wild ass seeking after every green thing" had sought
+the sorghum patch, and Mammy had taken a basket into the garden for a
+final gathering of sage leaves. The day was dreamy, as only an October
+day of the South can be. The tempered sunlight, streaming softly
+through the filmy autumnal mist, threw a veil of loveliness over the
+homeliest objects; the old gray fences, the russet fields, the lonely
+pastures, where from beneath the grass roots the tiny crickets
+chanted their low, sweet dirge the long day through, the cawing of the
+crows from a distant tree-top, all told in notes of most harmonious
+pathos that "the fashion of this world passeth away."
+
+As Mammy, with back stiffened from stooping, raised herself for a
+moment's rest, she saw Jim lounge into the backyard and speak to
+Dinah. Mammy had but little use for Jim in general, but now she felt
+anxious to know what had been going on in the village, and for that
+reason she left her basket among the sage and went near to hear what
+he was saying. As she drew near, Dinah suddenly threw up her hands,
+and, starting from the hencoop on which she had been leaning, came
+towards her, stuttering and stammering in a manner so excited as to be
+unintelligible.
+
+"What's dat you say? For Gods sake, ooman, say what yere got to say,
+an' be done wid it!" said Mammy, too frightened to be patient. Jim
+then drew near to her and, glancing cautiously towards the not very
+distant piazza, upon which his mistress happened at the moment to be
+standing, he whispered, "Dey's done ketched him."
+
+"K-k-ketched who?" stammered Mammy fiercely.
+
+"Mas' Sedley, dat's who," Jim answered doggedly.
+
+"How you know? I don't b'lieve a word on it."
+
+"Anyhow, dey's done done it."
+
+"Ho' come you know so much 'bout it?"
+
+"'Cause I seen 'em when dey done it."
+
+"Y-y-you have de face to stan' da an' tell me dat you seen 'em
+a-troublin' dat chile an' you not lif' a han' to help him?"
+
+"How I gwine help him? G'long, you don't know what you talkin' 'bout."
+
+"Whar'bouts did dey come across him?" Mammy inquired.
+
+"Right down yonder at de mill," Jim answered, nodding his head in the
+direction.
+
+"Good Lord," exclaimed Mammy, "dey must 'a' ketched him directly after
+he went away!"
+
+This conversation was carried on in such low murmurings that even a
+listener at a short distance could not have distinguished what was
+said; the three were very intent, but did not omit occasional cautious
+glances in the direction of the house.
+
+"Dat's so," Jim replied; "an' den dey shet him up in de mill house,
+and den I never seed no mo', 'cause I was skeered an' runned away."
+
+Then, after an uneasy pause, he added, "I come 'long dat-a-way soon
+dis mornin'," and here he murmured so low into Mammy's ear that Dinah,
+though she stretched her neck, could not catch the word, which turned
+Mammy's brown face to ashen gray. She stood for a minute like one
+turned to stone, then staggered to her own doorstep. Sitting down, she
+buried her head in her apron, and so sat motionless for half an hour,
+while Jim and Dinah continued their guarded murmurings by the hencoop.
+At the end of half an hour she rose, took a bunch of keys from her
+pocket, went into her house and, closing the door behind her, unlocked
+her chest. Drawing from it a little workbox, which had, in years gone
+by, been one of Caroline's cherished Christmas gifts, she opened it.
+From beneath her Sunday pocket handkerchief, and a few other articles
+of special value, she produced another and smaller box which she
+opened, and, taking from it a gold coin, looked at it tenderly.
+
+"Po' little fellow! God bless him! he give me this that fus' time he
+come home from school. I never 'spected to part with it, but ef it's
+de Lord's will, it may help him now."
+
+With these thoughts, Mammy quickly replaced the things in her chest,
+put the coin into her pocket, and, taking up the man's hat, which upon
+week days she always wore, she strode off towards the mill.
+
+As she passed by the piazza, she paused one moment irresolute, but
+murmuring to herself, "'T ain't no use upsettin' Mistis, po' cretur,
+and I can do it better by myself anyhow," she walked briskly forward,
+revolving in her mind her plan.
+
+The mill house consisted of two rooms, and in the one in which Jim had
+reported Sedley to be confined there was a small trap-door. It had
+been used for regulating the working of the machinery, and led from
+beneath the house directly to the creek, which ran close to the walls
+of the house. This trap Mammy had once happened to see opened, and in
+that way knew of its existence, otherwise she would never have
+suspected it, as, from its infrequent use, it was usually covered with
+dust and dirt and could not be distinguished from the rest of the
+floor. Her plan was to endeavor to get speech with Sedley, tell him of
+the trap-door, and leave the rest to him. Her great fear had been that
+she might be refused admittance to him, and hence it was that she had
+thought of her gold piece, as she hoped by its potent influence to be
+given a few minutes alone with the prisoner.
+
+There would be no great difficulty for Sedley to lift the trap without
+noise and, when it was lifted, to swing himself through to the ground,
+to creep until he came to the thick tangle upon the creek banks, then
+to swim across and escape into the shelter of the woods beyond. That
+would be simple enough, and Mammy, full of hopeful thoughts, was
+walking briskly forward, when suddenly a turn in the path brought
+into view a small body of Federals, all mounted, and evidently coming
+from the direction of the mill. They seemed in haste, and she could
+hear the rattle of their sabres as they cantered by.
+
+Standing amid the broom-sedge, Mammy watched them, casting eager,
+anxious looks upon them, fearing, dreading to see her boy in their
+midst, a poor, defenseless captive. Finally, as the last horseman
+disappeared, she heaved a sigh of infinite relief. "Bless de good
+Lord, dey ain't took de po' chile wid 'em," and so went on her way.
+
+At length the gray gables of the little mill house came into view, and
+Mammy, feeling in her pocket to assure herself that the gold piece was
+safe at hand, went boldly forward, telling herself that, if she spoke
+politely, the Yankee guard would not shoot her. So she went on until
+the little mill came into full view, but with no guard or any other
+object to inspire fear. All seemed quiet, and the place quite
+deserted. There were footprints about the door, and broken bushes
+showed the trampling of both men and horses, but now all was very
+quiet. The old mill house looked very peaceful, with the yellow
+autumnal sun shining upon its moss-grown roof, with no sound to break
+the deep silence, save the low, continuous warbling of a solitary
+mockingbird which, perched upon an overhanging bough, seemed to review
+its past joys in low, sweet notes of retrospection.
+
+Upon seeing that the place was quite deserted, Mammy paused, and,
+after looking around to satisfy herself that this was really the case,
+ascended the steps and, lifting the latch of the door, looked into the
+outer room.
+
+"Thank God!" she murmured, upon finding it empty. "Thank God! dey's
+all took deyselves off to town an' lef' him here, locked up by
+hisself. It raly is 'stonishin' to think how foolish dem creturs is;
+dey mout ha' knowed as someon' would ha' come an' let him loose."
+
+While thus thinking, she had crossed the room, and was now endeavoring
+to open the door, which gave admittance to the inner and larger
+apartment. Finding, as she had anticipated, that this door was
+fastened, she first called to the prisoner within, and, when no answer
+was returned, she shook the door until at length the crazy old lock
+gave way and the door creaked slowly back upon its rusty hinges.
+
+"Honey, whar'bouts is you?" Mammy questioned, as, pausing upon the
+threshold, she peered into the obscurity beyond. The windowless room
+was dark, and Mammy, after again calling, groped her way in, straining
+her eyes into the gloom, but unable to discern any object. Then,
+suddenly, the deep silence and the gloom smote upon her senses, and a
+great horror came over her. She turned to rush from the room, when her
+eyes, grown more accustomed to the darkness, fell upon an object which
+froze the lifeblood in her veins. It lay almost at her feet. She
+stooped and bent over it, with thick, laboring breath. Very still it
+lay, with set white face and wide-open, unseeing eyes.
+
+
+
+
+WAR REMINISCENCES
+
+
+I remember when Wheeler's cavalry passed through town that the men,
+when halted, just dropped in the streets and slept, so that passers-by
+were forced to step over them, but in spite of starvation and
+weariness the old indomitable spirit would assert itself. One of the
+poor fellows, while the column was passing by Christ Church, looked up
+at the weathercock and remarked to a comrade that it was the first and
+only instance of Wheeler's boys seeing a chicken which they could not
+get at.
+
+We were singularly fortunate in the neighborhood of Raleigh in having
+no lack of wholesome food, and in being able to send boxes of
+provisions to the army around Petersburg. We, in particular, were
+plentifully supplied from the plantation, a four-horse wagon being
+constantly engaged in hauling supplies.
+
+One of the greatest taxes upon our resources, and the event that
+brought the war very closely home to us, was the advent of the
+cavalcade and ambulances referred to in my notes concerning My Own
+Early Home.
+
+Most of the horsemen who had come with the ambulances returned to the
+front the next morning, leaving behind them six or more sick and
+wounded, with their surgeon and friends to look after them.
+Fortunately, the office in the yard (a house with two comfortable
+rooms) was easily made ready and the wounded men were installed in the
+quarters which they kept for a month. The wound which afterwards
+deprived one of the wounded, a young man by the name of Nat Butler, of
+his arm, was by far the most serious. The attempt to save the arm came
+very near costing him his life. Instead of healing, the wound
+constantly sloughed, with great loss of blood. As the wound was
+between the elbow and the shoulder, the danger attending amputation
+increased with each sloughing, but the poor boy was deaf to all that
+his doctor could urge, positively refusing to have the arm amputated,
+and he grew weaker and weaker with every hemorrhage. Meantime several
+of the sick and wounded were so far cured as to be able to return to
+duty. Captain Butler (an older brother of Nat Butler), Dr. Thompson,
+Mr. Taylor, and several others whose names I have forgotten, and the
+bugler, named Glanton, still remained. One morning, while I was in the
+mealroom getting out dinner, I heard Captain Butler's voice calling
+loudly that young Butler was bleeding to death. I just took time to
+call out to my daughters, Annie and Kate, who were just starting to
+town, to drive as quickly as they could to Dr. Johnson's and to ask
+him to come. Then I ran down to the office, where I found the poor old
+captain frantic with terror and quite unable to do anything for the
+patient, who lay senseless and bleeding upon the bed. I can never
+forget his ghastly appearance; I never saw so bloodless a face. The
+mouth, partly open, showed a tongue bluish like new flannel. I went to
+the bedside and pressed the arm above the wound, as hard as I could,
+and I held it so until the arrival of Dr. Johnson. I had thus
+succeeded in partially arresting the hemorrhage, and possibly may have
+saved young Butler's life. I started to leave as soon as the doctor
+came, and when I arose from my knees, I realized for the first time
+that I was covered with blood. The amputation could no longer be
+deferred, and the operation took place as soon as the patient's
+strength permitted, which was, I think, two days after the hemorrhage.
+There was then barely a chance that he could survive in his weak
+condition. I shall never forget how the girls and I sat upon the front
+steps and watched the silent men standing before the office,--it
+seemed as though the suspense would never end. After the amputation,
+Butler lay for twenty-four hours like one dead. Finally, when he did
+rally sufficiently to be given something, I sent our excellent nurse,
+Caroline, to take care of him, for I could not trust him to the
+ignorant though kindly meant attentions of his friends. At this time
+General Galbraith Butler was our guest, and, as the Norrises had now
+left for Richmond, I gave him a room in the house. He was quite ill
+there for several days, during which time the house was thronged with
+messengers from the front. It gives me pleasure to say that they
+conducted themselves like polished gentlemen, who appreciated the
+comforts which they received.
+
+Under Caroline's devoted nursing Nat Butler slowly returned to life
+and to a degree of strength. When it became evident that Raleigh would
+soon be in possession of the enemy, Nat Butler declared that he
+preferred the risk of dying by exposure to that of being captured. It
+was with the saddest forebodings that we prepared for his departure.
+The ambulance was made comfortable with pillows, blankets, etc., and
+nothing was omitted that could contribute to the well-being of the
+poor sufferer. It was a painful parting, as we all knew that we were
+on the eve of horrors that we dared not contemplate. The moon shone
+upon the sorrowful little cortège, as it passed beneath the trees, and
+we were too sad for tears, as we watched it go slowly out of sight.
+Nat Butler lived, and visited us a year later, but his life was a
+brief one.
+
+We were up late that night, bidding adieu to many friends. Indeed,
+the past few days had been days of varied and intense excitement.
+People who under ordinary circumstances would have scarcely recognized
+each other as acquaintances now met and parted as old and dear
+friends. Mounted officers would come cantering up just for a handshake
+and a God-keep-you. We were admonished to take off rings or any little
+bits of jewelry which we might wear. A gentleman sitting by me had
+concealed my watch in my ball of knitting cotton. People everywhere
+were wildly seeking places wherein to conceal their valuables. We had
+no reason to imagine that our house was safer than others, but we
+could not refuse to receive the trunks and boxes brought to us in
+desperation, by refugees chiefly, who were leaving town in a panic,
+and going they knew not whither. All that we could promise was that
+they should be as well cared for as were our own; and so the garret
+was packed with all sorts of trunks and boxes, many of which were not
+claimed until the next autumn.
+
+I cannot pretend to give you an idea of the excitement and turmoil of
+that last week of the Confederacy. Every minute of your grandfather's
+time was taken up with his duties as a state officer, until he, in
+company with Governor Graham and Dr. Warren, were despatched by
+Governor Vance to meet Sherman with a flag of truce and to surrender
+the town. He was absent upon this mission upon a night that I happened
+to go into the dining-room and found several rough-looking men, whom I
+took to be Confederates, seated at supper. Robert was waiting upon
+them, and Adelaide talking, while one of my little children was seated
+cosily upon the knee of a particularly dirty-looking man. This did not
+please me, for there was a freedom of manner about them which I had
+never seen in one of our men before. Still, I had no suspicion that
+they were not what they seemed, and, being called off, I left them,
+although a certain uncomfortable feeling caused me to do so
+unwillingly. Just as I left, a clatter of horses' feet was heard
+outside, and Adelaide (always loquacious), exclaimed, "Here comes the
+General and his staff!" The words were scarcely uttered before the
+men jumped from their seats and dashed from the room. We were
+afterwards convinced that they were some of the scum of Sherman's
+army, and while we (myself and daughters) were sitting quite
+unsuspectingly, they were lurking near us.
+
+I omitted to mention that, at our urgent invitation, our dear friends
+the Burgwyns had come to us, and, in the midst of other distractions,
+I was occupied in disposing of their numerous boxes, barrels, and
+pictures. There was a universal feeling that there would be a degree
+of safety in numbers, and we could not possibly have enjoyed more
+congenial companionship than that of our cousins, the Burgwyns. Upon
+that day we prepared twenty lunches, which were most thankfully
+received. I recollect that towards evening some hot tea was made for
+our old friend, Mr. John Robinson. He had been at work all day,
+shipping freight and provisions, and transferring engines to
+Greensboro, to which place he was now going. He had had nothing to
+eat, and was, as you may imagine, very tired, and so hungry that his
+lunch of cold ham, bread, and butter, with many cups of tea, was so
+much enjoyed that in after life he often spoke of it with real
+gratitude. When he said good-by, he gave into my keeping a little box
+of trinkets, requesting me to keep them for him, as he had no idea
+what his destination might be. I, of course, said that I would try to
+keep them safely; and I did, returning them just as I had received
+them, some months later.
+
+Upon that day, our dinner was but a meagre one, consisting chiefly of
+soup, and, as the very last of the silver had been hidden out of
+sight, we were compelled to take it from teacups. Upon that night,
+after the stir and bustle of the day had subsided, after the last
+good-by had been uttered, and the last horseman had galloped away, a
+most intense stillness followed, which, if possible, increased our
+melancholy, and magnified our fearful apprehensions of what was to
+come.
+
+On the following morning, I saw three odd, rough-looking men come
+galloping up from the barn. They were mounted upon mules, were seated
+far forward upon the withers, and had their knees drawn up after a
+most ungainly fashion. I saw at a glance that they were not our
+countrymen. They rode furiously into the yard, where they halted
+abruptly. The servants stood gaping at them in stupid bewilderment. I
+went forward and asked them the meaning of this intrusion. Their reply
+was an insolent demand for my keys. Then I knew that they were
+bummers. During the whole of this period your grandfather had had more
+than his hands full at his office, taking care of and sending off
+government stores, and doing a thousand other things, so that all the
+domestic offices rested with me. I told the bummers, with a great show
+of courage, that I had no idea of giving them my keys, and as I walked
+off, feeling quite triumphant, I had the mortification of seeing them
+dismount and swagger to the doors of the mealroom, smokehouse, and
+storeroom, slip their miserable, dastardly swords into the locks, and
+open the doors, with the most perfect ease. Conscious now of my own
+weakness, I would not condescend to parley with them, and watched
+them at their insolent and thievish game, until their mules were
+almost hidden beneath the load of hams, sausages, and other plunder.
+Then they remounted, and dashed off at the same furious pace as they
+had come. In a little time after others came and played the same game,
+only adding to their abominable thievishness by driving off our mules
+and all our cattle. Our horses, I am glad to say, had been sent away.
+
+It was towards noon upon that fatal day that we espied a long blue
+line crawling serpent-like around a distant hill. Silently we watched,
+as it uncoiled itself, ever drawing nearer and still nearer, until the
+one great reptile developed into many reptiles and took the form of
+men. Men in blue tramping everywhere, horsemen careering about us with
+no apparent object, wagons crashing through fences as though they had
+been made of paper. The negroes stood like dumb things, in stupid
+dismay. It was at a later period that their time of joy came (in many
+instances it never came); then the only feeling was one of awe.
+
+In an incredibly short time tents were pitched, the flag run up, and
+the Yankees were here. The crowd grew more dense. A large column was
+passing through the grove at almost a run, when, to my horror, I saw
+Adelaide and Lizzie, each with one of my little girls in her arms,
+rushing along in their midst in a state of such wild excitement that
+they had almost lost their reason. Almost in despair, I rushed after
+them, sometimes seeing them, only to lose them again in the moving
+mass. As I passed a soldier I signed to him for help; I do not think I
+could have spoken. He saw the danger that threatened my children, and,
+overtaking the two nurses, took the children and brought them to me.
+The women had meant no harm, and did not realize the risk.
+
+As I before remarked, every one during this period of panic
+entertained an idea that he must commit his valuables to the keeping
+of some one else; for instance, my sister gave her set of pearls to
+her maid Sally for safe keeping, and Sally, in her turn, brought them
+to Caroline (her mother). Caroline, not knowing a safe place of
+concealment, lifted a stone from her hearth, placed the casket in the
+cavity, and replaced the stone; this, however, caused the stone to fit
+loosely in the hole from which it had been displaced, and Caroline, in
+her fear lest this should lead to the discovery of the pearls, sat all
+night with her feet resting upon it. She came to me in the morning,
+looking perfectly haggard, and told me that she had never before
+passed through such a night of horror, for her house had been crowded
+with Federals, prying into every corner and taking whatever they
+fancied. With my sister's casket, she handed me a red cotton
+handkerchief tied up and full of silver coins, belonging to herself
+and her husband. She had no place in which to keep it, and asked me to
+take care of it. I, of course, took charge of it and kept it for her
+until the last bluecoat had left the place, which was not until
+August; for, after the departure of the army, a regiment was left in
+our grove.
+
+One day General Logan came to the door and said that he had reason to
+believe that a Confederate officer was concealed in the house, and,
+if I kept his presence a secret, he threatened me with the
+consequences. The Federals, while searching for buried treasure, had
+discovered the amputated arm of poor young Butler, and had jumped to
+the conclusion that he was concealed in the house. At all events, it
+served as a plea for them to claim that he was there. When I assured
+him that this rumor was quite false, his manner was so utterly
+incredulous that I requested him to satisfy himself of the truth of my
+assertion by making a search of the entire house and outbuildings. I
+entreated him to do this, for his threats had so alarmed me that I
+felt that in that alone lay our preservation. His reply, with an
+insolent, jeering laugh, was: "I will not take that trouble, for my
+boys will settle that question."
+
+The safeguards stationed both at the back and front protected the
+house. For, whatever might have been their feelings, they dared not
+relax in their vigilance. The discipline in that army was perfect.
+
+Not long after the above-mentioned interview with Logan, we were told
+(by a servant, I think), that the whole division was going to leave
+that night. This was true. It was before the articles of the surrender
+had been signed, and Logan was in pursuit of General Johnston. It was
+a night of such commotion that not one of the family retired to rest.
+It was discovered, when too late for redress, that Logan had withdrawn
+our safeguards, taken every commanding officer with him, and had left
+us to the mercy of his wagon train of bummers and of negroes. That
+night of terror terminated in a violent storm, in the midst of which
+your grandfather set out for the headquarters in town for the purpose
+of demanding a safeguard. With daylight came a greater feeling of
+safety, so we separated, the girls going to their rooms, and I to
+mine, in order to refresh ourselves and make a fresh toilet. While so
+engaged, I kept hearing the bells ringing and tinkling incessantly,
+and, while I was hurrying to put on my dress in order to inquire the
+meaning of this, Caroline and Adelaide rushed in, exclaiming that men
+were climbing the walls of the house, and the tinkling of the bells
+was caused by their twisting them off the wires. These women, whose
+natural color was bright mulatto, now looked ashy. I do not think that
+I spoke a word, but just flew into the nursery, took the children, and
+ran up the stairs. As I passed by the sitting, room, I met Kate, all
+disheveled, running out and saying that men were climbing into her
+window. I just took time to lock the door between her room and the
+sitting-room, and then we all ran upstairs, where the Burgwyns and my
+other girls were quietly dressing, in entire ignorance of what was
+taking place. It seems strange that I should recollect every trifle so
+vividly; I remember, even now, that, as I ran up the stair, my throat
+and mouth became so dry that I could not speak. From the window at the
+head of the stair nothing was visible but a sea of upturned faces; not
+just by the house, but away down the slope, as far as the eye could
+reach, were men's upturned faces. I can never forget the look upon
+Mrs. Burgwyn's face as she whispered, "We can throw ourselves from the
+window." My poor, craven heart might have failed me, but I am
+convinced that she could have done it. While we thus stood, a poor,
+cowering, terror-stricken group, steps were heard approaching, and a
+tall figure slowly ascended the stairs, and a grim, saturnine-faced
+man stood before us, and said, "I don't know that I can save you, but
+for the sake of my mother and sisters I will do all that I can do." I
+do not remember whether any one made a reply or not, I only recollect
+that he went as deliberately as he had come. When your grandfather
+returned, having with difficulty succeeded in procuring the permit for
+a safeguard, the mob had begun to disperse. Our deliverer was a man
+named Fort. He was division quartermaster, and had been left in charge
+of the wagon trains. He was from one of the Western States, Iowa, I
+believe. He was a good man, and was God's instrument to save us from
+destruction. He remained near the house all through the day, and at
+first said that he would sleep that night inside the dwelling, but
+afterwards told your grandfather that, upon further consideration, he
+thought it best that he should stay outside, so his tent was pitched
+close to the house, and there he remained until his command left. He
+was forbidding in manner, and would accept no thanks. I think that he
+hated us as Southerners, but acted from humanity.
+
+Mr. Burgwyn was suffering from an apoplectic stroke, and was lying
+insensible. My son had not returned from Appomattox. Had any man been
+with us, he would have been utterly helpless, and would probably have
+been murdered.
+
+One day, either immediately preceding or following the incident just
+related, our ever-faithful man, Frank, stealthily entered the house.
+He was evidently afraid of being observed, for he slipped in, and,
+closing the door after him, asked to speak a word to his master. When
+your grandfather came, Frank almost whispered his communication, as
+though afraid of being overheard. "Master," he said, "I come to ask
+you, please, sir, don't go out of the house to-day;" he would not say
+why he gave this warning, and it was not until afterwards that we
+found that the Federals had intended to hang your grandfather up
+until he told them where our silver was hidden. I rejoice to say that
+they did not get one piece of it, although a part of it was buried in
+the branch that runs at the foot of the grove, and, in digging out a
+place for watering their horses, they had actually thrown the sand
+upon the box, thus burying it deeper.
+
+I could relate many other incidents of this period, some of them
+rather amusing; but it is time to bring my reminiscences to a close.
+But before doing so, I must say a word about our last safeguard,
+Monhagan. He was Irish, and possessed all of the best attributes of
+the Irish character. After the departure of Logan's division, with the
+rest of Sherman's army, this man was deputed to guard the place, as a
+regiment was still quartered in the grove. He stayed until August,
+and, besides faithfully discharging his duties, he exerted himself in
+other and various ways to ameliorate the inconveniences to which we
+were subjected. Our servants, lounging in idleness, contented
+themselves with professions as idle. Frank, acting upon his master's
+advice, had taken his family to the plantation. Adelaide was ill the
+greater part of the summer with brain fever. Monhagan worked the
+garden, gathered fruit and vegetables, and performed many other
+services. I felt a little amused when he one day brought me all his
+money and asked me to take care of it for him. At first I positively
+refused to take upon myself this responsibility, but yielded at last,
+and made him count it, and kept it as long as he remained. Every
+Saturday afternoon he would come and ask me to let him have one dollar
+and allow him to go to town for a little while. He left with the
+regiment in August, and he wrote once to your uncle Tom from New York,
+but omitted to give his address, which we regretted, as we would have
+liked to have him as a gardener.
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's Note
+
+Minor typographic errors have been corrected without note. However,
+variation in spelling, particularly in the speech, but also in other
+words, has been left as printed.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Plantation Sketches, by Margaret Devereux
+
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+<pre>
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Plantation Sketches, by Margaret Devereux
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Plantation Sketches
+
+Author: Margaret Devereux
+
+Release Date: September 19, 2007 [EBook #22673]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PLANTATION SKETCHES ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Edwards, Sam W. and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+made from images produced by the North Carolina History
+and Fiction Digital Library.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 438px;">
+<img src="images/ps01.jpg" width="438" height="600"
+alt="Cover of Plantation Sketches" />
+</div>
+
+
+
+<h1 style="padding-top: 3em;">PLANTATION SKETCHES</h1>
+
+<p class="center" style="padding-top: 3em;">BY</p>
+
+<h2 style="padding-top: 3em; padding-bottom: 3em;">MARGARET DEVEREUX</h2>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 111px;">
+<img src="images/ps02.png" width="111" height="200" alt="" />
+</div>
+
+
+<p class="center" style="padding-top: 5em;">PRIVATELY PRINTED AT<br />
+The Riverside Press, Cambridge<br />
+MDCCCCVI</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 424px;">
+<img src="images/ps03.jpg" width="424" height="560"
+alt="Portrait of Mammy" />
+<span class="caption"><a href="#Page_119">MAMMY</a></span>
+</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p class="center" style="padding-top: 3em; padding-bottom: 3em;">COPYRIGHT 1906 BY MARGARET DEVEREUX<br />
+ALL RIGHTS RESERVED</p>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[Pg&nbsp;v]</a></span></p>
+<h2>EDITOR&rsquo;S PREFACE</h2>
+
+
+<p>The descriptions of Southern life in this
+little book, as well as the accompanying
+stories, were written by Mrs. Devereux
+during the past fifteen years, in large part
+after she had passed her sixty-fifth year.
+They are essentially reminiscent, and were
+prepared originally with no thought of
+publication, but merely to be read to her
+grandchildren, so that there might be preserved
+in their minds some conception of
+the old-time lives of their grandparents.
+The sketches thus came to be read by me
+to my own children, who are of the third
+generation. They brought to my mind so
+simply, yet so vividly and in so attractive a
+manner, a picture of the old plantation life,
+they showed such remarkable memory of
+interesting details, that they seemed to me
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[Pg&nbsp;vi]</a></span>
+to merit publication. The charm of the
+descriptions will impress all readers, and
+the truthfulness of the illustrations of negro
+character and habits will be recognized by
+all who are familiar with the South. The
+sketches are simple, homely little tales prepared
+for children, and they must be read
+with this fact in mind; but they have
+nevertheless an interest and a lesson for
+maturer readers, to whom they are now
+offered.</p>
+
+<p class="sig">Arthur Winslow</p>
+
+<p class="addressl">18 Chestnut St., Boston, Mass.</p>
+<p class="date">April 27, 1906</p>
+
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[Pg&nbsp;vii]</a></span></p>
+<h2>CONTENTS</h2>
+
+
+<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="60%" summary="Table of Contents">
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdli">Letter to my Grandchildren</td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_ix">ix</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdli">Plantation Life</td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdli">Going to the Plantation</td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_40">40</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdli">My Own Early Home</td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_52">52</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdli">Two Bob Whites</td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_59">59</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdli">Little Dave</td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_74">74</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdli">The Hog-Feeder&rsquo;s Day</td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_85">85</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdli">The Junior Reserve</td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_113">113</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdli">Mammy</td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_119">119</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdli">War Reminiscences</td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_150">150</a></td>
+  </tr>
+</table>
+
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[Pg&nbsp;ix]</a></span></p>
+<h2>TO MY GRANDCHILDREN</h2>
+
+
+<p>As the &ldquo;New South,&rdquo; with all its changes and
+improvements, rises above the horizon, those
+whose hearts still cling to the &ldquo;Old South&rdquo; look
+sadly backward and sigh to see it fade away into
+dimness, to be soon lost to sight and to live only
+in the memory of the few. Hoping to rescue
+from oblivion a few of the habits, thoughts, and
+feelings of the people who made our South what
+it was, I have drawn from memory a few pen
+sketches of plantation life, based upon actual
+events, in which are recorded some of the good
+and even noble traits of character which were
+brought forth under the yoke of slavery.</p>
+
+<p>For you, my dear grandchildren, I have tried
+to fix, before they fade entirely, these already
+faint reflections from the &ldquo;light of other days.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p class="sig">Margaret Devereux.</p>
+
+<p class="addressl">Raleigh, North Carolina.</p>
+<p class="date">December, 1905.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg&nbsp;1]</a></span></p>
+<h2>PLANTATION LIFE</h2>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcapil"><span class="dropcap">I</span></span> am going to try to describe to
+you something of the lives and
+homes of your dear grandfather
+and of your great-grandfather,
+because I want you to know something of
+them, because their mode of life was one
+of which scarcely a vestige is left now, and
+because, finally, I don&rsquo;t want you to be led
+into the misconception held by some that
+Southern planters and slaveholders were
+cruel despots, and that the life of the negro
+slaves on the plantation was one of misery
+and sorrow.</p>
+
+<p>Before I enter upon my brief narrative I
+want you to realize that it is all strictly true,
+being based upon my knowledge of facts;
+very simple and homely in its details, but
+with the merit of entire truthfulness.</p>
+
+<p>Your great-grandfather, Thomas Pollock
+Devereux, and your grandfather, John
+Devereux, were planters upon an unusually
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg&nbsp;2]</a></span>
+large scale in North Carolina; together
+they owned eight large plantations and between
+fifteen and sixteen hundred negroes.
+Their lands, situated in the rich river bottoms
+of Halifax and Bertie counties, were
+very fertile, the sale crops being corn, cotton,
+and droves of hogs, which were sent to
+Southampton county, Virginia, for sale.</p>
+
+<p>The names of your great-grandfather&rsquo;s
+plantations were Conacanarra, Feltons,
+Looking Glass, Montrose, Polenta, and
+Barrows, besides a large body of land in
+the counties of Jones and Hyde. His residence
+was at Conacanarra, where the dwelling
+stood upon a bluff commanding a fine
+view of the Roanoke river, and, with the
+pretty house of the head overseer, the small
+church, and other minor buildings, looked
+like a small village beneath the great elms
+and oaks.</p>
+
+<p>Your grandfather&rsquo;s principal plantation,
+and our winter home, was Runiroi, in
+Bertie county. The others were &ldquo;The
+Lower Plantation&rdquo; and &ldquo;Over the Swamp.&rdquo;
+At Runiroi we lived and called ourselves
+at home, and of it I have preserved the clearest
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg&nbsp;3]</a></span>
+recollection and the fondest memories.</p>
+
+<p>From Kehukee bluff, which we usually
+visited while waiting for the ferryman on
+our return journey after the summer&rsquo;s absence,
+the plantation could be seen stretching
+away into the distance, hemmed in by
+the flat-topped cypresses. From there we
+had a view of our distant dwelling, gleaming
+white in the sunlight and standing in a
+green oasis of trees and grass, all looking
+wonderfully small amid the expanse of flat
+fields around it. Apart as I now am from
+the restless, never-ending push of life, when
+neither men nor women have time for leisure,
+when even pleasure and amusement
+are reduced to a business calculation as to
+how much may be squeezed into a given
+time, I think it might perhaps calm down
+some of the nervous restlessness that I perceive
+in my dear children and grandchildren
+if they could, for once, stand there in
+the soft November sunshine. The splendor
+of the light is veiled in a golden haze, the
+brown fields bask in the soft radiance and
+seem to quiver in the heat, while the ceaseless
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg&nbsp;4]</a></span>
+murmur of the great river is like a
+cradle song to a sleepy child; the rattle of
+the old ferryman&rsquo;s chain and the drowsy
+squeak of his long sweeps seem even to
+augment the stillness. The trees along the
+banks appear to lack the energy to hang
+out the brilliant reds and purples of autumn,
+but tint their leaves with the soft shades of
+palest yellow, and these keep dropping and
+floating away, while the long gray moss
+waves dreamily in the stillness.</p>
+
+<p>The house at Runiroi was a comfortable,
+old, rambling structure, in a green yard and
+flower garden, not ugly, but quite innocent
+of any pretensions at comeliness. Neither
+was there, to many, a bit of picturesque
+beauty in the flat surroundings; and yet
+this very flatness <em>did</em> lend a charm peculiar
+to itself. My eyes ever found a delight in
+its purple distances and in the great, broad-armed
+trees marking the graceful curves of
+the river. The approach from the public
+road, which followed the bank of the river,
+was through the &ldquo;willow lane,&rdquo; between
+deep-cut ditches, which kept the roadway
+well drained unless the river overspread
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg&nbsp;5]</a></span>
+its banks, when the lane was often impassable
+for days. In the springtime, when the
+tender green boughs of the willows were
+swayed by the breeze, it was a lovely spot,
+and a favorite resort of the children.</p>
+
+<p>I was so young a bride, only seventeen,
+when I was taken to our winter home, and
+so inexperienced, that I felt no dread whatever
+of my new duties as mistress. The
+household comforts of my childhood&rsquo;s home
+had seemed to come so spontaneously that
+I never thought of <em>processes</em>, and naturally
+felt rather nonplussed when brought into
+contact with realities. The place had for
+years been merely a sort of camping-out
+place for your great-grandfather, who liked
+to spend a part of the winter there; so the
+house was given over to servants who made
+him comfortable, but who took little heed of
+anything else.</p>
+
+<p>I recollect my antipathy to a certain old
+press which stood in the back hall. The
+upper part was filled with books. In the
+under cupboard, Minerva kept pies, gingerbread,
+plates of butter, etc. The outside
+looked very dim and dusty. I could not
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg&nbsp;6]</a></span>
+bear to look at it, but knew not how to
+remedy its defects. I know now that it was
+a handsome old piece, which a furniture-lover
+would delight in. However, my youthful
+appetite did not scorn Minerva&rsquo;s gingerbread,
+and, as I had many lonely hours to
+get through with as best I could, I would
+mount the highest chair that I could find,
+and ransack the old musty volumes in
+search of amusement. The collection consisted
+chiefly of antiquated medical works,
+some tracts, etc., but once, to my delight, I
+unearthed two of Mrs. Radcliffe&rsquo;s novels,
+which were indeed a treasure trove; one of
+them was &ldquo;Gaston de Blondeville,&rdquo; which I
+thought beautiful. I have regretted that I
+did not take care of it, for I have never seen
+another copy.</p>
+
+<p>Minerva was a woman of pretty good
+sense, but of slatternly habits. She had
+been so long without a lady to guide her
+that her original training was either forgotten
+or entirely disregarded. Once, when
+starting to Conacanarra for Christmas, I
+charged her to take advantage of the fine
+weather to give the passage floors a thorough
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg&nbsp;7]</a></span>
+scrubbing; they were bare and showed every
+footprint of black mud from the outside.
+When it came time to return, in spite of our
+pleasant Christmas week, we were glad to
+think of our own home and were rather
+dismayed when the morning fixed for our
+departure broke dark and very cold, with
+little spits of snow beginning to fall. I was
+much afraid that we should be compelled
+to yield to the hospitable objections to our
+going, but at last we succeeded in getting
+off. We crossed at Pollock&rsquo;s (your great-grandfather&rsquo;s
+ferry), so that should the storm
+increase we need not leave our comfortable
+carriage until we should be at home. It
+was a lonely drive; the snow fell steadily
+but so gently that I enjoyed seeing the
+earth and the trees, the fences and the few
+lonely houses that we passed all draped in
+white; though we were warmly wrapped,
+the anticipation of the crackling fires in our
+great old fireplaces was delightful. When
+we got home, the first sound that greeted
+our ears, as we stepped upon the piazza,
+was a mournful, long-drawn hymn. Shivering
+and damp from our walk up the yard,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg&nbsp;8]</a></span>
+we opened the door, to see Minerva, with
+kilted skirts, standing in an expanse of
+frozen slush and singing at the top of her
+voice, while she sluiced fresh deluges of
+water from her shuck brush. I was too
+disgusted for words, but resolved that this
+should not occur again. As soon as I could
+communicate with the outside world I had
+the hall floors covered with oilcloth (then
+the fashionable covering). Also, Minerva
+was displaced, and Phyllis reigned in her
+stead, but Minerva, nevertheless, always indulged
+in the belief that she was indispensable
+to our happiness and comfort.</p>
+
+<p>In honor of my advent as mistress, the
+floors had been freshly carpeted with very
+pretty bright carpets, which were in danger
+of being utterly ruined by the muddy shoes
+of the raw plantation servants, recently
+brought in to be trained for the house.
+Although the soil generally was a soft,
+sandy loam, I observed in my horseback
+rides numbers of round stones scattered
+about in the fields. They were curious
+stones, and looked perfectly accidental and
+quite out of place. Their presence excited
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg&nbsp;9]</a></span>
+my interest, and aroused my curiosity as
+to their origin, which has never been gratified.
+They seemed so out of place in those
+flat fields! However, I determined to utilize
+them and had a number collected and
+brought into the yard, and with them I had
+a pretty paved walk made from the house
+to the kitchen.</p>
+
+<p>Our house stood upon what was known
+as the &ldquo;Second Land,&rdquo; which meant a
+slight rise above the wide, low grounds,
+which were formerly, I believe, the bed of
+the sluggish stream now known as the
+Roanoke. All along the edge of these Second
+Lands, just where they joined the low
+grounds, there was a bed of beautiful small
+gravel. I was delighted when I discovered
+this and at once interested myself in having
+a gravel walk made up to the front of the
+house, and this was, when completed, all
+that I had hoped, and served as a perfect
+protection against the offending mud.</p>
+
+<p>There was one evil, though, which I
+could not guard against, and this was the
+clumsy though well-meaning stupidity of a
+plantation negro. One afternoon the house
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg&nbsp;10]</a></span>
+became offensive with the odor of burning
+wool. I followed up the scent and, after
+opening several doors, I finally traced it to
+the dining-room. It was filled with smoke,
+and there, in front of an enormous fire,
+squatted Abby. In a fit of most unaccountable
+industry she had undertaken to clean
+the brass andirons, and had drawn them red
+hot from the fire and placed them upon the
+carpet. Of course, four great holes were the
+result and, as the carpets had been made in
+New York, there were no pieces with which
+the holes could be mended. As I had already
+decided her to be too stupid to be
+worth the trouble of training, I felt no desire
+to find fault with her, so I merely told
+her to put them back, or rather stood by to
+see it done. I did not keep her in the house
+after that, but do not suppose that she ever
+at all realized the mischief that she had
+done.</p>
+
+<p>One of my amusements was to watch the
+birds; they were so numerous, and appeared
+to be so tame. I set traps for them. This
+was childish, but I was very young and
+often rather at a loss to find something to
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg&nbsp;11]</a></span>
+do; so I used to take with me my small
+house boy, &ldquo;Minor,&rdquo; whom I was training
+to be a grand butler; he would carry the
+trap and, after it had been set and baited, I
+would make him guide me to the trees where
+the sweetest persimmons grew; there I
+would while away the morning and on the
+next we would find one or more birds fluttering
+in the trap, which, to Minor&rsquo;s silent
+disgust, I would set free.</p>
+
+<p>The squirrels, too, were a pleasure to me
+in my horseback rides toward Vine Ridge,
+especially. Your grandfather and I would
+pause to watch them playing hide and seek
+just like children, scampering round and
+round, their pretty gray tails waving, until
+some noise would send them out of sight,
+and the silent forest would seem as if no
+living thing were near. It was upon one of
+these rides that your grandfather told me
+how, when he was about twelve years old,
+and spending his Christmas holidays at
+Runiroi with his grandfather, he once said
+that he could shoot one hundred squirrels
+between sunrise and sunset. His uncle,
+George Pollock Devereux, happened to
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg&nbsp;12]</a></span>
+hear him and rebuked him sharply for so
+idle a boast, and when your dear grandfather
+manfully stood his ground, saying
+that it was not an idle boast, his uncle called
+him a vain braggart, which so offended
+your grandfather that he told his uncle that
+he would prove the truth of his assertion.
+And so, upon the following morning, he rose
+early and was at Vine Ridge gun in hand,
+ready to make his first shot, as soon as the
+sun should appear. The squirrels were very
+numerous at first, and he made great havoc
+among them. Many a mile he tramped that
+day, scanning with eager eyes the trees
+above him, in search of the little gray noses,
+hidden behind the branches, and thus it
+happened that he got many a fall and tumble
+among the cypress knees; but what
+did that matter to his young limbs? he had
+only to pick himself up again and tramp on.
+As the day advanced, fewer little bright
+eyes peeped from the tree-tops and his
+number was not made up; he was getting
+tired too, and very hungry, for he had eaten
+nothing since his early breakfast. He stumbled
+wearily on, however, determined not
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg&nbsp;13]</a></span>
+to fail, for he dreaded his uncle&rsquo;s triumphant
+sarcasm should he do so. A few more shots
+brought his number to ninety-nine, but
+where was the one-hundredth to be found?
+The sun was sinking to the horizon; he had
+come out from the swamp and was tramping
+homeward; the gun, so light in the
+morning, now weighed like lead upon his
+shoulder. As he looked into every tree for
+that hundredth squirrel which could not be
+found, the sun&rsquo;s disk was resting upon the
+horizon when he turned into the willow
+lane leading to the house. Just at the entrance
+there stood a great chestnut oak.
+This was his last chance. He paused to
+take one hopeless look, when, to his unspeakable
+joy, he beheld a fox squirrel seated
+up among the branches. Now he knew that
+the fox squirrel was the slyest, as well as the
+shyest of all his kind; no creature so expert
+as he in slipping out of range; there would
+be no chance for a second shot, for now only
+a rim of the sun was left. With a wildly beating
+heart he raised his gun, took time to aim
+well,&mdash;fired,&mdash;and down came his hundredth
+squirrel. His wager was won; fatigue
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg&nbsp;14]</a></span>
+and hunger all gone, he hastened gayly home
+and with pride emptied his bag before his
+uncle and his delighted old grandfather, who
+loved him above everything, and who finally
+made him his heir, so that your grandfather
+was quite independent of his own father.</p>
+
+<p>When I first became acquainted with the
+plantation, the sale crop was taken down to
+Plymouth in a great old scow, but this was
+afterward superseded by the introduction of
+freight steamers, which took the produce
+direct to Norfolk. These steamers proved
+to be a great comfort and convenience to
+us. By them we might receive anything
+that we desired from Norfolk, of which
+the things most enjoyed were packages of
+books,&mdash;Vickry and Griffiths, booksellers,
+having standing orders to send at their discretion
+what they thought desirable, besides
+the special orders for what we wished to
+see.</p>
+
+<p>The advent of a steamer at the landing
+would cause much pleasurable excitement.
+If anything of special interest was expected,
+the first puff of steam from down the river
+would be eagerly examined through the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg&nbsp;15]</a></span>
+spy-glass. Then would follow several days of
+busy life down at the different barns from
+which the corn was to be shipped. Before
+the introduction of the corn-sheller, the corn
+was beaten from the cob by men wielding
+great sticks, or flails; others raked the grain
+into an immense pile; from this pile it was
+measured by select hands and put into bags,
+which were carried to the steamer lying
+at the landing. The men who measured
+and kept the tally maintained a constant
+song or chant, and designated the <i>tally</i>, or
+fifth bushel, by a sort of yell. The overseer
+stood by with pencil and book and scored
+down each tally by a peculiar mark. The
+constant stream of men running back and
+forth, with bags empty or full, made a very
+busy scene.</p>
+
+<p>After the corn had been shipped, the
+boat had steamed down the river, and the
+place, lately so full of busy life, had returned
+to its accustomed quiet seclusion, the redbirds
+came to peck up the corn left upon
+the ground. I remember how once, upon a
+cold, gray afternoon, I put on my wraps and
+ran down to the Sycamore Barn, on purpose
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg&nbsp;16]</a></span>
+to watch the shy, beautiful things. Snowflakes
+were beginning to fall and whisper
+about the great bamboo vines; twisted
+around the trees upon the river banks, the
+long gray moss hung motionless and a
+thick grayness seemed to shut out the whole
+world; all about me was gray,&mdash;earth, sky,
+trees, barn, everything, except the redbirds
+and the red berries of a great holly tree
+under whose shelter I stood, listening to
+the whispering snowflakes.</p>
+
+<p>The Sycamore Barn derived its name from
+a great sycamore tree near which it stood.
