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diff --git a/22673-8.txt b/22673-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4eb72a8 --- /dev/null +++ b/22673-8.txt @@ -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: 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 + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PLANTATION SKETCHES *** + +***** This file should be named 22673-8.txt or 22673-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/2/6/7/22673/ + +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.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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