Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1858-02-05


character Ida had her faults but we
lay claim 10 too much gallantry to be gull
ty Of blazoning them to censorious pub
tlic.
Mrs. Holmes had died when her daugh-
ter was fifteen years ofage and two years
subsequent to that event, and six months
previous to the date Of this narrative, Ida
became an inmate of the Fort, where she
found a small select circle, composed of
both sexes, and of this circle, at once be-
came the centre of attraction. Her most
intimate associate was the daughter of
Quartermaster Brown, whose devotion to
the profession of arms was so strong that
he named her Bella--affirming it to be the
feminine of beUum, which, he had been
told, was the latin for war. Names, how
ever, are not often indicative of character,
and Bell, as she was familiarly called, was
the reverse of bellicose, and never failed to
stop her ears in anticipation of discharge
of firearms.
The gentlemen with whom Ida was most
intimately associated, were Major George
Dade and Capt. Ebenezer Fritz-rival
suitors for her hand. The Major was
portly bachelor of thirty-fve ; command
ing in appearance, agreeable in manners,
brave, prompt and punctual in the dis
charge of duty, but decidedly averse to
action when indolent ease was at his op-
ton. The Captain was about twenty-five;
tall and well formed, quite handsome in
the eyes Of others, an Adonis, in his own;
dressed gaily, oiled his hair, perfumed his
handkerchief and attitudinized before the
mirror. He was, Notwithstanding the
weakness Of self-love, good officer and
esteemed brave man. Sprightly in con-
versation, he sometimes mistook pertness
for wit, and always gave the signal for a
general laugh, by laughing, first, at what
he said. But the reader is acquainted
with so many men Of this type, that we
need not dwell Uon the characteristics of
Capt. Fritz.
! Which of the two, Ida preferred, no one
knew. Equally courteous to both, and
studiously impartial in the distribution of
.her favors, the most watchful could detect
nothing that indicated a preference, and,
of course, opinion was diyidcd-the one
man or the other being esteemed the for
tunatc suitor as he happened to be pre-
ferod by the individual who proclaimed
him the successful candidate. Then, as
now, lady's choice was often known to
others before it was made by herself and
Ida undeceived the adherents of neither,
but uniformly replied to their indirect
questions, by saying, that neither party
could be far wrong since they had restrict
ed her choice to two. Capt. Fritz was con
fdent of success but his confidence was
based upon his high estimate of himself,
rather than upon any encouragement he
had received Mai, Dade rested his hopes
q
upon his high standing with the lady Is
father who, he supposed, would exert a
controlling influence over his daughter S
choice of husband. Which was right,
time, alone, could disclose but thus the
matter stood when the parties made their
first appearance before the reader, who has
perhaps already made up his, or her mind
whether Ida became Mrs. Dado, or Mrs
Fritz.
Gen. Holmes could not fail to hear the
gossip of the camp, nor to see the atten-
tions paid his daughter by her lovers; but
he seemed not to hear, nor to see, whilst
exercising prudent vigilance over the
progress of events, The Major was de
cidedly his favorite of the two, but hi!
hope was that neither would succeed il
winning Idas affections, since his own ex,
, pericnce had taught him to prefer civi
! liam as her husband-believing that he
happiness would be best secured by tota
dsconnection from the camp, Thougl
such was his wish, he had, by no means
resolved to forbid her marriage with al
officer of the army nor could he consis
! tently have formed such resolution, whel
> it was his own wish that she should re
, main with him, where she rarely saw an
4 one whose vocation was not that of arms
The anxiety induced by this state of feel
ing prompted him to catochizo his daught
= er with view to ascertain how far her in
clonations confirmed, or ran counter t
u his wishes.
} "My child" he said, as they were prom
onading by moonlight, "you have now ha
z a six months experience of camp-lifo, an
J. Il. n