+This tree was by far the largest that I ever
+saw; a wagon with a four-horse team might
+be on one side, and quite concealed from
+any one standing upon the other. When
+I knew it, it was a ruin, the great trunk
+a mere shell, though the two giant forks,&mdash;themselves
+immense in girth&mdash;still had
+life in them. In one side of the trunk was
+an opening, about as large as an ordinary
+door; through this we used to enter, and I
+have danced a quadrille of eight within
+with perfect ease.</p>
+
+<p>This tree gave its name to the field in
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg&nbsp;17]</a></span>
+which it grew, which formed part of the
+tract known as the Silver Wedge. It was
+about the Silver Wedge that an acrimonious
+lawsuit was carried on during the
+lives of your great-great-grandparents, John
+and Frances Devereux. She was a Pollock,
+and the dispute arose through a Mr. Williams,
+the son or grandson of a certain
+Widow Pollock, who had, after the death of
+her first husband, Major Pollock, married a
+Mr. Williams. She may possibly have dowered
+in this Silver Wedge tract. At any rate,
+her Williams descendants set up a claim to it,
+although it was in possession of the real Pollock
+descendant, Frances Devereux. It was
+a large body of very rich land, and intersected
+the plantation in the form of a wedge,
+beginning near the Sycamore Barn, and running
+up far into the Second Lands, widening
+and embracing the dwelling-house and
+plantation buildings. I have heard your
+great-great-grandfather laugh and tell how
+Williams once came to the house, and, with
+a sweeping bow and great assumption
+of courtesy, made your great-great-grandmother
+welcome to remain in <em>his</em> house.
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg&nbsp;18]</a></span>
+After the suit had been settled, Williams
+had occasion to come again to the house,
+feeling, no doubt, rather crestfallen. Mrs.
+Devereux met him at the door and, making
+him a sweeping curtsy, quoted his exact
+words, making him welcome to <em>her</em> house.</p>
+
+<p>One of my pleasant memories is connected
+with our fishing porch. This was a
+porch, or balcony, built upon piles driven
+into the river upon one side, and the other
+resting upon the banks. It was raised some
+eight or ten feet above the water and protected
+by a strong railing or balustrade and
+shaded by the overhanging branches of a
+large and beautiful hackberry tree. It made
+an ideal lounging-place, upon a soft spring
+afternoon, when all the river banks were a
+mass of tender green, and the soft cooing of
+doves filled the air. We usually took Minor
+with us to bait our hooks and assist generally,
+and often went home by starlight with
+a glorious string of fish.</p>
+
+<p>The drawback to the plantations upon
+the lower Roanoke lay in their liability to
+being flooded by the freshets to which the
+Roanoke was exposed. These were
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg&nbsp;19]</a></span>
+especially to be dreaded in early spring, when
+the snow in the mountains was melting. I
+have known freshets in March to inundate
+the country for miles. At one time there
+was not a foot of dry land upon one of the
+Runiroi plantations. It was upon a mild
+night in that month that I sat upon the porch
+nearly all through the night, feeling too
+anxious to sleep, for your grandfather, the
+overseer, and every man on the plantation
+were at the river, working upon the embankments.
+The back waters from the
+swamp had already spread over everything.
+This gentle and slow submersion did no
+great damage, when there was no growing
+crop to be injured; the thing to be guarded
+against was the breaking of the river dam
+and the consequent rushing in of such a
+flood as would wash the land into enormous
+holes, or &ldquo;breakovers,&rdquo; of several acres in
+extent in some places, or make great sand
+ledges in others, to say nothing of the destruction
+of fences, the drowning of stock,
+etc. On the night that I speak of, the moon
+was at its full and glittered upon the water,
+rippling all around where dry land should
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg&nbsp;20]</a></span>
+have been. I sat listening anxiously and
+occasionally shuddering at a sharp cracking
+noise, like a pistol shot, and, following upon
+it, the rushing of water into some plantation
+up the river. Once in the night I heard a
+noise and, upon my calling to know who it
+was, a man replied that they had come up in
+a canoe to get some water. I could not help
+laughing; it struck me that water was rather
+too plentiful just then. They worked upon
+the dam until there was no more material
+to work with, water being level with the top
+on both sides and only a foot of standing-room
+at the top, so, having done all that
+they could, all hands took to canoes and
+went to their homes. That &ldquo;March freshet&rdquo;
+did incalculable damage to the whole region,
+but still fine crops were made that season.
+Your grandfather was indefatigable while
+anything could be done, but, having done
+all that human energy could, he would resign
+himself cheerfully to the inevitable, and
+his family never were saddened by depression
+on his part. This wonderful elasticity
+was most noticeable at the fearful period of
+the surrender and, indeed, through all the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg&nbsp;21]</a></span>
+succeeding years, when this power of his,
+despite all of our losses and anxieties, made
+our life one of great happiness.</p>
+
+<p>When, during the winter months, a moderate
+freshet meant nothing more serious
+than the flooding of the low grounds, it was
+considered rather a benefit, owing to the
+rich deposit left upon the land, besides the
+advantages gained in floating out lumber
+from the swamps. This March freshet
+caused great pecuniary loss; new dams had
+to be constructed at a heavy expense, and
+many miles of repairing had to be done to
+those left standing. The few days before
+the water had reached its height were most
+trying to the nerves (that is, my nerves). I
+believe my fears culminated upon the night
+that I saw the water rippling over our own
+doorstep and realized that there was not a
+foot of dry land visible for miles; by morning,
+though, the river was &ldquo;at a stand,&rdquo; and
+by evening little spots of green were showing
+themselves in the yard and garden.</p>
+
+<p>The word garden recalls to my memory
+our pretty garden, a most beautiful continuation
+of the smooth green yard, its many
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg&nbsp;22]</a></span>
+alleys bordered with flowers and flowering
+shrubs. It was, I own, laid out in a stiff,
+old-fashioned manner, very different from
+the present and far more picturesque style;
+still, it was charming,&mdash;the profusion of
+flowers, fed by that wonderful river loam,
+exceeded anything that I have ever seen
+elsewhere. In the springtime, what with
+the flowers, the beautiful butterflies, and the
+humming-birds, the sunny air would actually
+seem to quiver with color and life.</p>
+
+<p>Every plantation had a set of buildings
+which included generally the overseer&rsquo;s
+house, ginhouse, screw, barn, stable, porkhouse,
+smokehouse, storehouse, carpenter&rsquo;s
+shop, blacksmith shop, and loomhouse,
+where the material for clothing for each
+plantation was woven,&mdash;white cloth for
+the underclothes, and very pretty striped or
+checked for outer garments. At Runiroi,
+the weaver, Scip, was a first-class workman,
+and very proud of his work. I often had
+sets of very pretty towels woven in a damask
+pattern of mixed flax and cotton. The winter
+clothing was of wool, taken from our
+own sheep.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg&nbsp;23]</a></span>
+The carpenters at Runiroi were Jim, the
+head carpenter, Austin, and Bill, who were
+all good workmen. Frank, &ldquo;Boat Frank,&rdquo;
+as he was called, from having formerly
+served as captain of the old flat-bottomed
+scow which carried the sale crop to Plymouth,
+was also in the shop and did beautiful
+work. I was fond of visiting Jim&rsquo;s shop
+and ordering all sorts of wooden ware, pails,
+piggins, trays, etc.; these last, dug out of
+bowl-gum, were so white that they looked
+like ivory. Boat Frank was very proud of
+the smoothness and polish of his trays. Our
+children, with their mammy, were fond of
+visiting &ldquo;Uncle Jim&rsquo;s&rdquo; shop and playing
+with such tools as he considered safe for
+them to handle, while Mammy, seated upon
+a box by the small fire, would indulge in
+long talks about religion or plantation gossip.
+That shop was indeed a typical spot;
+its sides were lined to the eaves with choice
+lumber, arranged systematically so that the
+green was out of reach, while that which
+was seasoned was close at hand. Uncle
+Jim would have felt disgraced had a piece
+of work made of unseasoned wood left his
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg&nbsp;24]</a></span>
+shop. The smoke from the small fire which
+burned in the middle of the big shop, upon
+the dirt floor, escaped in faint blue wreaths
+through the roof, leaving behind it a sweet,
+pungent odor. The sun streamed in at the
+wide-open door, while Jim and Frank tinkered
+away leisurely upon plough handles
+and other implements or household articles.</p>
+
+<p>Uncle Jim was a preacher as well as a
+carpenter. He was quite superior to most
+of his race, both in sense and principle
+and was highly thought of by both white and
+black. Upon two Sundays in each month
+he preached in the church and his sermons
+were quite remarkable, teaching in
+his homely way the necessity of honesty
+and obedience. His companion in the shop,
+Boat Frank, was of a more worldly nature,
+and wore great golden hoops in his ears
+and a red woolen cap upon his head, and
+resembled an elderly and crafty ape, as he
+sat chipping away at his work.</p>
+
+<p>Next came the blacksmith shop, where
+Bob wielded the great hammer and grinned
+with childish delight at seeing the children&rsquo;s
+enjoyment when the sparks flew.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg&nbsp;25]</a></span>
+After the blacksmith&rsquo;s shop came the
+loomhouse, where Scip, the little fat weaver,
+threw the shuttles and beat up the homespun
+cloth from morning till night; there,
+too, were the warping-bars, the winding-blades,
+and the little quilling-wheel, at which
+a boy or girl would fill the quills to be in
+readiness for the shuttles. Scip was an odd
+figure, with his short legs, and his woolly
+hair combed out until his head looked as
+big as a bushel.</p>
+
+<p>The dwellings of the negroes were quite
+a distance from the &ldquo;Great House,&rdquo; as that
+of the master was called, and were built in
+two or more long rows with a street between.
+This was the plan upon every plantation.
+Each house had a front and back piazza,
+and a garden, which was cultivated or
+allowed to run wild according to the thrift
+of the residents. It generally was stocked
+with peach and apple trees, and presented
+a pretty picture in spring, when the blue
+smoke from the houses curled up to the sky
+amid the pink blossoms, while the drowsy
+hum of a spinning-wheel seemed to enhance
+the quiet of the peaceful surroundings.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg&nbsp;26]</a></span>
+The church at Runiroi was large and
+comfortably furnished with seats; colored
+texts were upon the walls, and the bell,
+which summoned the people on Sunday
+mornings, swung amid the branches of a
+giant oak. Both your great-grandfather
+and grandfather employed a chaplain. At
+Runiroi, he officiated only upon alternate
+Sundays, as the people liked best to listen
+to Carpenter Jim. It used to be a pretty
+sight upon a Sunday morning to see the
+people, all dressed in their clean homespun
+clothes, trooping to church, laughing and
+chattering until they reached the door, when
+they immediately would assume the deepest
+gravity and proceed at once to groan
+and shake themselves more and more at
+every prayer. The singing would often
+sound very sweet at a distance, although
+I must confess that I never sympathized in
+the admiration of the negro&rsquo;s voice.</p>
+
+<p>Of course, like all other laboring classes,
+the negroes had to work, and of course, as
+they had not the incentive of poverty, discipline
+was necessary. They knew that
+they would be housed, clothed and well fed
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg&nbsp;27]</a></span>
+whether they earned these comforts or not;
+so, in order to insure diligence, reliable men
+were chosen from among them as assistants
+to the white overseers; these were called
+&ldquo;foremen,&rdquo; and were looked up to with
+respect by their fellows. Upon every large
+plantation there was also a Foreman
+Plower, his business being to take the
+lead and see that the plowing was well
+done and that the plow horses were not
+maltreated. With the settled men this was
+unnecessary, but it was very needful with
+the younger hands. These colored foremen
+were, in their turn, subject to the overseers,
+who, in turn, if not found to be temperate
+and reliable, were dismissed. Upon well-ordered
+plantations punishments were rare,
+I may say unknown, except to the half-grown
+youths. Negroes, being somewhat lacking
+in moral sense or fixed principles, are singularly
+open to the influence of example; and
+thus it was that a few well-ordered elders
+would give a tone to the whole plantation,
+while the evil influences of one ill-disposed
+character would be equally pronounced.</p>
+
+<p>The plantations of which I am speaking
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg&nbsp;28]</a></span>
+were singularly remote, being so surrounded
+by other large plantations that they were
+exempt from all outside and pernicious influences.
+The one or two country stores
+at which the negroes traded might have
+furnished whiskey, had not those who kept
+them stood too much in awe of the planters
+to incur the risk of their displeasure.
+As the town of Halifax could boast of several
+little stores, and was the trading post
+of Feltons, Conacanara, and Montrose, your
+great-grandfather, in order to prevent the
+evils of promiscuous trading, caused certain
+coins to be struck off, of no value except to
+the one merchant with whom his people
+were allowed to trade.</p>
+
+<p>Perhaps you will be surprised to know
+how important to the country merchants
+was the trade of a plantation, so I will explain
+to you of what it consisted. Of course,
+a few of the careless, content with the abundance
+provided for them, did not care to
+accumulate, while others, naturally thrifty,
+amassed a good deal from the sale of otter,
+coon, mink, and other skins of animals
+trapped. Then, some owned as many as
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg&nbsp;29]</a></span>
+thirty beehives. One old woman, known
+as &ldquo;Honey Beck,&rdquo; once hauled thirty or
+more gallons of honey to Halifax and back
+again, the whole distance (twenty-five miles),
+rather than take a low price for it. Besides
+skins, honey, and beeswax, eggs and poultry
+were always salable. One of my necessities
+in housekeeping was a bag of small
+change, and, as I never refused to take what
+was brought to me, my pantry was often so
+overstocked with eggs and my coops with
+ducks and chickens, that it was a hard matter
+to know how to consume them.</p>
+
+<p>The beautiful white shad, now so highly
+prized in our markets, were then a drug.
+It was the prettiest sight in the early dawn
+of a spring morning to see the fishermen
+skimming down the broad river with their
+dip-nets poised for a catch. My opportunities
+for seeing them at that early hour were
+from my bedroom window, when I happened
+to be visiting the family at Conacanara.
+Our home at Runiroi stood some distance
+from the river, but the dwelling at
+Conacanara was upon a bluff just over the
+stream.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg&nbsp;30]</a></span>
+Beside the sale crops of cotton and corn,
+sweet potatoes were raised in large quantities
+for the negroes, to which they were allowed
+to help themselves without stint, also
+a summer patch of coarse vegetables such
+as they liked.</p>
+
+<p>The regular food furnished consisted of
+corn meal, bacon or pickled pork, varied
+with beef in the autumn, when the beeves
+were fat, salt fish with less meat when desired,
+molasses, dried peas and pumpkins
+without stint (I mean the peas and pumpkins).
+I don&rsquo;t suppose any laboring class
+ever lived in such plenty.</p>
+
+<p>A woman with a family of children always
+had the use of a cow, the only proviso
+being that she should look after the calf
+and see that it did not suffer, for your
+grandfather was particular about his ox
+teams; they were the finest that I ever saw,
+and were well blooded,&mdash;Holstein for size
+and Devon for speed and activity.</p>
+
+<p>Our dairy was very pretty; it was built of
+immense square logs, with a paved brick
+floor, and great broad shelves all around.
+The roof was shaded by hackberry trees,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg&nbsp;31]</a></span>
+and the grass around it was like velvet, so
+thick and green. Old Aunt Betty, who was
+the dairy woman until she grew too infirm,
+was the neatest creature imaginable; she
+wore the highest of turbans, and her clothes
+were spotless. She took the greatest pride
+in her dairy; for milk vessels she used great
+calibashes with wooden covers, and, as they
+naturally were absorbent, it was necessary
+to sun one set while another was in use.
+She kept them beautifully, and the milk
+and butter were delicious.</p>
+
+<p>There was a man upon the plantation
+called &ldquo;Shoe Joe,&rdquo; or &ldquo;Gentleman Joe.&rdquo; He
+had, when a young man, been body-servant
+to his young master George, your great-grandfather&rsquo;s
+brother. I never in my life
+have seen finer manners than Joe&rsquo;s, so
+deeply respectful, and so full of courtesy.
+Notwithstanding his really fine deportment,
+Joe&rsquo;s nature was low and mean, and something
+that he did so offended his young
+master that, to Joe&rsquo;s great disgust, he was
+remanded back to the plantation and field
+work. In consequence of this, he always bore
+his young master a grudge, which, of course,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg&nbsp;32]</a></span>
+he kept to himself. Once, however, he made
+some disrespectful speech before old Betty,
+who was devoted to her Master George, and
+this so offended her that she never again
+spoke to Joe, nor allowed him to make her
+shoes, though this last was more from fear
+than vindictiveness. For Shoe Joe was suspected
+of being a trick negro, and of possessing
+the power so to trick his work as
+to cause the death of any one wearing his
+products. Nothing was productive of more
+evil upon a plantation than was the existence
+upon it of a &ldquo;Trick&rdquo; or &ldquo;Goomer&rdquo;
+negro; and so insidious was their influence,
+and so secret their machinations, that,
+though suspected, it was impossible to prove
+anything, for, although detested by their
+fellows, fear kept the latter silent. Nothing
+would cause such abject terror as the discovery
+of an odd-looking bundle, wrapped
+and wrapped with strands of horse-hair,
+secreted beneath the steps, or laid in an
+accustomed path. Instantly after such a
+discovery the person for whom it was meant
+would begin to pine away, and, unless some
+counter spell were discovered, death would
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg&nbsp;33]</a></span>
+ensue. These occurrences, fortunately, were
+rare, but if the thing once took root upon
+a plantation, it wrought much evil in various
+ways. Joe was suspected of these evil
+practices, and, though a wonderfully capable
+man at all kinds of work, and a most
+accomplished courtier, was always looked
+upon with suspicion. His death was sudden,
+and the people firmly believed that he
+had made a compact with the devil, that the
+term had expired, and that Satan had met
+him in the woods and broken his neck. He
+was a tall, finely formed man, as black as
+ebony, and his movements always reminded
+me of a serpent.</p>
+
+<p>Negroes, even in these days of school
+education, retain many of their superstitions,
+though ashamed to own it. One of their
+beliefs was that the word <em>you</em> meant the
+devil&rsquo;s wife, and it was insulting to address
+any one by that word. To one another it
+was always <i>yinna</i>. So marked was this
+custom that the negroes of that section were
+known as the yinna negroes. This word,
+though, was never used toward their superiors,
+who were invariably addressed in the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg&nbsp;34]</a></span>
+third person. Manuel was rather a common
+name among them; there were always two
+or three Manuels upon every plantation, and
+one was always called &ldquo;Hoodie Manuel.&rdquo;
+No one could ever discover what this meant;
+perhaps they did not know themselves,
+though I am rather inclined to think that
+it was a superstitious observance, understood,
+perhaps, only by a select few. I think
+it must have had some sort of significance,
+as it was never omitted. As soon as one
+Hoodie Manuel died, another Manuel assumed
+the title, though not always the
+oldest.</p>
+
+<p>It was not required of a woman with a
+large family to do field work. Such women
+had their regular tasks of spinning allotted
+to them, sufficiently light to allow ample
+time to take care of their houses and children.
+The younger women (unless delicate)
+left their children in a day nursery in charge
+of an elderly woman who was caretaker.
+Usually they preferred field work, as being
+more lively; but if one disliked it, she usually
+soon contrived to be classed among the
+spinners.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg&nbsp;35]</a></span>
+When, occasionally, I happened to go to
+any of the houses, often quite unexpectedly,
+I can assert truthfully that I never, in a
+single instance, saw dirt or squalor in one
+of them. The floors were clean, the beds
+comfortable, with white and wonderfully
+clean blankets. Everything, though very
+homely, with clumsy benches and tables,
+looked white and thoroughly clean. I remember
+hearing your grandfather speak of
+once going at breakfast time to a house to
+visit a sick child. The man of the house
+was seated at a small table while his wife
+served him. The table was covered with
+an immaculately clean homespun cloth, and
+coffee, in a tin pot shining with scrubbing,
+either sugar or molasses, I forget which, a
+dish of beautifully fried bacon and hoe-cakes,
+fresh from the fire, constituted his plain but
+most abundant meal.</p>
+
+<p>Separation of families has ever been a favorite
+plea for the abolition of slavery, and I
+admit that in theory it was a plausible argument;
+and justice compels me to say that
+such instances, though rare, were not unknown.
+As a rule, however, family ties were
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg&nbsp;36]</a></span>
+respected, and when, through the settlement
+of an estate, such separations seemed impending,
+they were usually prevented by
+some agreement between the parties; for instance,
+if a negro man had married a woman
+belonging to another planter, a compromise
+was generally effected by the purchase of
+one of the parties, regardless of self-interest
+on the part of the owners. Thus families
+were kept together without regard to
+any pecuniary loss. Public sentiment was
+against the severing of family ties.</p>
+
+<p>Before I close this little sketch I will
+tell you as well as I can the outline of plantation
+work.</p>
+
+<p>With the beginning of a new year, the
+crop being all housed, the sale corn being
+stored in large barns or cribs on the river
+banks, and the cotton either being sold or
+kept for better prices, the plowing, ditching,
+and, when the swamps were full, the floating
+out of timber, were all carried on with
+great diligence. At Christmas, when all the
+clothing, shoes, and Kilmarnock caps had
+been given out to the ditchers, high waterproof
+boots were distributed. It was the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg&nbsp;37]</a></span>
+custom to allow to every man who desired
+it a bit of land, upon which, in his spare
+time, to cultivate a small crop, for which he
+was paid the market price. Christmas was
+the usual day chosen for settling these
+accounts, and the broad piazza was full
+of happy, grinning black faces gathered
+around the table at which the master sat,
+with his account-book and bags of specie.
+A deep obeisance and a scrape of the foot
+accompanied each payment, and many a
+giggle was given to the lazy one whose
+small payment testified to his indolence.
+What a contrast between those happy,
+sleek, laughing faces and the sullen, careworn,
+ill-fed ones of now! In the early
+springtime, what was known as the &ldquo;trash-gang,&rdquo;
+that is, boys and girls who had never
+worked, were set to clearing up fences,
+knocking down cotton stalks, and burning
+small trash piles.</p>
+
+<p>I pause here to say that, the woodlands
+being a long distance from the quarters,
+the supply of fuel was a serious question,
+and when there was a threat of snow or
+increasing cold, every man would be
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg&nbsp;38]</a></span>
+employed in cutting or hauling a supply of
+fuel to the houses.</p>
+
+<p>Planting time began with the middle of
+March. In August the crops were &ldquo;laid
+by.&rdquo; The three days&rsquo; holiday began with
+the slaughter of pigs and beeves, in preparation
+for the annual dinner upon every
+plantation. After holiday came the fodder-pulling,
+a job hated by all, especially by overseer
+and master, as the drenching dews and
+the hot sun combined to make much sickness.
+This work was never begun until late
+in the morning, but even after the sun had
+shone upon the fields, the people would be
+drenched in dew to their waists. Next, the
+whitening fields told that cotton-picking
+must begin, and, later on, a killing frost
+upon the already browning shucks sent the
+great wagons to the fields, where the corn-gatherers,
+with sharp needles tied to their
+wrists, ripped open the tough shucks and
+let loose the well-hardened ears of grain.
+As each field became stripped, stock would
+be turned in to feast upon the peas and
+pumpkins.</p>
+
+<p>With winter came that period of bliss to
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg&nbsp;39]</a></span>
+the soul of Cuffee, namely, the hog-killing,
+when even the smallest urchin might revel
+in grease and fresh meat.</p>
+
+<p>If eyesight permitted, I might tell you
+some tales of plantation doings which might
+perhaps amuse you, but I have said enough
+to give you some idea of the old Southern
+life. All that I have said is within bounds,
+but, after all, I fear I have not been able to
+give you an adequate idea of the peacefulness
+and abundance of life upon a great
+plantation.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg&nbsp;40]</a></span></p>
+<h2>GOING TO THE PLANTATION</h2>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcaps"><span class="dropcap">S</span></span>ummer is over; the nights
+grow chill, and the autumnal
+tints, beginning to glow upon
+the hillsides, tell the low-country
+folk that the time draws near for the
+yearly flitting to their plantation homes.
+The planter, who passes the hot season
+amid the breezy uplands, begins to think
+of his whitening cotton fields, and grows
+impatient for the frost, which must fall ere
+the family may venture into the land of
+swamps and agues. He looks out upon the
+flower-beds, glowing with life and quivering
+in the sunshine, and listens to the incessant
+shrill-voiced cicada piping from the tree-tops,
+while the insect-drone, in the heated,
+languid air, seems to speak of an unending
+summer; but as &ldquo;all things come to him
+who waits,&rdquo; so at length come the frosts to
+the planter.</p>
+
+<p>The week preceding the departure is a
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg&nbsp;41]</a></span>
+busy one, embracing, along with the numberless
+good-byes, many important afterthoughts
+in the way of providing the
+necessities required in the isolated home,
+where shops are unknown. At length,
+however, the great boxes are closed, and
+stand ready for the daylight start of the
+wagon; the bird-cage, the basket of kittens,
+and the puppy are also committed by the
+children to &ldquo;Ung Jack,&rdquo; the teamster, who,
+with the broadest of smiles, promises &ldquo;little
+missis&rdquo; and the &ldquo;little masters&rdquo; to take
+the best of care of them.</p>
+
+<p>Giving the baggage a day&rsquo;s start, the
+family&rsquo;s departure takes place on the day
+following. After an early breakfast, Mammy
+and the younger children bundle into the
+big carriage, mother and the rest of the
+little mob follow in the <i>barouche</i>, while papa,
+who abhors the confinement of a carriage,
+follows on horseback. Although the animal
+which he bestrides is a noble specimen
+of his kind, still it must be confessed that
+papa does not present a jaunty appearance
+as he jogs soberly along; and yet, as he sits
+easily swaying in the saddle, there is about
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg&nbsp;42]</a></span>
+him a careless grace which marks the natural
+horseman.</p>
+
+<p>Three days are consumed upon the journey.
+It might be made in less time; but the
+party prefer to take it easily, and at midday
+make a halt by a running stream, where,
+seated upon a fallen log or mossy bank,
+they open their well-stored baskets, and
+dine. The horses utter impatient whinnies
+as their drivers dip their buckets into the
+sparkling water of the little stream, and,
+when these are lifted to their heads, thirstily
+thrust their muzzles into the cool depths,
+and drink long and deeply of the refreshing
+draughts.</p>
+
+<p>At sunset, the tired little ones begin to
+look out for the white chimneys of old
+John Tayler&rsquo;s wayside inn, where they are
+to pass the night. This house has, for generations,
+been the halting-place for planters&rsquo;
+families. Tayler&rsquo;s grandfather and his
+father have entertained bygone generations;
+and so it is not strange that when the little
+cort&egrave;ge draw up before the old piazza, and
+the red light from the pine blaze streams
+out from the open door, not only old John,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg&nbsp;43]</a></span>
+but his wife and two elderly daughters
+stand with beaming faces to give the travelers
+a hearty greeting, kindly to usher them
+into the carpetless room and seat them
+upon the stiff &ldquo;split-bottomed&rdquo; chairs.
+While the women busy themselves in
+getting supper, old John talks crops and
+politics to his guests, who, on their part,
+calmly accept the discomforts of the little
+inn as one of the unalterable laws of nature,
+without any idea of the possibility of improvement,
+swallow without complaint the
+nauseous coffee, and rest philosophically
+under the home-made sheets and blankets,
+feebly wondering that so much weight
+should contain so little warmth.</p>
+
+<p>When supper is over, the women throw
+a fresh torch upon the fire, and, as it
+crackles up the wide chimney, and sends
+its red light and sweet odors over the room,
+they set themselves to their tasks of picking
+the seeds from the &ldquo;raw cotton,&rdquo; for, being
+famous spinners and weavers, they disdain
+that which has had its staples torn by the
+teeth of the gin.</p>
+
+<p>Upon the second day, the party leave
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg&nbsp;44]</a></span>
+the hills, now gorgeous in their autumnal
+brilliancy, the rocky roads, and the swiftly
+running streams of the up-country, and
+enter the lonely region where the great
+turpentine trees rear their lofty crests, and
+interminable sandy roads stretch away into
+dimness between columns of stately pines
+whose lofty tops make solemn music to the
+sighing wind.</p>
+
+<p>The third day finds them in &ldquo;The
+Slashes,&rdquo; a desolate region inhabited by
+squatters. As they jolt over corduroy roads
+between pools of stagnant waters, the travelers
+look out wearily upon a sparse growth
+of gallberry and scrub-pine. Now and then
+they pass the solitary hut of a charcoal-burner,
+surrounded by its little patch of
+meagre corn; a pack of cur dogs rush out
+and bark fiercely, within the safe limits of
+the wattle fence surrounding the premises;
+white-headed children gaze from the doorways
+at the passing carriages.</p>
+
+<p>At the last settlement which they pass,
+a woman and a small, pale-faced boy are
+gathering in their corn crop. They are the
+wife and son of Bolin Brazle, an idle but
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg&nbsp;45]</a></span>
+good-natured vagabond, who spends his
+days scraping upon his fiddle up at the store,
+or occasionally, upon the promise of a drink,
+lending a hand in rafting tar-barrels. In
+consequence of the presentation of a worn-out
+mule, Bolin swears by the planter,
+wants to run him for the presidency, and
+obstinately refuses to receive pay for his
+charcoal. The matter is finally arranged by
+a barrel of corn being sent as a present
+whenever a load of charcoal is needed.</p>
+
+<p>Soon after leaving the &ldquo;Slashes,&rdquo; a huddle
+of houses standing irregularly in a grove
+of magnificent oaks comes into view. In
+passing the one which does double duty as
+store and post-office, the travellers look at
+it with the realization that it is the connecting
+link with the outside world, as from
+it the bi-weekly mail is dispensed. Inside,
+some one (Brazle, no doubt) is scraping
+a lively jig upon his fiddle; on the long
+piazza men, lounging in chairs tilted against
+the wall, take off their hats to the carriages
+as they roll by. The planter draws his rein
+for a little friendly greeting, and the men,
+squirting tobacco juice, stand around and
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg&nbsp;46]</a></span>
+lazily report the country-side news as to
+the opening of the cotton, the state of the
+river, etc. Even the screech of the fiddle
+has died away.</p>
+
+<p>The long descents of the ferry hill commence,
+and the carriages roll pleasantly between
+deeply wooded banks. The approach
+to the river is marked by long rows of tar-barrels
+awaiting shipment, or rather rafting.
+From this point the road has become a sort
+of concrete from years of leakage from the
+tar-barrels. The children shriek with joy
+as the carriages come to a stop, and, craning
+their heads out, they behold the great
+tawny river in all its majesty. The repeated
+hallooings for the ferryman are at length
+responded to from far upstream. The old
+scamp is off fishing, and the party seek
+the shade, where a spring of clear water
+bubbles from a bank. While the children
+are drinking copious draughts, the parents
+stroll off and take a woodland path, which,
+after many a twist and turn amid thickets
+of sweet myrtle and purple-berried Bermuda
+Shrub, brings them to the summit of &ldquo;The
+Bluff.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg&nbsp;47]</a></span>
+Standing there, they look down upon the
+river, two hundred feet below. Upon the
+further side lie fields, all brown and golden
+in the sunshine, level and limitless; they
+stretch into the purple dimness where
+cypress trees loom upon the horizon, their
+flat tops mingling dreamily with the soft
+autumnal hazes. Far away, amid the sun-bathed
+fields, stand the trees which shelter
+the plantation home, whose chimneys and
+white gables are scarce visible save where a
+stray sunbeam falls upon them.</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;So to the Jews fair Canaan stood,<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">While Jordan rolled between,&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>murmured the mother, as she glanced at
+her husband, to whom she knew the lands
+spread before them were, by inheritance
+and long association, far dearer than could
+be measured by the mere money value.</p>
+
+<p>Descending again to the ferry, they find
+the carriage already in the flat, and the
+children scarce restrained by Mammy from
+crossing without their elders. They draw
+deep breaths of delight as they watch old
+Bartley, with active limp, loosen the chain,
+and, planting his iron-shod pole deep into
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg&nbsp;48]</a></span>
+the grating sands, send the flat upstream;
+then, at a given point, they watch with
+intense admiration his skill in taking the
+sweeps and shooting swiftly to the other
+side.</p>
+
+<p>The horses know that they are near home,
+and prick up their ears, and go briskly onward.
+Scarcely a quarter of a mile is gone
+before the buildings of the &ldquo;lower plantation&rdquo;
+come into view,&mdash;a row of cabins
+built irregularly upon the highest points
+straggle along the river banks. Each cabin
+has its little garden with its row of coleworts
+and its beehives, or perhaps a pumpkin or
+two shows its yellow sides amid the withered
+vines. Outside the cabins, fish-nets are
+hung to dry, and from within comes the
+sleepy drone of a spinning-wheel; about
+the doorstep hens are scratching, while
+from around the corner a cluster of little
+woolly heads peep out shyly.</p>
+
+<p>Standing in the mellow sunlight, amid
+fields of ripening corn, with the river gently
+flowing between levees of such strength
+as to set floods at defiance, these cabins
+seem the very embodiment of peaceful
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg&nbsp;49]</a></span>
+security; the high piles, though, upon which
+they stand, are rather suggestive, and give
+a hint of what the now peacefully flowing
+stream is capable of when roused.</p>
+
+<p>A story is told of an old negro who
+obstinately refused to leave his house at a
+time when the unusually high water made
+it necessary to remove the people to a place
+of greater security. The rafts were ready,
+and the people, scared and anxious, had left
+their houses, and now only wailed for old
+Todge, who, with mulish persistence, refused
+to be moved. At length, unable to
+persuade him, and afraid to wait longer,
+they poled the rafts away. For the first
+few hours Todge got on very well. He had
+plenty of provisions, and, as for the isolation,
+he did not care for it. By and by the
+water began to make its appearance upon
+his hearth, and, before long, his little bank
+of coal, upon which his bread was baking,
+began to sizzle, and soon became a moist
+and blackened heap. Todge, however, was
+not imaginative, and when night fell, he lay
+down upon his bed and slept without fear;
+that is, he slept until his bed began to float,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg&nbsp;50]</a></span>
+then he awoke and groped his way neck
+deep in water until he found his ladder and
+managed by it to climb up into his loft,
+where he sat shivering, till suddenly he
+felt the cabin give a lurch, and the water
+rushed in. It had been lifted clear off the
+piles, and when it should settle down poor
+Todge would be caught like a rat in a hole.
+It was settling fast, and the water was gurgling
+into poor Todge&rsquo;s ears, when, in desperation,
+he made a bolt at the roof, and,
+using his head as a battering ram, succeeded
+in knocking a hole in it, through which he
+contrived to creep out. Luckily, the point
+of the chimney was not quite submerged,
+and Todge was rescued in the course of
+the following day.</p>
+
+<p>The road, following the winding of the
+river, is bordered by giant trees from whose
+branches the gray moss waves dreamily,
+while leaves of palest yellow drop and
+silently float through the still air until they
+fall into the stream. In the fields, the corn-gatherers
+pause to doff their hats and smile
+their welcome. Ere long the barns and
+workshops of the upper plantation become
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg&nbsp;51]</a></span>
+visible. The tall gables and chimneys of
+the great house glisten in the sunlight.
+They pass the little church, with its bell
+half hidden amid the brown leaves of the
+great oak from which it dangles; from
+cabin chimneys, half hidden in trees, thin
+columns of smoke ascend and mingle with
+the soft blue sky.</p>
+
+<p>At the open gate, a broadly smiling
+dusky group stands with welcome depicted
+upon every face. Hearty handshakes of
+real affection are exchanged, while the
+children are being hugged, caressed,
+laughed over, and extolled for their growth
+and beauty. The master and mistress pass
+under the trees, whose long shadows rest
+upon the soft, green grass between streams
+of sunshine. The old piazza, gilded into
+brightness, smiles a welcome home.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg&nbsp;52]</a></span></p>
+<h2>MY OWN EARLY HOME</h2>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcapil"><span class="dropcap">I</span></span> was born at the old home in
+Raleigh, upon the land originally
+held by my great-grandfather,
+Colonel Lane, from the
+Crown. It had been the home of my grandfather,
+Harry Lane, and of his wife, Mary,
+and it was there that their children and
+grandchildren were born. When my oldest
+brother attained his majority, he took possession
+of this place, while my mother settled
+at Wills Forest, which was also part of
+the Lane land. This, Wills Forest, became
+our beloved summer home, which I inherited
+at the death of my dear mother.
+At the breaking out of the war between
+the states, your grandfather left to his
+subordinates his plantation interests in the
+eastern part of the state, and Wills Forest
+became our permanent home. Although
+you never saw this place in its palmy days,
+still, you are too well acquainted with its
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg&nbsp;53]</a></span>
+situation to need a description. In spite of
+neglect, Wills Forest is still beautiful; to
+it my heart is ever turning with regret and
+longing for that which can never return.
+It was for many years the brightest and
+happiest of homes, and as such it is still
+remembered by many besides its former
+inmates.</p>
+
+<p>Hospitality has ever been a marked
+characteristic of the Lane blood. Colonel
+Lane&rsquo;s doors were ever open, not only to his
+friends, but to every wayfarer, and as the
+small settlement, originally called Bloomsbury,
+became Raleigh, and the state capital,
+he found it necessary to build an &ldquo;ornery&rdquo;
+for the accommodation of strangers; this
+building stood upon Hillsborough Street,
+and was torn down only a short time ago.
+These &ldquo;orneries&rdquo; were a very common adjunct
+to gentlemen&rsquo;s residences in country
+neighborhoods, where there were no inns
+for the accommodation of travelers. We
+once stopped at one belonging to the Littles,
+near Littleton. It was kept by two servants,
+a man and his wife, belonging to the family,
+and they made us very comfortable.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg&nbsp;54]</a></span>
+My grandfather, Harry Lane, inherited
+his father&rsquo;s liberal and open-hearted nature,
+and the old home, even since the death of
+my brother, still maintains its character for
+genial hospitality. Nor was Wills Forest
+inferior to it in that respect. My mother,
+accustomed from earliest youth to lavish
+housekeeping, kept it up after her removal
+to Wills Forest, and, so long as her health
+permitted, ever took delight in making her
+home all that a kindly, open-handed hospitality
+could. Nor do I think its character
+deteriorated after your grandfather became
+its master. Both he and I were fond of
+society, and few strangers ever came to
+town who were not entertained at Wills
+Forest. This could not be possible now,
+but previous to the war it was not at all
+impossible, and, during the war, at times, we
+received whole families of refugees. I do
+not mention these facts in a boastful spirit,
+but only as a sample of the old customs of
+the South.</p>
+
+<p>During the winter of 1865, we had the
+pleasure of entertaining the family of Colonel
+Norris of Baltimore, and early in March
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg&nbsp;55]</a></span>
+we had an unexpected visit from a large
+party of South Carolinians, who had been
+wounded in an attack made by General Kilpatrick
+upon Gen. Joseph E. Johnston&rsquo;s
+command at Fayetteville. Your grandfather
+met them in the street seeking for shelter;
+and, compassionating their forlorn condition,
+he directed them to Wills Forest.
+When we first caught sight of the cort&egrave;ge
+surrounding two ambulances, we were
+alarmed, thinking that it must be the
+Yankees coming to deprive us of house
+and home. You may, perhaps, imagine the
+relief when I saw the dear Confederate gray.
+I met the cavalcade at the front steps, and
+bade them welcome; the wounded were
+brought in and laid upon beds in the nursery,
+after which I directed one of our men,
+Frank, the carriage-driver, I think it was, to
+conduct the horsemen to the stable, to give
+the horses a plentiful feed, and then to bring
+the men up to the house to get their dinners.
+In ordinary times, this unlooked-for addition
+of more than twenty guests would, no doubt,
+have been an unwelcome tax, but in those
+days preceding the sad termination of the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg&nbsp;56]</a></span>
+war there were so many poor, half-starved
+stragglers from the different commands
+passing to and fro, that we were never unprepared
+to feed as many as called upon us.
+At this time, two cooks were kept continually
+at work in the kitchen preparing such
+plain food as we could command: such as
+boiled hams, biscuit, loaf bread, corn bread,
+and wheat coffee. The milk and butter, all
+that we had, were joyfully given to our soldiers.
+The gray jacket was, indeed, a passport
+to every Southern heart. I have fed
+many a poor, footsore &ldquo;boy in gray,&rdquo; but
+never in a single instance heard a despondent
+word from one of them. Most grateful
+they were for their good, abundant meals,
+but often too modest to carry any away in
+their haversacks.</p>
+
+<p>In times of peace, both before and after
+the war, the social life at the table, with
+family and always welcome friends, was a
+source of much pleasure. For a dinner of
+ten or twelve persons, including ourselves,
+there would be a ham at the head, a large
+roast turkey at the foot, a quarter of boiled
+mutton, a round of beef <i>&agrave; la mode</i>, and a
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg&nbsp;57]</a></span>
+boiled turkey stuffed with oysters. In the
+middle of the table would be celery in tall
+cut-glass stands, on the sides cranberries in
+moulds and various kinds of pickles. With
+these would be served either four or six
+dishes of vegetables and scalloped oysters,
+handed hot from the plate-warmer. The
+dessert would be a plum pudding, clear
+stewed apples with cream, with a waiter in
+the centre filled with calf&rsquo;s-foot jelly, syllabub
+in glasses, and cocoanut or cheesecake
+puddings at the corners. The first
+cloth was removed with the meats. For
+a larger entertainment a roast pig would
+be added, ice-cream would take the place
+of stewed apples. The dessert cloth would
+be removed with the dessert, and the decanters
+and fruit set upon the bare mahogany,
+with the decanters in coasters; cigars
+would follow, after the ladies had left, of
+course.</p>
+
+<p>At the time of the surrender, General Logan
+borrowed, or asked to borrow, my tables
+and cut-glass tumblers and wine-glasses; as
+such a request meant an order, I, of course,
+allowed them to be taken; to my surprise all
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg&nbsp;58]</a></span>
+were returned. Generals Grant and Sherman
+were entertained by Logan at this time,
+the tables being set before his tent in the
+grove.</p>
+
+<p>When my two little girls went to day
+school at St. Mary&rsquo;s, their dinners were sent
+to them by a negro boy or man. He carried
+the basket of hot dinner, while another carried
+the ice for their water, while another
+often walked behind bearing a large watermelon.
+As the other day-pupils dined in a
+similar way, the road at this time of day
+would be full of negroes carrying dinners.</p>
+
+<p>Since these bygone days, knowledge has
+increased, and men go to and fro with ease
+between the far corners of the earth; but I
+do not think that either virtue or happiness
+has kept pace with this increase of knowledge,
+nor has there ever been or will there
+ever be again such a country as the Old
+South, nor a people so good, so brave, or so
+true-hearted as the dear, primitive people of
+that good old time.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg&nbsp;59]</a></span></p>
+<h2>TWO BOB WHITES</h2>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcapt"><span class="dropcap">T</span></span>wo Bob Whites were standing
+beneath the old thorn-bush at
+the far end of the orchard; indeed,
+they had been standing
+there for some time, with their heads held
+close, just as though they were talking together.
+In fact, that is just what they were
+doing. They were talking about the nest
+that they were going to build. And it was
+high time, for already there was a nice little
+brood in that nest beyond the brook. But
+our Bob Whites were a prudent couple;
+they did not approve of those early broods
+which came off barely in time to miss the
+chilly May rains. But the May spell was
+over now, the sun shone hot upon the waving
+wheat, and over the fence, there in the
+old field, the dewberries were ripe. Already
+the little boys who live in the house over
+yonder had been after the berries, regardless
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg&nbsp;60]</a></span>
+of briers and bare feet. Yes, it was
+high time that nest was built; but, somehow,
+they could not fix upon an altogether
+suitable location. True, the old thorn-bush,
+with its wide-spreading branches, was most
+attractive; but there the cart tracks ran
+too close by. As they stood thus in the
+clover, all undecided, they were startled by
+a loud cry from Robin Redbreast, whose
+nest was high up in that apple tree. Turning
+to ascertain the cause of the outcry,
+they espied a great, evil-looking, yellow cat,
+creeping through the long grass. This decided
+them, and without waiting another
+moment, they abandoned the thorn-bush
+and flew away to seek a safer abode. This
+they finally found over toward the wheat
+field, far away from cats and all the nuisances
+which attend the abodes of men.</p>
+
+<p>The nest was built back of the old gray,
+lichen-covered fence, just above the brook
+where the hazels and alders grow. All
+around was a blackberry thicket, and a
+great tussock of brown sedges sheltered
+the nest like a roof. Just beyond the fence
+was the wheat field. No one ever came
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg&nbsp;61]</a></span>
+there, excepting that now and then on a
+Saturday the little boys who lived over
+yonder would pass by with their fishing-poles,
+jump the fence, and disappear in the
+hazel thickets. The Bob Whites didn&rsquo;t
+mind the boys, unless Nip happened to be
+along, nosing about in search of some mischief
+to get into. But as yet no little white
+egg lay in the nest, and when Nip cocked
+his impudent little ears at them, they were
+off with a whirr that sent him, scampering,
+startled and scared, after the boys. From
+the trees to which they had flown, the Bob
+Whites watched the movements of the
+boys with some anxiety. &ldquo;They might,
+you know,&rdquo; whispered Mrs. Bob, &ldquo;be after
+that brood of our cousin&rsquo;s beyond the
+brook; but no, they&rsquo;ve stopped&mdash;they are
+throwing something into the water, and
+there&rsquo;s that good-for-nothing Nip with
+them, so we may go back to the nest.&rdquo;
+But they did not go, for there was that
+pert Jennie Wren fluttering about, as bold
+as anything, actually peeping into the bait
+gourd, and, goodness gracious! she has
+stolen a worm and flown off with it; what
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg&nbsp;62]</a></span>
+impudence! And listen, there&rsquo;s Cardinal
+Grosbeak singing to them,&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i1">&ldquo;Boys, boys, boys,<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">Do, do, do<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Fish a little deeper.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>There he is, just a little above them, upon
+the hackberry; now he&rsquo;s flown to that
+willow; he looks like a coal of fire, there
+among the green leaves. Now he begins
+again with his&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i1">&ldquo;Boys, boys, boys,<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">Do, do, do.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The song may do well enough, but we
+don&rsquo;t approve of such forward ways,&rdquo;
+sighed Mrs. Bob. &ldquo;No,&rdquo; chimed in Mrs.
+Mate Hare, limping from her home in the
+broom sedge. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not safe, with that
+horrid little Nip so near; to be sure, they&rsquo;ve
+got wings, but as for me, he just frightens
+the life out of me, with his nosing and
+sniffing; forever nosing and sniffing after
+some mischief.&rdquo; And she wiggled her nose
+and ears and looked so funny that the Bob
+Whites almost laughed in her face.</p>
+
+<p>Before long there was a little white egg
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg&nbsp;63]</a></span>
+in the nest, and Bob White was so proud
+of it that he just stood upon the fences
+and called, &ldquo;Bob White, Bob White, Bob
+White,&rdquo; all day long. And the boys who
+lived over yonder at the farmhouse said,
+&ldquo;Listen to the Bob White, he&rsquo;s got a nest
+over there in the wheat.&rdquo; &ldquo;Let him alone,&rdquo;
+said the farmer; &ldquo;there&rsquo;ll be good shooting
+over there by and by.&rdquo; But Bob White
+had no thoughts to spare for by-and-bys.
+The blue June sky and the rustling wheat,
+the wild roses, and that little egg lying
+there in the nest were enough for him. So
+he just turned his round breast to the sunshine,
+and called &ldquo;Bob White&rdquo; louder than
+ever.</p>
+
+<p>After a while, when the nest was full of
+eggs, the Bob Whites would creep through
+the wheat and whisper of the little ones
+that would soon be coming. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ll be
+here by the time the wheat is ripe,&rdquo; says
+Bob. &ldquo;It&rsquo;ll be fine feeding for them,&rdquo; replies
+Mrs. Bob. They never thought of
+the reapers with their sharp scythes, and of
+the noise and tramping, where all was now
+so peaceful.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg&nbsp;64]</a></span>
+While Mrs. Bob sat upon her eggs, it
+amused her to see the Mate Hares come
+limping out at sunset, very timidly at first,
+pausing, startled, at every sound. Soon,
+however, they forgot their fears and began
+their dances, hopping and running round
+and round like mad, and cutting such capers
+as quite scandalized the Bob Whites.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How very odd!&rdquo; said Mrs. Bob, as she
+settled herself over her eggs. &ldquo;I have heard
+that the March Hares have a Bee in their
+bonnets.&rdquo; &ldquo;Same family,&rdquo; Bob White
+replied drowsily. Then Mrs. Bob, pressing
+her soft feathers gently upon her eggs,
+tucked her head under her wing and slept.</p>
+
+<p>Their dance over, the Mate Hares skipped
+down to the meadow, where the dew lay
+thick upon the clover. &ldquo;How good!&rdquo; they
+said, as they nibbled and munched. &ldquo;So
+sweet and tender, with the dew upon it!&rdquo;
+&ldquo;Who would eat dry seeds like the Bob
+Whites?&rdquo; said one. &ldquo;And go to sleep at
+dusk!&rdquo; snickered another. &ldquo;And whistle all
+day!&rdquo; said a third. &ldquo;As much as to say to
+all men and dogs, &lsquo;Here I am, come and
+shoot me;&rsquo; so silly! Oh, there&rsquo;s no family
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg&nbsp;65]</a></span>
+like the Mate Hares for sense; come, let&rsquo;s
+have another dance.&rdquo; So they skipped and
+hopped and munched clover until the dawn
+sent them scudding away to their homes.</p>
+
+<p>Well, at last, upon a sunny June morning,
+the lonely field was no longer lonely,
+neither was it quiet; for the grain was ripe
+and the reapers had come. Yes, the reapers
+had come, and with them came Nip. Yes,
+there he was, showing that ugly little red
+tongue of his, and poking his black nose
+into every hole and bush; no place was
+safe from those inquisitive eyes and sharp
+little cruel teeth. Mr. Bob watched him
+with a fluttering heart, as he ran sniffing
+about; suddenly, there came a sharp yelp,
+and then Mrs. Mate Hare&rsquo;s cotton tail went
+flying over rock and brier, followed by Nip,
+with his short, inadequate legs. Soon, however,
+he tired of this fun, and, trotting back,
+cocked his ears at the brier patch, sniffed
+about it, and crept in. Bob White, with an
+anxious call, flew into a tree.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s got a nest somewhere about
+there,&rdquo; said one of the reapers. &ldquo;I bet it&rsquo;s
+full of eggs,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;Yes, but the boss
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg&nbsp;66]</a></span>
+has give orders that they ain&rsquo;t to be tetched,&rdquo;
+said another. Then there came from the
+thicket a growl and a yelp, and Mrs. Bob,
+with a loud whirr, flew to her mate. &ldquo;Nip&rsquo;s
+got &rsquo;em!&rdquo; cried one of the men, and, picking
+up a stone, he ran to the thicket, from
+whence now issued yelps of anguish. &ldquo;He&rsquo;ll
+not trouble them again, I reckon,&rdquo; the man
+said, with a grin, as he picked up his scythe.</p>
+
+<p>Nip trotted home with a crestfallen and
+dejected air, but the Bob Whites, still agitated,
+remained in the tree, with necks
+craned anxiously toward the nest. When,
+at length, Mrs. Bob found courage to return,
+the melancholy sight met her eyes of three
+broken eggs, some more scattered ones, and
+a generally disordered nest. Bob now came
+to her assistance, the scattered eggs were
+put back, the nest repaired, and Mrs. Bob
+contentedly seated herself upon it.</p>
+
+<p>The hatching time was drawing near,
+and it was a most exciting period. Mrs.
+Bob sat very still, but, as for Bob, he just
+fidgeted from nest to tree and back again,
+stopping around and asking questions.
+Yes, one egg is pipped; they&rsquo;ll all be out
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg&nbsp;67]</a></span>
+by to-morrow. And so they were,&mdash;thirteen
+little puff-balls, upon tiny coral feet.
+&ldquo;There would have been sixteen, but for
+that horrid Nip,&rdquo; sighed Mrs. Bob. But she
+was very proud and happy, as she led the
+little brood through the brush, showed them
+how to pick up ants&rsquo; eggs, and tore up the
+soft mould for grubs and other dainties.
+When the nimble little feet grew tired, she
+took them to the alder thicket, where, hidden
+away beneath her feathers, they piped
+themselves to rest. It was very quiet now:
+the reapers had gone; there was no rustling
+of waving wheat, only the shocks stood up
+silent; there was only the soft clang, clang
+from the bell-cow, as the herd went home.
+Then the sun went down, and grayness
+followed, and from the thicket came the
+sad cry of the Chuck Will&rsquo;s widow. But
+the Bob Whites were fast asleep. At dawn,
+Bob White stood upon the topmost rail,
+and whistled and whistled as loud as he
+could; he felt so happy that he had to
+repeat, &ldquo;Bob White, Bob White&rdquo; to everything
+that he saw,&mdash;to the bell-cow, as
+she passed by on her way to the meadow;
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg&nbsp;68]</a></span>
+then to the boy, who popped his whip and
+whistled back; then to the trees, which
+nodded in return. When the sun came
+glinting through the leaves and set the dewdrops
+to glistening and the whole world
+to laughing, he whistled louder than ever,
+just for joy. But presently the reapers
+came again. Then Bob White slipped
+away and hid himself far down amid the
+alders, where Mrs. Bob was showing the
+puff-balls how to pick up grubs and how
+to use their little nimble legs in running
+after gnats and other good things. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t
+try to catch that great bee, but come and
+pick up these ants&rsquo; eggs,&rdquo; she called, as she
+threw aside the earth with her strong claws.
+&ldquo;You must attend to what I say, for you
+are very ignorant little things, and if you
+are not careful to mind what I say you may
+be caught up by a hawk at any moment.
+So, listen: when I say &lsquo;Tuk,&rsquo; you must hide
+yourselves immediately; don&rsquo;t try to run
+away, but just get under a rock, or even
+a leaf, or just flatten yourselves upon the
+ground, if you can&rsquo;t do better; you are so
+nearly the color of the ground that a boy
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg&nbsp;69]</a></span>
+will never see you, and you can even escape
+a hawk&rsquo;s keen eye.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>After a while, mother and brood left the
+alder thicket, and, as the reapers were now
+in a distant part of the field. Mrs. Bob led
+them all to a sunny spot where they might
+pick upon the fallen grains and wallow in
+the dry, hot sand. It was very nice to do
+this, and they were having a charming
+time, when suddenly voices were heard,
+and at once two boys were upon them.
+But not so much as one little brown head
+or one little pink toe was visible; the sign
+had been given, and now only a poor,
+wounded Bob White lay in the path before
+them. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s dead,&rdquo; said one of the boys.
+&ldquo;No, she ain&rsquo;t, her wing&rsquo;s broke,&rdquo; cried the
+other, as he made a dive at her. But somehow,
+Mrs. Bob continued to flop the broken
+wing, and to elude them. Another futile
+dive, and the two tin buckets containing
+the reapers&rsquo; dinners were thrown down and
+forgotten in the keen interest of chasing
+the wounded Bob White, who managed to
+flop and flutter just beyond their reach
+until she had led them quite across the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg&nbsp;70]</a></span>
+field,&mdash;then, with a whirr, she bounded
+into the air and safely perched herself upon
+a distant tree. The astonished small boys
+gazed blankly after her, wiped their hot
+faces upon their sleeves, and turned, reluctantly,
+to pick up their buckets. As they
+went along, hot and crestfallen, one of them
+suddenly exclaimed: &ldquo;She&rsquo;s got young
+ones hid yonder, I bet,&rdquo; and with that they
+set off at a run. Mrs. Bob White, who
+knew boy-nature well, craned her neck to
+watch, and fluttered nearer. Then Bob
+White came, and both continued to watch
+with anxiously beating hearts, for those
+little boys were evidently bent upon mischief.
+Would the poor little puff-balls outwit
+them? One little piping cry, one brown
+head raised, and all would be lost. But, as
+they watched, their fears began to subside.
+The boys are again wiping their hot faces,
+they look discouraged, they have evidently
+found nothing; yes, certainly not, for, see,
+they are picking up their buckets, and now
+they are going across the field to where
+the reapers are calling them to hurry along
+with their dinners.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg&nbsp;71]</a></span>
+Such daily annoyances as this now determined
+the Bob Whites to take refuge in
+the alder thicket, in whose deep seclusion
+they soon regained tranquillity of spirits.
+The dampness of the situation, however,
+proving most unfavorable to their brood,
+they anxiously awaited the time when the
+departure of the reapers would restore quiet
+and enable them to return to their haunts.
+At length the wished-for time arrived; from
+the topmost boughs of the big maple Bob
+White could see neither man, boy, or dog,
+in the whole length and breadth of the
+field. Summoning the family together, they
+joyfully crept through the brush to bask in
+the broad stretches of sunshine and to pick
+up the scattered grain amid the stubble.
+Here they remained through all the long
+summer days, their solitude broken only by
+the yellow butterflies and by the big brown
+grasshoppers bumping about in the stubble,
+the silence broken only by the occasional
+jangle from the bell-cow, as she shook
+the deerflies from her sleek sides.</p>
+
+<p>By and by, when the goldenrod was
+yellow upon the hillside, the young ones,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg&nbsp;72]</a></span>
+in their new brown coats, began to try their
+wings, and felt very proud if they could
+make them whirr, when they rose to the
+fence or to a low brush. Had they been
+boys, they would have been called hobbledehoys;
+but, being Bob Whites, they were
+known as squealers, and as such they felt
+very mannish and ambitious to be independent;
+but, nevertheless, they still liked
+to huddle together at nightfall and talk
+over the day&rsquo;s doings, close to, if not under,
+the mother&rsquo;s wing.</p>
+
+<p>By and by, again, when goldenrod stood
+brown and sere upon the hillside and the
+sumach glowed red in the fence corners
+and thickets, when the fall crickets were
+chiming their dirge down amid the grass
+roots and the air was growing frosty at
+nights, then the Bob Whites grew restless
+and took flight for a far-off pea field, noted
+as a feeding-ground. Here they met other
+families of kinsfolks, and then began a right
+royal time, running nimbly through the
+rich pea vines or scratching in sassafras or
+sumach thickets for insects, growing fat and
+growing lazy all the time. The gourmand
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg&nbsp;73]</a></span>
+of the autumn was in manner quite a contrast
+to the Bob Whites of the days of
+young wheat and wild roses. No blithe,
+good music now issued from that throat
+so intent upon good cheer. True, some
+unpleasant rumors are afloat. The Mate
+Hares, scudding frantically away, reported
+an advance of men, with guns and dogs;
+but the Mate Hares were always silly and
+unreliable. So our Bob Whites just keep
+on eating and making merry. Fortune may
+favor them,&mdash;who knows? Let us hope,
+and listen out next year for the cheery
+&ldquo;Bob White, Bob White,&rdquo; from the old
+nesting-place.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg&nbsp;74]</a></span></p>
+<h2>LITTLE DAVE</h2>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcapt"><span class="dropcap">T</span></span>he cool fogginess of an August
+morning has melted under
+the fierce sun. The level fields,
+like a waveless ocean, stretch
+away into the dim, green distance. The
+hot air quivers above cotton-fields, heavy
+with bolls and gay with blossoms, which
+give out a half-sickening fragrance. A
+languid air rustles low amid the corn, from
+whose dense growth arises a damp, hot
+breath. Out in the pasture, work-horses
+leisurely crop the sunburnt grass, or stand
+under the trees, lazily switching away the
+swarming gnats.</p>
+
+<p>A restful quiet broods over the big plantation,
+for the plow and the hoe have finished
+their task; sun and showers must
+do the rest. The crop is &ldquo;laid by,&rdquo; and
+the summer holidays have begun. Three
+days of rest before the gathering in begins.</p>
+
+<p>Over at the quarter, the young people
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg&nbsp;75]</a></span>
+fill the long, lazy day with patting and dancing,
+banjo-playing and watermelon-eating.
+The elders, for the most part, are absorbed
+in preparations for the big holiday dinner.
+By dawn, holes have been dug in the ground
+and heated for the barbecuing of various
+meats, and those who hold the honorable
+posts of cooks are busily engaged in basting,
+tasting, and sending the small urchins
+after fuel. Some of the women are kneading
+flour hoe-cakes; others, gathered about
+a table under a great mulberry tree, are
+peeling fruit for pies, while now and then
+they raise their voices with blood-curdling
+threats to hasten the lagging steps of a little
+gang, which, looking like a string of black
+beetles, troop slowly along from the orchard,
+each holding in the skirt of his solitary garment
+the small store of fruit which he has
+not been able to eat. A row of tables spread
+in the shade stands ready for the feast, and,
+along the pathway, the guests from neighboring
+plantations are already approaching.</p>
+
+<p>Up at the great house an unnatural quiet
+prevails, for upon this day all work is laid
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg&nbsp;76]</a></span>
+aside and all are off to the barbecue; even
+old Aunt Sylvie has forgotten the &ldquo;misery&rdquo;
+in her back, has donned her Sunday garments,
+and stepped briskly off to the quarter;
+cook, too, has closed the ever-open
+kitchen door and departed, along with
+nurse, over whose toilet her little charges
+have presided with so much zeal that they
+have emptied their mother&rsquo;s cologne flask
+in order to bedew their mammy&rsquo;s pocket-handkerchief
+to their satisfaction.</p>
+
+<p>Tiny curly-headed Jack feels rather disconsolate
+without his mammy, but is partially
+consoled by flattering visions of what
+her pockets will bring home at the end of
+the day.<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a></p>
+
+<p>Away down upon the creek the little
+gristmill stands silent; the old mossy
+wheel has for to-day ceased its splash and
+clatter, and, like all else upon the plantation,
+is resting from its labor; to-day no
+sacks stand open-mouthed, awaiting their
+turn; no little creaking carts, no mill boys
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg&nbsp;77]</a></span>
+mounted astride their grists are seen upon
+the path, and Wat, the miller, in the lazy
+content of dirt and idleness, lies basking in
+the sun. Within the wattle fence on the
+other side of the path, his three children,
+little Dave, Emma Jane, and a fat baby, are
+sprawling upon the ground, along with the
+house pig, two puppies, and the chickens.
+Little Dave, who is perhaps somewhat
+dwarfed by toting first Emma Jane in her
+infancy, and now the fat baby, looks not
+unlike a careworn little ape, as he sits flat
+upon the ground, spreading his bony toes
+for the baby to claw at.</p>
+
+<p>Emma Jane, with her stout little body
+buttoned into a homespun frock, is also
+seated in the sand, solemnly munching
+upon a hunk of corn bread, while the
+chickens, with easy familiarity, peck at the
+crumbs which fall upon her black shins.
+Within the cabin, Polly, the miller&rsquo;s wife,
+has tied a string of beads about her sleek
+black throat, and now, in all the bravery
+of her flowered calico, is ready to set off
+for the quarter; first, though, she pauses
+at the gate to speak to little Dave.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg&nbsp;78]</a></span>
+&ldquo;When de chile git hongry, you git dat
+sweeten water off de shelf and gie it to him
+long wid his bread;&rdquo; then adds, with a suspicion
+of tenderness upon her comely face;
+&ldquo;I gwine fetch you some pie.&rdquo; Then, calling
+to Wat, that he had better &ldquo;fix his sef
+and come along, ef he speck to git any of de
+dinner,&rdquo; she steps briskly along the narrow
+pathway, mounts the zigzag fence, and disappears
+amid the high corn.</p>
+
+<p>Some miles below, where the little creek
+which turns the mill-wheel steals from out
+the swamp to join the river, a clumsy,
+flat-bottomed scow lies grounded upon a
+sand-bar. This is no evil to Boat Jim, who,
+sprawled upon the deck, snores away the
+hours, regardless of the blistering sun beating
+down upon his uncovered head, and all
+unconscious of the departure of his chance
+passenger, an itinerant organ-grinder. This
+fellow, having had the ill luck to lose the respectable
+member of the firm, his monkey,
+and finding difficulty without the aid of his
+little partner to attract an audience, had,
+while idling about the docks, encountered
+Boat Jim, and persuaded the latter to give
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg&nbsp;79]</a></span>
+him a lift up the river, the condition being
+that he was to grind as much music as Jim
+should desire. But, disgusted with three
+days of slow progress upon the boat, he had,
+after viciously kicking the unconscious Jim,
+stolen the small boat and put himself ashore.
+Following the windings of the creek, he
+came to the little mill, where, attracted by
+the shade, he seated himself close to the
+wattle fence of Polly&rsquo;s little yard. Hearing
+voices, he peeped through the fence, and his
+eyes were soon fixed upon little Dave, who,
+with the fat baby and Emma Jane for spectators,
+is performing various tricks with infinite
+delight to himself. He stands upon his
+head, he turns somersaults, he dances, he
+pats, and finally he swings himself into a
+tree, where he skips about with the agility
+of a monkey. A thought comes into the
+organ-grinder&rsquo;s head; he glances at the silent
+mill and at the cabin: evidently both
+are deserted; here is a chance to replace
+the dead monkey.</p>
+
+<p>The sun is sending long shafts of crimson
+light into the swamp and glinting upon
+the millhouse; the high corn, awakening
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg&nbsp;80]</a></span>
+from its midday torpor, rustles softly to the
+evening breeze, as Wat and Polly wend their
+way homeward. A bucket, lightly poised
+upon Polly&rsquo;s head, holds scraps of barbecue
+and little Dave&rsquo;s promised pie, and, as
+she draws near the wattle fence, she thinks,
+with a pleased smile, of how she will set it before
+&ldquo;de chilluns,&rdquo; when a prolonged howl
+falls upon her ears. Recognizing the voice
+of Emma Jane, she says to herself: &ldquo;She
+hongry, I spek,&rdquo; and trudges on, in nowise
+disturbed by this familiar sound. But, when
+they enter the yard, there is only Emma
+Jane, bawling, open-mouthed, beside the
+baby, who, with the house pig, lies asleep on
+the warm sand. The chickens are daintily
+picking their way to the house, the old muscovy
+duck has tucked her head under her
+wing for the night, Old Keep, the stump-tailed
+coon dog, crawls from under the
+cabin to greet them. But where is Dave?</p>
+
+<p>The miller carries the sleeping child indoors,
+followed by the still bawling Emma
+Jane, while the wrathful Polly goes to the
+back of the house. Stripping the twigs
+from a switch, she mutters: &ldquo;I knows what
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg&nbsp;81]</a></span>
+you&rsquo;s arter; you tuck yoursef to dat watermillion
+patch, dat whar you gone; but ne&rsquo;
+mine, boy, you jest le&rsquo; me git hold o&rsquo; you.&rdquo;
+Then, after a time given to unsuccessful
+search, calls of &ldquo;Da-a-vie&mdash;oh, oh, Dave!&rdquo;
+fall upon the stillness, to be answered only
+by weird echo from the lonely swamp.
+Returning from her search, she finds Wat
+seated upon the doorstep.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Dave done took hissel off to de quarter,&rdquo;
+he says; &ldquo;but no mind, I gwine fill
+him full o&rsquo; licks in de mornin&rsquo;.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But, when morning comes and brings no
+little Dave, wrath gives place to fear. The
+plantation is aroused; finally the mill-pond
+is dragged, and, although the body is not
+found, the conclusion is that the boy has
+been drowned.</p>
+
+<p>After a time Polly&rsquo;s smile beams as
+broadly as ever, but her heart still yearns
+for her boy, and amid the sleepy drone of
+her spinning-wheel, she pauses to listen;
+or, standing in her door, she looks ever
+wistfully along the crooked path. Across
+the way, the little mill clatters on as merrily
+as of yore; Wat heaves the great sacks
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg&nbsp;82]</a></span>
+upon his brawny shoulder, metes out the
+grist, and faithfully feeds the hopper; but,
+when a chance shadow falls athwart the
+sunny doorway, he looks up with a gleam
+of hope upon his stupid, honest face, then
+brushes his hand across his eyes, and goes
+on in stolid patience with his work. So
+the summer and the autumn pass, without
+change, save that Emma Jane substitutes
+sweet potatoes for corn bread, and the fat
+baby has learned to balance himself upon
+his bowlegs.</p>
+
+<p>Upon a winter evening Wat enters the
+cabin at the usual hour. Polly has laid a
+bit of clean homespun upon the table; his
+bowl of coffee, his fried meat, and his hoe-cake
+stand ready; but, instead of falling to,
+as his custom is, he sits silent and despondent,
+with his face buried in his hands, until
+Polly asks:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What de matter; is you po&rsquo;ly?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I dunno as I &rsquo;se, to say, po&rsquo;ly,&rdquo; Wat replies,
+&ldquo;but dat boy&rsquo;s been a-pesterin&rsquo; me
+dis livelong day, a-callin&rsquo; &lsquo;Daddy, Daddy!&rsquo;
+jes&rsquo; like I talkin&rsquo; now, till seem like I &rsquo;se
+most beat out along o&rsquo; him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg&nbsp;83]</a></span>
+&ldquo;Dat mighty curous,&rdquo; Polly answered,
+&ldquo;&rsquo;cause Ole Keep, he&rsquo;s been a-howlin&rsquo; dis
+blessed day. I &rsquo;lowed dat Ung Silas were
+gwine be tuck.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&rsquo;T ain&rsquo;t dat,&rdquo; the miller interrupted.
+&ldquo;Ung Silas, he done got better; he howlin&rsquo;
+arter sompen nother, but &rsquo;t ain&rsquo;t arter Ung
+Silas.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Upon that identical winter&rsquo;s day, in a
+back alley of New York, a small crowd of
+idlers had gathered to witness the performance
+of the &ldquo;Man Monkey.&rdquo; A little creature,
+dressed in tinsel, leaped and capered,
+keeping time to the grinding of an organ.
+When the spectators were silent, he would
+glance timidly at his ill-favored keeper, but
+when they cheered, the poor little figure
+would strive to outdo itself, in spite of laboring
+breath and trembling limbs. Then
+a rope was stretched, and &ldquo;The Man
+Monkey,&rdquo; seizing an end, swung himself
+up, and, amid the acclamations of the admiring
+mob, began a new act of his performance.
+The day was cold, and at that
+dizzy height the wind struck bitterly
+through the starved little overtaxed body;
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg&nbsp;84]</a></span>
+he lost his footing, caught wildly at the
+rope, missed it, and&mdash;fell.</p>
+
+<p>In that brief second did he see the old
+mill and the little cabin standing in the
+sunshine? Did he hear his mother&rsquo;s voice?
+God knows. When a pitying hand gently
+turned the little heap of quivering humanity,
+a happy smile lit up the pinched face,
+and the dying lips murmured, &ldquo;Daddy.&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> Little Jack is now a grave and reverend bishop, but I
+doubt if he has altogether forgotten the deliciousness of the
+flabby pie, eaten with such content at the close that day.</p></div>
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg&nbsp;85]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE HOG-FEEDER&rsquo;S DAY</h2>
+
+
+<h3>I</h3>
+
+<p><span class="dropcapt"><span class="dropcap">T</span></span>he cold gray light of early dawn
+had given place to saffron, and
+the first drowsy challenge from
+the henroost had been shrilly
+answered from far and near, when old man
+Jerry awoke from his nap in the chimney
+corner, and, finding himself chilled through
+all his old, rheumatic bones, bent over the
+dying embers, pushed together the blackened
+and half-burned &ldquo;chunks,&rdquo; and blew
+them until they glowed. Then, hitching his
+stool close into the ashes, he spread his
+horny palms to the blaze, and basked in
+its genial warmth as it crackled up the wide
+chimney. Reaching his pipe from its nook,
+he filled it, dipped it skillfully in the coals
+so as to ignite without wasting the precious
+weed, and drew a long whiff by way
+of a start; then, bending still closer to the
+blaze, he pulled away, now and then
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg&nbsp;86]</a></span>
+rubbing his shins in slow content, as though
+to emphasize his comfort.</p>
+
+<p>All things, though, must come to an end.
+The &ldquo;chunks&rdquo; became a heap of white
+ashes, the pipe was finished, and broad
+shafts of light stealing down the chimney
+and under the door told &ldquo;Ung Jerry&rdquo; that
+it was time to be stirring.</p>
+
+<p>He had, according to his usual custom,
+risen from his bed long before cockcrow,
+and, having cooked and eaten his &ldquo;morning
+bread,&rdquo; had unlatched his door in order
+to throw a morsel to his old hog-hound,
+&ldquo;Drive,&rdquo; who had already crept from under
+the house, and stood wagging his stump
+of a tail in eager expectancy. The morsel
+being thrown, the old man had cast a knowing
+look towards the heavens, and, judging
+by the seven stars that it yet lacked an
+hour to dawn, had returned to the smoky
+warmth and comfort of his hovel, where,
+seated in the chimney nook, he had nodded
+till roused by the crowings from all the
+neighboring henroosts&mdash;for his cabin was
+one of many.</p>
+
+<p>The pipe being smoked, Ung Jerry
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg&nbsp;87]</a></span>
+rose stiffly, and, shuffling to his bed, fumbled
+underneath it, and, taking care not to disturb
+the setting hen, brought out two bits
+of old blanket, with which he proceeded to
+wrap his feet before putting on his shoes.<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a></p>
+
+<p>The hog-horn was now slung over the
+old coat, a bucket of cold victuals was
+reached from the shelf, and the old hog-feeder,
+equipped for his day&rsquo;s work, lifted
+the latch, and, stepping out into the sharp
+frostiness of the November morning,
+plodded with heavy steps toward the barnyard,
+Drive following closely at his heels.</p>
+
+<p>The frosty fields were glittering in the
+slant rays of the newly risen sun, and sounds
+of busy life came floating through the crisp
+air, telling the old man that the day&rsquo;s labor
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg&nbsp;88]</a></span>
+had begun. The sharp crack of the teamster&rsquo;s
+whip told that the great ox wagons
+were already afield. The plow-boys
+whistled as they led out their mules; men
+and short-skirted, heavily shod women went
+trooping to the cotton fields; the milkwomen
+stepped briskly by, with the foaming
+pails balanced upon their well-poised
+heads. Then came the cowboys, with noisy
+whoop, driving before them the crowding,
+clumsy, sweet-breathed herd, while, fearlessly
+amid all, pigeons fluttered, greedily
+picking up the refuse grain, heedless of the
+hoofs among which they pecked and fluttered.</p>
+
+<p>One small, grizzled mule, of great age
+and much cunning, had contrived to slip
+into the feedroom, and was there enjoying
+a stolen bait of oats when Ung Jerry
+found her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You &rsquo;speck I wan&rsquo;t gwine fine you, I
+reckon, but you &rsquo;se wrong dis time,&rdquo; he
+said, taking her by one of the long ears and
+leading her off to the barnyard, where the
+little cart awaited her.</p>
+
+<p>Drive, meanwhile, had crept under the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg&nbsp;89]</a></span>
+barn, where, nosing about, he had come upon
+a hen&rsquo;s nest, and was feasting upon the warm,
+fresh eggs.</p>
+
+<p>The hitching-up was done with great
+deliberation. Ung Jerry plodded to and
+from the harness-room many times, bringing
+out first a chuck collar, then a bit of
+leather, finally, after a long search, an end
+of rope. At length, when all seemed to be
+adjusted, the old man again retired to the
+harness-room, where he remained so long
+that Drive was contemplating another raid
+upon the hens, when he reappeared, bringing
+with him an old piece of bagging, with
+which he proceeded with careful adjustment
+to protect the old mule&rsquo;s back from the
+friction of the cart-saddle. She, meanwhile,
+had stood with closed eyes and flopped ears,
+immovable save for an occasional twitching
+of her small, rat-like tail; but when
+the loading began, her manner changed
+from its quiescent indifference; watchful
+glances followed each basketful that was
+dumped in, and an ominous backing of the
+ears gave warning of what would happen
+should the load be heavier than she liked.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg&nbsp;90]</a></span>
+At length, all being ready for the start,
+Ung Jerry climbed slowly to his perch
+on the cart&rsquo;s edge, gave a jerk to the rope
+bridle, and Rachel moved off, closely followed
+by Drive, who, conscious of egg-sucking
+and fearful of its consequences, had
+prudently ensconced himself beneath the
+cart, from whence he eyed, suspiciously, all
+passers-by.</p>
+
+<p>Slowly the little cart crept along the
+narrow plantation lanes, crept past the level
+cornfields and into the wide pasture, where
+sunburnt mares were grazing with their
+wild-eyed, unkempt colts; crept past the
+marsh, where the heron, disturbed in her
+solitary vigil, rose upon silent wing and
+sought some more secluded haunt amid
+the dim recesses of the swamp.</p>
+
+<p>Turning at length into the forest, where
+the gray moss hanging from the trees almost
+obscured the deep blue autumnal
+sky, the cart slowly creaked through the
+rustling leaves until it came upon a cross
+fence which barred the way. Here, as
+Rachel came to a full stop, Ung Jerry awoke
+from his nap, descended from his perch,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg&nbsp;91]</a></span>
+and, unslinging his horn, blew one long
+blast.</p>
+
+<p>One was enough. In a moment the deep
+stillness of the forest was broken by the
+pattering of many little feet; from the
+thickets the hogs came; each hurrying with
+might and main to be foremost, they rushed,
+grunting, squealing, crowding to the fence,
+where, standing with upturned faces and
+small covetous eyes, they awaited the feast of
+golden grain which the old man hastened to
+scatter amongst them. Then, leaning upon
+the fence, he noted each greedy grunter as
+he wriggled his small tail in keenest enjoyment
+and cracked the sweet corn.</p>
+
+<p>No need was there to count; to the hog-feeder
+each animal possessed an individuality
+so marked that in all the drove the
+absence of the most insignificant was at
+once detected. So now, as he leaned upon
+the fence, he cast anxious glances into the
+dimness beyond. Evidently some were
+missing.</p>
+
+<p>Drive, too, divining his master&rsquo;s thoughts,
+stood with look intent and anxious yelp,
+impatient for the search to begin.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg&nbsp;92]</a></span>
+Then the word came, &ldquo;Seek, boy!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Scrambling through the fence, he dashed
+into every covert or tangle wherein a hog
+might lurk, but without result; there came
+no rush of feet, no shaking of the brown
+leaves, no startled grunt. All was still,
+save for the quick panting of the old
+hound.</p>
+
+<p>The old man then turned his eyes again
+upon the greedy mob, still hoping to discover
+the missing ones amongst them.
+&rsquo;T was all in vain.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;De listed sow, <em>she</em> done gone, an&rsquo; de
+big white <em>hogue</em>, <em>he</em> done gone, an&rsquo; seben
+head o&rsquo; shotes!&rdquo; he at length murmured,
+still, however, casting expectant glances
+toward the thickets, in which Drive was
+still sniffing with uneasy yelpings.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Seem like dem creturs is clean gone,
+sho&rsquo; nuf,&rdquo; he exclaimed, with an air of unwilling
+conviction; then adding, &ldquo;well, ef
+dey&rsquo;s gone, I &rsquo;se got &rsquo;em to fine, dat&rsquo;s de
+trufe.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He called in the dog, and, taking his
+dinner bucket, climbed the fence and struck
+off into the woods. Now and again he
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg&nbsp;93]</a></span>
+would pause, put his horn to his lips, and
+give a long blast, then stand listening with
+anxious expectancy. Every thicket was
+searched. It was a weary tramp,&mdash;through
+bogs and sloshes, where the cypress knees
+stood up like sugar-loaves in the shallow
+water, or sometimes his steps were bent
+to some open glade, where the great oaks
+dropped sweet mast among the brown
+leaves.</p>
+
+<p>The day was no longer young when a
+low fence came into view; beyond it
+stretched a levee, and at its base a glint of
+water showed itself through the great trees,
+which stretched their mighty arms as
+though they would embrace it.</p>
+
+<p>Ung Jerry, after climbing the fence,
+mounted the levee and stood upon the brink
+of a wide and muddy river. Taking off his
+hat, the old man wiped the sweat from his
+face, then turned an observant eye upon
+the river, whose muddy waters were already
+lapping the boughs of the overhanging
+trees, and with a long-drawn breath exclaimed,
+&ldquo;Bank an&rsquo; bank!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then, as his experienced eye noted the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg&nbsp;94]</a></span>
+angry swirls near the shore and the d&eacute;bris
+borne rapidly upon the turbid current, &ldquo;An&rsquo;
+still on de rise. She gwine be out in de
+low groun&rsquo;s befo&rsquo; mornin&rsquo;, bless de Lord;
+I&rsquo;s been &rsquo;spectin&rsquo; she gwine play dis trick
+eber since de win&rsquo; set like et did.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then, looking at the field of standing
+corn upon the further shore, protected by
+a low levee, and seeming to be upon a lower
+level than the red waters of the flood, he
+soliloquized:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;s skeared de fresh gwine &rsquo;stroy a
+sight o&rsquo; Mars Jones&rsquo;s corn. It raly do &rsquo;pear
+like dat corn mout a been housed befo&rsquo;
+now.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The old man&rsquo;s thoughts were interrupted
+at this point by loud and animated barkings
+from Drive, and, hurrying to the spot
+whence they proceeded, he discovered the
+old hound standing in a broken gap in the
+fence, in a state of excitement over the numerous
+footprints which told that the truants
+had broken through and made for the
+river, evidently with designs upon &ldquo;Mars
+Jones&rsquo;s&rdquo; cornfield.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Here&rsquo;s wha&rsquo; dey tuck de watah,&rdquo; the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg&nbsp;95]</a></span>
+old man remarked to the dog, as together
+they followed the footprints to the water&rsquo;s
+edge. &ldquo;Dat &rsquo;ere listed sow, she got mo&rsquo;
+sense un folks! She know &rsquo;bout Mars
+Jones&rsquo;s corn, an&rsquo; dey ain&rsquo;t no fence gwine
+stop dat cretur when she take a notion for
+to go.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, well, well, de listed sow, an&rsquo; de
+big white hogue, an&rsquo; seben head o&rsquo; shotes
+done tore down de fence, an&rsquo; took deyselves
+&rsquo;cross de riber for to steal Mars Jones&rsquo;s
+corn; I &rsquo;clare &rsquo;t is a disgrace. I reckon Mars
+Jones gwine cuss a plenty when he fine it
+out. It certinly is a pity for master&rsquo;s creturs
+to do sich a low-life trick as dat. But
+bless de Lord,&rdquo; and a look of crafty triumph
+came into his face, &ldquo;dey&rsquo;s got dey bellies
+full, anyhow.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With this pleasing reflection, and the
+conviction that nothing more could be done
+for the present, the old man seated himself
+upon a log, opened his bucket, took
+out his jack-knife, and proceeded to eat his
+dinner, while Drive sat by, in eager readiness
+to snatch the morsels flung to him,
+ere they could reach the ground.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg&nbsp;96]</a></span>
+When the meal was finished, dog and
+man each took comfort in his own way.
+The dog stretched himself in the sunshine.
+The old man sat with bent head
+&ldquo;a-studyin&rsquo;,&rdquo; then nodded, then fell into
+a deep sleep, soothed by the silence, which
+reigned unbroken save for the distant cawing
+of a crow.</p>
+
+<p>The long gray moss swayed dreamily
+upon the motionless boughs of the giant
+trees. Where the sycamore lifted its
+gaunt, white arms, the great bald eagle sat
+immovable, watching with fierce, intent
+gaze for its prey in the waters below.</p>
+
+
+<h3>II</h3>
+
+<p>The shadows were growing long upon
+wood and river when the light dip of a
+paddle broke upon the stillness, and old
+Jerry, rousing from his nap, spied a canoe
+gliding down stream, guided by two youths
+who, with their guns lying crosswise upon
+their knees, were making for the bank.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mars Harry an&rsquo; Mars Phil,&rdquo; he murmured,
+eying them with lazy curiosity, as
+they brought their little craft to land, and
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg&nbsp;97]</a></span>
+after making it fast, picked up their guns,
+crossed the levee, and struck off into the
+swamp.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Dey&rsquo;s after turkey, I &rsquo;speck; Mars
+Harry an&rsquo; me, we&rsquo;s killed many a varmint
+in dese here woods. Dey want no Mars
+Phil &rsquo;bout here in dem days befo&rsquo; ole Mars
+were tuck down.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Thus soliloquizing, the old man continued
+to gaze wistfully after the retreating
+figures; for their appearance had seemed
+to bring a disturbing element into his peaceful
+dreams, and a look of helpless trouble
+overspread his face as, taking off his hat
+and slowly scratching his head, he murmured:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Seem like it mos&rsquo; a pity Mars Phil
+trouble hisself for to come here, anyhow.
+Well, well, well! we folks all gwine be
+&rsquo;vided up &rsquo;twix Mars Harry an&rsquo; Mars Phil,
+&rsquo;cause ole Mars, he not long for dis world!
+Bless de Lord, whinsoever it please Him
+for to teck ole Mars to hisself, I trus&rsquo; he
+gwine &rsquo;vide off Jerry to Mars Harry&rsquo;s shere,
+&rsquo;cause I nachally ain&rsquo;t got no use for t&rsquo;other
+one&mdash;he too outlondesh.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg&nbsp;98]</a></span>
+So saying, he rose and reached his bucket
+from the bough where it hung. Drive, who
+had for some moments been watching him
+out of the corner of one red eye, rose also,
+and the two set out upon their tramp back
+to the cart.</p>
+
+<p>The old man had climbed the fence, the
+dog had scrambled through, and both were
+threading their way across the swamp,
+when the report of a gun close by caused
+the dog to beat a retreat from the thicket
+into which he had thrust his nose, and, with
+tail tucked in, to creep to his master&rsquo;s side;
+while the old man, exclaiming, &ldquo;Good Gor-a-mighty!
+whot dat?&rdquo; pushed aside the
+bushes in order to see what game the boys
+had brought down.</p>
+
+<p>The sight that met his eyes froze him
+with horror. Philip&rsquo;s lifeless body lay upon
+the ground, while Harry, with scared white
+face, bent over it.</p>
+
+<p>For a brief space the old man stood as if
+petrified, then muttered: &ldquo;Jerry ain&rsquo;t gwine
+know nothin&rsquo; bout dis here. When ole
+Mars say, &lsquo;Jerry, what you seen in de Vine
+Ridge Swash?&rsquo; Jerry, he gwine say,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg&nbsp;99]</a></span>
+&lsquo;Nothin&rsquo;, Marster, fo&rsquo; de Lord. I seen nothin&rsquo;
+&rsquo;t all!&rsquo; An&rsquo; I ain&rsquo;t gwine tell no lie, nuther,
+&rsquo;cause I ain&rsquo;t gwine look!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Thus thinking, he cautiously drew back,
+and, with ashen face and limbs that through
+trembling almost failed to support him, he
+stealthily crept away until out of earshot;
+then took to his heels and fled. When,
+however, he was forced to pause for breath,
+he considered if he had done well to desert
+his young master, and turned reluctantly to
+retrace his steps, when, as he did so, the air
+was suddenly rent with ear-piercing shrieks
+for half a second, and Jerry&rsquo;s heart quailed.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s boun&rsquo; to be de debil,&rdquo; he whispered.
+Then, a light seeming to break upon him,
+he exclaimed: &ldquo;Bless God! &rsquo;t ain&rsquo;t nothin&rsquo;
+but de ole Chieftain a-blowin&rsquo;.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Chieftain, a small freight steamer,
+had recently taken the place of the old
+flat-bottomed scows, and, as the steam
+whistle was still a novelty, it is not surprising
+that Ung Jerry, in his terror, should
+for the moment have mistaken it for some
+unearthly sound.</p>
+
+<p>After many irresolute pauses, the old
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg&nbsp;100]</a></span>
+man at length reached the scene of the
+disaster, and with shaking hands thrust
+aside the bushes. Except for the small
+birds silently flitting to their roosts, the
+place was utterly deserted. The level sunbeams
+glinted through the gray moss,
+gilded the tree trunks, and glowed crimson
+upon the brown leaves; the solitary peace
+of nature seemed unbroken; only the pool
+of blood at Ung Jerry&rsquo;s feet told him
+that what he had witnessed had not been a
+vision.</p>
+
+<p>After a moment&rsquo;s survey he was turning
+away, when his eyes fell upon the two guns:
+here, at least, was something tangible,
+and the old man proceeded to secrete them
+in the fallen leaves. Squatted upon the
+ground, he was too busily engaged to note
+the sound of approaching footsteps, and
+started violently when a rough voice accosted
+him. He mustered courage, however,
+to quaver:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Dat you, Mars Jones?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Me? of course it&rsquo;s me! Who did you
+reckon it was?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I dunno, Mars Jones.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg&nbsp;101]</a></span>
+&ldquo;Well, you&rsquo;ll know next time, if you
+don&rsquo;t keep them hogs o&rsquo; yourn out of my
+corn. Why, that confounded old sow can
+destroy more corn in one night than you
+are worth.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, Mars Jones, dat de trufe,&rdquo; meekly
+assented the old man.</p>
+
+<p>Mars Jones, warming to the subject, now
+waxed more and more eloquent over his
+grievances, until, having exhausted his pent
+up wrath, he had leisure to observe old
+Jerry&rsquo;s ashen face and shaking limbs, and
+he exclaimed:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, what&rsquo;s the matter with you? are
+you sick?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, Mars Jones, I&rsquo;s been po&rsquo;ly dis liblong
+day, an&rsquo; I&rsquo;s gittin&rsquo; sassifrax for to make
+me a little drap o&rsquo; tea, I&rsquo;s got sich a mis&rsquo;ry.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Sassafras!&rdquo; here broke in Mars Jones;
+and, good-natured, despite his roughness,
+he took from his pocket a <i>tickler</i>, and
+handing Jerry a dram, said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Drink this, you old blockhead. <em>Sassifrax</em>,
+indeed!&mdash;what good you reckon sassifrax
+goin&rsquo; do you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With a scrape and a bow and a &ldquo;Thank
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg&nbsp;102]</a></span>
+ye, Marster,&rdquo; the old man gulped down the
+dram, and Mars Jones, replacing his <i>tickler</i>,
+was turning away, when his foot slipped in
+something, and looking down he saw that
+it was blood.</p>
+
+<p>The dram had put so much heart into
+the old man that he was able to reply
+glibly to Mars Jones&rsquo;s questions.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Its jes&rsquo; wha&rsquo; I&rsquo;s been markin&rsquo; hogs,
+Marster.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t believe you; I believe you&rsquo;ve
+been killin&rsquo; one of your master&rsquo;s hogs&mdash;that&rsquo;s
+what you&rsquo;ve been at.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But as this did not concern him, he did
+not wait to inquire further, and so, turning
+on his heel, he strode off.</p>
+
+<p>The hog-feeder, too, hastening away,
+took the shortest path back to his cart.</p>
+
+<p>The deserted barnyard lay silent in
+the white moonlight when the little cart
+creaked through the gate; but up at the
+&ldquo;great house&rdquo; there were lights and movements
+where the family watched the coming
+of the boys.</p>
+
+<p>Thursday, Friday, and Saturday passed
+without tidings, and the hope that they had
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg&nbsp;103]</a></span>
+been caught by the rising water and imprisoned
+upon some isolated knoll had been
+abandoned after the swamps had been
+searched in every direction. To add to
+the grief of the household, the master, already
+enfeebled, now lay prostrated in a
+condition that almost forbade hope.</p>
+
+<p>Upon Sunday the waters began to abate,
+fences again appeared, and patches of
+drowned corn showed themselves above
+the wastes of water, to the no small joy
+of the flocks of blackbirds which chattered
+and fluttered amongst them.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Jones, tired of the loneliness of his
+water-girt home, made his way to the
+meeting-house, more for the sake of a gossip
+with some of the neighbors than for the
+day&rsquo;s preaching, and it was there that he
+first heard the startling news of the unaccountable
+disappearance of Squire Brace&rsquo;s
+nephews.</p>
+
+<p>In the excitement, each man was eager
+to advance his own theory. The discussion
+ended, however, in the general opinion that
+their canoe had been swamped in the freshet
+and the boys drowned, until a newcomer
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg&nbsp;104]</a></span>
+asserted that the canoe, with Phil&rsquo;s overcoat
+still in it, had been found tied up at the
+Vine Ridge landing, and that their guns
+had been discovered hidden in the leaves
+at no great distance in the swamp.</p>
+
+<p>Upon hearing this, Mr. Jones could but
+call to mind his meeting with the hog-feeder,
+his strange behavior, and the blood
+upon the ground, and he at once jumped
+to the conclusion that old Jerry had been
+at least a party to some foul deed. His
+suspicions, once made known, became certainties,
+and the whole party, hastily mounting
+their horses, rode off to the nearest
+justice, their convictions gaining ground so
+rapidly that, ere the house of the justice
+was reached, poor, simple old Jerry, the
+most harmless of God&rsquo;s creatures, had become
+in their estimation a villain of the
+deepest dye.</p>
+
+<p>Upon this identical Sunday morning the
+old hog-feeder betook himself to the little
+plantation church, whose bell, with cracked
+clamor, gave warning that preaching was
+about to begin.</p>
+
+<p>The frosty brightness of the past week
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg&nbsp;105]</a></span>
+had given place to a soft mist, through whose
+dimness the pale sunbeams looked sadly
+upon the autumnal world; and as the old
+man, dressed in his Sunday clothes, plodded
+along the path, the tiny crickets from beneath
+the grass sent up their sad, perpetual
+dirge.</p>
+
+<p>Men and women, all shining with Sabbath
+cleanness, came straggling toward the
+church, silently and soberly, without the
+usual light-hearted laughter, for the trouble
+at the &ldquo;great house&rdquo; was felt by all the
+little band. Yet their feelings were not without
+a mixture of pleasurable excitement,
+for all were anticipating with gloomy satisfaction
+the lengthy prayers, the groanings,
+and the head-shakings upon this mournful
+day.</p>
+
+<p>The congregation had taken their seats,
+old Jethro had taken his place in the pulpit,
+the long-drawn cadence of the funeral hymn
+had floated sadly up to the &ldquo;great house,&rdquo;
+when a noise at the door startled the congregation,
+who, turning, beheld standing
+in the door a group of white men. Among
+them was the overseer, who, coming forward,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg&nbsp;106]</a></span>
+announced that hog-feeder Jerry was to be
+arrested upon a charge of murder. &ldquo;Not
+that I believe it, men,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but the law
+must take its course.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime two others had approached
+the old man, who had already
+stumbled to his feet, and, while bowing in
+a dazed kind of way, kept murmuring,
+&ldquo;Sarvent, Marsters.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Handcuffs were put upon him, and amid
+a profound silence he was led forth and lifted
+into a cart. The two sheriffs took their
+places upon each side of him, and the cort&egrave;ge
+moved off.</p>
+
+<p>The people, having sufficiently recovered
+from their shock to jostle one another out
+of the building, stood huddled together like
+a flock of frightened sheep; but when the
+cavalcade had driven off, a subdued clamor
+of voices arose, all unanimous in contempt
+for &ldquo;dese here po&rsquo; white, who&rsquo;d ha&rsquo; knowed
+better &rsquo;n to come meddlin&rsquo; long o&rsquo; Marster&rsquo;s
+folks ef Marster wan&rsquo;t down on de bed an&rsquo;
+mos&rsquo; like to die!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>That the dull and simple brain of the
+old man should have been capable of any
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg&nbsp;107]</a></span>
+formulated plan is not to be imagined, and
+when upon the following day he was taken
+before the justice for examination, he merely
+acted from an instinct of affection in
+shielding his young master, even at the
+risk of his own life. When questioned, he
+preserved an obstinate silence; then, when
+forced to speak, denied having seen either
+of the boys upon the day of their disappearance,
+but, when cross-questioned, admitted
+that he had seen Mars Phil in the Vine
+Ridge woods; and finally, when taxed
+with the blood upon the ground and with
+having hidden the guns, he reluctantly admitted
+that &ldquo;ef Mars Phil had been hurted&rdquo;
+he had done it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What did you do with the body?&rdquo; questioned
+the justice; &ldquo;throw it in the river?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>A murmur from the prisoner, which
+passed for assent, concluded the examination,
+and the justice, sorely puzzled, committed
+him to jail to await his trial.</p>
+
+<p>With the early morning, the country
+people had begun to gather around the
+courthouse, and when told that the old
+miscreant had actually confessed to the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg&nbsp;108]</a></span>
+murder, their innate love of justice gave
+place to fierce anger; and when the prisoner,
+gray with terror, bent and tottering,
+was led forth, he was surrounded by a silent
+but determined crowd, who, thrusting the
+sheriffs aside, seized and drove him before
+them, and had already slipped the noose
+about his neck, when an inarticulate shout
+caused the crowd to sway,&mdash;a horseman
+dashed into their midst and proclaimed
+that both boys were alive. Their disappearance
+had been explained on that morning
+by a letter forwarded by hand, which ran
+as follows:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p class="addressr">On Board the Chieftain.</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot">
+<p><span class="smcap">Dear Uncle</span>,&mdash;This afternoon, while
+hunting in the Vine Ridge woods, Phil&rsquo;s
+gun went off and wounded him in the side.
+I was at my wit&rsquo;s end what to do, when I
+heard the Chieftain blow up the river; so
+I tore off to the levee, where I was lucky
+enough to succeed in attracting Captain
+Smith&rsquo;s attention, who sent off a boat, and
+we managed to get Phil on board. I
+wanted Smith to put back to our landing,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg&nbsp;109]</a></span>
+but he thought the current too strong; and
+on the whole, I believe it is better for Phil
+to keep on to Hilton, as it would be impossible
+to get a doctor at home in this high
+water. Phil&rsquo;s hurt is not very serious, I hope.</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 10em;">Your dutiful nephew,</p>
+<p class="sig">Harry Brace.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>On the day succeeding Harry&rsquo;s homecoming,
+he entered the room designated the
+&ldquo;study,&rdquo; in which the Squire was usually
+to be found when indoors.</p>
+
+<p>The room probably owed the name of
+&ldquo;study&rdquo; to a set of <i>Farmer&rsquo;s Magazines</i>
+which, in all the dignity of expensive bindings,
+divided the shelf with a rather damaged
+edition of &ldquo;The Turf Register,&rdquo; a
+&ldquo;Farrier&rsquo;s Manual,&rdquo; a brace of antiquated
+medical works, and a stack of newspapers.
+Fishing tackle, a cupping apparatus, a set
+of engineering instruments, half a dozen
+ears of extra fine seed corn, medicine scales,
+and a huge cotton stock filled the rest of
+the bookcase.</p>
+
+<p>The Squire, seated before a blazing fire,
+in the lazy comforts of convalescence, with
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg&nbsp;110]</a></span>
+pipe and tobacco at his elbow, presented a
+not unenviable picture when contrasted with
+the wintry grayness outside.</p>
+
+<p>Harry, who had been greatly touched by
+the old hog-feeder&rsquo;s affectionate fidelity, now
+sought his uncle in order to beg that as a
+recompense he might be given his freedom.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Freedom!&rdquo; exclaimed the Squire; &ldquo;why,
+confound it, my dear boy, what would he
+do with freedom, if he had it?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I think he would like it,&rdquo; Harry murmured,
+a little sheepishly.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, he&rsquo;s as free as air now; a deuced
+sight freer than I am.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Nevertheless Harry gained his point,
+and though the Squire growled, &ldquo;You
+young jackanapes, you&rsquo;ve robbed me of
+the best hog-feeder on the river,&rdquo; still he was
+evidently pleased, and in the evening old
+Jerry was sent for.</p>
+
+<p>When, in answer to the summons, Jerry
+presented himself at the study door, his
+master said to him, with a stateliness fitted
+to the occasion:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Jerry, I have sent for you to tell you
+that your young master here, as a reward
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg&nbsp;111]</a></span>
+for your fidelity, desires to give you your
+freedom.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Here the Squire paused, and Jerry, not
+knowing what else to say, said, &ldquo;Yes, Marster.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Harry, standing by, was feeling rather
+wrought up, while the Squire, also somewhat
+excited, continued:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will give you a house in the free settlement,
+out in the slashes, and your young
+master will always take care of you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Another rather disconcerting pause was
+broken by a second &ldquo;Yes, Marster;&rdquo; and the
+old man, picking up his hat, shuffled out.</p>
+
+<p>The Squire glanced at Harry with a mischievous
+twinkle in his eyes, but the boy&rsquo;s
+face expressed such blank disappointment
+that he took pity upon him, and, picking
+up a newspaper, dismissed the matter.</p>
+
+<p>Upon the following evening a low knock
+was heard at the study door, then a fumbling
+at the latch, and old Jerry once more
+stood upon the threshold.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, old man, what is it now?&rdquo; his master
+asked kindly. &ldquo;Come, out with it!&rdquo; he
+repeated, as the old man, with a feeble grin,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg&nbsp;112]</a></span>
+stood helplessly fingering his hat. &ldquo;What&rsquo;s
+the matter?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And old Jerry, slowly scratching his head,
+made answer:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Thank, Marster; I&rsquo;s come to ax Marster
+what I done to &rsquo;splease Mars?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Displease me! Why, what has put that
+notion into your head?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I dunno, Mars, what I&rsquo;s done, but I&rsquo;s
+skeared Mars mout be set agin me, &rsquo;cause
+he say he gwine sen&rsquo; me offen de plantation.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Harry explained that he was to be
+set free, and eagerly enlarged upon the delights
+of liberty. The hog-feeder listened,
+but was unmoved: he obstinately declined
+to accept his freedom, his plea being that
+&ldquo;the varments&rdquo; would &ldquo;&rsquo;stroy up his creeturs&rdquo;
+if he were not there to look after
+them.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;De black sow, she got a fine litter o&rsquo;
+pigs now, an&rsquo; de foxes is a&rsquo;ter &rsquo;em de
+blessed time.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>After this no more could be urged, and
+Jerry, scraping his foot, went out with a
+mind full of content.</p>
+
+
+<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> As this is a true tale of an old-time plantation
+negro, I think it but fair to state that he had a &ldquo;chist&rdquo;
+full of good clothes; but, with a parsimony not uncommon
+among his race, he preferred to protect his
+feet with old bits of blanket, instead of using the
+excellent home-knit woollen socks which lay snugly
+hidden away in his &ldquo;chist;&rdquo; and it was the same feeling
+which caused him to wrap himself now into an
+old garment made up of patches, although three good
+ones lay snugly folded away in the same chest.</p></div>
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg&nbsp;113]</a></span></p>
+<h2>THE JUNIOR RESERVE</h2>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcapir"><span class="dropcap">I</span></span>t was in the early summer of
+1864 that the family at Swan
+Manor was thrown off its balance
+by the calling out of &ldquo;The
+Junior Reserves.&rdquo; That unfledged boys,
+and among them their own little smooth-cheeked
+Billy, should be called upon to fill
+up the thinned and broken ranks of the
+Southern army filled their hearts with dismay.
+The old Squire, with bushy brows
+beetling over his eyes, sat in grief too deep
+for words, a prey to the darkest forebodings.
+Miss Jemima had wept until her eyes were
+mere nothings, while her nose, coming gallantly
+to the front, had assumed an undue
+prominence. Kate, with her pretty lips
+drawn to keep down the rising sobs, tried
+all in vain to bestow upon her twin brother
+bright looks and smiles, ever before so ready
+and spontaneous. In the early secession
+days it had seemed such fun to ride to dress
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg&nbsp;114]</a></span>
+parade and toss bouquets to the laughing
+&ldquo;boys in gray,&rdquo; while all the world played
+Dixie!</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;Away down South in Dixie.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>How she and Billy had whispered and
+plotted, and how great the triumph when
+together they climbed the gate-post and,
+after much toil, successfully planted their
+little red and white flag! But now, alas! all
+was changed,&mdash;they were fast getting to
+be grown-up people, and now her own dear
+Billy must go to help drive the Yankees
+out of Dixie.</p>
+
+<p>As for Billy himself, a suppressed but
+exultant grin shone upon his face, a trifle
+deprecating when in the presence of his
+grandfather or his tearful Aunt Jemima,
+but very jubilant despite these drawbacks.
+In truth this junior reserve was only too
+pleased to exchange the Latin grammar for
+the musket, and little cared he for prospective
+hardships, provided school were not
+among them.</p>
+
+<p>In the few busy days before the departure,
+Kate followed Billy&rsquo;s footsteps, trying
+in vain to share his elation. &ldquo;Good gracious,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg&nbsp;115]</a></span>
+Kate,&rdquo; he would exclaim, when he discovered
+her furtively wiping her eyes with her little
+damp ball of a pocket handkerchief, &ldquo;don&rsquo;t
+be such a little goose; why, what would you
+have a fellow do? I had no idea that you
+were that sort of a girl.&rdquo; Then, as between
+laughing and crying her face contorted itself
+into a sort of spasmodic grin, he would
+say: &ldquo;Now that&rsquo;s right, that&rsquo;s the way to do,
+if you&rsquo;ll just cheer up, I&rsquo;ll be all right; the
+Yankees&rsquo;ll not bother me much, you bet.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At the request of Serena (Billy&rsquo;s former
+nurse) her boy Cy was chosen to accompany
+his young master as body servant, one of
+his chief recommendations being that, naturally
+&ldquo;skeary,&rdquo; he would be a safe companion;
+also, as his mother proudly averred,
+he was the fastest runner upon the plantation.</p>
+
+<p>It was upon a golden evening in June
+that little Billy bade farewell to his home,
+Miss Jemima and Kate going with him to
+the little wayside station. Cy, gotten up
+in great style, followed, while the rear was
+brought up by a motley procession,&mdash;all
+eager for the honor of carrying some of the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg&nbsp;116]</a></span>
+belongings. The Squire, with Don the old
+Irish setter, stood in the doorway until
+Billy passed out of sight; then the two
+together, the old man and the old dog, went
+back into the silent house.</p>
+
+<p>The path to the station wound its way
+through a field of ripening wheat, from
+whence the clear whistle of a partridge
+smote sharply though the fervid air. Billy
+paused, and, pointing to a tangle of blackberry,
+exclaimed: &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a nest there
+as sure as shooting, and I&rsquo;ll go there to-mor&mdash;&rdquo;
+A quick catching of the breath cut
+short the unfinished words, and the boy,
+with lips slightly drawn, quickened his pace.
+Kate, choking down her sobs, held his hand
+in her tight clasp, as she kept pace with his
+hurried step. Miss Jemima, steadying her
+voice, remarked with a sprightly air that
+there would be fine shooting when he
+should come back in the autumn. Then
+the little station came into view, looking
+very empty and deserted; two men loading
+a flat car were the only living objects to be
+seen. They paused in their work to greet
+Billy, and ask where he was off to. It seemed
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg&nbsp;117]</a></span>
+so strange a thing to Kate that all the world
+did not know.</p>
+
+<p>The train was not on time, and the waiting
+became so painful that it was almost
+with gladness that they heard the warning
+whistle far down the track. A small crowd
+had gradually collected, and some one remarked:
+&ldquo;She&rsquo;s blowin&rsquo; for the bridge.
+It&rsquo;ll be ten minutes before she&rsquo;s here.&rdquo;
+To the tumultuously throbbing hearts of
+the little party it was a positive relief when
+a puff of smoke was seen and the engine
+came rushing around the bend. Then there
+were hurried kisses; the bell clanged, a
+voice called out, &ldquo;All aboard,&rdquo; and the train
+was off. &ldquo;Gone, gone, gone,&rdquo; Kate repeated
+over and over to herself, as she gazed with
+tearless eyes into the dim distance of the
+now silent track.</p>
+
+<p>As the party retraced their steps homeward
+the partridge was still calling his
+cheerful &ldquo;Bob White&rdquo; from amid the wheat,
+while from the shadowy depth of a laurel
+thicket came the sweet gurgle of the wood-thrush.</p>
+
+<p>In the late summer, news&mdash;glorious
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg&nbsp;118]</a></span>
+news&mdash;came that the foe had been driven
+back, and their boy was unhurt.</p>
+
+<p>Later, a man from the front at home on
+furlough was heard to say that &ldquo;Billy
+Swan was a regular trump, and had borne
+himself like a veteran.&rdquo; Kate walked elate,
+saying the words over and over, with a proud
+smile, &ldquo;A hero, a regular trump,&rdquo;&mdash;he, her
+own dear Billy. The old Squire, too, with
+ill-concealed pride in his boy, was once more
+like his former self.</p>
+
+<p>Happy days&mdash;brief, hopeful days! Alas,
+alas! Many Junes have come and gone since
+little Billy was laid to rest in the old burying-ground,
+close to the wheat-field where
+the partridge calls, calls, the long day
+through. June roses scatter their leaves
+above him, and when the sun drops low, with
+long golden shafts upon the green mound
+which covers him, from far down in the
+laurel thicket comes the liquid gurgle of
+the wood-thrush. Kate looks into faces,
+once frank and bright, and full of youth
+and hope, now grown old and seamed with
+care, and she tells herself that &ldquo;whom the
+gods love, die young.&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg&nbsp;119]</a></span></p>
+<h2>MAMMY</h2>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcapt"><span class="dropcap">T</span></span>wo little snub noses were flattening
+themselves against the
+nursery window pane, while
+the four eager eyes watched
+the soft flakes whirling through the air and
+silently descending upon the whitening
+earth.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Sposen we was to steal out,&rdquo; whispered
+the boy, &ldquo;an&rsquo; hide, so Mammy couldn&rsquo;t
+never find us no more.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>An excited chuckle interrupted the further
+development of this deliciously lawless
+scheme; but, though the little sister caught
+the infection, she prudently turned from
+the tempting prospect, saying, &ldquo;No, Sed,
+I&rsquo;s &rsquo;fraid you might git the croups an&rsquo;
+die.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The other occupants of the room were a
+little roly-poly cherub of a girl, seated in a
+tiny chair, holding in her arms a rag baby,
+which she rocked and dangled in servile
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg&nbsp;120]</a></span>
+imitation of her mammy, who, with bumpings
+peculiar to the nursery chair, was
+rocking to sleep a still younger babe. A
+fair little maiden, curled up comfortably
+upon a cushion, the firelight glistening
+upon her yellow locks, bent over a book,
+from which she read, in high-pitched, childish
+voice, to her mammy, the story of &ldquo;Ellen
+Lynn.&rdquo; Mammy was very proud that
+her nursling could read, and would cast admiring
+looks upon the child as she bent
+over her book, with finger pointing to each
+word. Both were absorbed in the story,
+and every picture was examined with
+scrupulous care.</p>
+
+<p>Another occupant of the nursery was
+&ldquo;Chany,&rdquo; the under nursemaid. Gawky,
+sleek, and black, she sat flat upon the floor,
+her large, well-shod feet turned to the fire,
+a picture of lazy, vacant content.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ch-Ch-Chany,&rdquo; stuttered Mammy, &ldquo;look
+in de top drawer an&rsquo; git a hankcher and
+blow dat chile&rsquo;s nose. Go on wid yo book,
+honey; Mammy ain&rsquo;t goin&rsquo; &rsquo;sturb you no
+mo.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mr. Lynn left the sleigh, and turning
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg&nbsp;121]</a></span>
+from the island&rdquo;&mdash;piped little Caroline.
+Then there came another prolonged snuffle
+from Sedley.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You Ch-Ch-Chany, why&rsquo;n&rsquo;t you git
+dat hankcher?&rdquo; caused that languid maiden
+to bestir herself. Having fumbled in the
+drawer for the handkerchief, she approached
+the window, but no sooner did the little boy
+become aware of her intention than, with a
+rebellious shake of his curly head, he buried
+his nose in his little chapped fists, and, regardless
+of Sibyl&rsquo;s advice, that he had better
+be good, he firmly stood his ground, determined
+to resist Chany to the death.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He ain&rsquo;t gwine let me tetch him,&rdquo; said
+Chany, feebly dabbing at him with the
+handkerchief.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do, pray, gal, don&rsquo;t be so no-&rsquo;count,&rdquo;
+Mammy answered. Then Chany, stung by
+the imputation, made another helpless dive;
+a scuffle ensued, in which she was utterly
+routed, and the victorious Sedley threw
+himself upon Mammy&rsquo;s lap.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Gi&rsquo; me de hankcher,&rdquo; said Mammy,
+with an air of withering contempt. &ldquo;There,
+now, you done woke up your little brother,&rdquo;
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg&nbsp;122]</a></span>
+she said, when, the nose being blown, she
+again returned to trying to jolt baby Joe to
+sleep. &ldquo;He jest had drapped off into a
+doze.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, chilluns, le&rsquo;s pop some corn!&rdquo;
+Chany now exclaimed. &ldquo;Here&rsquo;s a whole
+sight of it,&rdquo; she went on, as she searched a
+basket, which she had unearthed from the
+closet.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh! pop corn!&rdquo; shouted Sedley and
+Sibyl, running, and each seizing an ear.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh! pop torn!&rdquo; echoed the cherub,
+throwing down her rag baby. So the
+shovel was run into the ashes, and Chany
+and the three little ones set to work to
+shell the corn.</p>
+
+<p>Quiet was again restored, and Caroline,
+who, all through the hubbub, had kept her
+finger faithfully upon &ldquo;island,&rdquo; continued
+her reading.</p>
+
+<p>Mammy now substituted a sideways
+movement of the knees for the more vigorous
+bumping of the chair, and baby Joe&mdash;lying
+luxuriously upon her wide lap&mdash;gazed
+dreamily into the glowing coals upon
+the hearth, until gradually the white lids
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg&nbsp;123]</a></span>
+drooped over the blue eyes, and he slept.
+The nursery was very quiet now. The
+corn-poppers were intent upon their work,
+and Mammy, soothed by the unwonted stillness,
+listened drowsily to the little reader
+until fresh interest was excited by the following
+words.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The men were now still more alarmed,&rdquo;
+read Caroline. &ldquo;Farmer Lynn said that he
+would go with them and see what had become
+of Mr. Lynn and Annie. The whole
+party accordingly went back to the river.
+After searching about for some time, one of
+the men espied something black on the surface
+of the snow, at a great distance down
+the river. They all proceeded to the spot,
+and were dreadfully shocked on arriving
+there to find that the black spot was a part
+of Mr. Lynn&rsquo;s arm and that his body was
+beneath, frozen, and buried up in the snow.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When Mammy heard these words, she
+threw up her arms, and exclaimed, &ldquo;Lord,
+have mercy &rsquo;pon my soul! What! Mr. Lynn
+hisself?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>To her imagination Mr. Lynn was a most
+real person. The book was now brought
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg&nbsp;124]</a></span>
+to her and she, with little Caroline, looked
+with deep and mournful interest at the picture
+of the empty sleigh.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It certainly is a awful country to live
+in; seem like it ain&rsquo;t fitten for a dog, much
+less white folks. To think o&rsquo; Mr. Lynn hisself
+bein&rsquo; froze to death. Well! well! well!
+It certainly was onexpected.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The children&rsquo;s story books furnished
+Mammy with many thoughts. Among them
+was a set of German nursery tales, full of
+quaint colored pictures, in which she took
+especial pleasure. Seated by the nursery
+fire, the baby asleep in his crib and the
+others out at play, she would turn the leaves
+feeling that each picture was a living portrait.
+Slovenly Peter, Rocking Phillip, and
+Greedy Jacob were her favorites. Once
+when shown a pretzel, she exclaimed, &ldquo;Ef
+it ain&rsquo;t the very thing what Jacob had in
+his hand when he busted,&rdquo; and, taking the
+pretzel in her hand, she contemplated it
+with a thoughtful and sentimental air.</p>
+
+<p>The nursery door was now burst open,
+and in rushed Harry, bringing with him a
+blast of fresh cold air; black Ned came too,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg&nbsp;125]</a></span>
+and both brought upon their feet enough
+snow to cover the carpet with moist tracks.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You Ne-Ne-Ned, ain&rsquo;t you got no mo&rsquo;
+manners than to be a-tracking up de house
+dis way? Go &rsquo;long out and clean your
+feet;&rdquo; but the hubbub was too great for
+Mammy&rsquo;s words to be heeded; pig-tails
+were being brandished aloft, and the children
+all clustered round Harry and Ned,
+asking questions and clamoring for pig-tails.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Look!&rdquo; said Harry. &ldquo;Here&rsquo;s somefin
+better&rsquo;n pig-tails,&rdquo; and he drew from his
+pocket the mangled remains of a dozen or
+more snow-birds.</p>
+
+<p>A scramble now ensued, and Sibyl&mdash;having
+secured as many as she wanted&mdash;retired
+to a corner, and silently fell to
+plucking them, while Sedley, who was as
+vainglorious as a Comanche, capered about
+on his short legs, and boasted of imaginary
+exploits with trap and dead-fall.</p>
+
+<p>Caroline looked on, half pleased and half
+disgusted, keeping herself clear of contact.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Miss Calline she too proud to tetch pig-tails,&rdquo;
+grinned Chany.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg&nbsp;126]</a></span>
+&ldquo;&rsquo;F cose she is,&rdquo; Mammy answered, bridling.
+She was very vain of Miss Caroline&rsquo;s
+daintiness.</p>
+
+<p>The baby was now laid in his crib.
+Chany was dispatched for salt and pepper;
+the shovel was again run into the ashes,
+pig-tails were placed delicately upon the
+coals, and the nursery, pervaded with the
+various odors of wet shoes, burnt corn, fried
+grease, etc., was given up to disorder and
+cooking, into which Mammy threw herself
+with as much zest as did the children. The
+pig-tails were broiled to a turn, and the
+small birds were frizzling away upon the
+shovel, when Sedley, taking advantage of
+his opportunity, made a rush for the door,
+opened it, and was outside, with mouth
+and hands full of snow. Before Mammy&rsquo;s
+vigilant eye had noted his escape, he was
+flying back in triumph, with a big ball in
+his fist, when she met him and, with dexterous
+grasp, wrenched it from him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Di-di-did anybody ever see your match!&rdquo;
+she exclaimed as she hurled the ball into
+the fire. &ldquo;I clar I&rsquo;s got a good mind to
+take you right straight to your ma.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg&nbsp;127]</a></span>
+But Sedley knew the value of such
+threats and soon wiggled himself out of
+her grasp.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Da now, go &rsquo;long an&rsquo; &rsquo;have yourself,&rdquo; she
+said, with admiring fondness, as he laughed
+and capered away from her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Honey, what is you a-doin&rsquo;?&rdquo; she now
+inquired of Sibyl, who, with hot cheeks, was
+bending over a pile of coals. &ldquo;Cookin&rsquo; a
+bird? Let me do it,&mdash;you&rsquo;s a-burnin&rsquo; your
+little face clean to a cracklin&rsquo;.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, Mammy, I&rsquo;m cookin&rsquo; my bird for
+grandma,&rdquo; the child answered, rejecting all
+help, &ldquo;an&rsquo; I&rsquo;m goin&rsquo; to do it all by myself.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Wh&rsquo;, baby honey, your gran&rsquo;ma ain&rsquo;t
+comin&rsquo; before Christmas eve, an&rsquo; dat&rsquo;s a
+week off. Your bird ain&rsquo;t goin&rsquo; keep all
+dat time, but ne&rsquo; mine, I&rsquo;ll make Ned
+ketch you another one.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>Upon Christmas Eve, the children might
+have been seen at the big gate, straining
+their eyes down the road, each hoping to
+be the first to see their grandmother&rsquo;s carriage.
+Visions of waxen dolls, sugar-plums,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg&nbsp;128]</a></span>
+and other vague delights imparted a double
+zest to her arrival,&mdash;to say nothing of
+Uncle Robin (the driver) who, in the estimation
+of the little boys, was of far greater
+importance than was their grandmother.
+To them he was an oracle of wisdom, and
+their delight was to follow him about the
+stable lot or to sit in the sunshine and
+hang upon his words; for his imagination
+was fertile, and the boys would listen with
+wonder to the tales of his prowess and skill
+with horses. Something was now observed
+to be moving far down the road, which
+soon proved to be the carriage. Yes, there
+were &ldquo;Ph&oelig;nix&rdquo; and &ldquo;Peacock,&rdquo; which no
+one but Uncle Robin could handle, and
+there sat Uncle Robin upon the box, and
+there was grandma inside, smiling and
+waving her handkerchief, and there, too,
+sat Aunt Polly, grandma&rsquo;s maid.</p>
+
+<p>The carriage stopped, and Uncle Robin,
+bowing and smiling, descended and opened
+the door, and they all scrambled in and
+were hugged and kissed, and Polly admired
+their beauty and exclaimed at their
+growth. Then the door was clapped to
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg&nbsp;129]</a></span>
+again, but not before Harry had managed
+to slip out and clamber to the box beside
+Uncle Robin, who, having driven through
+the gate, handed him the reins, with a
+caution to keep his eye upon Peacock. In
+the estimation of the boy, this sleek and
+overfed Peacock seemed little less than a
+raging lion whom only Uncle Robin could
+quell.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;ll run in a minute, if he gits a
+chance,&rdquo; said the guileful Uncle Robin.
+So Harry clutched the reins and drove
+proudly past the lot, in full view of some
+of the men, turned in at the yard gate, and
+drew up before the door.</p>
+
+<p>Grandma could not wait for the hanging
+of the Christmas stockings, but insisted
+upon opening her trunk at once,
+and displaying her gifts to the children&rsquo;s
+delighted eyes. The wax babies exceeded
+their wildest hopes. The house was made
+horrible with horns and drums. Mammy
+laughed and showed her dimples and courtesied
+over her own gorgeous present, and
+all felt that Christmas had really come.</p>
+
+<p>For several days, indeed, throughout the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg&nbsp;130]</a></span>
+holidays, Harry felt that he had left childhood
+far behind him, and, as he strutted
+about the stable yard, he now and then expectorated,
+in imitation of Uncle Robin,
+as though he had a quid in his mouth.</p>
+
+<p>Aunt Polly, though far inferior to Uncle
+Robin in the children&rsquo;s estimation, was
+yet a person of distinction, and no naughtiness
+was ever displayed when she was by
+to witness it.</p>
+
+<p>Mammy usually enjoyed a gossip with
+Aunt Polly over the nursery fire. But,
+sometimes feelings of coolness would arise.
+Polly belonged to the family of the mother
+of the children, while Mammy came from
+that of the father, and between the two a
+slight rivalry had always existed as to the
+superiority of her own white children.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&rsquo;T is a pity Miss Calline&rsquo;s back&rsquo;s so
+round,&rdquo; said Polly one night as the children
+were being undressed.</p>
+
+<p>Now, if there was a feature in which
+Mammy took a pride, it was in the straightness
+of the children&rsquo;s limbs and the flatness
+of their backs, above all the limbs and
+backs in the other branches of the family;
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg&nbsp;131]</a></span>
+so, firing up at once, she replied that she
+would like to see a flatter back than &ldquo;this
+here one,&rdquo; laying her hand upon Caroline&rsquo;s.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Miss Emmaline&rsquo;s is a sight flatter,&rdquo;
+Polly stoutly maintained. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s got as
+pretty shape as ever I see,&mdash;all our people&rsquo;s
+got good shapes from old Missis
+down. I reckon this chile&rsquo;s got her back
+from her pa&rsquo;s fambly.&rdquo; When Polly said
+this, Mammy felt that the gauntlet had
+been flung down, and, at once, with an eloquence
+all her own, so defended the &ldquo;shapes&rdquo;
+of her &ldquo;fambly&rdquo; that Polly was fairly beaten
+in the war of words, and was forced to admit,
+with many apologies, that Miss Caroline&rsquo;s
+back was as flat as Miss Emmaline&rsquo;s.</p>
+
+<p>Mammy accepted the apology with some
+hauteur, and it was several days before entire
+cordiality was re&euml;stablished; in fact,
+in all her after life, Mammy would, when
+in certain moods, hark back to &ldquo;dat time
+when dat long-mouthed Polly had de imperdence
+to say dat our folks&rsquo; backs weren&rsquo;t
+as straight as hern.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg&nbsp;132]</a></span>
+Full of peaceful content were the lives
+of both whites and blacks. Merrily the
+Christmas went by, to be followed by
+others as merry, and the winters and summers
+came and went, turning childhood
+into maturity and maturity into old age.
+Mammy&rsquo;s glory reached its zenith when, at
+&ldquo;Miss Calline&rsquo;s&rdquo; grand wedding, she herself
+rustled about in all the grandeur of a new
+black silk and Polly was forever squelched.
+The whole world seemed full of prosperity,
+abundance, and careless happiness, when
+suddenly, like a thunderbolt, the war came.</p>
+
+<p>The plantation home was abandoned
+very carelessly, and with light hearts the
+family drove away, expecting nothing but
+to return with the frosts of winter. They
+refugeed to a farmhouse upon the outskirts
+of a little up-country village.</p>
+
+<p>Sedley, though still a beardless youth,
+shouldered his musket, and took his place
+in the ranks. Sibyl and her mother, in the
+little rude farmhouse, thought not of their
+lost splendor, but cheerfully looked for the
+good days sure to come when, the war over,
+the dear ones would come back, and the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg&nbsp;133]</a></span>
+old times. Every Southern woman knows
+how it was when the great battles were
+fought and a trembling, white-lipped group
+of women and aged men would stand huddled
+together to hear what the midnight
+dispatches might have in store for them.</p>
+
+<p>In the little upland village the refugees
+were closely knit together by hopes and
+fears in common. When sorrow fell upon
+one household the little community all
+mourned. But if the wires brought glad
+words that all at the front were unharmed,
+there would come a period of happy reaction;
+the little society would be wildly gay,
+especially if one or more young heroes
+from the front had come home with a
+slight wound,&mdash;just enough to make a
+demigod of him.</p>
+
+<p>Such was Sedley&rsquo;s happy fate one never-to-be-forgotten
+summer, when every girl in
+the village fell madly in love with his blue
+eyes and his gray coat and his mustache
+and his lovely voice, as he strummed the
+guitar in the moonlight,&mdash;and most of all
+with his merry laugh. Did time permit, I
+might tell of such odd costumes, such
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg&nbsp;134]</a></span>
+make-ups of homespun and lace, fine old
+silks and calicoes, in which the Dixie girls
+danced so merrily.</p>
+
+<p>It was just upon the heels of one of these
+happy seasons that a rumor was whispered
+that the army was about to fall back and
+that the offices and stores would be removed
+in consequence. At first the rumor was rejected,&mdash;no
+good Confederate would listen
+to such treason; but finally the croakers
+were proved to be right. The government
+stores were hastily removed. The office-holders
+took a sad farewell of those whom
+they left behind them, and the little town
+was abandoned to its fate, outside the Confederate
+lines.</p>
+
+<p>Sibyl and her mother were among the
+tearful group who watched the little band
+of departing friends, as it passed out of the
+town, waved a last adieu, and strained their
+dimmed eyes for a last sight of the Confederate
+gray, ere they went sadly back to their
+homes.</p>
+
+<p>When Sibyl and her mother reached
+home, they found Mammy already at work.
+She had ripped open a feather bed, and
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg&nbsp;135]</a></span>
+amid its downy depths she was burying
+whatever she could lay her hands upon.
+Clothing, jewelry, even a china ornament
+or two,&mdash;all went in. It was a day or two
+after that Rita complained of a great knot
+in her bed, which had bruised her back
+and prevented her sleeping. Mammy
+heard her, but, waiting until they were
+alone, said in a half whisper, &ldquo;Honey, I
+knows what dat knot is, &rsquo;t ain&rsquo;t nothin&rsquo; but
+your brother&rsquo;s cavalry boots that I hid in
+the bed. I reckon the feathers has got
+shuck down. Don&rsquo;t say nothin&rsquo;, an&rsquo; I&rsquo;ll
+turn your bed over, and then you won&rsquo;t
+feel &rsquo;em. An&rsquo;, honey, do pray be kereful
+how you talks before Jim. I ain&rsquo;t got no
+&rsquo;pinion o&rsquo; Jim, an&rsquo; it&rsquo;ll never do in de
+world to let him speck where the things is
+hid.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>No one knew how soon the Yankees
+might come, and all were busily engaged
+in concealing whatever they had of value.
+People may smile now at some of the recollections
+of that day, but they were earnest
+enough then, and as much importance was
+attached to the concealment of a ham or a
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg&nbsp;136]</a></span>
+pound of black sugar as to that of a casket
+of diamonds. Clothing and provisions
+were hidden in various strange and out-of-the-way
+places, and, when night came,
+Mammy and her mistress were glad to rest
+their tired bodies, although too much excited
+to sleep. At last, however, a deep sleep fell
+upon them, from which they were awakened
+by the distant roar of cannon. The
+village, though no longer a depot for Confederate
+stores, was not to be given up without
+a struggle. It now became a sort of
+debatable ground, and cannonading, more
+or less distant, told the anxious listeners of
+almost daily skirmishes.</p>
+
+<p>Awakened by the cannon&rsquo;s roar, Sibyl
+opened the window and listened. A pale
+glory to the eastward, a low rustle of leaves,
+a drowsy chirp from tiny nests, all merging
+into one inarticulate murmur of awakening
+nature, told that night was over. Sibyl and
+her mother hastily dressed themselves, called
+Rita from her fearless young sleep, roused
+up the baby, as they still called little Joe;
+then asked themselves why they did it.
+There was nothing to do but to sit on the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg&nbsp;137]</a></span>
+porch or to wander aimlessly, listening with
+beating hearts to the faint and more faint
+boom of the artillery. And the roses glowed
+in the May sunshine, and the honeysuckle
+wafted its perfume in at the open windows,
+and the bees droned among the flowers, and
+all was so peaceful, but for the incessant
+dull roar of the battle.</p>
+
+<p>The Confederates were finally driven
+back, the Federals entered the town, and
+then the bummers came streaming through
+the country, leaving desolation behind them.
+Cattle, poultry, everything eatable was
+driven off or carried away in the great
+army wagons that came crashing along, regardless
+of all obstacles in their cruel course.
+Cut off from all news from the army, Sibyl
+and her mother dragged wearily through
+the long, sad summer, and the two children
+grew gaunt for want of nourishing food.</p>
+
+<p>It was a morning in the early autumn
+that Sibyl, sitting at work by an open window,
+became suddenly conscious of an unusual
+presence near her, and, looking up,
+beheld a man gazing fixedly upon her. A
+party of Federals had that very morning
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg&nbsp;138]</a></span>
+visited the house upon a pretended search
+for concealed weapons, and the girl, with
+nerves still vibrating with terror, uttered a
+little shriek, and, starting up, was about to
+close the window, when the figure leaped
+over the low sill, a pair of strong arms
+encircled her, kisses fell upon her lips, and,
+ere the shriek of terror could find voice,
+she recognized, under the rough countryman&rsquo;s
+hat, the laughing eyes of her brother
+Sedley.</p>
+
+<p>Such meetings can be better imagined
+than described; seconds had become minutes
+ere Sibyl or her mother could begin
+to realize their joy, which, in its first intensity,
+was almost pain. Then came the
+breathless questionings as to the well-being
+of the other dear ones, then the deep sigh
+of thankfulness from the long-burdened
+hearts.</p>
+
+<p>At the sound of a strange voice. Mammy,
+peeping in at the open door, had fallen
+prostrate with joy, and, while hugging her
+boy to her faithful bosom, had called upon
+her Maker to testify that upon this very
+morning the scissors had stuck up twice.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg&nbsp;139]</a></span>
+&ldquo;An&rsquo; I knowed when dey done dat, dat
+somebody was a-comin&rsquo;.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Dinah, the cook, came in, courtesying
+and laughing and loyal as though no
+emancipating army had set foot in Dixie.</p>
+
+<p>When the joyful tidings had reached the
+children, Rita&rsquo;s thin legs might have been
+seen flying through the high grass. The
+more practical Joe toiled behind, bending
+under the burden of (their treasure trove)
+a big pumpkin, a basket of persimmons,
+and a few stalks of sorghum, for, like the
+Scriptural colts of the wild ass, they passed
+their time in searching after every green
+thing.</p>
+
+<p>In the magnetism of the bright presence
+of the young soldier, all the sad forebodings
+seemed to vanish into thin air.
+While listening to his brave words of hope,
+they forgot that the sunny hours of this
+most happy day were hastening by. Already
+the shadows lay long upon the grass,
+and there remained yet so much to be
+said and so little time wherein to say it!
+By set of sun Sedley must be on his way
+to rejoin his command. His brief and daring
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg&nbsp;140]</a></span>
+visit had been achieved by his assuming
+a disguise before venturing inside the
+enemy&rsquo;s lines.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How did you ever manage it?&rdquo; asked
+the mother. &ldquo;I tremble when I think of it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; he answered, &ldquo;it was easy enough.
+I came in with a fellow who was driving
+cattle into town.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, Sed!&rdquo; his sister whispered; &ldquo;you
+ran an awful risk; how will you manage to
+get back without being discovered?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;ll be no trouble about that,&rdquo; he
+answered. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you and mother go and
+worry yourselves about me. I&rsquo;ll be all
+right, so cheer up and don&rsquo;t look so doleful.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Urged on by fear, they now almost hurried
+him away, and Mammy, while filling
+his haversack with provisions, entreated
+him to be careful.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;De ain&rsquo;t no tellin&rsquo; what dem Yankees
+would do ef dey once clapt hands on you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Sedley might guess shrewdly enough
+what his fate would be in such case, but
+he replied, with his old boyish laugh, that
+it was his trade to outrun the Yankees.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg&nbsp;141]</a></span>
+&ldquo;Never fear, Mammy,&rdquo; he said at parting.
+&ldquo;Trust me to beat &rsquo;em at that game.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the sad good-byes were said, and
+manfully he strode down the little path,
+turning only once to wave a last good-by
+to the sorrowful group on the broad front
+porch, who watched till he passed out of
+sight.</p>
+
+<p>The night was spent in anxious watching,
+but confidence returned with the morning,
+and all again settled back to their
+employments and amusements. Sybil wandered
+into the parlor, and, sitting down to
+the piano, sang in a low, sweet voice some
+of the pathetic war melodies. The &ldquo;colts
+of the wild ass seeking after every green
+thing&rdquo; had sought the sorghum patch, and
+Mammy had taken a basket into the garden
+for a final gathering of sage leaves. The
+day was dreamy, as only an October day of
+the South can be. The tempered sunlight,
+streaming softly through the filmy autumnal
+mist, threw a veil of loveliness over the
+homeliest objects; the old gray fences, the
+russet fields, the lonely pastures, where
+from beneath the grass roots the tiny
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg&nbsp;142]</a></span>
+crickets chanted their low, sweet dirge the
+long day through, the cawing of the crows
+from a distant tree-top, all told in notes of
+most harmonious pathos that &ldquo;the fashion
+of this world passeth away.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>As Mammy, with back stiffened from
+stooping, raised herself for a moment&rsquo;s rest,
+she saw Jim lounge into the backyard and
+speak to Dinah. Mammy had but little use
+for Jim in general, but now she felt anxious
+to know what had been going on in the village,
+and for that reason she left her basket
+among the sage and went near to hear what
+he was saying. As she drew near, Dinah
+suddenly threw up her hands, and, starting
+from the hencoop on which she had been
+leaning, came towards her, stuttering and
+stammering in a manner so excited as to
+be unintelligible.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What&rsquo;s dat you say? For Gods sake,
+ooman, say what yere got to say, an&rsquo; be
+done wid it!&rdquo; said Mammy, too frightened
+to be patient. Jim then drew near
+to her and, glancing cautiously towards
+the not very distant piazza, upon which
+his mistress happened at the moment to
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg&nbsp;143]</a></span>
+be standing, he whispered, &ldquo;Dey&rsquo;s done
+ketched him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;K-k-ketched who?&rdquo; stammered Mammy
+fiercely.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mas&rsquo; Sedley, dat&rsquo;s who,&rdquo; Jim answered
+doggedly.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How you know? I don&rsquo;t b&rsquo;lieve a word
+on it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Anyhow, dey&rsquo;s done done it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ho&rsquo; come you know so much &rsquo;bout it?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&rsquo;Cause I seen &rsquo;em when dey done it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Y-y-you have de face to stan&rsquo; da an&rsquo;
+tell me dat you seen &rsquo;em a-troublin&rsquo; dat
+chile an&rsquo; you not lif&rsquo; a han&rsquo; to help him?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How I gwine help him? G&rsquo;long, you
+don&rsquo;t know what you talkin&rsquo; &rsquo;bout.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Whar&rsquo;bouts did dey come across him?&rdquo;
+Mammy inquired.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Right down yonder at de mill,&rdquo; Jim answered,
+nodding his head in the direction.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good Lord,&rdquo; exclaimed Mammy, &ldquo;dey
+must &rsquo;a&rsquo; ketched him directly after he went
+away!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This conversation was carried on in such
+low murmurings that even a listener at a
+short distance could not have distinguished
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg&nbsp;144]</a></span>
+what was said; the three were very intent,
+but did not omit occasional cautious glances
+in the direction of the house.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Dat&rsquo;s so,&rdquo; Jim replied; &ldquo;an&rsquo; den dey
+shet him up in de mill house, and den I
+never seed no mo&rsquo;, &rsquo;cause I was skeered an&rsquo;
+runned away.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then, after an uneasy pause, he added,
+&ldquo;I come &rsquo;long dat-a-way soon dis mornin&rsquo;,&rdquo;
+and here he murmured so low into Mammy&rsquo;s
+ear that Dinah, though she stretched
+her neck, could not catch the word, which
+turned Mammy&rsquo;s brown face to ashen gray.
+She stood for a minute like one turned to
+stone, then staggered to her own doorstep.
+Sitting down, she buried her head in her
+apron, and so sat motionless for half an
+hour, while Jim and Dinah continued their
+guarded murmurings by the hencoop. At
+the end of half an hour she rose, took a
+bunch of keys from her pocket, went into
+her house and, closing the door behind her,
+unlocked her chest. Drawing from it a
+little workbox, which had, in years gone by,
+been one of Caroline&rsquo;s cherished Christmas
+gifts, she opened it. From beneath her
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg&nbsp;145]</a></span>
+Sunday pocket handkerchief, and a few
+other articles of special value, she produced
+another and smaller box which she opened,
+and, taking from it a gold coin, looked at it
+tenderly.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Po&rsquo; little fellow! God bless him! he
+give me this that fus&rsquo; time he come home
+from school. I never &rsquo;spected to part with
+it, but ef it&rsquo;s de Lord&rsquo;s will, it may help him
+now.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With these thoughts, Mammy quickly
+replaced the things in her chest, put the
+coin into her pocket, and, taking up the
+man&rsquo;s hat, which upon week days she always
+wore, she strode off towards the mill.</p>
+
+<p>As she passed by the piazza, she paused
+one moment irresolute, but murmuring to
+herself, &ldquo;&rsquo;T ain&rsquo;t no use upsettin&rsquo; Mistis,
+po&rsquo; cretur, and I can do it better by myself
+anyhow,&rdquo; she walked briskly forward, revolving
+in her mind her plan.</p>
+
+<p>The mill house consisted of two rooms,
+and in the one in which Jim had reported
+Sedley to be confined there was a small trap-door.
+It had been used for regulating the
+working of the machinery, and led from
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg&nbsp;146]</a></span>
+beneath the house directly to the creek, which
+ran close to the walls of the house. This trap
+Mammy had once happened to see opened,
+and in that way knew of its existence, otherwise
+she would never have suspected it,
+as, from its infrequent use, it was usually
+covered with dust and dirt and could not
+be distinguished from the rest of the floor.
+Her plan was to endeavor to get speech
+with Sedley, tell him of the trap-door, and
+leave the rest to him. Her great fear had
+been that she might be refused admittance
+to him, and hence it was that she
+had thought of her gold piece, as she hoped
+by its potent influence to be given a few
+minutes alone with the prisoner.</p>
+
+<p>There would be no great difficulty for
+Sedley to lift the trap without noise and,
+when it was lifted, to swing himself through
+to the ground, to creep until he came to the
+thick tangle upon the creek banks, then to
+swim across and escape into the shelter of
+the woods beyond. That would be simple
+enough, and Mammy, full of hopeful
+thoughts, was walking briskly forward,
+when suddenly a turn in the path brought
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg&nbsp;147]</a></span>
+into view a small body of Federals, all
+mounted, and evidently coming from the
+direction of the mill. They seemed in haste,
+and she could hear the rattle of their sabres
+as they cantered by.</p>
+
+<p>Standing amid the broom-sedge, Mammy
+watched them, casting eager, anxious looks
+upon them, fearing, dreading to see her boy
+in their midst, a poor, defenseless captive.
+Finally, as the last horseman disappeared,
+she heaved a sigh of infinite relief. &ldquo;Bless
+de good Lord, dey ain&rsquo;t took de po&rsquo; chile
+wid &rsquo;em,&rdquo; and so went on her way.</p>
+
+<p>At length the gray gables of the little
+mill house came into view, and Mammy,
+feeling in her pocket to assure herself that
+the gold piece was safe at hand, went boldly
+forward, telling herself that, if she spoke
+politely, the Yankee guard would not shoot
+her. So she went on until the little mill
+came into full view, but with no guard or
+any other object to inspire fear. All seemed
+quiet, and the place quite deserted. There
+were footprints about the door, and broken
+bushes showed the trampling of both men
+and horses, but now all was very quiet.
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg&nbsp;148]</a></span>
+The old mill house looked very peaceful,
+with the yellow autumnal sun shining
+upon its moss-grown roof, with no sound
+to break the deep silence, save the low,
+continuous warbling of a solitary mockingbird
+which, perched upon an overhanging
+bough, seemed to review its past joys in
+low, sweet notes of retrospection.</p>
+
+<p>Upon seeing that the place was quite
+deserted, Mammy paused, and, after looking
+around to satisfy herself that this was
+really the case, ascended the steps and, lifting
+the latch of the door, looked into the
+outer room.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Thank God!&rdquo; she murmured, upon
+finding it empty. &ldquo;Thank God! dey&rsquo;s all
+took deyselves off to town an&rsquo; lef&rsquo; him here,
+locked up by hisself. It raly is &rsquo;stonishin&rsquo;
+to think how foolish dem creturs is; dey
+mout ha&rsquo; knowed as someon&rsquo; would ha&rsquo;
+come an&rsquo; let him loose.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>While thus thinking, she had crossed
+the room, and was now endeavoring to
+open the door, which gave admittance
+to the inner and larger apartment. Finding,
+as she had anticipated, that this door
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg&nbsp;149]</a></span>
+was fastened, she first called to the prisoner
+within, and, when no answer was returned,
+she shook the door until at length
+the crazy old lock gave way and the door
+creaked slowly back upon its rusty hinges.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Honey, whar&rsquo;bouts is you?&rdquo; Mammy
+questioned, as, pausing upon the threshold,
+she peered into the obscurity beyond.
+The windowless room was dark, and
+Mammy, after again calling, groped her
+way in, straining her eyes into the gloom,
+but unable to discern any object. Then,
+suddenly, the deep silence and the gloom
+smote upon her senses, and a great horror
+came over her. She turned to rush from
+the room, when her eyes, grown more accustomed
+to the darkness, fell upon an
+object which froze the lifeblood in her
+veins. It lay almost at her feet. She
+stooped and bent over it, with thick, laboring
+breath. Very still it lay, with set
+white face and wide-open, unseeing eyes.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg&nbsp;150]</a></span></p>
+<h2>WAR REMINISCENCES</h2>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcapir"><span class="dropcap">I</span></span> remember when Wheeler&rsquo;s
+cavalry passed through
+town that the men, when
+halted, just dropped in the
+streets and slept, so that passers-by were
+forced to step over them, but in spite of
+starvation and weariness the old indomitable
+spirit would assert itself. One of the
+poor fellows, while the column was passing
+by Christ Church, looked up at the weathercock
+and remarked to a comrade that it was
+the first and only instance of Wheeler&rsquo;s boys
+seeing a chicken which they could not get at.</p>
+
+<p>We were singularly fortunate in the
+neighborhood of Raleigh in having no lack
+of wholesome food, and in being able to
+send boxes of provisions to the army around
+Petersburg. We, in particular, were plentifully
+supplied from the plantation, a four-horse
+wagon being constantly engaged in
+hauling supplies.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg&nbsp;151]</a></span>
+One of the greatest taxes upon our resources,
+and the event that brought the war
+very closely home to us, was the advent of
+the cavalcade and ambulances referred to in
+my notes concerning My Own Early Home.</p>
+
+<p>Most of the horsemen who had come
+with the ambulances returned to the front
+the next morning, leaving behind them six
+or more sick and wounded, with their surgeon
+and friends to look after them. Fortunately,
+the office in the yard (a house
+with two comfortable rooms) was easily
+made ready and the wounded men were installed
+in the quarters which they kept for
+a month. The wound which afterwards deprived
+one of the wounded, a young man
+by the name of Nat Butler, of his arm, was
+by far the most serious. The attempt to
+save the arm came very near costing him
+his life. Instead of healing, the wound constantly
+sloughed, with great loss of blood.
+As the wound was between the elbow and
+the shoulder, the danger attending amputation
+increased with each sloughing, but the
+poor boy was deaf to all that his doctor
+could urge, positively refusing to have the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg&nbsp;152]</a></span>
+arm amputated, and he grew weaker and
+weaker with every hemorrhage. Meantime
+several of the sick and wounded were so
+far cured as to be able to return to duty.
+Captain Butler (an older brother of Nat
+Butler), Dr. Thompson, Mr. Taylor, and
+several others whose names I have forgotten,
+and the bugler, named Glanton, still
+remained. One morning, while I was in the
+mealroom getting out dinner, I heard Captain
+Butler&rsquo;s voice calling loudly that young
+Butler was bleeding to death. I just took
+time to call out to my daughters, Annie and
+Kate, who were just starting to town, to drive
+as quickly as they could to Dr. Johnson&rsquo;s and
+to ask him to come. Then I ran down to
+the office, where I found the poor old captain
+frantic with terror and quite unable to
+do anything for the patient, who lay senseless
+and bleeding upon the bed. I can never
+forget his ghastly appearance; I never saw
+so bloodless a face. The mouth, partly open,
+showed a tongue bluish like new flannel.
+I went to the bedside and pressed the arm
+above the wound, as hard as I could, and I
+held it so until the arrival of Dr. Johnson. I
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg&nbsp;153]</a></span>
+had thus succeeded in partially arresting the
+hemorrhage, and possibly may have saved
+young Butler&rsquo;s life. I started to leave as
+soon as the doctor came, and when I arose
+from my knees, I realized for the first time
+that I was covered with blood. The amputation
+could no longer be deferred, and the
+operation took place as soon as the patient&rsquo;s
+strength permitted, which was, I think, two
+days after the hemorrhage. There was then
+barely a chance that he could survive in his
+weak condition. I shall never forget how
+the girls and I sat upon the front steps and
+watched the silent men standing before the
+office,&mdash;it seemed as though the suspense
+would never end. After the amputation,
+Butler lay for twenty-four hours like one
+dead. Finally, when he did rally sufficiently
+to be given something, I sent our excellent
+nurse, Caroline, to take care of him, for I
+could not trust him to the ignorant though
+kindly meant attentions of his friends. At
+this time General Galbraith Butler was our
+guest, and, as the Norrises had now left
+for Richmond, I gave him a room in the
+house. He was quite ill there for several
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg&nbsp;154]</a></span>
+days, during which time the house was
+thronged with messengers from the front.
+It gives me pleasure to say that they conducted
+themselves like polished gentlemen,
+who appreciated the comforts which they
+received.</p>
+
+<p>Under Caroline&rsquo;s devoted nursing Nat
+Butler slowly returned to life and to a degree
+of strength. When it became evident
+that Raleigh would soon be in possession
+of the enemy, Nat Butler declared that he
+preferred the risk of dying by exposure to
+that of being captured. It was with the
+saddest forebodings that we prepared for
+his departure. The ambulance was made
+comfortable with pillows, blankets, etc., and
+nothing was omitted that could contribute
+to the well-being of the poor sufferer. It
+was a painful parting, as we all knew that
+we were on the eve of horrors that we dared
+not contemplate. The moon shone upon
+the sorrowful little cort&egrave;ge, as it passed
+beneath the trees, and we were too sad for
+tears, as we watched it go slowly out of
+sight. Nat Butler lived, and visited us a
+year later, but his life was a brief one.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg&nbsp;155]</a></span>
+We were up late that night, bidding adieu
+to many friends. Indeed, the past few days
+had been days of varied and intense excitement.
+People who under ordinary circumstances
+would have scarcely recognized each
+other as acquaintances now met and parted
+as old and dear friends. Mounted officers
+would come cantering up just for a handshake
+and a God-keep-you. We were admonished
+to take off rings or any little bits of jewelry
+which we might wear. A gentleman sitting
+by me had concealed my watch in my ball
+of knitting cotton. People everywhere were
+wildly seeking places wherein to conceal
+their valuables. We had no reason to imagine
+that our house was safer than others, but
+we could not refuse to receive the trunks
+and boxes brought to us in desperation, by
+refugees chiefly, who were leaving town in
+a panic, and going they knew not whither.
+All that we could promise was that they
+should be as well cared for as were our own;
+and so the garret was packed with all sorts
+of trunks and boxes, many of which were
+not claimed until the next autumn.</p>
+
+<p>I cannot pretend to give you an idea of
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg&nbsp;156]</a></span>
+the excitement and turmoil of that last
+week of the Confederacy. Every minute of
+your grandfather&rsquo;s time was taken up with
+his duties as a state officer, until he, in
+company with Governor Graham and Dr.
+Warren, were despatched by Governor
+Vance to meet Sherman with a flag of
+truce and to surrender the town. He was
+absent upon this mission upon a night that I
+happened to go into the dining-room and
+found several rough-looking men, whom I
+took to be Confederates, seated at supper.
+Robert was waiting upon them, and Adelaide
+talking, while one of my little children
+was seated cosily upon the knee of a particularly
+dirty-looking man. This did not
+please me, for there was a freedom of manner
+about them which I had never seen in one of
+our men before. Still, I had no suspicion that
+they were not what they seemed, and, being
+called off, I left them, although a certain
+uncomfortable feeling caused me to do
+so unwillingly. Just as I left, a clatter of
+horses&rsquo; feet was heard outside, and Adelaide
+(always loquacious), exclaimed, &ldquo;Here
+comes the General and his staff!&rdquo; The
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg&nbsp;157]</a></span>
+words were scarcely uttered before the
+men jumped from their seats and dashed
+from the room. We were afterwards convinced
+that they were some of the scum of
+Sherman&rsquo;s army, and while we (myself and
+daughters) were sitting quite unsuspectingly,
+they were lurking near us.</p>
+
+<p>I omitted to mention that, at our urgent
+invitation, our dear friends the Burgwyns
+had come to us, and, in the midst of other
+distractions, I was occupied in disposing
+of their numerous boxes, barrels, and pictures.
+There was a universal feeling that
+there would be a degree of safety in numbers,
+and we could not possibly have enjoyed
+more congenial companionship than
+that of our cousins, the Burgwyns. Upon
+that day we prepared twenty lunches, which
+were most thankfully received. I recollect
+that towards evening some hot tea was
+made for our old friend, Mr. John Robinson.
+He had been at work all day, shipping
+freight and provisions, and transferring engines
+to Greensboro, to which place he was
+now going. He had had nothing to eat, and
+was, as you may imagine, very tired, and so
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg&nbsp;158]</a></span>
+hungry that his lunch of cold ham, bread,
+and butter, with many cups of tea, was so
+much enjoyed that in after life he often
+spoke of it with real gratitude. When he
+said good-by, he gave into my keeping a little
+box of trinkets, requesting me to keep
+them for him, as he had no idea what his
+destination might be. I, of course, said that
+I would try to keep them safely; and I did,
+returning them just as I had received them,
+some months later.</p>
+
+<p>Upon that day, our dinner was but a
+meagre one, consisting chiefly of soup, and,
+as the very last of the silver had been hidden
+out of sight, we were compelled to take
+it from teacups. Upon that night, after the
+stir and bustle of the day had subsided,
+after the last good-by had been uttered, and
+the last horseman had galloped away, a most
+intense stillness followed, which, if possible,
+increased our melancholy, and magnified
+our fearful apprehensions of what was to
+come.</p>
+
+<p>On the following morning, I saw three
+odd, rough-looking men come galloping
+up from the barn. They were mounted
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg&nbsp;159]</a></span>
+upon mules, were seated far forward upon
+the withers, and had their knees drawn up
+after a most ungainly fashion. I saw at a
+glance that they were not our countrymen.
+They rode furiously into the yard, where
+they halted abruptly. The servants stood
+gaping at them in stupid bewilderment. I
+went forward and asked them the meaning
+of this intrusion. Their reply was an insolent
+demand for my keys. Then I knew
+that they were bummers. During the
+whole of this period your grandfather had
+had more than his hands full at his office,
+taking care of and sending off government
+stores, and doing a thousand other things,
+so that all the domestic offices rested with
+me. I told the bummers, with a great show
+of courage, that I had no idea of giving them
+my keys, and as I walked off, feeling quite
+triumphant, I had the mortification of seeing
+them dismount and swagger to the
+doors of the mealroom, smokehouse, and
+storeroom, slip their miserable, dastardly
+swords into the locks, and open the doors,
+with the most perfect ease. Conscious now
+of my own weakness, I would not condescend
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg&nbsp;160]</a></span>
+to parley with them, and watched
+them at their insolent and thievish game,
+until their mules were almost hidden beneath
+the load of hams, sausages, and other
+plunder. Then they remounted, and dashed
+off at the same furious pace as they had come.
+In a little time after others came and played
+the same game, only adding to their abominable
+thievishness by driving off our mules
+and all our cattle. Our horses, I am glad
+to say, had been sent away.</p>
+
+<p>It was towards noon upon that fatal day
+that we espied a long blue line crawling
+serpent-like around a distant hill. Silently
+we watched, as it uncoiled itself, ever drawing
+nearer and still nearer, until the one
+great reptile developed into many reptiles
+and took the form of men. Men in blue
+tramping everywhere, horsemen careering
+about us with no apparent object, wagons
+crashing through fences as though they
+had been made of paper. The negroes
+stood like dumb things, in stupid dismay.
+It was at a later period that their time of
+joy came (in many instances it never came);
+then the only feeling was one of awe.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg&nbsp;161]</a></span>
+In an incredibly short time tents were
+pitched, the flag run up, and the Yankees
+were here. The crowd grew more dense.
+A large column was passing through the
+grove at almost a run, when, to my horror,
+I saw Adelaide and Lizzie, each with one
+of my little girls in her arms, rushing along
+in their midst in a state of such wild excitement
+that they had almost lost their reason.
+Almost in despair, I rushed after them, sometimes
+seeing them, only to lose them again
+in the moving mass. As I passed a soldier
+I signed to him for help; I do not think I
+could have spoken. He saw the danger that
+threatened my children, and, overtaking the
+two nurses, took the children and brought
+them to me. The women had meant no
+harm, and did not realize the risk.</p>
+
+<p>As I before remarked, every one during
+this period of panic entertained an idea
+that he must commit his valuables to the
+keeping of some one else; for instance,
+my sister gave her set of pearls to her maid
+Sally for safe keeping, and Sally, in her turn,
+brought them to Caroline (her mother).
+Caroline, not knowing a safe place of
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg&nbsp;162]</a></span>
+concealment, lifted a stone from her hearth,
+placed the casket in the cavity, and replaced
+the stone; this, however, caused the stone
+to fit loosely in the hole from which it had
+been displaced, and Caroline, in her fear
+lest this should lead to the discovery of the
+pearls, sat all night with her feet resting
+upon it. She came to me in the morning,
+looking perfectly haggard, and told me that
+she had never before passed through such
+a night of horror, for her house had been
+crowded with Federals, prying into every
+corner and taking whatever they fancied.
+With my sister&rsquo;s casket, she handed me a
+red cotton handkerchief tied up and full of
+silver coins, belonging to herself and her
+husband. She had no place in which to
+keep it, and asked me to take care of it. I,
+of course, took charge of it and kept it for
+her until the last bluecoat had left the
+place, which was not until August; for,
+after the departure of the army, a regiment
+was left in our grove.</p>
+
+<p>One day General Logan came to the
+door and said that he had reason to believe
+that a Confederate officer was concealed in
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg&nbsp;163]</a></span>
+the house, and, if I kept his presence a
+secret, he threatened me with the consequences.
+The Federals, while searching for
+buried treasure, had discovered the amputated
+arm of poor young Butler, and had
+jumped to the conclusion that he was concealed
+in the house. At all events, it served
+as a plea for them to claim that he was
+there. When I assured him that this rumor
+was quite false, his manner was so utterly
+incredulous that I requested him to satisfy
+himself of the truth of my assertion by making
+a search of the entire house and outbuildings.
+I entreated him to do this, for
+his threats had so alarmed me that I felt
+that in that alone lay our preservation. His
+reply, with an insolent, jeering laugh, was:
+&ldquo;I will not take that trouble, for my boys
+will settle that question.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The safeguards stationed both at the
+back and front protected the house. For,
+whatever might have been their feelings,
+they dared not relax in their vigilance.
+The discipline in that army was perfect.</p>
+
+<p>Not long after the above-mentioned interview
+with Logan, we were told (by a
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg&nbsp;164]</a></span>
+servant, I think), that the whole division
+was going to leave that night. This was
+true. It was before the articles of the surrender
+had been signed, and Logan was in
+pursuit of General Johnston. It was a night
+of such commotion that not one of the family
+retired to rest. It was discovered, when
+too late for redress, that Logan had withdrawn
+our safeguards, taken every commanding
+officer with him, and had left us
+to the mercy of his wagon train of bummers
+and of negroes. That night of terror
+terminated in a violent storm, in the midst
+of which your grandfather set out for the
+headquarters in town for the purpose of demanding
+a safeguard. With daylight came
+a greater feeling of safety, so we separated,
+the girls going to their rooms, and I to mine,
+in order to refresh ourselves and make a
+fresh toilet. While so engaged, I kept hearing
+the bells ringing and tinkling incessantly,
+and, while I was hurrying to put on
+my dress in order to inquire the meaning of
+this, Caroline and Adelaide rushed in, exclaiming
+that men were climbing the walls
+of the house, and the tinkling of the bells
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg&nbsp;165]</a></span>
+was caused by their twisting them off the
+wires. These women, whose natural color
+was bright mulatto, now looked ashy. I do
+not think that I spoke a word, but just flew
+into the nursery, took the children, and ran
+up the stairs. As I passed by the sitting,
+room, I met Kate, all disheveled, running
+out and saying that men were climbing
+into her window. I just took time to lock
+the door between her room and the sitting-room,
+and then we all ran upstairs, where the
+Burgwyns and my other girls were quietly
+dressing, in entire ignorance of what was
+taking place. It seems strange that I should
+recollect every trifle so vividly; I remember,
+even now, that, as I ran up the stair, my
+throat and mouth became so dry that I
+could not speak. From the window at the
+head of the stair nothing was visible but a
+sea of upturned faces; not just by the house,
+but away down the slope, as far as the eye
+could reach, were men&rsquo;s upturned faces.
+I can never forget the look upon Mrs.
+Burgwyn&rsquo;s face as she whispered, &ldquo;We
+can throw ourselves from the window.&rdquo;
+My poor, craven heart might have failed
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg&nbsp;166]</a></span>
+me, but I am convinced that she could have
+done it. While we thus stood, a poor, cowering,
+terror-stricken group, steps were
+heard approaching, and a tall figure slowly
+ascended the stairs, and a grim, saturnine-faced
+man stood before us, and said, &ldquo;I
+don&rsquo;t know that I can save you, but for the
+sake of my mother and sisters I will do all
+that I can do.&rdquo; I do not remember whether
+any one made a reply or not, I only recollect
+that he went as deliberately as he had
+come. When your grandfather returned,
+having with difficulty succeeded in procuring
+the permit for a safeguard, the mob
+had begun to disperse. Our deliverer was
+a man named Fort. He was division quartermaster,
+and had been left in charge of
+the wagon trains. He was from one of the
+Western States, Iowa, I believe. He was
+a good man, and was God&rsquo;s instrument to
+save us from destruction. He remained
+near the house all through the day, and at
+first said that he would sleep that night inside
+the dwelling, but afterwards told your
+grandfather that, upon further consideration,
+he thought it best that he should stay
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg&nbsp;167]</a></span>
+outside, so his tent was pitched close to the
+house, and there he remained until his command
+left. He was forbidding in manner,
+and would accept no thanks. I think that
+he hated us as Southerners, but acted from
+humanity.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Burgwyn was suffering from an apoplectic
+stroke, and was lying insensible. My
+son had not returned from Appomattox.
+Had any man been with us, he would have
+been utterly helpless, and would probably
+have been murdered.</p>
+
+<p>One day, either immediately preceding
+or following the incident just related, our
+ever-faithful man, Frank, stealthily entered
+the house. He was evidently afraid of being
+observed, for he slipped in, and, closing the
+door after him, asked to speak a word to
+his master. When your grandfather came,
+Frank almost whispered his communication,
+as though afraid of being overheard.
+&ldquo;Master,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I come to ask you,
+please, sir, don&rsquo;t go out of the house to-day;&rdquo;
+he would not say why he gave this
+warning, and it was not until afterwards
+that we found that the Federals had
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg&nbsp;168]</a></span>
+intended to hang your grandfather up until
+he told them where our silver was hidden.
+I rejoice to say that they did not get one
+piece of it, although a part of it was buried
+in the branch that runs at the foot of the
+grove, and, in digging out a place for watering
+their horses, they had actually thrown
+the sand upon the box, thus burying it
+deeper.</p>
+
+<p style="padding-bottom: 3em;">I could relate many other incidents of
+this period, some of them rather amusing;
+but it is time to bring my reminiscences to
+a close. But before doing so, I must say a
+word about our last safeguard, Monhagan.
+He was Irish, and possessed all of the best
+attributes of the Irish character. After the
+departure of Logan&rsquo;s division, with the rest
+of Sherman&rsquo;s army, this man was deputed
+to guard the place, as a regiment was still
+quartered in the grove. He stayed until
+August, and, besides faithfully discharging
+his duties, he exerted himself in other and
+various ways to ameliorate the inconveniences
+to which we were subjected. Our
+servants, lounging in idleness, contented
+themselves with professions as idle. Frank,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg&nbsp;169]</a></span>
+acting upon his master&rsquo;s advice, had taken
+his family to the plantation. Adelaide was
+ill the greater part of the summer with
+brain fever. Monhagan worked the garden,
+gathered fruit and vegetables, and performed
+many other services. I felt a little
+amused when he one day brought me all
+his money and asked me to take care of it
+for him. At first I positively refused to
+take upon myself this responsibility, but
+yielded at last, and made him count it, and
+kept it as long as he remained. Every Saturday
+afternoon he would come and ask
+me to let him have one dollar and allow
+him to go to town for a little while. He
+left with the regiment in August, and he
+wrote once to your uncle Tom from New
+York, but omitted to give his address,
+which we regretted, as we would have liked
+to have him as a gardener.</p>
+
+
+
+<div class="bbox">
+<p><b>Transcriber's Note</b></p>
+
+<p>Minor typographic errors have been corrected without note. However,
+variation in spelling, particularly in the speech, but also in
+other words, has been left as printed.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Plantation Sketches, by Margaret Devereux
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+</body>
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@@ -0,0 +1,3624 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Plantation Sketches, by Margaret Devereux
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Plantation Sketches
+
+Author: Margaret Devereux
+
+Release Date: September 19, 2007 [EBook #22673]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PLANTATION SKETCHES ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Edwards, Sam W. and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+made from images produced by the North Carolina History
+and Fiction Digital Library.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+  PLANTATION SKETCHES
+
+          BY
+
+   MARGARET DEVEREUX
+
+
+PRIVATELY PRINTED AT
+The Riverside Press, Cambridge
+MDCCCCVI
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: MAMMY]
+
+
+
+
+COPYRIGHT 1906 BY MARGARET DEVEREUX
+
+ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
+
+
+
+
+EDITOR'S PREFACE
+
+
+The descriptions of Southern life in this little book, as well as the
+accompanying stories, were written by Mrs. Devereux during the past
+fifteen years, in large part after she had passed her sixty-fifth
+year. They are essentially reminiscent, and were prepared originally
+with no thought of publication, but merely to be read to her
+grandchildren, so that there might be preserved in their minds some
+conception of the old-time lives of their grandparents. The sketches
+thus came to be read by me to my own children, who are of the third
+generation. They brought to my mind so simply, yet so vividly and in
+so attractive a manner, a picture of the old plantation life, they
+showed such remarkable memory of interesting details, that they seemed
+to me to merit publication. The charm of the descriptions will
+impress all readers, and the truthfulness of the illustrations of
+negro character and habits will be recognized by all who are familiar
+with the South. The sketches are simple, homely little tales prepared
+for children, and they must be read with this fact in mind; but they
+have nevertheless an interest and a lesson for maturer readers, to
+whom they are now offered.
+
+          Arthur Winslow
+
+  18 Chestnut St., Boston, Mass.
+  April 27, 1906
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+    _Letter to my Grandchildren_                         ix
+
+    _Plantation Life_                                     1
+
+    _Going to the Plantation_                            40
+
+    _My Own Early Home_                                  52
+
+    _Two Bob Whites_                                     59
+
+    _Little Dave_                                        74
+
+    _The Hog-Feeder's Day_                               85
+
+    _The Junior Reserve_                                113
+
+    _Mammy_                                             119
+
+    _War Reminiscences_                                 150
+
+
+
+
+TO MY GRANDCHILDREN
+
+
+As the "New South," with all its changes and improvements, rises above
+the horizon, those whose hearts still cling to the "Old South" look
+sadly backward and sigh to see it fade away into dimness, to be soon
+lost to sight and to live only in the memory of the few. Hoping to
+rescue from oblivion a few of the habits, thoughts, and feelings of
+the people who made our South what it was, I have drawn from memory a
+few pen sketches of plantation life, based upon actual events, in
+which are recorded some of the good and even noble traits of character
+which were brought forth under the yoke of slavery.
+
+For you, my dear grandchildren, I have tried to fix, before they fade
+entirely, these already faint reflections from the "light of other
+days."
+
+          Margaret Devereux.
+
+  Raleigh, North Carolina.
+  December, 1905.
+
+
+
+
+PLANTATION LIFE
+
+
+I am going to try to describe to you something of the lives and homes
+of your dear grandfather and of your great-grandfather, because I want
+you to know something of them, because their mode of life was one of
+which scarcely a vestige is left now, and because, finally, I don't
+want you to be led into the misconception held by some that Southern
+planters and slaveholders were cruel despots, and that the life of the
+negro slaves on the plantation was one of misery and sorrow.
+
+Before I enter upon my brief narrative I want you to realize that it
+is all strictly true, being based upon my knowledge of facts; very
+simple and homely in its details, but with the merit of entire
+truthfulness.
+
+Your great-grandfather, Thomas Pollock Devereux, and your grandfather,
+John Devereux, were planters upon an unusually large scale in North
+Carolina; together they owned eight large plantations and between
+fifteen and sixteen hundred negroes. Their lands, situated in the rich
+river bottoms of Halifax and Bertie counties, were very fertile, the
+sale crops being corn, cotton, and droves of hogs, which were sent to
+Southampton county, Virginia, for sale.
+
+The names of your great-grandfather's plantations were Conacanarra,
+Feltons, Looking Glass, Montrose, Polenta, and Barrows, besides a
+large body of land in the counties of Jones and Hyde. His residence
+was at Conacanarra, where the dwelling stood upon a bluff commanding a
+fine view of the Roanoke river, and, with the pretty house of the head
+overseer, the small church, and other minor buildings, looked like a
+small village beneath the great elms and oaks.
+
+Your grandfather's principal plantation, and our winter home, was
+Runiroi, in Bertie county. The others were "The Lower Plantation" and
+"Over the Swamp." At Runiroi we lived and called ourselves at home,
+and of it I have preserved the clearest recollection and the fondest
+memories.
+
+From Kehukee bluff, which we usually visited while waiting for the
+ferryman on our return journey after the summer's absence, the
+plantation could be seen stretching away into the distance, hemmed in
+by the flat-topped cypresses. From there we had a view of our distant
+dwelling, gleaming white in the sunlight and standing in a green oasis
+of trees and grass, all looking wonderfully small amid the expanse of
+flat fields around it. Apart as I now am from the restless,
+never-ending push of life, when neither men nor women have time for
+leisure, when even pleasure and amusement are reduced to a business
+calculation as to how much may be squeezed into a given time, I think
+it might perhaps calm down some of the nervous restlessness that I
+perceive in my dear children and grandchildren if they could, for
+once, stand there in the soft November sunshine. The splendor of the
+light is veiled in a golden haze, the brown fields bask in the soft
+radiance and seem to quiver in the heat, while the ceaseless murmur
+of the great river is like a cradle song to a sleepy child; the rattle
+of the old ferryman's chain and the drowsy squeak of his long sweeps
+seem even to augment the stillness. The trees along the banks appear
+to lack the energy to hang out the brilliant reds and purples of
+autumn, but tint their leaves with the soft shades of palest yellow,
+and these keep dropping and floating away, while the long gray moss
+waves dreamily in the stillness.
+
+The house at Runiroi was a comfortable, old, rambling structure, in a
+green yard and flower garden, not ugly, but quite innocent of any
+pretensions at comeliness. Neither was there, to many, a bit of
+picturesque beauty in the flat surroundings; and yet this very
+flatness _did_ lend a charm peculiar to itself. My eyes ever found a
+delight in its purple distances and in the great, broad-armed trees
+marking the graceful curves of the river. The approach from the public
+road, which followed the bank of the river, was through the "willow
+lane," between deep-cut ditches, which kept the roadway well drained
+unless the river overspread its banks, when the lane was often
+impassable for days. In the springtime, when the tender green boughs
+of the willows were swayed by the breeze, it was a lovely spot, and a
+favorite resort of the children.
+
+I was so young a bride, only seventeen, when I was taken to our winter
+home, and so inexperienced, that I felt no dread whatever of my new
+duties as mistress. The household comforts of my childhood's home had
+seemed to come so spontaneously that I never thought of _processes_,
+and naturally felt rather nonplussed when brought into contact with
+realities. The place had for years been merely a sort of camping-out
+place for your great-grandfather, who liked to spend a part of the
+winter there; so the house was given over to servants who made him
+comfortable, but who took little heed of anything else.
+
+I recollect my antipathy to a certain old press which stood in the
+back hall. The upper part was filled with books. In the under
+cupboard, Minerva kept pies, gingerbread, plates of butter, etc. The
+outside looked very dim and dusty. I could not bear to look at it,
+but knew not how to remedy its defects. I know now that it was a
+handsome old piece, which a furniture-lover would delight in. However,
+my youthful appetite did not scorn Minerva's gingerbread, and, as I
+had many lonely hours to get through with as best I could, I would
+mount the highest chair that I could find, and ransack the old musty
+volumes in search of amusement. The collection consisted chiefly of
+antiquated medical works, some tracts, etc., but once, to my delight,
+I unearthed two of Mrs. Radcliffe's novels, which were indeed a
+treasure trove; one of them was "Gaston de Blondeville," which I
+thought beautiful. I have regretted that I did not take care of it,
+for I have never seen another copy.
+
+Minerva was a woman of pretty good sense, but of slatternly habits.
+She had been so long without a lady to guide her that her original
+training was either forgotten or entirely disregarded. Once, when
+starting to Conacanarra for Christmas, I charged her to take advantage
+of the fine weather to give the passage floors a thorough scrubbing;
+they were bare and showed every footprint of black mud from the
+outside. When it came time to return, in spite of our pleasant
+Christmas week, we were glad to think of our own home and were rather
+dismayed when the morning fixed for our departure broke dark and very
+cold, with little spits of snow beginning to fall. I was much afraid
+that we should be compelled to yield to the hospitable objections to
+our going, but at last we succeeded in getting off. We crossed at
+Pollock's (your great-grandfather's ferry), so that should the storm
+increase we need not leave our comfortable carriage until we should be
+at home. It was a lonely drive; the snow fell steadily but so gently
+that I enjoyed seeing the earth and the trees, the fences and the few
+lonely houses that we passed all draped in white; though we were
+warmly wrapped, the anticipation of the crackling fires in our great
+old fireplaces was delightful. When we got home, the first sound that
+greeted our ears, as we stepped upon the piazza, was a mournful,
+long-drawn hymn. Shivering and damp from our walk up the yard, we
+opened the door, to see Minerva, with kilted skirts, standing in an
+expanse of frozen slush and singing at the top of her voice, while she
+sluiced fresh deluges of water from her shuck brush. I was too
+disgusted for words, but resolved that this should not occur again. As
+soon as I could communicate with the outside world I had the hall
+floors covered with oilcloth (then the fashionable covering). Also,
+Minerva was displaced, and Phyllis reigned in her stead, but Minerva,
+nevertheless, always indulged in the belief that she was indispensable
+to our happiness and comfort.
+
+In honor of my advent as mistress, the floors had been freshly
+carpeted with very pretty bright carpets, which were in danger of
+being utterly ruined by the muddy shoes of the raw plantation
+servants, recently brought in to be trained for the house. Although
+the soil generally was a soft, sandy loam, I observed in my horseback
+rides numbers of round stones scattered about in the fields. They were
+curious stones, and looked perfectly accidental and quite out of
+place. Their presence excited my interest, and aroused my curiosity
+as to their origin, which has never been gratified. They seemed so out
+of place in those flat fields! However, I determined to utilize them
+and had a number collected and brought into the yard, and with them I
+had a pretty paved walk made from the house to the kitchen.
+
+Our house stood upon what was known as the "Second Land," which meant
+a slight rise above the wide, low grounds, which were formerly, I
+believe, the bed of the sluggish stream now known as the Roanoke. All
+along the edge of these Second Lands, just where they joined the low
+grounds, there was a bed of beautiful small gravel. I was delighted
+when I discovered this and at once interested myself in having a
+gravel walk made up to the front of the house, and this was, when
+completed, all that I had hoped, and served as a perfect protection
+against the offending mud.
+
+There was one evil, though, which I could not guard against, and this
+was the clumsy though well-meaning stupidity of a plantation negro.
+One afternoon the house became offensive with the odor of burning
+wool. I followed up the scent and, after opening several doors, I
+finally traced it to the dining-room. It was filled with smoke, and
+there, in front of an enormous fire, squatted Abby. In a fit of most
+unaccountable industry she had undertaken to clean the brass andirons,
+and had drawn them red hot from the fire and placed them upon the
+carpet. Of course, four great holes were the result and, as the
+carpets had been made in New York, there were no pieces with which the
+holes could be mended. As I had already decided her to be too stupid
+to be worth the trouble of training, I felt no desire to find fault
+with her, so I merely told her to put them back, or rather stood by to
+see it done. I did not keep her in the house after that, but do not
+suppose that she ever at all realized the mischief that she had done.
+
+One of my amusements was to watch the birds; they were so numerous,
+and appeared to be so tame. I set traps for them. This was childish,
+but I was very young and often rather at a loss to find something to
+do; so I used to take with me my small house boy, "Minor," whom I was
+training to be a grand butler; he would carry the trap and, after it
+had been set and baited, I would make him guide me to the trees where
+the sweetest persimmons grew; there I would while away the morning and
+on the next we would find one or more birds fluttering in the trap,
+which, to Minor's silent disgust, I would set free.
+
+The squirrels, too, were a pleasure to me in my horseback rides toward
+Vine Ridge, especially. Your grandfather and I would pause to watch
+them playing hide and seek just like children, scampering round and
+round, their pretty gray tails waving, until some noise would send
+them out of sight, and the silent forest would seem as if no living
+thing were near. It was upon one of these rides that your grandfather
+told me how, when he was about twelve years old, and spending his
+Christmas holidays at Runiroi with his grandfather, he once said that
+he could shoot one hundred squirrels between sunrise and sunset. His
+uncle, George Pollock Devereux, happened to hear him and rebuked him
+sharply for so idle a boast, and when your dear grandfather manfully
+stood his ground, saying that it was not an idle boast, his uncle
+called him a vain braggart, which so offended your grandfather that he
+told his uncle that he would prove the truth of his assertion. And so,
+upon the following morning, he rose early and was at Vine Ridge gun in
+hand, ready to make his first shot, as soon as the sun should appear.
+The squirrels were very numerous at first, and he made great havoc
+among them. Many a mile he tramped that day, scanning with eager eyes
+the trees above him, in search of the little gray noses, hidden behind
+the branches, and thus it happened that he got many a fall and tumble
+among the cypress knees; but what did that matter to his young limbs?
+he had only to pick himself up again and tramp on. As the day
+advanced, fewer little bright eyes peeped from the tree-tops and his
+number was not made up; he was getting tired too, and very hungry, for
+he had eaten nothing since his early breakfast. He stumbled wearily
+on, however, determined not to fail, for he dreaded his uncle's
+triumphant sarcasm should he do so. A few more shots brought his
+number to ninety-nine, but where was the one-hundredth to be found?
+The sun was sinking to the horizon; he had come out from the swamp and
+was tramping homeward; the gun, so light in the morning, now weighed
+like lead upon his shoulder. As he looked into every tree for that
+hundredth squirrel which could not be found, the sun's disk was
+resting upon the horizon when he turned into the willow lane leading
+to the house. Just at the entrance there stood a great chestnut oak.
+This was his last chance. He paused to take one hopeless look, when,
+to his unspeakable joy, he beheld a fox squirrel seated up among the
+branches. Now he knew that the fox squirrel was the slyest, as well as
+the shyest of all his kind; no creature so expert as he in slipping
+out of range; there would be no chance for a second shot, for now only
+a rim of the sun was left. With a wildly beating heart he raised his
+gun, took time to aim well,--fired,--and down came his hundredth
+squirrel. His wager was won; fatigue and hunger all gone, he hastened
+gayly home and with pride emptied his bag before his uncle and his
+delighted old grandfather, who loved him above everything, and who
+finally made him his heir, so that your grandfather was quite
+independent of his own father.
+
+When I first became acquainted with the plantation, the sale crop was
+taken down to Plymouth in a great old scow, but this was afterward
+superseded by the introduction of freight steamers, which took the
+produce direct to Norfolk. These steamers proved to be a great comfort
+and convenience to us. By them we might receive anything that we
+desired from Norfolk, of which the things most enjoyed were packages
+of books,--Vickry and Griffiths, booksellers, having standing orders
+to send at their discretion what they thought desirable, besides the
+special orders for what we wished to see.
+
+The advent of a steamer at the landing would cause much pleasurable
+excitement. If anything of special interest was expected, the first
+puff of steam from down the river would be eagerly examined through
+the spy-glass. Then would follow several days of busy life down at
+the different barns from which the corn was to be shipped. Before the
+introduction of the corn-sheller, the corn was beaten from the cob by
+men wielding great sticks, or flails; others raked the grain into an
+immense pile; from this pile it was measured by select hands and put
+into bags, which were carried to the steamer lying at the landing. The
+men who measured and kept the tally maintained a constant song or
+chant, and designated the _tally_, or fifth bushel, by a sort of yell.
+The overseer stood by with pencil and book and scored down each tally
+by a peculiar mark. The constant stream of men running back and forth,
+with bags empty or full, made a very busy scene.
+
+After the corn had been shipped, the boat had steamed down the river,
+and the place, lately so full of busy life, had returned to its
+accustomed quiet seclusion, the redbirds came to peck up the corn left
+upon the ground. I remember how once, upon a cold, gray afternoon, I
+put on my wraps and ran down to the Sycamore Barn, on purpose to
+watch the shy, beautiful things. Snowflakes were beginning to fall and
+whisper about the great bamboo vines; twisted around the trees upon
+the river banks, the long gray moss hung motionless and a thick
+grayness seemed to shut out the whole world; all about me was
+gray,--earth, sky, trees, barn, everything, except the redbirds and
+the red berries of a great holly tree under whose shelter I stood,
+listening to the whispering snowflakes.
+
+The Sycamore Barn derived its name from a great sycamore tree near
+which it stood. This tree was by far the largest that I ever saw; a
+wagon with a four-horse team might be on one side, and quite concealed
+from any one standing upon the other. When I knew it, it was a ruin,
+the great trunk a mere shell, though the two giant forks,--themselves
+immense in girth--still had life in them. In one side of the trunk was
+an opening, about as large as an ordinary door; through this we used
+to enter, and I have danced a quadrille of eight within with perfect
+ease.
+
+This tree gave its name to the field in which it grew, which formed
+part of the tract known as the Silver Wedge. It was about the Silver
+Wedge that an acrimonious lawsuit was carried on during the lives of
+your great-great-grandparents, John and Frances Devereux. She was a
+Pollock, and the dispute arose through a Mr. Williams, the son or
+grandson of a certain Widow Pollock, who had, after the death of her
+first husband, Major Pollock, married a Mr. Williams. She may possibly
+have dowered in this Silver Wedge tract. At any rate, her Williams
+descendants set up a claim to it, although it was in possession of the
+real Pollock descendant, Frances Devereux. It was a large body of very
+rich land, and intersected the plantation in the form of a wedge,
+beginning near the Sycamore Barn, and running up far into the Second
+Lands, widening and embracing the dwelling-house and plantation
+buildings. I have heard your great-great-grandfather laugh and tell
+how Williams once came to the house, and, with a sweeping bow and
+great assumption of courtesy, made your great-great-grandmother
+welcome to remain in _his_ house. After the suit had been settled,
+Williams had occasion to come again to the house, feeling, no doubt,
+rather crestfallen. Mrs. Devereux met him at the door and, making him
+a sweeping curtsy, quoted his exact words, making him welcome to _her_
+house.
+
+One of my pleasant memories is connected with our fishing porch. This
+was a porch, or balcony, built upon piles driven into the river upon
+one side, and the other resting upon the banks. It was raised some
+eight or ten feet above the water and protected by a strong railing or
+balustrade and shaded by the overhanging branches of a large and
+beautiful hackberry tree. It made an ideal lounging-place, upon a soft
+spring afternoon, when all the river banks were a mass of tender
+green, and the soft cooing of doves filled the air. We usually took
+Minor with us to bait our hooks and assist generally, and often went
+home by starlight with a glorious string of fish.
+
+The drawback to the plantations upon the lower Roanoke lay in their
+liability to being flooded by the freshets to which the Roanoke was
+exposed. These were especially to be dreaded in early spring, when
+the snow in the mountains was melting. I have known freshets in March
+to inundate the country for miles. At one time there was not a foot of
+dry land upon one of the Runiroi plantations. It was upon a mild night
+in that month that I sat upon the porch nearly all through the night,
+feeling too anxious to sleep, for your grandfather, the overseer, and
+every man on the plantation were at the river, working upon the
+embankments. The back waters from the swamp had already spread over
+everything. This gentle and slow submersion did no great damage, when
+there was no growing crop to be injured; the thing to be guarded
+against was the breaking of the river dam and the consequent rushing
+in of such a flood as would wash the land into enormous holes, or
+"breakovers," of several acres in extent in some places, or make great
+sand ledges in others, to say nothing of the destruction of fences,
+the drowning of stock, etc. On the night that I speak of, the moon was
+at its full and glittered upon the water, rippling all around where
+dry land should have been. I sat listening anxiously and occasionally
+shuddering at a sharp cracking noise, like a pistol shot, and,
+following upon it, the rushing of water into some plantation up the
+river. Once in the night I heard a noise and, upon my calling to know
+who it was, a man replied that they had come up in a canoe to get some
+water. I could not help laughing; it struck me that water was rather
+too plentiful just then. They worked upon the dam until there was no
+more material to work with, water being level with the top on both
+sides and only a foot of standing-room at the top, so, having done all
+that they could, all hands took to canoes and went to their homes.
+That "March freshet" did incalculable damage to the whole region, but
+still fine crops were made that season. Your grandfather was
+indefatigable while anything could be done, but, having done all that
+human energy could, he would resign himself cheerfully to the
+inevitable, and his family never were saddened by depression on his
+part. This wonderful elasticity was most noticeable at the fearful
+period of the surrender and, indeed, through all the succeeding
+years, when this power of his, despite all of our losses and
+anxieties, made our life one of great happiness.
+
+When, during the winter months, a moderate freshet meant nothing more
+serious than the flooding of the low grounds, it was considered rather
+a benefit, owing to the rich deposit left upon the land, besides the
+advantages gained in floating out lumber from the swamps. This March
+freshet caused great pecuniary loss; new dams had to be constructed at
+a heavy expense, and many miles of repairing had to be done to those
+left standing. The few days before the water had reached its height
+were most trying to the nerves (that is, my nerves). I believe my
+fears culminated upon the night that I saw the water rippling over our
+own doorstep and realized that there was not a foot of dry land
+visible for miles; by morning, though, the river was "at a stand," and
+by evening little spots of green were showing themselves in the yard
+and garden.
+
+The word garden recalls to my memory our pretty garden, a most
+beautiful continuation of the smooth green yard, its many alleys
+bordered with flowers and flowering shrubs. It was, I own, laid out in
+a stiff, old-fashioned manner, very different from the present and far
+more picturesque style; still, it was charming,--the profusion of
+flowers, fed by that wonderful river loam, exceeded anything that I
+have ever seen elsewhere. In the springtime, what with the flowers,
+the beautiful butterflies, and the humming-birds, the sunny air would
+actually seem to quiver with color and life.
+
+Every plantation had a set of buildings which included generally the
+overseer's house, ginhouse, screw, barn, stable, porkhouse,
+smokehouse, storehouse, carpenter's shop, blacksmith shop, and
+loomhouse, where the material for clothing for each plantation was
+woven,--white cloth for the underclothes, and very pretty striped or
+checked for outer garments. At Runiroi, the weaver, Scip, was a
+first-class workman, and very proud of his work. I often had sets of
+very pretty towels woven in a damask pattern of mixed flax and cotton.
+The winter clothing was of wool, taken from our own sheep.
+
+The carpenters at Runiroi were Jim, the head carpenter, Austin, and
+Bill, who were all good workmen. Frank, "Boat Frank," as he was
+called, from having formerly served as captain of the old
+flat-bottomed scow which carried the sale crop to Plymouth, was also
+in the shop and did beautiful work. I was fond of visiting Jim's shop
+and ordering all sorts of wooden ware, pails, piggins, trays, etc.;
+these last, dug out of bowl-gum, were so white that they looked like
+ivory. Boat Frank was very proud of the smoothness and polish of his
+trays. Our children, with their mammy, were fond of visiting "Uncle
+Jim's" shop and playing with such tools as he considered safe for them
+to handle, while Mammy, seated upon a box by the small fire, would
+indulge in long talks about religion or plantation gossip. That shop
+was indeed a typical spot; its sides were lined to the eaves with
+choice lumber, arranged systematically so that the green was out of
+reach, while that which was seasoned was close at hand. Uncle Jim
+would have felt disgraced had a piece of work made of unseasoned wood
+left his shop. The smoke from the small fire which burned in the
+middle of the big shop, upon the dirt floor, escaped in faint blue
+wreaths through the roof, leaving behind it a sweet, pungent odor. The
+sun streamed in at the wide-open door, while Jim and Frank tinkered
+away leisurely upon plough handles and other implements or household
+articles.
+
+Uncle Jim was a preacher as well as a carpenter. He was quite superior
+to most of his race, both in sense and principle and was highly
+thought of by both white and black. Upon two Sundays in each month he
+preached in the church and his sermons were quite remarkable, teaching
+in his homely way the necessity of honesty and obedience. His
+companion in the shop, Boat Frank, was of a more worldly nature, and
+wore great golden hoops in his ears and a red woolen cap upon his
+head, and resembled an elderly and crafty ape, as he sat chipping away
+at his work.
+
+Next came the blacksmith shop, where Bob wielded the great hammer and
+grinned with childish delight at seeing the children's enjoyment when
+the sparks flew.
+
+After the blacksmith's shop came the loomhouse, where Scip, the
+little fat weaver, threw the shuttles and beat up the homespun cloth
+from morning till night; there, too, were the warping-bars, the
+winding-blades, and the little quilling-wheel, at which a boy or girl
+would fill the quills to be in readiness for the shuttles. Scip was an
+odd figure, with his short legs, and his woolly hair combed out until
+his head looked as big as a bushel.
+
+The dwellings of the negroes were quite a distance from the "Great
+House," as that of the master was called, and were built in two or
+more long rows with a street between. This was the plan upon every
+plantation. Each house had a front and back piazza, and a garden,
+which was cultivated or allowed to run wild according to the thrift of
+the residents. It generally was stocked with peach and apple trees,
+and presented a pretty picture in spring, when the blue smoke from the
+houses curled up to the sky amid the pink blossoms, while the drowsy
+hum of a spinning-wheel seemed to enhance the quiet of the peaceful
+surroundings.
+
+The church at Runiroi was large and comfortably furnished with seats;
+colored texts were upon the walls, and the bell, which summoned the
+people on Sunday mornings, swung amid the branches of a giant oak.
+Both your great-grandfather and grandfather employed a chaplain. At
+Runiroi, he officiated only upon alternate Sundays, as the people
+liked best to listen to Carpenter Jim. It used to be a pretty sight
+upon a Sunday morning to see the people, all dressed in their clean
+homespun clothes, trooping to church, laughing and chattering until
+they reached the door, when they immediately would assume the deepest
+gravity and proceed at once to groan and shake themselves more and
+more at every prayer. The singing would often sound very sweet at a
+distance, although I must confess that I never sympathized in the
+admiration of the negro's voice.
+
+Of course, like all other laboring classes, the negroes had to work,
+and of course, as they had not the incentive of poverty, discipline
+was necessary. They knew that they would be housed, clothed and well
+fed whether they earned these comforts or not; so, in order to insure
+diligence, reliable men were chosen from among them as assistants to
+the white overseers; these were called "foremen," and were looked up
+to with respect by their fellows. Upon every large plantation there
+was also a Foreman Plower, his business being to take the lead and see
+that the plowing was well done and that the plow horses were not
+maltreated. With the settled men this was unnecessary, but it was very
+needful with the younger hands. These colored foremen were, in their
+turn, subject to the overseers, who, in turn, if not found to be
+temperate and reliable, were dismissed. Upon well-ordered plantations
+punishments were rare, I may say unknown, except to the half-grown
+youths. Negroes, being somewhat lacking in moral sense or fixed
+principles, are singularly open to the influence of example; and thus
+it was that a few well-ordered elders would give a tone to the whole
+plantation, while the evil influences of one ill-disposed character
+would be equally pronounced.
+
+The plantations of which I am speaking were singularly remote, being
+so surrounded by other large plantations that they were exempt from
+all outside and pernicious influences. The one or two country stores
+at which the negroes traded might have furnished whiskey, had not
+those who kept them stood too much in awe of the planters to incur the
+risk of their displeasure. As the town of Halifax could boast of
+several little stores, and was the trading post of Feltons,
+Conacanara, and Montrose, your great-grandfather, in order to prevent
+the evils of promiscuous trading, caused certain coins to be struck
+off, of no value except to the one merchant with whom his people were
+allowed to trade.
+
+Perhaps you will be surprised to know how important to the country
+merchants was the trade of a plantation, so I will explain to you of
+what it consisted. Of course, a few of the careless, content with the
+abundance provided for them, did not care to accumulate, while others,
+naturally thrifty, amassed a good deal from the sale of otter, coon,
+mink, and other skins of animals trapped. Then, some owned as many as
+thirty beehives. One old woman, known as "Honey Beck," once hauled
+thirty or more gallons of honey to Halifax and back again, the whole
+distance (twenty-five miles), rather than take a low price for it.
+Besides skins, honey, and beeswax, eggs and poultry were always
+salable. One of my necessities in housekeeping was a bag of small
+change, and, as I never refused to take what was brought to me, my
+pantry was often so overstocked with eggs and my coops with ducks and
+chickens, that it was a hard matter to know how to consume them.
+
+The beautiful white shad, now so highly prized in our markets, were
+then a drug. It was the prettiest sight in the early dawn of a spring
+morning to see the fishermen skimming down the broad river with their
+dip-nets poised for a catch. My opportunities for seeing them at that
+early hour were from my bedroom window, when I happened to be visiting
+the family at Conacanara. Our home at Runiroi stood some distance from
+the river, but the dwelling at Conacanara was upon a bluff just over
+the stream.
+
+Beside the sale crops of cotton and corn, sweet potatoes were raised
+in large quantities for the negroes, to which they were allowed to
+help themselves without stint, also a summer patch of coarse
+vegetables such as they liked.
+
+The regular food furnished consisted of corn meal, bacon or pickled
+pork, varied with beef in the autumn, when the beeves were fat, salt
+fish with less meat when desired, molasses, dried peas and pumpkins
+without stint (I mean the peas and pumpkins). I don't suppose any
+laboring class ever lived in such plenty.
+
+A woman with a family of children always had the use of a cow, the
+only proviso being that she should look after the calf and see that it
+did not suffer, for your grandfather was particular about his ox
+teams; they were the finest that I ever saw, and were well
+blooded,--Holstein for size and Devon for speed and activity.
+
+Our dairy was very pretty; it was built of immense square logs, with a
+paved brick floor, and great broad shelves all around. The roof was
+shaded by hackberry trees, and the grass around it was like velvet,
+so thick and green. Old Aunt Betty, who was the dairy woman until she
+grew too infirm, was the neatest creature imaginable; she wore the
+highest of turbans, and her clothes were spotless. She took the
+greatest pride in her dairy; for milk vessels she used great
+calibashes with wooden covers, and, as they naturally were absorbent,
+it was necessary to sun one set while another was in use. She kept
+them beautifully, and the milk and butter were delicious.
+
+There was a man upon the plantation called "Shoe Joe," or "Gentleman
+Joe." He had, when a young man, been body-servant to his young master
+George, your great-grandfather's brother. I never in my life have seen
+finer manners than Joe's, so deeply respectful, and so full of
+courtesy. Notwithstanding his really fine deportment, Joe's nature was
+low and mean, and something that he did so offended his young master
+that, to Joe's great disgust, he was remanded back to the plantation
+and field work. In consequence of this, he always bore his young
+master a grudge, which, of course, he kept to himself. Once, however,
+he made some disrespectful speech before old Betty, who was devoted to
+her Master George, and this so offended her that she never again spoke
+to Joe, nor allowed him to make her shoes, though this last was more
+from fear than vindictiveness. For Shoe Joe was suspected of being a
+trick negro, and of possessing the power so to trick his work as to
+cause the death of any one wearing his products. Nothing was
+productive of more evil upon a plantation than was the existence upon
+it of a "Trick" or "Goomer" negro; and so insidious was their
+influence, and so secret their machinations, that, though suspected,
+it was impossible to prove anything, for, although detested by their
+fellows, fear kept the latter silent. Nothing would cause such abject
+terror as the discovery of an odd-looking bundle, wrapped and wrapped
+with strands of horse-hair, secreted beneath the steps, or laid in an
+accustomed path. Instantly after such a discovery the person for whom
+it was meant would begin to pine away, and, unless some counter spell
+were discovered, death would ensue. These occurrences, fortunately,
+were rare, but if the thing once took root upon a plantation, it
+wrought much evil in various ways. Joe was suspected of these evil
+practices, and, though a wonderfully capable man at all kinds of work,
+and a most accomplished courtier, was always looked upon with
+suspicion. His death was sudden, and the people firmly believed that
+he had made a compact with the devil, that the term had expired, and
+that Satan had met him in the woods and broken his neck. He was a
+tall, finely formed man, as black as ebony, and his movements always
+reminded me of a serpent.
+
+Negroes, even in these days of school education, retain many of their
+superstitions, though ashamed to own it. One of their beliefs was that
+the word _you_ meant the devil's wife, and it was insulting to address
+any one by that word. To one another it was always _yinna_. So marked
+was this custom that the negroes of that section were known as the
+yinna negroes. This word, though, was never used toward their
+superiors, who were invariably addressed in the third person. Manuel
+was rather a common name among them; there were always two or three
+Manuels upon every plantation, and one was always called "Hoodie
+Manuel." No one could ever discover what this meant; perhaps they did
+not know themselves, though I am rather inclined to think that it was
+a superstitious observance, understood, perhaps, only by a select few.
+I think it must have had some sort of significance, as it was never
+omitted. As soon as one Hoodie Manuel died, another Manuel assumed the
+title, though not always the oldest.
+
+It was not required of a woman with a large family to do field work.
+Such women had their regular tasks of spinning allotted to them,
+sufficiently light to allow ample time to take care of their houses
+and children. The younger women (unless delicate) left their children
+in a day nursery in charge of an elderly woman who was caretaker.
+Usually they preferred field work, as being more lively; but if one
+disliked it, she usually soon contrived to be classed among the
+spinners.
+
+When, occasionally, I happened to go to any of the houses, often
+quite unexpectedly, I can assert truthfully that I never, in a single
+instance, saw dirt or squalor in one of them. The floors were clean,
+the beds comfortable, with white and wonderfully clean blankets.
+Everything, though very homely, with clumsy benches and tables, looked
+white and thoroughly clean. I remember hearing your grandfather speak
+of once going at breakfast time to a house to visit a sick child. The
+man of the house was seated at a small table while his wife served
+him. The table was covered with an immaculately clean homespun cloth,
+and coffee, in a tin pot shining with scrubbing, either sugar or
+molasses, I forget which, a dish of beautifully fried bacon and
+hoe-cakes, fresh from the fire, constituted his plain but most
+abundant meal.
+
+Separation of families has ever been a favorite plea for the abolition
+of slavery, and I admit that in theory it was a plausible argument;
+and justice compels me to say that such instances, though rare, were
+not unknown. As a rule, however, family ties were respected, and
+when, through the settlement of an estate, such separations seemed
+impending, they were usually prevented by some agreement between the
+parties; for instance, if a negro man had married a woman belonging to
+another planter, a compromise was generally effected by the purchase
+of one of the parties, regardless of self-interest on the part of the
+owners. Thus families were kept together without regard to any
+pecuniary loss. Public sentiment was against the severing of family
+ties.
+
+Before I close this little sketch I will tell you as well as I can the
+outline of plantation work.
+
+With the beginning of a new year, the crop being all housed, the sale
+corn being stored in large barns or cribs on the river banks, and the
+cotton either being sold or kept for better prices, the plowing,
+ditching, and, when the swamps were full, the floating out of timber,
+were all carried on with great diligence. At Christmas, when all the
+clothing, shoes, and Kilmarnock caps had been given out to the
+ditchers, high waterproof boots were distributed. It was the custom
+to allow to every man who desired it a bit of land, upon which, in his
+spare time, to cultivate a small crop, for which he was paid the
+market price. Christmas was the usual day chosen for settling these
+accounts, and the broad piazza was full of happy, grinning black faces
+gathered around the table at which the master sat, with his
+account-book and bags of specie. A deep obeisance and a scrape of the
+foot accompanied each payment, and many a giggle was given to the lazy
+one whose small payment testified to his indolence. What a contrast
+between those happy, sleek, laughing faces and the sullen, careworn,
+ill-fed ones of now! In the early springtime, what was known as the
+"trash-gang," that is, boys and girls who had never worked, were set
+to clearing up fences, knocking down cotton stalks, and burning small
+trash piles.
+
+I pause here to say that, the woodlands being a long distance from the
+quarters, the supply of fuel was a serious question, and when there
+was a threat of snow or increasing cold, every man would be employed
+in cutting or hauling a supply of fuel to the houses.
+
+Planting time began with the middle of March. In August the crops were
+"laid by." The three days' holiday began with the slaughter of pigs
+and beeves, in preparation for the annual dinner upon every
+plantation. After holiday came the fodder-pulling, a job hated by all,
+especially by overseer and master, as the drenching dews and the hot
+sun combined to make much sickness. This work was never begun until
+late in the morning, but even after the sun had shone upon the fields,
+the people would be drenched in dew to their waists. Next, the
+whitening fields told that cotton-picking must begin, and, later on, a
+killing frost upon the already browning shucks sent the great wagons
+to the fields, where the corn-gatherers, with sharp needles tied to
+their wrists, ripped open the tough shucks and let loose the
+well-hardened ears of grain. As each field became stripped, stock
+would be turned in to feast upon the peas and pumpkins.
+
+With winter came that period of bliss to the soul of Cuffee, namely,
+the hog-killing, when even the smallest urchin might revel in grease
+and fresh meat.
+
+If eyesight permitted, I might tell you some tales of plantation
+doings which might perhaps amuse you, but I have said enough to give
+you some idea of the old Southern life. All that I have said is within
+bounds, but, after all, I fear I have not been able to give you an
+adequate idea of the peacefulness and abundance of life upon a great
+plantation.
+
+
+
+
+GOING TO THE PLANTATION
+
+
+Summer is over; the nights grow chill, and the autumnal tints,
+beginning to glow upon the hillsides, tell the low-country folk that
+the time draws near for the yearly flitting to their plantation homes.
+The planter, who passes the hot season amid the breezy uplands, begins
+to think of his whitening cotton fields, and grows impatient for the
+frost, which must fall ere the family may venture into the land of
+swamps and agues. He looks out upon the flower-beds, glowing with life
+and quivering in the sunshine, and listens to the incessant
+shrill-voiced cicada piping from the tree-tops, while the
+insect-drone, in the heated, languid air, seems to speak of an
+unending summer; but as "all things come to him who waits," so at
+length come the frosts to the planter.
+
+The week preceding the departure is a busy one, embracing, along with
+the numberless good-byes, many important afterthoughts in the way of
+providing the necessities required in the isolated home, where shops
+are unknown. At length, however, the great boxes are closed, and stand
+ready for the daylight start of the wagon; the bird-cage, the basket
+of kittens, and the puppy are also committed by the children to "Ung
+Jack," the teamster, who, with the broadest of smiles, promises
+"little missis" and the "little masters" to take the best of care of
+them.
+
+Giving the baggage a day's start, the family's departure takes place
+on the day following. After an early breakfast, Mammy and the younger
+children bundle into the big carriage, mother and the rest of the
+little mob follow in the _barouche_, while papa, who abhors the
+confinement of a carriage, follows on horseback. Although the animal
+which he bestrides is a noble specimen of his kind, still it must be
+confessed that papa does not present a jaunty appearance as he jogs
+soberly along; and yet, as he sits easily swaying in the saddle, there
+is about him a careless grace which marks the natural horseman.
+
+Three days are consumed upon the journey. It might be made in less
+time; but the party prefer to take it easily, and at midday make a
+halt by a running stream, where, seated upon a fallen log or mossy
+bank, they open their well-stored baskets, and dine. The horses utter
+impatient whinnies as their drivers dip their buckets into the
+sparkling water of the little stream, and, when these are lifted to
+their heads, thirstily thrust their muzzles into the cool depths, and
+drink long and deeply of the refreshing draughts.
+
+At sunset, the tired little ones begin to look out for the white
+chimneys of old John Tayler's wayside inn, where they are to pass the
+night. This house has, for generations, been the halting-place for
+planters' families. Tayler's grandfather and his father have
+entertained bygone generations; and so it is not strange that when the
+little cortege draw up before the old piazza, and the red light from
+the pine blaze streams out from the open door, not only old John, but
+his wife and two elderly daughters stand with beaming faces to give
+the travelers a hearty greeting, kindly to usher them into the
+carpetless room and seat them upon the stiff "split-bottomed" chairs.
+While the women busy themselves in getting supper, old John talks
+crops and politics to his guests, who, on their part, calmly accept
+the discomforts of the little inn as one of the unalterable laws of
+nature, without any idea of the possibility of improvement, swallow
+without complaint the nauseous coffee, and rest philosophically under
+the home-made sheets and blankets, feebly wondering that so much
+weight should contain so little warmth.
+
+When supper is over, the women throw a fresh torch upon the fire, and,
+as it crackles up the wide chimney, and sends its red light and sweet
+odors over the room, they set themselves to their tasks of picking the
+seeds from the "raw cotton," for, being famous spinners and weavers,
+they disdain that which has had its staples torn by the teeth of the
+gin.
+
+Upon the second day, the party leave the hills, now gorgeous in their
+autumnal brilliancy, the rocky roads, and the swiftly running streams
+of the up-country, and enter the lonely region where the great
+turpentine trees rear their lofty crests, and interminable sandy roads
+stretch away into dimness between columns of stately pines whose lofty
+tops make solemn music to the sighing wind.
+
+The third day finds them in "The Slashes," a desolate region inhabited
+by squatters. As they jolt over corduroy roads between pools of
+stagnant waters, the travelers look out wearily upon a sparse growth
+of gallberry and scrub-pine. Now and then they pass the solitary hut
+of a charcoal-burner, surrounded by its little patch of meagre corn; a
+pack of cur dogs rush out and bark fiercely, within the safe limits of
+the wattle fence surrounding the premises; white-headed children gaze
+from the doorways at the passing carriages.
+
+At the last settlement which they pass, a woman and a small,
+pale-faced boy are gathering in their corn crop. They are the wife and
+son of Bolin Brazle, an idle but good-natured vagabond, who spends
+his days scraping upon his fiddle up at the store, or occasionally,
+upon the promise of a drink, lending a hand in rafting tar-barrels. In
+consequence of the presentation of a worn-out mule, Bolin swears by
+the planter, wants to run him for the presidency, and obstinately
+refuses to receive pay for his charcoal. The matter is finally
+arranged by a barrel of corn being sent as a present whenever a load
+of charcoal is needed.
+
+Soon after leaving the "Slashes," a huddle of houses standing
+irregularly in a grove of magnificent oaks comes into view. In passing
+the one which does double duty as store and post-office, the
+travellers look at it with the realization that it is the connecting
+link with the outside world, as from it the bi-weekly mail is
+dispensed. Inside, some one (Brazle, no doubt) is scraping a lively
+jig upon his fiddle; on the long piazza men, lounging in chairs tilted
+against the wall, take off their hats to the carriages as they roll
+by. The planter draws his rein for a little friendly greeting, and the
+men, squirting tobacco juice, stand around and lazily report the
+country-side news as to the opening of the cotton, the state of the
+river, etc. Even the screech of the fiddle has died away.
+
+The long descents of the ferry hill commence, and the carriages roll
+pleasantly between deeply wooded banks. The approach to the river is
+marked by long rows of tar-barrels awaiting shipment, or rather
+rafting. From this point the road has become a sort of concrete from
+years of leakage from the tar-barrels. The children shriek with joy as
+the carriages come to a stop, and, craning their heads out, they
+behold the great tawny river in all its majesty. The repeated
+hallooings for the ferryman are at length responded to from far
+upstream. The old scamp is off fishing, and the party seek the shade,
+where a spring of clear water bubbles from a bank. While the children
+are drinking copious draughts, the parents stroll off and take a
+woodland path, which, after many a twist and turn amid thickets of
+sweet myrtle and purple-berried Bermuda Shrub, brings them to the
+summit of "The Bluff."
+
+Standing there, they look down upon the river, two hundred feet
+below. Upon the further side lie fields, all brown and golden in the
+sunshine, level and limitless; they stretch into the purple dimness
+where cypress trees loom upon the horizon, their flat tops mingling
+dreamily with the soft autumnal hazes. Far away, amid the sun-bathed
+fields, stand the trees which shelter the plantation home, whose
+chimneys and white gables are scarce visible save where a stray
+sunbeam falls upon them.
+
+    "So to the Jews fair Canaan stood,
+        While Jordan rolled between,"
+
+murmured the mother, as she glanced at her husband, to whom she knew
+the lands spread before them were, by inheritance and long
+association, far dearer than could be measured by the mere money
+value.
+
+Descending again to the ferry, they find the carriage already in the
+flat, and the children scarce restrained by Mammy from crossing
+without their elders. They draw deep breaths of delight as they watch
+old Bartley, with active limp, loosen the chain, and, planting his
+iron-shod pole deep into the grating sands, send the flat upstream;
+then, at a given point, they watch with intense admiration his skill
+in taking the sweeps and shooting swiftly to the other side.
+
+The horses know that they are near home, and prick up their ears, and
+go briskly onward. Scarcely a quarter of a mile is gone before the
+buildings of the "lower plantation" come into view,--a row of cabins
+built irregularly upon the highest points straggle along the river
+banks. Each cabin has its little garden with its row of coleworts and
+its beehives, or perhaps a pumpkin or two shows its yellow sides amid
+the withered vines. Outside the cabins, fish-nets are hung to dry, and
+from within comes the sleepy drone of a spinning-wheel; about the
+doorstep hens are scratching, while from around the corner a cluster
+of little woolly heads peep out shyly.
+
+Standing in the mellow sunlight, amid fields of ripening corn, with
+the river gently flowing between levees of such strength as to set
+floods at defiance, these cabins seem the very embodiment of peaceful
+security; the high piles, though, upon which they stand, are rather
+suggestive, and give a hint of what the now peacefully flowing stream
+is capable of when roused.
+
+A story is told of an old negro who obstinately refused to leave his
+house at a time when the unusually high water made it necessary to
+remove the people to a place of greater security. The rafts were
+ready, and the people, scared and anxious, had left their houses, and
+now only wailed for old Todge, who, with mulish persistence, refused
+to be moved. At length, unable to persuade him, and afraid to wait
+longer, they poled the rafts away. For the first few hours Todge got
+on very well. He had plenty of provisions, and, as for the isolation,
+he did not care for it. By and by the water began to make its
+appearance upon his hearth, and, before long, his little bank of coal,
+upon which his bread was baking, began to sizzle, and soon became a
+moist and blackened heap. Todge, however, was not imaginative, and
+when night fell, he lay down upon his bed and slept without fear; that
+is, he slept until his bed began to float, then he awoke and groped
+his way neck deep in water until he found his ladder and managed by it
+to climb up into his loft, where he sat shivering, till suddenly he
+felt the cabin give a lurch, and the water rushed in. It had been
+lifted clear off the piles, and when it should settle down poor Todge
+would be caught like a rat in a hole. It was settling fast, and the
+water was gurgling into poor Todge's ears, when, in desperation, he
+made a bolt at the roof, and, using his head as a battering ram,
+succeeded in knocking a hole in it, through which he contrived to
+creep out. Luckily, the point of the chimney was not quite submerged,
+and Todge was rescued in the course of the following day.
+
+The road, following the winding of the river, is bordered by giant
+trees from whose branches the gray moss waves dreamily, while leaves
+of palest yellow drop and silently float through the still air until
+they fall into the stream. In the fields, the corn-gatherers pause to
+doff their hats and smile their welcome. Ere long the barns and
+workshops of the upper plantation become visible. The tall gables and
+chimneys of the great house glisten in the sunlight. They pass the
+little church, with its bell half hidden amid the brown leaves of the
+great oak from which it dangles; from cabin chimneys, half hidden in
+trees, thin columns of smoke ascend and mingle with the soft blue sky.
+
+At the open gate, a broadly smiling dusky group stands with welcome
+depicted upon every face. Hearty handshakes of real affection are
+exchanged, while the children are being hugged, caressed, laughed
+over, and extolled for their growth and beauty. The master and
+mistress pass under the trees, whose long shadows rest upon the soft,
+green grass between streams of sunshine. The old piazza, gilded into
+brightness, smiles a welcome home.
+
+
+
+
+MY OWN EARLY HOME
+
+
+I was born at the old home in Raleigh, upon the land originally held
+by my great-grandfather, Colonel Lane, from the Crown. It had been the
+home of my grandfather, Harry Lane, and of his wife, Mary, and it was
+there that their children and grandchildren were born. When my oldest
+brother attained his majority, he took possession of this place, while
+my mother settled at Wills Forest, which was also part of the Lane
+land. This, Wills Forest, became our beloved summer home, which I
+inherited at the death of my dear mother. At the breaking out of the
+war between the states, your grandfather left to his subordinates his
+plantation interests in the eastern part of the state, and Wills
+Forest became our permanent home. Although you never saw this place in
+its palmy days, still, you are too well acquainted with its situation
+to need a description. In spite of neglect, Wills Forest is still
+beautiful; to it my heart is ever turning with regret and longing for
+that which can never return. It was for many years the brightest and
+happiest of homes, and as such it is still remembered by many besides
+its former inmates.
+
+Hospitality has ever been a marked characteristic of the Lane blood.
+Colonel Lane's doors were ever open, not only to his friends, but to
+every wayfarer, and as the small settlement, originally called
+Bloomsbury, became Raleigh, and the state capital, he found it
+necessary to build an "ornery" for the accommodation of strangers;
+this building stood upon Hillsborough Street, and was torn down only a
+short time ago. These "orneries" were a very common adjunct to
+gentlemen's residences in country neighborhoods, where there were no
+inns for the accommodation of travelers. We once stopped at one
+belonging to the Littles, near Littleton. It was kept by two servants,
+a man and his wife, belonging to the family, and they made us very
+comfortable.
+
+My grandfather, Harry Lane, inherited his father's liberal and
+open-hearted nature, and the old home, even since the death of my
+brother, still maintains its character for genial hospitality. Nor was
+Wills Forest inferior to it in that respect. My mother, accustomed
+from earliest youth to lavish housekeeping, kept it up after her
+removal to Wills Forest, and, so long as her health permitted, ever
+took delight in making her home all that a kindly, open-handed
+hospitality could. Nor do I think its character deteriorated after
+your grandfather became its master. Both he and I were fond of
+society, and few strangers ever came to town who were not entertained
+at Wills Forest. This could not be possible now, but previous to the
+war it was not at all impossible, and, during the war, at times, we
+received whole families of refugees. I do not mention these facts in a
+boastful spirit, but only as a sample of the old customs of the South.
+
+During the winter of 1865, we had the pleasure of entertaining the
+family of Colonel Norris of Baltimore, and early in March we had an
+unexpected visit from a large party of South Carolinians, who had been
+wounded in an attack made by General Kilpatrick upon Gen. Joseph E.
+Johnston's command at Fayetteville. Your grandfather met them in the
+street seeking for shelter; and, compassionating their forlorn
+condition, he directed them to Wills Forest. When we first caught
+sight of the cortege surrounding two ambulances, we were alarmed,
+thinking that it must be the Yankees coming to deprive us of house and
+home. You may, perhaps, imagine the relief when I saw the dear
+Confederate gray. I met the cavalcade at the front steps, and bade
+them welcome; the wounded were brought in and laid upon beds in the
+nursery, after which I directed one of our men, Frank, the
+carriage-driver, I think it was, to conduct the horsemen to the
+stable, to give the horses a plentiful feed, and then to bring the men
+up to the house to get their dinners. In ordinary times, this
+unlooked-for addition of more than twenty guests would, no doubt, have
+been an unwelcome tax, but in those days preceding the sad termination
+of the war there were so many poor, half-starved stragglers from the
+different commands passing to and fro, that we were never unprepared
+to feed as many as called upon us. At this time, two cooks were kept
+continually at work in the kitchen preparing such plain food as we
+could command: such as boiled hams, biscuit, loaf bread, corn bread,
+and wheat coffee. The milk and butter, all that we had, were joyfully
+given to our soldiers. The gray jacket was, indeed, a passport to
+every Southern heart. I have fed many a poor, footsore "boy in gray,"
+but never in a single instance heard a despondent word from one of
+them. Most grateful they were for their good, abundant meals, but
+often too modest to carry any away in their haversacks.
+
+In times of peace, both before and after the war, the social life at
+the table, with family and always welcome friends, was a source of
+much pleasure. For a dinner of ten or twelve persons, including
+ourselves, there would be a ham at the head, a large roast turkey at
+the foot, a quarter of boiled mutton, a round of beef _a la mode_, and
+a boiled turkey stuffed with oysters. In the middle of the table
+would be celery in tall cut-glass stands, on the sides cranberries in
+moulds and various kinds of pickles. With these would be served either
+four or six dishes of vegetables and scalloped oysters, handed hot
+from the plate-warmer. The dessert would be a plum pudding, clear
+stewed apples with cream, with a waiter in the centre filled with
+calf's-foot jelly, syllabub in glasses, and cocoanut or cheesecake
+puddings at the corners. The first cloth was removed with the meats.
+For a larger entertainment a roast pig would be added, ice-cream would
+take the place of stewed apples. The dessert cloth would be removed
+with the dessert, and the decanters and fruit set upon the bare
+mahogany, with the decanters in coasters; cigars would follow, after
+the ladies had left, of course.
+
+At the time of the surrender, General Logan borrowed, or asked to
+borrow, my tables and cut-glass tumblers and wine-glasses; as such a
+request meant an order, I, of course, allowed them to be taken; to my
+surprise all were returned. Generals Grant and Sherman were
+entertained by Logan at this time, the tables being set before his
+tent in the grove.
+
+When my two little girls went to day school at St. Mary's, their
+dinners were sent to them by a negro boy or man. He carried the basket
+of hot dinner, while another carried the ice for their water, while
+another often walked behind bearing a large watermelon. As the other
+day-pupils dined in a similar way, the road at this time of day would
+be full of negroes carrying dinners.
+
+Since these bygone days, knowledge has increased, and men go to and
+fro with ease between the far corners of the earth; but I do not think
+that either virtue or happiness has kept pace with this increase of
+knowledge, nor has there ever been or will there ever be again such a
+country as the Old South, nor a people so good, so brave, or so
+true-hearted as the dear, primitive people of that good old time.
+
+
+
+
+TWO BOB WHITES
+
+
+Two Bob Whites were standing beneath the old thorn-bush at the far end
+of the orchard; indeed, they had been standing there for some time,
+with their heads held close, just as though they were talking
+together. In fact, that is just what they were doing. They were
+talking about the nest that they were going to build. And it was high
+time, for already there was a nice little brood in that nest beyond
+the brook. But our Bob Whites were a prudent couple; they did not
+approve of those early broods which came off barely in time to miss
+the chilly May rains. But the May spell was over now, the sun shone
+hot upon the waving wheat, and over the fence, there in the old field,
+the dewberries were ripe. Already the little boys who live in the
+house over yonder had been after the berries, regardless of briers
+and bare feet. Yes, it was high time that nest was built; but,
+somehow, they could not fix upon an altogether suitable location.
+True, the old thorn-bush, with its wide-spreading branches, was most
+attractive; but there the cart tracks ran too close by. As they stood
+thus in the clover, all undecided, they were startled by a loud cry
+from Robin Redbreast, whose nest was high up in that apple tree.
+Turning to ascertain the cause of the outcry, they espied a great,
+evil-looking, yellow cat, creeping through the long grass. This
+decided them, and without waiting another moment, they abandoned the
+thorn-bush and flew away to seek a safer abode. This they finally
+found over toward the wheat field, far away from cats and all the
+nuisances which attend the abodes of men.
+
+The nest was built back of the old gray, lichen-covered fence, just
+above the brook where the hazels and alders grow. All around was a
+blackberry thicket, and a great tussock of brown sedges sheltered the
+nest like a roof. Just beyond the fence was the wheat field. No one
+ever came there, excepting that now and then on a Saturday the little
+boys who lived over yonder would pass by with their fishing-poles,
+jump the fence, and disappear in the hazel thickets. The Bob Whites
+didn't mind the boys, unless Nip happened to be along, nosing about in
+search of some mischief to get into. But as yet no little white egg
+lay in the nest, and when Nip cocked his impudent little ears at them,
+they were off with a whirr that sent him, scampering, startled and
+scared, after the boys. From the trees to which they had flown, the
+Bob Whites watched the movements of the boys with some anxiety. "They
+might, you know," whispered Mrs. Bob, "be after that brood of our
+cousin's beyond the brook; but no, they've stopped--they are throwing
+something into the water, and there's that good-for-nothing Nip with
+them, so we may go back to the nest." But they did not go, for there
+was that pert Jennie Wren fluttering about, as bold as anything,
+actually peeping into the bait gourd, and, goodness gracious! she has
+stolen a worm and flown off with it; what impudence! And listen,
+there's Cardinal Grosbeak singing to them,--
+
+       "Boys, boys, boys,
+        Do, do, do
+    Fish a little deeper."
+
+There he is, just a little above them, upon the hackberry; now he's
+flown to that willow; he looks like a coal of fire, there among the
+green leaves. Now he begins again with his--
+
+    "Boys, boys, boys,
+     Do, do, do."
+
+"The song may do well enough, but we don't approve of such forward
+ways," sighed Mrs. Bob. "No," chimed in Mrs. Mate Hare, limping from
+her home in the broom sedge. "It's not safe, with that horrid little
+Nip so near; to be sure, they've got wings, but as for me, he just
+frightens the life out of me, with his nosing and sniffing; forever
+nosing and sniffing after some mischief." And she wiggled her nose and
+ears and looked so funny that the Bob Whites almost laughed in her
+face.
+
+Before long there was a little white egg in the nest, and Bob White
+was so proud of it that he just stood upon the fences and called, "Bob
+White, Bob White, Bob White," all day long. And the boys who lived
+over yonder at the farmhouse said, "Listen to the Bob White, he's got
+a nest over there in the wheat." "Let him alone," said the farmer;
+"there'll be good shooting over there by and by." But Bob White had no
+thoughts to spare for by-and-bys. The blue June sky and the rustling
+wheat, the wild roses, and that little egg lying there in the nest
+were enough for him. So he just turned his round breast to the
+sunshine, and called "Bob White" louder than ever.
+
+After a while, when the nest was full of eggs, the Bob Whites would
+creep through the wheat and whisper of the little ones that would soon
+be coming. "They'll be here by the time the wheat is ripe," says Bob.
+"It'll be fine feeding for them," replies Mrs. Bob. They never thought
+of the reapers with their sharp scythes, and of the noise and
+tramping, where all was now so peaceful.
+
+While Mrs. Bob sat upon her eggs, it amused her to see the Mate Hares
+come limping out at sunset, very timidly at first, pausing, startled,
+at every sound. Soon, however, they forgot their fears and began their
+dances, hopping and running round and round like mad, and cutting such
+capers as quite scandalized the Bob Whites.
+
+"How very odd!" said Mrs. Bob, as she settled herself over her eggs.
+"I have heard that the March Hares have a Bee in their bonnets." "Same
+family," Bob White replied drowsily. Then Mrs. Bob, pressing her soft
+feathers gently upon her eggs, tucked her head under her wing and
+slept.
+
+Their dance over, the Mate Hares skipped down to the meadow, where the
+dew lay thick upon the clover. "How good!" they said, as they nibbled
+and munched. "So sweet and tender, with the dew upon it!" "Who would
+eat dry seeds like the Bob Whites?" said one. "And go to sleep at
+dusk!" snickered another. "And whistle all day!" said a third. "As
+much as to say to all men and dogs, 'Here I am, come and shoot me;' so
+silly! Oh, there's no family like the Mate Hares for sense; come,
+let's have another dance." So they skipped and hopped and munched
+clover until the dawn sent them scudding away to their homes.
+
+Well, at last, upon a sunny June morning, the lonely field was no
+longer lonely, neither was it quiet; for the grain was ripe and the
+reapers had come. Yes, the reapers had come, and with them came Nip.
+Yes, there he was, showing that ugly little red tongue of his, and
+poking his black nose into every hole and bush; no place was safe from
+those inquisitive eyes and sharp little cruel teeth. Mr. Bob watched
+him with a fluttering heart, as he ran sniffing about; suddenly, there
+came a sharp yelp, and then Mrs. Mate Hare's cotton tail went flying
+over rock and brier, followed by Nip, with his short, inadequate legs.
+Soon, however, he tired of this fun, and, trotting back, cocked his
+ears at the brier patch, sniffed about it, and crept in. Bob White,
+with an anxious call, flew into a tree.
+
+"He's got a nest somewhere about there," said one of the reapers. "I
+bet it's full of eggs," he added. "Yes, but the boss has give orders
+that they ain't to be tetched," said another. Then there came from the
+thicket a growl and a yelp, and Mrs. Bob, with a loud whirr, flew to
+her mate. "Nip's got 'em!" cried one of the men, and, picking up a
+stone, he ran to the thicket, from whence now issued yelps of anguish.
+"He'll not trouble them again, I reckon," the man said, with a grin,
+as he picked up his scythe.
+
+Nip trotted home with a crestfallen and dejected air, but the Bob
+Whites, still agitated, remained in the tree, with necks craned
+anxiously toward the nest. When, at length, Mrs. Bob found courage to
+return, the melancholy sight met her eyes of three broken eggs, some
+more scattered ones, and a generally disordered nest. Bob now came to
+her assistance, the scattered eggs were put back, the nest repaired,
+and Mrs. Bob contentedly seated herself upon it.
+
+The hatching time was drawing near, and it was a most exciting period.
+Mrs. Bob sat very still, but, as for Bob, he just fidgeted from nest
+to tree and back again, stopping around and asking questions. Yes, one
+egg is pipped; they'll all be out by to-morrow. And so they
+were,--thirteen little puff-balls, upon tiny coral feet. "There would
+have been sixteen, but for that horrid Nip," sighed Mrs. Bob. But she
+was very proud and happy, as she led the little brood through the
+brush, showed them how to pick up ants' eggs, and tore up the soft
+mould for grubs and other dainties. When the nimble little feet grew
+tired, she took them to the alder thicket, where, hidden away beneath
+her feathers, they piped themselves to rest. It was very quiet now:
+the reapers had gone; there was no rustling of waving wheat, only the
+shocks stood up silent; there was only the soft clang, clang from the
+bell-cow, as the herd went home. Then the sun went down, and grayness
+followed, and from the thicket came the sad cry of the Chuck Will's
+widow. But the Bob Whites were fast asleep. At dawn, Bob White stood
+upon the topmost rail, and whistled and whistled as loud as he could;
+he felt so happy that he had to repeat, "Bob White, Bob White" to
+everything that he saw,--to the bell-cow, as she passed by on her way
+to the meadow; then to the boy, who popped his whip and whistled
+back; then to the trees, which nodded in return. When the sun came
+glinting through the leaves and set the dewdrops to glistening and the
+whole world to laughing, he whistled louder than ever, just for joy.
+But presently the reapers came again. Then Bob White slipped away and
+hid himself far down amid the alders, where Mrs. Bob was showing the
+puff-balls how to pick up grubs and how to use their little nimble
+legs in running after gnats and other good things. "Don't try to catch
+that great bee, but come and pick up these ants' eggs," she called, as
+she threw aside the earth with her strong claws. "You must attend to
+what I say, for you are very ignorant little things, and if you are
+not careful to mind what I say you may be caught up by a hawk at any
+moment. So, listen: when I say 'Tuk,' you must hide yourselves
+immediately; don't try to run away, but just get under a rock, or even
+a leaf, or just flatten yourselves upon the ground, if you can't do
+better; you are so nearly the color of the ground that a boy will
+never see you, and you can even escape a hawk's keen eye."
+
+After a while, mother and brood left the alder thicket, and, as the
+reapers were now in a distant part of the field. Mrs. Bob led them all
+to a sunny spot where they might pick upon the fallen grains and
+wallow in the dry, hot sand. It was very nice to do this, and they
+were having a charming time, when suddenly voices were heard, and at
+once two boys were upon them. But not so much as one little brown head
+or one little pink toe was visible; the sign had been given, and now
+only a poor, wounded Bob White lay in the path before them. "She's
+dead," said one of the boys. "No, she ain't, her wing's broke," cried
+the other, as he made a dive at her. But somehow, Mrs. Bob continued
+to flop the broken wing, and to elude them. Another futile dive, and
+the two tin buckets containing the reapers' dinners were thrown down
+and forgotten in the keen interest of chasing the wounded Bob White,
+who managed to flop and flutter just beyond their reach until she had
+led them quite across the field,--then, with a whirr, she bounded
+into the air and safely perched herself upon a distant tree. The
+astonished small boys gazed blankly after her, wiped their hot faces
+upon their sleeves, and turned, reluctantly, to pick up their buckets.
+As they went along, hot and crestfallen, one of them suddenly
+exclaimed: "She's got young ones hid yonder, I bet," and with that
+they set off at a run. Mrs. Bob White, who knew boy-nature well,
+craned her neck to watch, and fluttered nearer. Then Bob White came,
+and both continued to watch with anxiously beating hearts, for those
+little boys were evidently bent upon mischief. Would the poor little
+puff-balls outwit them? One little piping cry, one brown head raised,
+and all would be lost. But, as they watched, their fears began to
+subside. The boys are again wiping their hot faces, they look
+discouraged, they have evidently found nothing; yes, certainly not,
+for, see, they are picking up their buckets, and now they are going
+across the field to where the reapers are calling them to hurry along
+with their dinners.
+
+Such daily annoyances as this now determined the Bob Whites to take
+refuge in the alder thicket, in whose deep seclusion they soon
+regained tranquillity of spirits. The dampness of the situation,
+however, proving most unfavorable to their brood, they anxiously
+awaited the time when the departure of the reapers would restore quiet
+and enable them to return to their haunts. At length the wished-for
+time arrived; from the topmost boughs of the big maple Bob White could
+see neither man, boy, or dog, in the whole length and breadth of the
+field. Summoning the family together, they joyfully crept through the
+brush to bask in the broad stretches of sunshine and to pick up the
+scattered grain amid the stubble. Here they remained through all the
+long summer days, their solitude broken only by the yellow butterflies
+and by the big brown grasshoppers bumping about in the stubble, the
+silence broken only by the occasional jangle from the bell-cow, as she
+shook the deerflies from her sleek sides.
+
+By and by, when the goldenrod was yellow upon the hillside, the young
+ones, in their new brown coats, began to try their wings, and felt
+very proud if they could make them whirr, when they rose to the fence
+or to a low brush. Had they been boys, they would have been called
+hobbledehoys; but, being Bob Whites, they were known as squealers, and
+as such they felt very mannish and ambitious to be independent; but,
+nevertheless, they still liked to huddle together at nightfall and
+talk over the day's doings, close to, if not under, the mother's wing.
+
+By and by, again, when goldenrod stood brown and sere upon the
+hillside and the sumach glowed red in the fence corners and thickets,
+when the fall crickets were chiming their dirge down amid the grass
+roots and the air was growing frosty at nights, then the Bob Whites
+grew restless and took flight for a far-off pea field, noted as a
+feeding-ground. Here they met other families of kinsfolks, and then
+began a right royal time, running nimbly through the rich pea vines or
+scratching in sassafras or sumach thickets for insects, growing fat
+and growing lazy all the time. The gourmand of the autumn was in
+manner quite a contrast to the Bob Whites of the days of young wheat
+and wild roses. No blithe, good music now issued from that throat so
+intent upon good cheer. True, some unpleasant rumors are afloat. The
+Mate Hares, scudding frantically away, reported an advance of men,
+with guns and dogs; but the Mate Hares were always silly and
+unreliable. So our Bob Whites just keep on eating and making merry.
+Fortune may favor them,--who knows? Let us hope, and listen out next
+year for the cheery "Bob White, Bob White," from the old
+nesting-place.
+
+
+
+
+LITTLE DAVE
+
+
+The cool fogginess of an August morning has melted under the fierce
+sun. The level fields, like a waveless ocean, stretch away into the
+dim, green distance. The hot air quivers above cotton-fields, heavy
+with bolls and gay with blossoms, which give out a half-sickening
+fragrance. A languid air rustles low amid the corn, from whose dense
+growth arises a damp, hot breath. Out in the pasture, work-horses
+leisurely crop the sunburnt grass, or stand under the trees, lazily
+switching away the swarming gnats.
+
+A restful quiet broods over the big plantation, for the plow and the
+hoe have finished their task; sun and showers must do the rest. The
+crop is "laid by," and the summer holidays have begun. Three days of
+rest before the gathering in begins.
+
+Over at the quarter, the young people fill the long, lazy day with
+patting and dancing, banjo-playing and watermelon-eating. The elders,
+for the most part, are absorbed in preparations for the big holiday
+dinner. By dawn, holes have been dug in the ground and heated for the
+barbecuing of various meats, and those who hold the honorable posts of
+cooks are busily engaged in basting, tasting, and sending the small
+urchins after fuel. Some of the women are kneading flour hoe-cakes;
+others, gathered about a table under a great mulberry tree, are
+peeling fruit for pies, while now and then they raise their voices
+with blood-curdling threats to hasten the lagging steps of a little
+gang, which, looking like a string of black beetles, troop slowly
+along from the orchard, each holding in the skirt of his solitary
+garment the small store of fruit which he has not been able to eat. A
+row of tables spread in the shade stands ready for the feast, and,
+along the pathway, the guests from neighboring plantations are already
+approaching.
+
+Up at the great house an unnatural quiet prevails, for upon this day
+all work is laid aside and all are off to the barbecue; even old Aunt
+Sylvie has forgotten the "misery" in her back, has donned her Sunday
+garments, and stepped briskly off to the quarter; cook, too, has
+closed the ever-open kitchen door and departed, along with nurse, over
+whose toilet her little charges have presided with so much zeal that
+they have emptied their mother's cologne flask in order to bedew their
+mammy's pocket-handkerchief to their satisfaction.
+
+Tiny curly-headed Jack feels rather disconsolate without his mammy,
+but is partially consoled by flattering visions of what her pockets
+will bring home at the end of the day.[1]
+
+Away down upon the creek the little gristmill stands silent; the old
+mossy wheel has for to-day ceased its splash and clatter, and, like
+all else upon the plantation, is resting from its labor; to-day no
+sacks stand open-mouthed, awaiting their turn; no little creaking
+carts, no mill boys mounted astride their grists are seen upon the
+path, and Wat, the miller, in the lazy content of dirt and idleness,
+lies basking in the sun. Within the wattle fence on the other side of
+the path, his three children, little Dave, Emma Jane, and a fat baby,
+are sprawling upon the ground, along with the house pig, two puppies,
+and the chickens. Little Dave, who is perhaps somewhat dwarfed by
+toting first Emma Jane in her infancy, and now the fat baby, looks not
+unlike a careworn little ape, as he sits flat upon the ground,
+spreading his bony toes for the baby to claw at.
+
+Emma Jane, with her stout little body buttoned into a homespun frock,
+is also seated in the sand, solemnly munching upon a hunk of corn
+bread, while the chickens, with easy familiarity, peck at the crumbs
+which fall upon her black shins. Within the cabin, Polly, the miller's
+wife, has tied a string of beads about her sleek black throat, and
+now, in all the bravery of her flowered calico, is ready to set off
+for the quarter; first, though, she pauses at the gate to speak to
+little Dave.
+
+"When de chile git hongry, you git dat sweeten water off de shelf and
+gie it to him long wid his bread;" then adds, with a suspicion of
+tenderness upon her comely face; "I gwine fetch you some pie." Then,
+calling to Wat, that he had better "fix his sef and come along, ef he
+speck to git any of de dinner," she steps briskly along the narrow
+pathway, mounts the zigzag fence, and disappears amid the high corn.
+
+Some miles below, where the little creek which turns the mill-wheel
+steals from out the swamp to join the river, a clumsy, flat-bottomed
+scow lies grounded upon a sand-bar. This is no evil to Boat Jim, who,
+sprawled upon the deck, snores away the hours, regardless of the
+blistering sun beating down upon his uncovered head, and all
+unconscious of the departure of his chance passenger, an itinerant
+organ-grinder. This fellow, having had the ill luck to lose the
+respectable member of the firm, his monkey, and finding difficulty
+without the aid of his little partner to attract an audience, had,
+while idling about the docks, encountered Boat Jim, and persuaded the
+latter to give him a lift up the river, the condition being that he
+was to grind as much music as Jim should desire. But, disgusted with
+three days of slow progress upon the boat, he had, after viciously
+kicking the unconscious Jim, stolen the small boat and put himself
+ashore. Following the windings of the creek, he came to the little
+mill, where, attracted by the shade, he seated himself close to the
+wattle fence of Polly's little yard. Hearing voices, he peeped through
+the fence, and his eyes were soon fixed upon little Dave, who, with
+the fat baby and Emma Jane for spectators, is performing various
+tricks with infinite delight to himself. He stands upon his head, he
+turns somersaults, he dances, he pats, and finally he swings himself
+into a tree, where he skips about with the agility of a monkey. A
+thought comes into the organ-grinder's head; he glances at the silent
+mill and at the cabin: evidently both are deserted; here is a chance
+to replace the dead monkey.
+
+The sun is sending long shafts of crimson light into the swamp and
+glinting upon the millhouse; the high corn, awakening from its midday
+torpor, rustles softly to the evening breeze, as Wat and Polly wend
+their way homeward. A bucket, lightly poised upon Polly's head, holds
+scraps of barbecue and little Dave's promised pie, and, as she draws
+near the wattle fence, she thinks, with a pleased smile, of how she
+will set it before "de chilluns," when a prolonged howl falls upon her
+ears. Recognizing the voice of Emma Jane, she says to herself: "She
+hongry, I spek," and trudges on, in nowise disturbed by this familiar
+sound. But, when they enter the yard, there is only Emma Jane,
+bawling, open-mouthed, beside the baby, who, with the house pig, lies
+asleep on the warm sand. The chickens are daintily picking their way
+to the house, the old muscovy duck has tucked her head under her wing
+for the night, Old Keep, the stump-tailed coon dog, crawls from under
+the cabin to greet them. But where is Dave?
+
+The miller carries the sleeping child indoors, followed by the still
+bawling Emma Jane, while the wrathful Polly goes to the back of the
+house. Stripping the twigs from a switch, she mutters: "I knows what
+you's arter; you tuck yoursef to dat watermillion patch, dat whar you
+gone; but ne' mine, boy, you jest le' me git hold o' you." Then, after
+a time given to unsuccessful search, calls of "Da-a-vie--oh, oh,
+Dave!" fall upon the stillness, to be answered only by weird echo from
+the lonely swamp. Returning from her search, she finds Wat seated upon
+the doorstep.
+
+"Dave done took hissel off to de quarter," he says; "but no mind, I
+gwine fill him full o' licks in de mornin'."
+
+But, when morning comes and brings no little Dave, wrath gives place
+to fear. The plantation is aroused; finally the mill-pond is dragged,
+and, although the body is not found, the conclusion is that the boy
+has been drowned.
+
+After a time Polly's smile beams as broadly as ever, but her heart
+still yearns for her boy, and amid the sleepy drone of her
+spinning-wheel, she pauses to listen; or, standing in her door, she
+looks ever wistfully along the crooked path. Across the way, the
+little mill clatters on as merrily as of yore; Wat heaves the great
+sacks upon his brawny shoulder, metes out the grist, and faithfully
+feeds the hopper; but, when a chance shadow falls athwart the sunny
+doorway, he looks up with a gleam of hope upon his stupid, honest
+face, then brushes his hand across his eyes, and goes on in stolid
+patience with his work. So the summer and the autumn pass, without
+change, save that Emma Jane substitutes sweet potatoes for corn bread,
+and the fat baby has learned to balance himself upon his bowlegs.
+
+Upon a winter evening Wat enters the cabin at the usual hour. Polly
+has laid a bit of clean homespun upon the table; his bowl of coffee,
+his fried meat, and his hoe-cake stand ready; but, instead of falling
+to, as his custom is, he sits silent and despondent, with his face
+buried in his hands, until Polly asks:--
+
+"What de matter; is you po'ly?"
+
+"I dunno as I 'se, to say, po'ly," Wat replies, "but dat boy's been
+a-pesterin' me dis livelong day, a-callin' 'Daddy, Daddy!' jes' like I
+talkin' now, till seem like I 'se most beat out along o' him."
+
+"Dat mighty curous," Polly answered, "'cause Ole Keep, he's been
+a-howlin' dis blessed day. I 'lowed dat Ung Silas were gwine be tuck."
+
+"'T ain't dat," the miller interrupted. "Ung Silas, he done got
+better; he howlin' arter sompen nother, but 't ain't arter Ung Silas."
+
+Upon that identical winter's day, in a back alley of New York, a small
+crowd of idlers had gathered to witness the performance of the "Man
+Monkey." A little creature, dressed in tinsel, leaped and capered,
+keeping time to the grinding of an organ. When the spectators were
+silent, he would glance timidly at his ill-favored keeper, but when
+they cheered, the poor little figure would strive to outdo itself, in
+spite of laboring breath and trembling limbs. Then a rope was
+stretched, and "The Man Monkey," seizing an end, swung himself up,
+and, amid the acclamations of the admiring mob, began a new act of his
+performance. The day was cold, and at that dizzy height the wind
+struck bitterly through the starved little overtaxed body; he lost
+his footing, caught wildly at the rope, missed it, and--fell.
+
+In that brief second did he see the old mill and the little cabin
+standing in the sunshine? Did he hear his mother's voice? God knows.
+When a pitying hand gently turned the little heap of quivering
+humanity, a happy smile lit up the pinched face, and the dying lips
+murmured, "Daddy."
+
+
+FOOTNOTE:
+
+[1] Little Jack is now a grave and reverend bishop, but I doubt if he
+has altogether forgotten the deliciousness of the flabby pie, eaten
+with such content at the close that day.
+
+
+
+
+THE HOG-FEEDER'S DAY
+
+
+I
+
+The cold gray light of early dawn had given place to saffron, and the
+first drowsy challenge from the henroost had been shrilly answered
+from far and near, when old man Jerry awoke from his nap in the
+chimney corner, and, finding himself chilled through all his old,
+rheumatic bones, bent over the dying embers, pushed together the
+blackened and half-burned "chunks," and blew them until they glowed.
+Then, hitching his stool close into the ashes, he spread his horny
+palms to the blaze, and basked in its genial warmth as it crackled up
+the wide chimney. Reaching his pipe from its nook, he filled it,
+dipped it skillfully in the coals so as to ignite without wasting the
+precious weed, and drew a long whiff by way of a start; then, bending
+still closer to the blaze, he pulled away, now and then rubbing his
+shins in slow content, as though to emphasize his comfort.
+
+All things, though, must come to an end. The "chunks" became a heap of
+white ashes, the pipe was finished, and broad shafts of light stealing
+down the chimney and under the door told "Ung Jerry" that it was time
+to be stirring.
+
+He had, according to his usual custom, risen from his bed long before
+cockcrow, and, having cooked and eaten his "morning bread," had
+unlatched his door in order to throw a morsel to his old hog-hound,
+"Drive," who had already crept from under the house, and stood wagging
+his stump of a tail in eager expectancy. The morsel being thrown, the
+old man had cast a knowing look towards the heavens, and, judging by
+the seven stars that it yet lacked an hour to dawn, had returned to
+the smoky warmth and comfort of his hovel, where, seated in the
+chimney nook, he had nodded till roused by the crowings from all the
+neighboring henroosts--for his cabin was one of many.
+
+The pipe being smoked, Ung Jerry rose stiffly, and, shuffling to his
+bed, fumbled underneath it, and, taking care not to disturb the
+setting hen, brought out two bits of old blanket, with which he
+proceeded to wrap his feet before putting on his shoes.[2]
+
+The hog-horn was now slung over the old coat, a bucket of cold
+victuals was reached from the shelf, and the old hog-feeder, equipped
+for his day's work, lifted the latch, and, stepping out into the sharp
+frostiness of the November morning, plodded with heavy steps toward
+the barnyard, Drive following closely at his heels.
+
+The frosty fields were glittering in the slant rays of the newly risen
+sun, and sounds of busy life came floating through the crisp air,
+telling the old man that the day's labor had begun. The sharp crack
+of the teamster's whip told that the great ox wagons were already
+afield. The plow-boys whistled as they led out their mules; men and
+short-skirted, heavily shod women went trooping to the cotton fields;
+the milkwomen stepped briskly by, with the foaming pails balanced upon
+their well-poised heads. Then came the cowboys, with noisy whoop,
+driving before them the crowding, clumsy, sweet-breathed herd, while,
+fearlessly amid all, pigeons fluttered, greedily picking up the refuse
+grain, heedless of the hoofs among which they pecked and fluttered.
+
+One small, grizzled mule, of great age and much cunning, had contrived
+to slip into the feedroom, and was there enjoying a stolen bait of
+oats when Ung Jerry found her.
+
+"You 'speck I wan't gwine fine you, I reckon, but you 'se wrong dis
+time," he said, taking her by one of the long ears and leading her off
+to the barnyard, where the little cart awaited her.
+
+Drive, meanwhile, had crept under the barn, where, nosing about, he
+had come upon a hen's nest, and was feasting upon the warm, fresh
+eggs.
+
+The hitching-up was done with great deliberation. Ung Jerry plodded to
+and from the harness-room many times, bringing out first a chuck
+collar, then a bit of leather, finally, after a long search, an end of
+rope. At length, when all seemed to be adjusted, the old man again
+retired to the harness-room, where he remained so long that Drive was
+contemplating another raid upon the hens, when he reappeared, bringing
+with him an old piece of bagging, with which he proceeded with careful
+adjustment to protect the old mule's back from the friction of the
+cart-saddle. She, meanwhile, had stood with closed eyes and flopped
+ears, immovable save for an occasional twitching of her small,
+rat-like tail; but when the loading began, her manner changed from its
+quiescent indifference; watchful glances followed each basketful that
+was dumped in, and an ominous backing of the ears gave warning of what
+would happen should the load be heavier than she liked.
+
+At length, all being ready for the start, Ung Jerry climbed slowly to
+his perch on the cart's edge, gave a jerk to the rope bridle, and
+Rachel moved off, closely followed by Drive, who, conscious of
+egg-sucking and fearful of its consequences, had prudently ensconced
+himself beneath the cart, from whence he eyed, suspiciously, all
+passers-by.
+
+Slowly the little cart crept along the narrow plantation lanes, crept
+past the level cornfields and into the wide pasture, where sunburnt
+mares were grazing with their wild-eyed, unkempt colts; crept past the
+marsh, where the heron, disturbed in her solitary vigil, rose upon
+silent wing and sought some more secluded haunt amid the dim recesses
+of the swamp.
+
+Turning at length into the forest, where the gray moss hanging from
+the trees almost obscured the deep blue autumnal sky, the cart slowly
+creaked through the rustling leaves until it came upon a cross fence
+which barred the way. Here, as Rachel came to a full stop, Ung Jerry
+awoke from his nap, descended from his perch, and, unslinging his
+horn, blew one long blast.
+
+One was enough. In a moment the deep stillness of the forest was
+broken by the pattering of many little feet; from the thickets the
+hogs came; each hurrying with might and main to be foremost, they
+rushed, grunting, squealing, crowding to the fence, where, standing
+with upturned faces and small covetous eyes, they awaited the feast of
+golden grain which the old man hastened to scatter amongst them. Then,
+leaning upon the fence, he noted each greedy grunter as he wriggled
+his small tail in keenest enjoyment and cracked the sweet corn.
+
+No need was there to count; to the hog-feeder each animal possessed an
+individuality so marked that in all the drove the absence of the most
+insignificant was at once detected. So now, as he leaned upon the
+fence, he cast anxious glances into the dimness beyond. Evidently some
+were missing.
+
+Drive, too, divining his master's thoughts, stood with look intent and
+anxious yelp, impatient for the search to begin.
+
+Then the word came, "Seek, boy!"
+
+Scrambling through the fence, he dashed into every covert or tangle
+wherein a hog might lurk, but without result; there came no rush of
+feet, no shaking of the brown leaves, no startled grunt. All was
+still, save for the quick panting of the old hound.
+
+The old man then turned his eyes again upon the greedy mob, still
+hoping to discover the missing ones amongst them. 'T was all in vain.
+
+"De listed sow, _she_ done gone, an' de big white _hogue_, _he_ done
+gone, an' seben head o' shotes!" he at length murmured, still,
+however, casting expectant glances toward the thickets, in which Drive
+was still sniffing with uneasy yelpings.
+
+"Seem like dem creturs is clean gone, sho' nuf," he exclaimed, with an
+air of unwilling conviction; then adding, "well, ef dey's gone, I 'se
+got 'em to fine, dat's de trufe."
+
+He called in the dog, and, taking his dinner bucket, climbed the fence
+and struck off into the woods. Now and again he would pause, put his
+horn to his lips, and give a long blast, then stand listening with
+anxious expectancy. Every thicket was searched. It was a weary
+tramp,--through bogs and sloshes, where the cypress knees stood up
+like sugar-loaves in the shallow water, or sometimes his steps were
+bent to some open glade, where the great oaks dropped sweet mast among
+the brown leaves.
+
+The day was no longer young when a low fence came into view; beyond it
+stretched a levee, and at its base a glint of water showed itself
+through the great trees, which stretched their mighty arms as though
+they would embrace it.
+
+Ung Jerry, after climbing the fence, mounted the levee and stood upon
+the brink of a wide and muddy river. Taking off his hat, the old man
+wiped the sweat from his face, then turned an observant eye upon the
+river, whose muddy waters were already lapping the boughs of the
+overhanging trees, and with a long-drawn breath exclaimed, "Bank an'
+bank!"
+
+Then, as his experienced eye noted the angry swirls near the shore
+and the debris borne rapidly upon the turbid current, "An' still on de
+rise. She gwine be out in de low groun's befo' mornin', bless de Lord;
+I's been 'spectin' she gwine play dis trick eber since de win' set
+like et did."
+
+Then, looking at the field of standing corn upon the further shore,
+protected by a low levee, and seeming to be upon a lower level than
+the red waters of the flood, he soliloquized:--
+
+"I's skeared de fresh gwine 'stroy a sight o' Mars Jones's corn. It
+raly do 'pear like dat corn mout a been housed befo' now."
+
+The old man's thoughts were interrupted at this point by loud and
+animated barkings from Drive, and, hurrying to the spot whence they
+proceeded, he discovered the old hound standing in a broken gap in the
+fence, in a state of excitement over the numerous footprints which
+told that the truants had broken through and made for the river,
+evidently with designs upon "Mars Jones's" cornfield.
+
+"Here's wha' dey tuck de watah," the old man remarked to the dog, as
+together they followed the footprints to the water's edge. "Dat 'ere
+listed sow, she got mo' sense un folks! She know 'bout Mars Jones's
+corn, an' dey ain't no fence gwine stop dat cretur when she take a
+notion for to go.
+
+"Well, well, well, de listed sow, an' de big white hogue, an' seben
+head o' shotes done tore down de fence, an' took deyselves 'cross de
+riber for to steal Mars Jones's corn; I 'clare 't is a disgrace. I
+reckon Mars Jones gwine cuss a plenty when he fine it out. It certinly
+is a pity for master's creturs to do sich a low-life trick as dat. But
+bless de Lord," and a look of crafty triumph came into his face,
+"dey's got dey bellies full, anyhow."
+
+With this pleasing reflection, and the conviction that nothing more
+could be done for the present, the old man seated himself upon a log,
+opened his bucket, took out his jack-knife, and proceeded to eat his
+dinner, while Drive sat by, in eager readiness to snatch the morsels
+flung to him, ere they could reach the ground.
+
+When the meal was finished, dog and man each took comfort in his own
+way. The dog stretched himself in the sunshine. The old man sat with
+bent head "a-studyin'," then nodded, then fell into a deep sleep,
+soothed by the silence, which reigned unbroken save for the distant
+cawing of a crow.
+
+The long gray moss swayed dreamily upon the motionless boughs of the
+giant trees. Where the sycamore lifted its gaunt, white arms, the
+great bald eagle sat immovable, watching with fierce, intent gaze for
+its prey in the waters below.
+
+
+II
+
+The shadows were growing long upon wood and river when the light dip
+of a paddle broke upon the stillness, and old Jerry, rousing from his
+nap, spied a canoe gliding down stream, guided by two youths who, with
+their guns lying crosswise upon their knees, were making for the bank.
+
+"Mars Harry an' Mars Phil," he murmured, eying them with lazy
+curiosity, as they brought their little craft to land, and after
+making it fast, picked up their guns, crossed the levee, and struck
+off into the swamp.
+
+"Dey's after turkey, I 'speck; Mars Harry an' me, we's killed many a
+varmint in dese here woods. Dey want no Mars Phil 'bout here in dem
+days befo' ole Mars were tuck down."
+
+Thus soliloquizing, the old man continued to gaze wistfully after the
+retreating figures; for their appearance had seemed to bring a
+disturbing element into his peaceful dreams, and a look of helpless
+trouble overspread his face as, taking off his hat and slowly
+scratching his head, he murmured:--
+
+"Seem like it mos' a pity Mars Phil trouble hisself for to come here,
+anyhow. Well, well, well! we folks all gwine be 'vided up 'twix Mars
+Harry an' Mars Phil, 'cause ole Mars, he not long for dis world! Bless
+de Lord, whinsoever it please Him for to teck ole Mars to hisself, I
+trus' he gwine 'vide off Jerry to Mars Harry's shere, 'cause I
+nachally ain't got no use for t'other one--he too outlondesh."
+
+So saying, he rose and reached his bucket from the bough where it
+hung. Drive, who had for some moments been watching him out of the
+corner of one red eye, rose also, and the two set out upon their tramp
+back to the cart.
+
+The old man had climbed the fence, the dog had scrambled through, and
+both were threading their way across the swamp, when the report of a
+gun close by caused the dog to beat a retreat from the thicket into
+which he had thrust his nose, and, with tail tucked in, to creep to
+his master's side; while the old man, exclaiming, "Good Gor-a-mighty!
+whot dat?" pushed aside the bushes in order to see what game the boys
+had brought down.
+
+The sight that met his eyes froze him with horror. Philip's lifeless
+body lay upon the ground, while Harry, with scared white face, bent
+over it.
+
+For a brief space the old man stood as if petrified, then muttered:
+"Jerry ain't gwine know nothin' bout dis here. When ole Mars say,
+'Jerry, what you seen in de Vine Ridge Swash?' Jerry, he gwine say,
+'Nothin', Marster, fo' de Lord. I seen nothin' 't all!' An' I ain't
+gwine tell no lie, nuther, 'cause I ain't gwine look!"
+
+Thus thinking, he cautiously drew back, and, with ashen face and limbs
+that through trembling almost failed to support him, he stealthily
+crept away until out of earshot; then took to his heels and fled.
+When, however, he was forced to pause for breath, he considered if he
+had done well to desert his young master, and turned reluctantly to
+retrace his steps, when, as he did so, the air was suddenly rent with
+ear-piercing shrieks for half a second, and Jerry's heart quailed.
+
+"It's boun' to be de debil," he whispered. Then, a light seeming to
+break upon him, he exclaimed: "Bless God! 't ain't nothin' but de ole
+Chieftain a-blowin'."
+
+The Chieftain, a small freight steamer, had recently taken the place
+of the old flat-bottomed scows, and, as the steam whistle was still a
+novelty, it is not surprising that Ung Jerry, in his terror, should
+for the moment have mistaken it for some unearthly sound.
+
+After many irresolute pauses, the old man at length reached the scene
+of the disaster, and with shaking hands thrust aside the bushes.
+Except for the small birds silently flitting to their roosts, the
+place was utterly deserted. The level sunbeams glinted through the
+gray moss, gilded the tree trunks, and glowed crimson upon the brown
+leaves; the solitary peace of nature seemed unbroken; only the pool of
+blood at Ung Jerry's feet told him that what he had witnessed had not
+been a vision.
+
+After a moment's survey he was turning away, when his eyes fell upon
+the two guns: here, at least, was something tangible, and the old man
+proceeded to secrete them in the fallen leaves. Squatted upon the
+ground, he was too busily engaged to note the sound of approaching
+footsteps, and started violently when a rough voice accosted him. He
+mustered courage, however, to quaver:--
+
+"Dat you, Mars Jones?"
+
+"Me? of course it's me! Who did you reckon it was?"
+
+"I dunno, Mars Jones."
+
+"Well, you'll know next time, if you don't keep them hogs o' yourn
+out of my corn. Why, that confounded old sow can destroy more corn in
+one night than you are worth."
+
+"Yes, Mars Jones, dat de trufe," meekly assented the old man.
+
+Mars Jones, warming to the subject, now waxed more and more eloquent
+over his grievances, until, having exhausted his pent up wrath, he had
+leisure to observe old Jerry's ashen face and shaking limbs, and he
+exclaimed:--
+
+"Why, what's the matter with you? are you sick?"
+
+"Yes, Mars Jones, I's been po'ly dis liblong day, an' I's gittin'
+sassifrax for to make me a little drap o' tea, I's got sich a mis'ry."
+
+"Sassafras!" here broke in Mars Jones; and, good-natured, despite his
+roughness, he took from his pocket a _tickler_, and handing Jerry a
+dram, said:
+
+"Drink this, you old blockhead. _Sassifrax_, indeed!--what good you
+reckon sassifrax goin' do you?"
+
+With a scrape and a bow and a "Thank ye, Marster," the old man gulped
+down the dram, and Mars Jones, replacing his _tickler_, was turning
+away, when his foot slipped in something, and looking down he saw that
+it was blood.
+
+The dram had put so much heart into the old man that he was able to
+reply glibly to Mars Jones's questions.
+
+"Its jes' wha' I's been markin' hogs, Marster."
+
+"I don't believe you; I believe you've been killin' one of your
+master's hogs--that's what you've been at."
+
+But as this did not concern him, he did not wait to inquire further,
+and so, turning on his heel, he strode off.
+
+The hog-feeder, too, hastening away, took the shortest path back to
+his cart.
+
+The deserted barnyard lay silent in the white moonlight when the
+little cart creaked through the gate; but up at the "great house"
+there were lights and movements where the family watched the coming of
+the boys.
+
+Thursday, Friday, and Saturday passed without tidings, and the hope
+that they had been caught by the rising water and imprisoned upon
+some isolated knoll had been abandoned after the swamps had been
+searched in every direction. To add to the grief of the household, the
+master, already enfeebled, now lay prostrated in a condition that
+almost forbade hope.
+
+Upon Sunday the waters began to abate, fences again appeared, and
+patches of drowned corn showed themselves above the wastes of water,
+to the no small joy of the flocks of blackbirds which chattered and
+fluttered amongst them.
+
+Mr. Jones, tired of the loneliness of his water-girt home, made his
+way to the meeting-house, more for the sake of a gossip with some of
+the neighbors than for the day's preaching, and it was there that he
+first heard the startling news of the unaccountable disappearance of
+Squire Brace's nephews.
+
+In the excitement, each man was eager to advance his own theory. The
+discussion ended, however, in the general opinion that their canoe had
+been swamped in the freshet and the boys drowned, until a newcomer
+asserted that the canoe, with Phil's overcoat still in it, had been
+found tied up at the Vine Ridge landing, and that their guns had been
+discovered hidden in the leaves at no great distance in the swamp.
+
+Upon hearing this, Mr. Jones could but call to mind his meeting with
+the hog-feeder, his strange behavior, and the blood upon the ground,
+and he at once jumped to the conclusion that old Jerry had been at
+least a party to some foul deed. His suspicions, once made known,
+became certainties, and the whole party, hastily mounting their
+horses, rode off to the nearest justice, their convictions gaining
+ground so rapidly that, ere the house of the justice was reached,
+poor, simple old Jerry, the most harmless of God's creatures, had
+become in their estimation a villain of the deepest dye.
+
+Upon this identical Sunday morning the old hog-feeder betook himself
+to the little plantation church, whose bell, with cracked clamor, gave
+warning that preaching was about to begin.
+
+The frosty brightness of the past week had given place to a soft
+mist, through whose dimness the pale sunbeams looked sadly upon the
+autumnal world; and as the old man, dressed in his Sunday clothes,
+plodded along the path, the tiny crickets from beneath the grass sent
+up their sad, perpetual dirge.
+
+Men and women, all shining with Sabbath cleanness, came straggling
+toward the church, silently and soberly, without the usual
+light-hearted laughter, for the trouble at the "great house" was felt
+by all the little band. Yet their feelings were not without a mixture
+of pleasurable excitement, for all were anticipating with gloomy
+satisfaction the lengthy prayers, the groanings, and the head-shakings
+upon this mournful day.
+
+The congregation had taken their seats, old Jethro had taken his place
+in the pulpit, the long-drawn cadence of the funeral hymn had floated
+sadly up to the "great house," when a noise at the door startled the
+congregation, who, turning, beheld standing in the door a group of
+white men. Among them was the overseer, who, coming forward,
+announced that hog-feeder Jerry was to be arrested upon a charge of
+murder. "Not that I believe it, men," he said, "but the law must take
+its course."
+
+In the meantime two others had approached the old man, who had already
+stumbled to his feet, and, while bowing in a dazed kind of way, kept
+murmuring, "Sarvent, Marsters."
+
+Handcuffs were put upon him, and amid a profound silence he was led
+forth and lifted into a cart. The two sheriffs took their places upon
+each side of him, and the cortege moved off.
+
+The people, having sufficiently recovered from their shock to jostle
+one another out of the building, stood huddled together like a flock
+of frightened sheep; but when the cavalcade had driven off, a subdued
+clamor of voices arose, all unanimous in contempt for "dese here po'
+white, who'd ha' knowed better 'n to come meddlin' long o' Marster's
+folks ef Marster wan't down on de bed an' mos' like to die!"
+
+That the dull and simple brain of the old man should have been capable
+of any formulated plan is not to be imagined, and when upon the
+following day he was taken before the justice for examination, he
+merely acted from an instinct of affection in shielding his young
+master, even at the risk of his own life. When questioned, he
+preserved an obstinate silence; then, when forced to speak, denied
+having seen either of the boys upon the day of their disappearance,
+but, when cross-questioned, admitted that he had seen Mars Phil in the
+Vine Ridge woods; and finally, when taxed with the blood upon the
+ground and with having hidden the guns, he reluctantly admitted that
+"ef Mars Phil had been hurted" he had done it.
+
+"What did you do with the body?" questioned the justice; "throw it in
+the river?"
+
+A murmur from the prisoner, which passed for assent, concluded the
+examination, and the justice, sorely puzzled, committed him to jail to
+await his trial.
+
+With the early morning, the country people had begun to gather around
+the courthouse, and when told that the old miscreant had actually
+confessed to the murder, their innate love of justice gave place to
+fierce anger; and when the prisoner, gray with terror, bent and
+tottering, was led forth, he was surrounded by a silent but determined
+crowd, who, thrusting the sheriffs aside, seized and drove him before
+them, and had already slipped the noose about his neck, when an
+inarticulate shout caused the crowd to sway,--a horseman dashed into
+their midst and proclaimed that both boys were alive. Their
+disappearance had been explained on that morning by a letter forwarded
+by hand, which ran as follows:--
+
+    On Board the Chieftain.
+
+Dear Uncle,--This afternoon, while hunting in the Vine Ridge woods,
+Phil's gun went off and wounded him in the side. I was at my wit's end
+what to do, when I heard the Chieftain blow up the river; so I tore
+off to the levee, where I was lucky enough to succeed in attracting
+Captain Smith's attention, who sent off a boat, and we managed to get
+Phil on board. I wanted Smith to put back to our landing, but he
+thought the current too strong; and on the whole, I believe it is
+better for Phil to keep on to Hilton, as it would be impossible to get
+a doctor at home in this high water. Phil's hurt is not very serious,
+I hope.
+
+    Your dutiful nephew,
+
+          Harry Brace.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+On the day succeeding Harry's homecoming, he entered the room
+designated the "study," in which the Squire was usually to be found
+when indoors.
+
+The room probably owed the name of "study" to a set of _Farmer's
+Magazines_ which, in all the dignity of expensive bindings, divided
+the shelf with a rather damaged edition of "The Turf Register," a
+"Farrier's Manual," a brace of antiquated medical works, and a stack
+of newspapers. Fishing tackle, a cupping apparatus, a set of
+engineering instruments, half a dozen ears of extra fine seed corn,
+medicine scales, and a huge cotton stock filled the rest of the
+bookcase.
+
+The Squire, seated before a blazing fire, in the lazy comforts of
+convalescence, with pipe and tobacco at his elbow, presented a not
+unenviable picture when contrasted with the wintry grayness outside.
+
+Harry, who had been greatly touched by the old hog-feeder's
+affectionate fidelity, now sought his uncle in order to beg that as a
+recompense he might be given his freedom.
+
+"Freedom!" exclaimed the Squire; "why, confound it, my dear boy, what
+would he do with freedom, if he had it?"
+
+"I think he would like it," Harry murmured, a little sheepishly.
+
+"Why, he's as free as air now; a deuced sight freer than I am."
+
+Nevertheless Harry gained his point, and though the Squire growled,
+"You young jackanapes, you've robbed me of the best hog-feeder on the
+river," still he was evidently pleased, and in the evening old Jerry
+was sent for.
+
+When, in answer to the summons, Jerry presented himself at the study
+door, his master said to him, with a stateliness fitted to the
+occasion:--
+
+"Jerry, I have sent for you to tell you that your young master here,
+as a reward for your fidelity, desires to give you your freedom."
+
+Here the Squire paused, and Jerry, not knowing what else to say, said,
+"Yes, Marster."
+
+Harry, standing by, was feeling rather wrought up, while the Squire,
+also somewhat excited, continued:--
+
+"I will give you a house in the free settlement, out in the slashes,
+and your young master will always take care of you."
+
+Another rather disconcerting pause was broken by a second "Yes,
+Marster;" and the old man, picking up his hat, shuffled out.
+
+The Squire glanced at Harry with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes,
+but the boy's face expressed such blank disappointment that he took
+pity upon him, and, picking up a newspaper, dismissed the matter.
+
+Upon the following evening a low knock was heard at the study door,
+then a fumbling at the latch, and old Jerry once more stood upon the
+threshold.
+
+"Well, old man, what is it now?" his master asked kindly. "Come, out
+with it!" he repeated, as the old man, with a feeble grin, stood
+helplessly fingering his hat. "What's the matter?"
+
+And old Jerry, slowly scratching his head, made answer:--
+
+"Thank, Marster; I's come to ax Marster what I done to 'splease Mars?"
+
+"Displease me! Why, what has put that notion into your head?"
+
+"I dunno, Mars, what I's done, but I's skeared Mars mout be set agin
+me, 'cause he say he gwine sen' me offen de plantation."
+
+Then Harry explained that he was to be set free, and eagerly enlarged
+upon the delights of liberty. The hog-feeder listened, but was
+unmoved: he obstinately declined to accept his freedom, his plea being
+that "the varments" would "'stroy up his creeturs" if he were not
+there to look after them.
+
+"De black sow, she got a fine litter o' pigs now, an' de foxes is
+a'ter 'em de blessed time."
+
+After this no more could be urged, and Jerry, scraping his foot, went
+out with a mind full of content.
+
+
+FOOTNOTE:
+
+[2] As this is a true tale of an old-time plantation negro, I think it
+but fair to state that he had a "chist" full of good clothes; but,
+with a parsimony not uncommon among his race, he preferred to protect
+his feet with old bits of blanket, instead of using the excellent
+home-knit woollen socks which lay snugly hidden away in his "chist;"
+and it was the same feeling which caused him to wrap himself now into
+an old garment made up of patches, although three good ones lay snugly
+folded away in the same chest.
+
+
+
+
+THE JUNIOR RESERVE
+
+
+It was in the early summer of 1864 that the family at Swan Manor was
+thrown off its balance by the calling out of "The Junior Reserves."
+That unfledged boys, and among them their own little smooth-cheeked
+Billy, should be called upon to fill up the thinned and broken ranks
+of the Southern army filled their hearts with dismay. The old Squire,
+with bushy brows beetling over his eyes, sat in grief too deep for
+words, a prey to the darkest forebodings. Miss Jemima had wept until
+her eyes were mere nothings, while her nose, coming gallantly to the
+front, had assumed an undue prominence. Kate, with her pretty lips
+drawn to keep down the rising sobs, tried all in vain to bestow upon
+her twin brother bright looks and smiles, ever before so ready and
+spontaneous. In the early secession days it had seemed such fun to
+ride to dress parade and toss bouquets to the laughing "boys in
+gray," while all the world played Dixie!
+
+    "Away down South in Dixie."
+
+How she and Billy had whispered and plotted, and how great the triumph
+when together they climbed the gate-post and, after much toil,
+successfully planted their little red and white flag! But now, alas!
+all was changed,--they were fast getting to be grown-up people, and
+now her own dear Billy must go to help drive the Yankees out of Dixie.
+
+As for Billy himself, a suppressed but exultant grin shone upon his
+face, a trifle deprecating when in the presence of his grandfather or
+his tearful Aunt Jemima, but very jubilant despite these drawbacks. In
+truth this junior reserve was only too pleased to exchange the Latin
+grammar for the musket, and little cared he for prospective hardships,
+provided school were not among them.
+
+In the few busy days before the departure, Kate followed Billy's
+footsteps, trying in vain to share his elation. "Good gracious,
+Kate," he would exclaim, when he discovered her furtively wiping her
+eyes with her little damp ball of a pocket handkerchief, "don't be
+such a little goose; why, what would you have a fellow do? I had no
+idea that you were that sort of a girl." Then, as between laughing and
+crying her face contorted itself into a sort of spasmodic grin, he
+would say: "Now that's right, that's the way to do, if you'll just
+cheer up, I'll be all right; the Yankees'll not bother me much, you
+bet."
+
+At the request of Serena (Billy's former nurse) her boy Cy was chosen
+to accompany his young master as body servant, one of his chief
+recommendations being that, naturally "skeary," he would be a safe
+companion; also, as his mother proudly averred, he was the fastest
+runner upon the plantation.
+
+It was upon a golden evening in June that little Billy bade farewell
+to his home, Miss Jemima and Kate going with him to the little wayside
+station. Cy, gotten up in great style, followed, while the rear was
+brought up by a motley procession,--all eager for the honor of
+carrying some of the belongings. The Squire, with Don the old Irish
+setter, stood in the doorway until Billy passed out of sight; then the
+two together, the old man and the old dog, went back into the silent
+house.
+
+The path to the station wound its way through a field of ripening
+wheat, from whence the clear whistle of a partridge smote sharply
+though the fervid air. Billy paused, and, pointing to a tangle of
+blackberry, exclaimed: "There's a nest there as sure as shooting, and
+I'll go there to-mor--" A quick catching of the breath cut short the
+unfinished words, and the boy, with lips slightly drawn, quickened his
+pace. Kate, choking down her sobs, held his hand in her tight clasp,
+as she kept pace with his hurried step. Miss Jemima, steadying her
+voice, remarked with a sprightly air that there would be fine shooting
+when he should come back in the autumn. Then the little station came
+into view, looking very empty and deserted; two men loading a flat car
+were the only living objects to be seen. They paused in their work to
+greet Billy, and ask where he was off to. It seemed so strange a
+thing to Kate that all the world did not know.
+
+The train was not on time, and the waiting became so painful that it
+was almost with gladness that they heard the warning whistle far down
+the track. A small crowd had gradually collected, and some one
+remarked: "She's blowin' for the bridge. It'll be ten minutes before
+she's here." To the tumultuously throbbing hearts of the little party
+it was a positive relief when a puff of smoke was seen and the engine
+came rushing around the bend. Then there were hurried kisses; the bell
+clanged, a voice called out, "All aboard," and the train was off.
+"Gone, gone, gone," Kate repeated over and over to herself, as she
+gazed with tearless eyes into the dim distance of the now silent
+track.
+
+As the party retraced their steps homeward the partridge was still
+calling his cheerful "Bob White" from amid the wheat, while from the
+shadowy depth of a laurel thicket came the sweet gurgle of the
+wood-thrush.
+
+In the late summer, news--glorious news--came that the foe had been
+driven back, and their boy was unhurt.
+
+Later, a man from the front at home on furlough was heard to say that
+"Billy Swan was a regular trump, and had borne himself like a
+veteran." Kate walked elate, saying the words over and over, with a
+proud smile, "A hero, a regular trump,"--he, her own dear Billy. The
+old Squire, too, with ill-concealed pride in his boy, was once more
+like his former self.
+
+Happy days--brief, hopeful days! Alas, alas! Many Junes have come and
+gone since little Billy was laid to rest in the old burying-ground,
+close to the wheat-field where the partridge calls, calls, the long
+day through. June roses scatter their leaves above him, and when the
+sun drops low, with long golden shafts upon the green mound which
+covers him, from far down in the laurel thicket comes the liquid
+gurgle of the wood-thrush. Kate looks into faces, once frank and
+bright, and full of youth and hope, now grown old and seamed with
+care, and she tells herself that "whom the gods love, die young."
+
+
+
+
+MAMMY
+
+
+Two little snub noses were flattening themselves against the nursery
+window pane, while the four eager eyes watched the soft flakes
+whirling through the air and silently descending upon the whitening
+earth.
+
+"Sposen we was to steal out," whispered the boy, "an' hide, so Mammy
+couldn't never find us no more."
+
+An excited chuckle interrupted the further development of this
+deliciously lawless scheme; but, though the little sister caught the
+infection, she prudently turned from the tempting prospect, saying,
+"No, Sed, I's 'fraid you might git the croups an' die."
+
+The other occupants of the room were a little roly-poly cherub of a
+girl, seated in a tiny chair, holding in her arms a rag baby, which
+she rocked and dangled in servile imitation of her mammy, who, with
+bumpings peculiar to the nursery chair, was rocking to sleep a still
+younger babe. A fair little maiden, curled up comfortably upon a
+cushion, the firelight glistening upon her yellow locks, bent over a
+book, from which she read, in high-pitched, childish voice, to her
+mammy, the story of "Ellen Lynn." Mammy was very proud that her
+nursling could read, and would cast admiring looks upon the child as
+she bent over her book, with finger pointing to each word. Both were
+absorbed in the story, and every picture was examined with scrupulous
+care.
+
+Another occupant of the nursery was "Chany," the under nursemaid.
+Gawky, sleek, and black, she sat flat upon the floor, her large,
+well-shod feet turned to the fire, a picture of lazy, vacant content.
+
+"Ch-Ch-Chany," stuttered Mammy, "look in de top drawer an' git a
+hankcher and blow dat chile's nose. Go on wid yo book, honey; Mammy
+ain't goin' 'sturb you no mo."
+
+"Mr. Lynn left the sleigh, and turning from the island"--piped little
+Caroline. Then there came another prolonged snuffle from Sedley.
+
+"You Ch-Ch-Chany, why'n't you git dat hankcher?" caused that languid
+maiden to bestir herself. Having fumbled in the drawer for the
+handkerchief, she approached the window, but no sooner did the little
+boy become aware of her intention than, with a rebellious shake of his
+curly head, he buried his nose in his little chapped fists, and,
+regardless of Sibyl's advice, that he had better be good, he firmly
+stood his ground, determined to resist Chany to the death.
+
+"He ain't gwine let me tetch him," said Chany, feebly dabbing at him
+with the handkerchief.
+
+"Do, pray, gal, don't be so no-'count," Mammy answered. Then Chany,
+stung by the imputation, made another helpless dive; a scuffle ensued,
+in which she was utterly routed, and the victorious Sedley threw
+himself upon Mammy's lap.
+
+"Gi' me de hankcher," said Mammy, with an air of withering contempt.
+"There, now, you done woke up your little brother," she said, when,
+the nose being blown, she again returned to trying to jolt baby Joe to
+sleep. "He jest had drapped off into a doze."
+
+"Oh, chilluns, le's pop some corn!" Chany now exclaimed. "Here's a
+whole sight of it," she went on, as she searched a basket, which she
+had unearthed from the closet.
+
+"Oh! pop corn!" shouted Sedley and Sibyl, running, and each seizing an
+ear.
+
+"Oh! pop torn!" echoed the cherub, throwing down her rag baby. So the
+shovel was run into the ashes, and Chany and the three little ones set
+to work to shell the corn.
+
+Quiet was again restored, and Caroline, who, all through the hubbub,
+had kept her finger faithfully upon "island," continued her reading.
+
+Mammy now substituted a sideways movement of the knees for the more
+vigorous bumping of the chair, and baby Joe--lying luxuriously upon
+her wide lap--gazed dreamily into the glowing coals upon the hearth,
+until gradually the white lids drooped over the blue eyes, and he
+slept. The nursery was very quiet now. The corn-poppers were intent
+upon their work, and Mammy, soothed by the unwonted stillness,
+listened drowsily to the little reader until fresh interest was
+excited by the following words.
+
+"The men were now still more alarmed," read Caroline. "Farmer Lynn
+said that he would go with them and see what had become of Mr. Lynn
+and Annie. The whole party accordingly went back to the river. After
+searching about for some time, one of the men espied something black
+on the surface of the snow, at a great distance down the river. They
+all proceeded to the spot, and were dreadfully shocked on arriving
+there to find that the black spot was a part of Mr. Lynn's arm and
+that his body was beneath, frozen, and buried up in the snow."
+
+When Mammy heard these words, she threw up her arms, and exclaimed,
+"Lord, have mercy 'pon my soul! What! Mr. Lynn hisself?"
+
+To her imagination Mr. Lynn was a most real person. The book was now
+brought to her and she, with little Caroline, looked with deep and
+mournful interest at the picture of the empty sleigh.
+
+"It certainly is a awful country to live in; seem like it ain't fitten
+for a dog, much less white folks. To think o' Mr. Lynn hisself bein'
+froze to death. Well! well! well! It certainly was onexpected."
+
+The children's story books furnished Mammy with many thoughts. Among
+them was a set of German nursery tales, full of quaint colored
+pictures, in which she took especial pleasure. Seated by the nursery
+fire, the baby asleep in his crib and the others out at play, she
+would turn the leaves feeling that each picture was a living portrait.
+Slovenly Peter, Rocking Phillip, and Greedy Jacob were her favorites.
+Once when shown a pretzel, she exclaimed, "Ef it ain't the very thing
+what Jacob had in his hand when he busted," and, taking the pretzel in
+her hand, she contemplated it with a thoughtful and sentimental air.
+
+The nursery door was now burst open, and in rushed Harry, bringing
+with him a blast of fresh cold air; black Ned came too, and both
+brought upon their feet enough snow to cover the carpet with moist
+tracks.
+
+"You Ne-Ne-Ned, ain't you got no mo' manners than to be a-tracking up
+de house dis way? Go 'long out and clean your feet;" but the hubbub
+was too great for Mammy's words to be heeded; pig-tails were being
+brandished aloft, and the children all clustered round Harry and Ned,
+asking questions and clamoring for pig-tails.
+
+"Look!" said Harry. "Here's somefin better'n pig-tails," and he drew
+from his pocket the mangled remains of a dozen or more snow-birds.
+
+A scramble now ensued, and Sibyl--having secured as many as she
+wanted--retired to a corner, and silently fell to plucking them, while
+Sedley, who was as vainglorious as a Comanche, capered about on his
+short legs, and boasted of imaginary exploits with trap and dead-fall.
+
+Caroline looked on, half pleased and half disgusted, keeping herself
+clear of contact.
+
+"Miss Calline she too proud to tetch pig-tails," grinned Chany.
+
+"'F cose she is," Mammy answered, bridling. She was very vain of Miss
+Caroline's daintiness.
+
+The baby was now laid in his crib. Chany was dispatched for salt and
+pepper; the shovel was again run into the ashes, pig-tails were placed
+delicately upon the coals, and the nursery, pervaded with the various
+odors of wet shoes, burnt corn, fried grease, etc., was given up to
+disorder and cooking, into which Mammy threw herself with as much zest
+as did the children. The pig-tails were broiled to a turn, and the
+small birds were frizzling away upon the shovel, when Sedley, taking
+advantage of his opportunity, made a rush for the door, opened it, and
+was outside, with mouth and hands full of snow. Before Mammy's
+vigilant eye had noted his escape, he was flying back in triumph, with
+a big ball in his fist, when she met him and, with dexterous grasp,
+wrenched it from him.
+
+"Di-di-did anybody ever see your match!" she exclaimed as she hurled
+the ball into the fire. "I clar I's got a good mind to take you right
+straight to your ma."
+
+But Sedley knew the value of such threats and soon wiggled himself
+out of her grasp.
+
+"Da now, go 'long an' 'have yourself," she said, with admiring
+fondness, as he laughed and capered away from her.
+
+"Honey, what is you a-doin'?" she now inquired of Sibyl, who, with hot
+cheeks, was bending over a pile of coals. "Cookin' a bird? Let me do
+it,--you's a-burnin' your little face clean to a cracklin'."
+
+"No, Mammy, I'm cookin' my bird for grandma," the child answered,
+rejecting all help, "an' I'm goin' to do it all by myself."
+
+"Wh', baby honey, your gran'ma ain't comin' before Christmas eve, an'
+dat's a week off. Your bird ain't goin' keep all dat time, but ne'
+mine, I'll make Ned ketch you another one."
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Upon Christmas Eve, the children might have been seen at the big gate,
+straining their eyes down the road, each hoping to be the first to see
+their grandmother's carriage. Visions of waxen dolls, sugar-plums,
+and other vague delights imparted a double zest to her arrival,--to
+say nothing of Uncle Robin (the driver) who, in the estimation of the
+little boys, was of far greater importance than was their grandmother.
+To them he was an oracle of wisdom, and their delight was to follow
+him about the stable lot or to sit in the sunshine and hang upon his
+words; for his imagination was fertile, and the boys would listen with
+wonder to the tales of his prowess and skill with horses. Something
+was now observed to be moving far down the road, which soon proved to
+be the carriage. Yes, there were "Phoenix" and "Peacock," which no
+one but Uncle Robin could handle, and there sat Uncle Robin upon the
+box, and there was grandma inside, smiling and waving her
+handkerchief, and there, too, sat Aunt Polly, grandma's maid.
+
+The carriage stopped, and Uncle Robin, bowing and smiling, descended
+and opened the door, and they all scrambled in and were hugged and
+kissed, and Polly admired their beauty and exclaimed at their growth.
+Then the door was clapped to again, but not before Harry had managed
+to slip out and clamber to the box beside Uncle Robin, who, having
+driven through the gate, handed him the reins, with a caution to keep
+his eye upon Peacock. In the estimation of the boy, this sleek and
+overfed Peacock seemed little less than a raging lion whom only Uncle
+Robin could quell.
+
+"He'll run in a minute, if he gits a chance," said the guileful Uncle
+Robin. So Harry clutched the reins and drove proudly past the lot, in
+full view of some of the men, turned in at the yard gate, and drew up
+before the door.
+
+Grandma could not wait for the hanging of the Christmas stockings, but
+insisted upon opening her trunk at once, and displaying her gifts to
+the children's delighted eyes. The wax babies exceeded their wildest
+hopes. The house was made horrible with horns and drums. Mammy laughed
+and showed her dimples and courtesied over her own gorgeous present,
+and all felt that Christmas had really come.
+
+For several days, indeed, throughout the holidays, Harry felt that he
+had left childhood far behind him, and, as he strutted about the
+stable yard, he now and then expectorated, in imitation of Uncle
+Robin, as though he had a quid in his mouth.
+
+Aunt Polly, though far inferior to Uncle Robin in the children's
+estimation, was yet a person of distinction, and no naughtiness was
+ever displayed when she was by to witness it.
+
+Mammy usually enjoyed a gossip with Aunt Polly over the nursery fire.
+But, sometimes feelings of coolness would arise. Polly belonged to the
+family of the mother of the children, while Mammy came from that of
+the father, and between the two a slight rivalry had always existed as
+to the superiority of her own white children.
+
+"'T is a pity Miss Calline's back's so round," said Polly one night as
+the children were being undressed.
+
+Now, if there was a feature in which Mammy took a pride, it was in the
+straightness of the children's limbs and the flatness of their backs,
+above all the limbs and backs in the other branches of the family;
+so, firing up at once, she replied that she would like to see a
+flatter back than "this here one," laying her hand upon Caroline's.
+
+"Miss Emmaline's is a sight flatter," Polly stoutly maintained. "She's
+got as pretty shape as ever I see,--all our people's got good shapes
+from old Missis down. I reckon this chile's got her back from her pa's
+fambly." When Polly said this, Mammy felt that the gauntlet had been
+flung down, and, at once, with an eloquence all her own, so defended
+the "shapes" of her "fambly" that Polly was fairly beaten in the war
+of words, and was forced to admit, with many apologies, that Miss
+Caroline's back was as flat as Miss Emmaline's.
+
+Mammy accepted the apology with some hauteur, and it was several days
+before entire cordiality was reestablished; in fact, in all her after
+life, Mammy would, when in certain moods, hark back to "dat time when
+dat long-mouthed Polly had de imperdence to say dat our folks' backs
+weren't as straight as hern."
+
+Full of peaceful content were the lives of both whites and blacks.
+Merrily the Christmas went by, to be followed by others as merry, and
+the winters and summers came and went, turning childhood into maturity
+and maturity into old age. Mammy's glory reached its zenith when, at
+"Miss Calline's" grand wedding, she herself rustled about in all the
+grandeur of a new black silk and Polly was forever squelched. The
+whole world seemed full of prosperity, abundance, and careless
+happiness, when suddenly, like a thunderbolt, the war came.
+
+The plantation home was abandoned very carelessly, and with light
+hearts the family drove away, expecting nothing but to return with the
+frosts of winter. They refugeed to a farmhouse upon the outskirts of a
+little up-country village.
+
+Sedley, though still a beardless youth, shouldered his musket, and
+took his place in the ranks. Sibyl and her mother, in the little rude
+farmhouse, thought not of their lost splendor, but cheerfully looked
+for the good days sure to come when, the war over, the dear ones would
+come back, and the old times. Every Southern woman knows how it was
+when the great battles were fought and a trembling, white-lipped group
+of women and aged men would stand huddled together to hear what the
+midnight dispatches might have in store for them.
+
+In the little upland village the refugees were closely knit together
+by hopes and fears in common. When sorrow fell upon one household the
+little community all mourned. But if the wires brought glad words that
+all at the front were unharmed, there would come a period of happy
+reaction; the little society would be wildly gay, especially if one or
+more young heroes from the front had come home with a slight
+wound,--just enough to make a demigod of him.
+
+Such was Sedley's happy fate one never-to-be-forgotten summer, when
+every girl in the village fell madly in love with his blue eyes and
+his gray coat and his mustache and his lovely voice, as he strummed
+the guitar in the moonlight,--and most of all with his merry laugh.
+Did time permit, I might tell of such odd costumes, such make-ups of
+homespun and lace, fine old silks and calicoes, in which the Dixie
+girls danced so merrily.
+
+It was just upon the heels of one of these happy seasons that a rumor
+was whispered that the army was about to fall back and that the
+offices and stores would be removed in consequence. At first the rumor
+was rejected,--no good Confederate would listen to such treason; but
+finally the croakers were proved to be right. The government stores
+were hastily removed. The office-holders took a sad farewell of those
+whom they left behind them, and the little town was abandoned to its
+fate, outside the Confederate lines.
+
+Sibyl and her mother were among the tearful group who watched the
+little band of departing friends, as it passed out of the town, waved
+a last adieu, and strained their dimmed eyes for a last sight of the
+Confederate gray, ere they went sadly back to their homes.
+
+When Sibyl and her mother reached home, they found Mammy already at
+work. She had ripped open a feather bed, and amid its downy depths
+she was burying whatever she could lay her hands upon. Clothing,
+jewelry, even a china ornament or two,--all went in. It was a day or
+two after that Rita complained of a great knot in her bed, which had
+bruised her back and prevented her sleeping. Mammy heard her, but,
+waiting until they were alone, said in a half whisper, "Honey, I knows
+what dat knot is, 't ain't nothin' but your brother's cavalry boots
+that I hid in the bed. I reckon the feathers has got shuck down. Don't
+say nothin', an' I'll turn your bed over, and then you won't feel 'em.
+An', honey, do pray be kereful how you talks before Jim. I ain't got
+no 'pinion o' Jim, an' it'll never do in de world to let him speck
+where the things is hid."
+
+No one knew how soon the Yankees might come, and all were busily
+engaged in concealing whatever they had of value. People may smile now
+at some of the recollections of that day, but they were earnest enough
+then, and as much importance was attached to the concealment of a ham
+or a pound of black sugar as to that of a casket of diamonds.
+Clothing and provisions were hidden in various strange and
+out-of-the-way places, and, when night came, Mammy and her mistress
+were glad to rest their tired bodies, although too much excited to
+sleep. At last, however, a deep sleep fell upon them, from which they
+were awakened by the distant roar of cannon. The village, though no
+longer a depot for Confederate stores, was not to be given up without
+a struggle. It now became a sort of debatable ground, and cannonading,
+more or less distant, told the anxious listeners of almost daily
+skirmishes.
+
+Awakened by the cannon's roar, Sibyl opened the window and listened. A
+pale glory to the eastward, a low rustle of leaves, a drowsy chirp
+from tiny nests, all merging into one inarticulate murmur of awakening
+nature, told that night was over. Sibyl and her mother hastily dressed
+themselves, called Rita from her fearless young sleep, roused up the
+baby, as they still called little Joe; then asked themselves why they
+did it. There was nothing to do but to sit on the porch or to wander
+aimlessly, listening with beating hearts to the faint and more faint
+boom of the artillery. And the roses glowed in the May sunshine, and
+the honeysuckle wafted its perfume in at the open windows, and the
+bees droned among the flowers, and all was so peaceful, but for the
+incessant dull roar of the battle.
+
+The Confederates were finally driven back, the Federals entered the
+town, and then the bummers came streaming through the country, leaving
+desolation behind them. Cattle, poultry, everything eatable was driven
+off or carried away in the great army wagons that came crashing along,
+regardless of all obstacles in their cruel course. Cut off from all
+news from the army, Sibyl and her mother dragged wearily through the
+long, sad summer, and the two children grew gaunt for want of
+nourishing food.
+
+It was a morning in the early autumn that Sibyl, sitting at work by an
+open window, became suddenly conscious of an unusual presence near
+her, and, looking up, beheld a man gazing fixedly upon her. A party of
+Federals had that very morning visited the house upon a pretended
+search for concealed weapons, and the girl, with nerves still
+vibrating with terror, uttered a little shriek, and, starting up, was
+about to close the window, when the figure leaped over the low sill, a
+pair of strong arms encircled her, kisses fell upon her lips, and, ere
+the shriek of terror could find voice, she recognized, under the rough
+countryman's hat, the laughing eyes of her brother Sedley.
+
+Such meetings can be better imagined than described; seconds had
+become minutes ere Sibyl or her mother could begin to realize their
+joy, which, in its first intensity, was almost pain. Then came the
+breathless questionings as to the well-being of the other dear ones,
+then the deep sigh of thankfulness from the long-burdened hearts.
+
+At the sound of a strange voice. Mammy, peeping in at the open door,
+had fallen prostrate with joy, and, while hugging her boy to her
+faithful bosom, had called upon her Maker to testify that upon this
+very morning the scissors had stuck up twice.
+
+"An' I knowed when dey done dat, dat somebody was a-comin'."
+
+Then Dinah, the cook, came in, courtesying and laughing and loyal as
+though no emancipating army had set foot in Dixie.
+
+When the joyful tidings had reached the children, Rita's thin legs
+might have been seen flying through the high grass. The more practical
+Joe toiled behind, bending under the burden of (their treasure trove)
+a big pumpkin, a basket of persimmons, and a few stalks of sorghum,
+for, like the Scriptural colts of the wild ass, they passed their time
+in searching after every green thing.
+
+In the magnetism of the bright presence of the young soldier, all the
+sad forebodings seemed to vanish into thin air. While listening to his
+brave words of hope, they forgot that the sunny hours of this most
+happy day were hastening by. Already the shadows lay long upon the
+grass, and there remained yet so much to be said and so little time
+wherein to say it! By set of sun Sedley must be on his way to rejoin
+his command. His brief and daring visit had been achieved by his
+assuming a disguise before venturing inside the enemy's lines.
+
+"How did you ever manage it?" asked the mother. "I tremble when I
+think of it."
+
+"Oh," he answered, "it was easy enough. I came in with a fellow who
+was driving cattle into town."
+
+"Oh, Sed!" his sister whispered; "you ran an awful risk; how will you
+manage to get back without being discovered?"
+
+"There'll be no trouble about that," he answered. "Don't you and
+mother go and worry yourselves about me. I'll be all right, so cheer
+up and don't look so doleful."
+
+Urged on by fear, they now almost hurried him away, and Mammy, while
+filling his haversack with provisions, entreated him to be careful.
+
+"De ain't no tellin' what dem Yankees would do ef dey once clapt hands
+on you."
+
+Sedley might guess shrewdly enough what his fate would be in such
+case, but he replied, with his old boyish laugh, that it was his trade
+to outrun the Yankees.
+
+"Never fear, Mammy," he said at parting. "Trust me to beat 'em at
+that game."
+
+Then the sad good-byes were said, and manfully he strode down the
+little path, turning only once to wave a last good-by to the sorrowful
+group on the broad front porch, who watched till he passed out of
+sight.
+
+The night was spent in anxious watching, but confidence returned with
+the morning, and all again settled back to their employments and
+amusements. Sybil wandered into the parlor, and, sitting down to the
+piano, sang in a low, sweet voice some of the pathetic war melodies.
+The "colts of the wild ass seeking after every green thing" had sought
+the sorghum patch, and Mammy had taken a basket into the garden for a
+final gathering of sage leaves. The day was dreamy, as only an October
+day of the South can be. The tempered sunlight, streaming softly
+through the filmy autumnal mist, threw a veil of loveliness over the
+homeliest objects; the old gray fences, the russet fields, the lonely
+pastures, where from beneath the grass roots the tiny crickets
+chanted their low, sweet dirge the long day through, the cawing of the
+crows from a distant tree-top, all told in notes of most harmonious
+pathos that "the fashion of this world passeth away."
+
+As Mammy, with back stiffened from stooping, raised herself for a
+moment's rest, she saw Jim lounge into the backyard and speak to
+Dinah. Mammy had but little use for Jim in general, but now she felt
+anxious to know what had been going on in the village, and for that
+reason she left her basket among the sage and went near to hear what
+he was saying. As she drew near, Dinah suddenly threw up her hands,
+and, starting from the hencoop on which she had been leaning, came
+towards her, stuttering and stammering in a manner so excited as to be
+unintelligible.
+
+"What's dat you say? For Gods sake, ooman, say what yere got to say,
+an' be done wid it!" said Mammy, too frightened to be patient. Jim
+then drew near to her and, glancing cautiously towards the not very
+distant piazza, upon which his mistress happened at the moment to be
+standing, he whispered, "Dey's done ketched him."
+
+"K-k-ketched who?" stammered Mammy fiercely.
+
+"Mas' Sedley, dat's who," Jim answered doggedly.
+
+"How you know? I don't b'lieve a word on it."
+
+"Anyhow, dey's done done it."
+
+"Ho' come you know so much 'bout it?"
+
+"'Cause I seen 'em when dey done it."
+
+"Y-y-you have de face to stan' da an' tell me dat you seen 'em
+a-troublin' dat chile an' you not lif' a han' to help him?"
+
+"How I gwine help him? G'long, you don't know what you talkin' 'bout."
+
+"Whar'bouts did dey come across him?" Mammy inquired.
+
+"Right down yonder at de mill," Jim answered, nodding his head in the
+direction.
+
+"Good Lord," exclaimed Mammy, "dey must 'a' ketched him directly after
+he went away!"
+
+This conversation was carried on in such low murmurings that even a
+listener at a short distance could not have distinguished what was
+said; the three were very intent, but did not omit occasional cautious
+glances in the direction of the house.
+
+"Dat's so," Jim replied; "an' den dey shet him up in de mill house,
+and den I never seed no mo', 'cause I was skeered an' runned away."
+
+Then, after an uneasy pause, he added, "I come 'long dat-a-way soon
+dis mornin'," and here he murmured so low into Mammy's ear that Dinah,
+though she stretched her neck, could not catch the word, which turned
+Mammy's brown face to ashen gray. She stood for a minute like one
+turned to stone, then staggered to her own doorstep. Sitting down, she
+buried her head in her apron, and so sat motionless for half an hour,
+while Jim and Dinah continued their guarded murmurings by the hencoop.
+At the end of half an hour she rose, took a bunch of keys from her
+pocket, went into her house and, closing the door behind her, unlocked
+her chest. Drawing from it a little workbox, which had, in years gone
+by, been one of Caroline's cherished Christmas gifts, she opened it.
+From beneath her Sunday pocket handkerchief, and a few other articles
+of special value, she produced another and smaller box which she
+opened, and, taking from it a gold coin, looked at it tenderly.
+
+"Po' little fellow! God bless him! he give me this that fus' time he
+come home from school. I never 'spected to part with it, but ef it's
+de Lord's will, it may help him now."
+
+With these thoughts, Mammy quickly replaced the things in her chest,
+put the coin into her pocket, and, taking up the man's hat, which upon
+week days she always wore, she strode off towards the mill.
+
+As she passed by the piazza, she paused one moment irresolute, but
+murmuring to herself, "'T ain't no use upsettin' Mistis, po' cretur,
+and I can do it better by myself anyhow," she walked briskly forward,
+revolving in her mind her plan.
+
+The mill house consisted of two rooms, and in the one in which Jim had
+reported Sedley to be confined there was a small trap-door. It had
+been used for regulating the working of the machinery, and led from
+beneath the house directly to the creek, which ran close to the walls
+of the house. This trap Mammy had once happened to see opened, and in
+that way knew of its existence, otherwise she would never have
+suspected it, as, from its infrequent use, it was usually covered with
+dust and dirt and could not be distinguished from the rest of the
+floor. Her plan was to endeavor to get speech with Sedley, tell him of
+the trap-door, and leave the rest to him. Her great fear had been that
+she might be refused admittance to him, and hence it was that she had
+thought of her gold piece, as she hoped by its potent influence to be
+given a few minutes alone with the prisoner.
+
+There would be no great difficulty for Sedley to lift the trap without
+noise and, when it was lifted, to swing himself through to the ground,
+to creep until he came to the thick tangle upon the creek banks, then
+to swim across and escape into the shelter of the woods beyond. That
+would be simple enough, and Mammy, full of hopeful thoughts, was
+walking briskly forward, when suddenly a turn in the path brought
+into view a small body of Federals, all mounted, and evidently coming
+from the direction of the mill. They seemed in haste, and she could
+hear the rattle of their sabres as they cantered by.
+
+Standing amid the broom-sedge, Mammy watched them, casting eager,
+anxious looks upon them, fearing, dreading to see her boy in their
+midst, a poor, defenseless captive. Finally, as the last horseman
+disappeared, she heaved a sigh of infinite relief. "Bless de good
+Lord, dey ain't took de po' chile wid 'em," and so went on her way.
+
+At length the gray gables of the little mill house came into view, and
+Mammy, feeling in her pocket to assure herself that the gold piece was
+safe at hand, went boldly forward, telling herself that, if she spoke
+politely, the Yankee guard would not shoot her. So she went on until
+the little mill came into full view, but with no guard or any other
+object to inspire fear. All seemed quiet, and the place quite
+deserted. There were footprints about the door, and broken bushes
+showed the trampling of both men and horses, but now all was very
+quiet. The old mill house looked very peaceful, with the yellow
+autumnal sun shining upon its moss-grown roof, with no sound to break
+the deep silence, save the low, continuous warbling of a solitary
+mockingbird which, perched upon an overhanging bough, seemed to review
+its past joys in low, sweet notes of retrospection.
+
+Upon seeing that the place was quite deserted, Mammy paused, and,
+after looking around to satisfy herself that this was really the case,
+ascended the steps and, lifting the latch of the door, looked into the
+outer room.
+
+"Thank God!" she murmured, upon finding it empty. "Thank God! dey's
+all took deyselves off to town an' lef' him here, locked up by
+hisself. It raly is 'stonishin' to think how foolish dem creturs is;
+dey mout ha' knowed as someon' would ha' come an' let him loose."
+
+While thus thinking, she had crossed the room, and was now endeavoring
+to open the door, which gave admittance to the inner and larger
+apartment. Finding, as she had anticipated, that this door was
+fastened, she first called to the prisoner within, and, when no answer
+was returned, she shook the door until at length the crazy old lock
+gave way and the door creaked slowly back upon its rusty hinges.
+
+"Honey, whar'bouts is you?" Mammy questioned, as, pausing upon the
+threshold, she peered into the obscurity beyond. The windowless room
+was dark, and Mammy, after again calling, groped her way in, straining
+her eyes into the gloom, but unable to discern any object. Then,
+suddenly, the deep silence and the gloom smote upon her senses, and a
+great horror came over her. She turned to rush from the room, when her
+eyes, grown more accustomed to the darkness, fell upon an object which
+froze the lifeblood in her veins. It lay almost at her feet. She
+stooped and bent over it, with thick, laboring breath. Very still it
+lay, with set white face and wide-open, unseeing eyes.
+
+
+
+
+WAR REMINISCENCES
+
+
+I remember when Wheeler's cavalry passed through town that the men,
+when halted, just dropped in the streets and slept, so that passers-by
+were forced to step over them, but in spite of starvation and
+weariness the old indomitable spirit would assert itself. One of the
+poor fellows, while the column was passing by Christ Church, looked up
+at the weathercock and remarked to a comrade that it was the first and
+only instance of Wheeler's boys seeing a chicken which they could not
+get at.
+
+We were singularly fortunate in the neighborhood of Raleigh in having
+no lack of wholesome food, and in being able to send boxes of
+provisions to the army around Petersburg. We, in particular, were
+plentifully supplied from the plantation, a four-horse wagon being
+constantly engaged in hauling supplies.
+
+One of the greatest taxes upon our resources, and the event that
+brought the war very closely home to us, was the advent of the
+cavalcade and ambulances referred to in my notes concerning My Own
+Early Home.
+
+Most of the horsemen who had come with the ambulances returned to the
+front the next morning, leaving behind them six or more sick and
+wounded, with their surgeon and friends to look after them.
+Fortunately, the office in the yard (a house with two comfortable
+rooms) was easily made ready and the wounded men were installed in the
+quarters which they kept for a month. The wound which afterwards
+deprived one of the wounded, a young man by the name of Nat Butler, of
+his arm, was by far the most serious. The attempt to save the arm came
+very near costing him his life. Instead of healing, the wound
+constantly sloughed, with great loss of blood. As the wound was
+between the elbow and the shoulder, the danger attending amputation
+increased with each sloughing, but the poor boy was deaf to all that
+his doctor could urge, positively refusing to have the arm amputated,
+and he grew weaker and weaker with every hemorrhage. Meantime several
+of the sick and wounded were so far cured as to be able to return to
+duty. Captain Butler (an older brother of Nat Butler), Dr. Thompson,
+Mr. Taylor, and several others whose names I have forgotten, and the
+bugler, named Glanton, still remained. One morning, while I was in the
+mealroom getting out dinner, I heard Captain Butler's voice calling
+loudly that young Butler was bleeding to death. I just took time to
+call out to my daughters, Annie and Kate, who were just starting to
+town, to drive as quickly as they could to Dr. Johnson's and to ask
+him to come. Then I ran down to the office, where I found the poor old
+captain frantic with terror and quite unable to do anything for the
+patient, who lay senseless and bleeding upon the bed. I can never
+forget his ghastly appearance; I never saw so bloodless a face. The
+mouth, partly open, showed a tongue bluish like new flannel. I went to
+the bedside and pressed the arm above the wound, as hard as I could,
+and I held it so until the arrival of Dr. Johnson. I had thus
+succeeded in partially arresting the hemorrhage, and possibly may have
+saved young Butler's life. I started to leave as soon as the doctor
+came, and when I arose from my knees, I realized for the first time
+that I was covered with blood. The amputation could no longer be
+deferred, and the operation took place as soon as the patient's
+strength permitted, which was, I think, two days after the hemorrhage.
+There was then barely a chance that he could survive in his weak
+condition. I shall never forget how the girls and I sat upon the front
+steps and watched the silent men standing before the office,--it
+seemed as though the suspense would never end. After the amputation,
+Butler lay for twenty-four hours like one dead. Finally, when he did
+rally sufficiently to be given something, I sent our excellent nurse,
+Caroline, to take care of him, for I could not trust him to the
+ignorant though kindly meant attentions of his friends. At this time
+General Galbraith Butler was our guest, and, as the Norrises had now
+left for Richmond, I gave him a room in the house. He was quite ill
+there for several days, during which time the house was thronged with
+messengers from the front. It gives me pleasure to say that they
+conducted themselves like polished gentlemen, who appreciated the
+comforts which they received.
+
+Under Caroline's devoted nursing Nat Butler slowly returned to life
+and to a degree of strength. When it became evident that Raleigh would
+soon be in possession of the enemy, Nat Butler declared that he
+preferred the risk of dying by exposure to that of being captured. It
+was with the saddest forebodings that we prepared for his departure.
+The ambulance was made comfortable with pillows, blankets, etc., and
+nothing was omitted that could contribute to the well-being of the
+poor sufferer. It was a painful parting, as we all knew that we were
+on the eve of horrors that we dared not contemplate. The moon shone
+upon the sorrowful little cortege, as it passed beneath the trees, and
+we were too sad for tears, as we watched it go slowly out of sight.
+Nat Butler lived, and visited us a year later, but his life was a
+brief one.
+
+We were up late that night, bidding adieu to many friends. Indeed,
+the past few days had been days of varied and intense excitement.
+People who under ordinary circumstances would have scarcely recognized
+each other as acquaintances now met and parted as old and dear
+friends. Mounted officers would come cantering up just for a handshake
+and a God-keep-you. We were admonished to take off rings or any little
+bits of jewelry which we might wear. A gentleman sitting by me had
+concealed my watch in my ball of knitting cotton. People everywhere
+were wildly seeking places wherein to conceal their valuables. We had
+no reason to imagine that our house was safer than others, but we
+could not refuse to receive the trunks and boxes brought to us in
+desperation, by refugees chiefly, who were leaving town in a panic,
+and going they knew not whither. All that we could promise was that
+they should be as well cared for as were our own; and so the garret
+was packed with all sorts of trunks and boxes, many of which were not
+claimed until the next autumn.
+
+I cannot pretend to give you an idea of the excitement and turmoil of
+that last week of the Confederacy. Every minute of your grandfather's
+time was taken up with his duties as a state officer, until he, in
+company with Governor Graham and Dr. Warren, were despatched by
+Governor Vance to meet Sherman with a flag of truce and to surrender
+the town. He was absent upon this mission upon a night that I happened
+to go into the dining-room and found several rough-looking men, whom I
+took to be Confederates, seated at supper. Robert was waiting upon
+them, and Adelaide talking, while one of my little children was seated
+cosily upon the knee of a particularly dirty-looking man. This did not
+please me, for there was a freedom of manner about them which I had
+never seen in one of our men before. Still, I had no suspicion that
+they were not what they seemed, and, being called off, I left them,
+although a certain uncomfortable feeling caused me to do so
+unwillingly. Just as I left, a clatter of horses' feet was heard
+outside, and Adelaide (always loquacious), exclaimed, "Here comes the
+General and his staff!" The words were scarcely uttered before the
+men jumped from their seats and dashed from the room. We were
+afterwards convinced that they were some of the scum of Sherman's
+army, and while we (myself and daughters) were sitting quite
+unsuspectingly, they were lurking near us.
+
+I omitted to mention that, at our urgent invitation, our dear friends
+the Burgwyns had come to us, and, in the midst of other distractions,
+I was occupied in disposing of their numerous boxes, barrels, and
+pictures. There was a universal feeling that there would be a degree
+of safety in numbers, and we could not possibly have enjoyed more
+congenial companionship than that of our cousins, the Burgwyns. Upon
+that day we prepared twenty lunches, which were most thankfully
+received. I recollect that towards evening some hot tea was made for
+our old friend, Mr. John Robinson. He had been at work all day,
+shipping freight and provisions, and transferring engines to
+Greensboro, to which place he was now going. He had had nothing to
+eat, and was, as you may imagine, very tired, and so hungry that his
+lunch of cold ham, bread, and butter, with many cups of tea, was so
+much enjoyed that in after life he often spoke of it with real
+gratitude. When he said good-by, he gave into my keeping a little box
+of trinkets, requesting me to keep them for him, as he had no idea
+what his destination might be. I, of course, said that I would try to
+keep them safely; and I did, returning them just as I had received
+them, some months later.
+
+Upon that day, our dinner was but a meagre one, consisting chiefly of
+soup, and, as the very last of the silver had been hidden out of
+sight, we were compelled to take it from teacups. Upon that night,
+after the stir and bustle of the day had subsided, after the last
+good-by had been uttered, and the last horseman had galloped away, a
+most intense stillness followed, which, if possible, increased our
+melancholy, and magnified our fearful apprehensions of what was to
+come.
+
+On the following morning, I saw three odd, rough-looking men come
+galloping up from the barn. They were mounted upon mules, were seated
+far forward upon the withers, and had their knees drawn up after a
+most ungainly fashion. I saw at a glance that they were not our
+countrymen. They rode furiously into the yard, where they halted
+abruptly. The servants stood gaping at them in stupid bewilderment. I
+went forward and asked them the meaning of this intrusion. Their reply
+was an insolent demand for my keys. Then I knew that they were
+bummers. During the whole of this period your grandfather had had more
+than his hands full at his office, taking care of and sending off
+government stores, and doing a thousand other things, so that all the
+domestic offices rested with me. I told the bummers, with a great show
+of courage, that I had no idea of giving them my keys, and as I walked
+off, feeling quite triumphant, I had the mortification of seeing them
+dismount and swagger to the doors of the mealroom, smokehouse, and
+storeroom, slip their miserable, dastardly swords into the locks, and
+open the doors, with the most perfect ease. Conscious now of my own
+weakness, I would not condescend to parley with them, and watched
+them at their insolent and thievish game, until their mules were
+almost hidden beneath the load of hams, sausages, and other plunder.
+Then they remounted, and dashed off at the same furious pace as they
+had come. In a little time after others came and played the same game,
+only adding to their abominable thievishness by driving off our mules
+and all our cattle. Our horses, I am glad to say, had been sent away.
+
+It was towards noon upon that fatal day that we espied a long blue
+line crawling serpent-like around a distant hill. Silently we watched,
+as it uncoiled itself, ever drawing nearer and still nearer, until the
+one great reptile developed into many reptiles and took the form of
+men. Men in blue tramping everywhere, horsemen careering about us with
+no apparent object, wagons crashing through fences as though they had
+been made of paper. The negroes stood like dumb things, in stupid
+dismay. It was at a later period that their time of joy came (in many
+instances it never came); then the only feeling was one of awe.
+
+In an incredibly short time tents were pitched, the flag run up, and
+the Yankees were here. The crowd grew more dense. A large column was
+passing through the grove at almost a run, when, to my horror, I saw
+Adelaide and Lizzie, each with one of my little girls in her arms,
+rushing along in their midst in a state of such wild excitement that
+they had almost lost their reason. Almost in despair, I rushed after
+them, sometimes seeing them, only to lose them again in the moving
+mass. As I passed a soldier I signed to him for help; I do not think I
+could have spoken. He saw the danger that threatened my children, and,
+overtaking the two nurses, took the children and brought them to me.
+The women had meant no harm, and did not realize the risk.
+
+As I before remarked, every one during this period of panic
+entertained an idea that he must commit his valuables to the keeping
+of some one else; for instance, my sister gave her set of pearls to
+her maid Sally for safe keeping, and Sally, in her turn, brought them
+to Caroline (her mother). Caroline, not knowing a safe place of
+concealment, lifted a stone from her hearth, placed the casket in the
+cavity, and replaced the stone; this, however, caused the stone to fit
+loosely in the hole from which it had been displaced, and Caroline, in
+her fear lest this should lead to the discovery of the pearls, sat all
+night with her feet resting upon it. She came to me in the morning,
+looking perfectly haggard, and told me that she had never before
+passed through such a night of horror, for her house had been crowded
+with Federals, prying into every corner and taking whatever they
+fancied. With my sister's casket, she handed me a red cotton
+handkerchief tied up and full of silver coins, belonging to herself
+and her husband. She had no place in which to keep it, and asked me to
+take care of it. I, of course, took charge of it and kept it for her
+until the last bluecoat had left the place, which was not until
+August; for, after the departure of the army, a regiment was left in
+our grove.
+
+One day General Logan came to the door and said that he had reason to
+believe that a Confederate officer was concealed in the house, and,
+if I kept his presence a secret, he threatened me with the
+consequences. The Federals, while searching for buried treasure, had
+discovered the amputated arm of poor young Butler, and had jumped to
+the conclusion that he was concealed in the house. At all events, it
+served as a plea for them to claim that he was there. When I assured
+him that this rumor was quite false, his manner was so utterly
+incredulous that I requested him to satisfy himself of the truth of my
+assertion by making a search of the entire house and outbuildings. I
+entreated him to do this, for his threats had so alarmed me that I
+felt that in that alone lay our preservation. His reply, with an
+insolent, jeering laugh, was: "I will not take that trouble, for my
+boys will settle that question."
+
+The safeguards stationed both at the back and front protected the
+house. For, whatever might have been their feelings, they dared not
+relax in their vigilance. The discipline in that army was perfect.
+
+Not long after the above-mentioned interview with Logan, we were told
+(by a servant, I think), that the whole division was going to leave
+that night. This was true. It was before the articles of the surrender
+had been signed, and Logan was in pursuit of General Johnston. It was
+a night of such commotion that not one of the family retired to rest.
+It was discovered, when too late for redress, that Logan had withdrawn
+our safeguards, taken every commanding officer with him, and had left
+us to the mercy of his wagon train of bummers and of negroes. That
+night of terror terminated in a violent storm, in the midst of which
+your grandfather set out for the headquarters in town for the purpose
+of demanding a safeguard. With daylight came a greater feeling of
+safety, so we separated, the girls going to their rooms, and I to
+mine, in order to refresh ourselves and make a fresh toilet. While so
+engaged, I kept hearing the bells ringing and tinkling incessantly,
+and, while I was hurrying to put on my dress in order to inquire the
+meaning of this, Caroline and Adelaide rushed in, exclaiming that men
+were climbing the walls of the house, and the tinkling of the bells
+was caused by their twisting them off the wires. These women, whose
+natural color was bright mulatto, now looked ashy. I do not think that
+I spoke a word, but just flew into the nursery, took the children, and
+ran up the stairs. As I passed by the sitting, room, I met Kate, all
+disheveled, running out and saying that men were climbing into her
+window. I just took time to lock the door between her room and the
+sitting-room, and then we all ran upstairs, where the Burgwyns and my
+other girls were quietly dressing, in entire ignorance of what was
+taking place. It seems strange that I should recollect every trifle so
+vividly; I remember, even now, that, as I ran up the stair, my throat
+and mouth became so dry that I could not speak. From the window at the
+head of the stair nothing was visible but a sea of upturned faces; not
+just by the house, but away down the slope, as far as the eye could
+reach, were men's upturned faces. I can never forget the look upon
+Mrs. Burgwyn's face as she whispered, "We can throw ourselves from the
+window." My poor, craven heart might have failed me, but I am
+convinced that she could have done it. While we thus stood, a poor,
+cowering, terror-stricken group, steps were heard approaching, and a
+tall figure slowly ascended the stairs, and a grim, saturnine-faced
+man stood before us, and said, "I don't know that I can save you, but
+for the sake of my mother and sisters I will do all that I can do." I
+do not remember whether any one made a reply or not, I only recollect
+that he went as deliberately as he had come. When your grandfather
+returned, having with difficulty succeeded in procuring the permit for
+a safeguard, the mob had begun to disperse. Our deliverer was a man
+named Fort. He was division quartermaster, and had been left in charge
+of the wagon trains. He was from one of the Western States, Iowa, I
+believe. He was a good man, and was God's instrument to save us from
+destruction. He remained near the house all through the day, and at
+first said that he would sleep that night inside the dwelling, but
+afterwards told your grandfather that, upon further consideration, he
+thought it best that he should stay outside, so his tent was pitched
+close to the house, and there he remained until his command left. He
+was forbidding in manner, and would accept no thanks. I think that he
+hated us as Southerners, but acted from humanity.
+
+Mr. Burgwyn was suffering from an apoplectic stroke, and was lying
+insensible. My son had not returned from Appomattox. Had any man been
+with us, he would have been utterly helpless, and would probably have
+been murdered.
+
+One day, either immediately preceding or following the incident just
+related, our ever-faithful man, Frank, stealthily entered the house.
+He was evidently afraid of being observed, for he slipped in, and,
+closing the door after him, asked to speak a word to his master. When
+your grandfather came, Frank almost whispered his communication, as
+though afraid of being overheard. "Master," he said, "I come to ask
+you, please, sir, don't go out of the house to-day;" he would not say
+why he gave this warning, and it was not until afterwards that we
+found that the Federals had intended to hang your grandfather up
+until he told them where our silver was hidden. I rejoice to say that
+they did not get one piece of it, although a part of it was buried in
+the branch that runs at the foot of the grove, and, in digging out a
+place for watering their horses, they had actually thrown the sand
+upon the box, thus burying it deeper.
+
+I could relate many other incidents of this period, some of them
+rather amusing; but it is time to bring my reminiscences to a close.
+But before doing so, I must say a word about our last safeguard,
+Monhagan. He was Irish, and possessed all of the best attributes of
+the Irish character. After the departure of Logan's division, with the
+rest of Sherman's army, this man was deputed to guard the place, as a
+regiment was still quartered in the grove. He stayed until August,
+and, besides faithfully discharging his duties, he exerted himself in
+other and various ways to ameliorate the inconveniences to which we
+were subjected. Our servants, lounging in idleness, contented
+themselves with professions as idle. Frank, acting upon his master's
+advice, had taken his family to the plantation. Adelaide was ill the
+greater part of the summer with brain fever. Monhagan worked the
+garden, gathered fruit and vegetables, and performed many other
+services. I felt a little amused when he one day brought me all his
+money and asked me to take care of it for him. At first I positively
+refused to take upon myself this responsibility, but yielded at last,
+and made him count it, and kept it as long as he remained. Every
+Saturday afternoon he would come and ask me to let him have one dollar
+and allow him to go to town for a little while. He left with the
+regiment in August, and he wrote once to your uncle Tom from New York,
+but omitted to give his address, which we regretted, as we would have
+liked to have him as a gardener.
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's Note
+
+Minor typographic errors have been corrected without note. However,
+variation in spelling, particularly in the speech, but also in other
+words, has been left as printed.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Plantation Sketches, by Margaret Devereux
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