The Shasta courier., 1863-09-05
Down In Dixie.

81 -
n There was, once upon time, very nice
essian sergeant, who. while in com:
zanQ OF picket down in the Shenandoah
valley, gradually became aware that there
was very pretty girl in the habit of passing
- quite promiscuous" while he was on post
1 Very pretty girls, indeed, were all three of
tne MISS Jeh's. Dark of hair, bright of eve
and keen of wit, they knew the rules Of co.
|qoetry from Alpha to Omega better than they
did their prayers, and took un' interest in
observing their practical effect -
Their family lived Just inside our lines,
and were Heutral-that is to say they had two
brothers with Ashby. and used to sell meals,
officers and soldiers ut about ten times their
real value, all the while wishing =. this hor-
rid war would cease"
Our young friends natural modesty hav-
ing been overcome with great difficulty, he
speedily became quite intimate, not to say
gallant, with the young lady and her other
two sisters.
Why shouldn't he? He had not seen a
white female in three months who had not
scowled or spat OF him, bit one -she threw
q brick--a sort OF thing which though anus
ing enough at first, grew tIresome by repeti-
ton so when he met two good looking fem.
fdines who did neither, he was fascinated.
Ihoughshe took his meals at their house,
f5b5Q cents -each) and made himself general
lf49reeqble to the best of his ability, our
sefgeaif never forgot that he had command
pten, Unusually large picket, sent out pur-
posely to give timely warning of an expected
raid on the station, and never left the road
without posting a force too strong to be cut
off by n cavalry dash before an alarm could
be given, and would not leave his men alone
nfter'd dark for all the beauty of Virginia.
I After declining several invitations to pass
lths afehng, few days before..the time of
his retnrn, be received a most pressing inyi-
.tatiop to bring LIS men and partake ora din
ger prepared by the Miss Jeffs.
-1fhey had behaved 50 gentlemanly, so un-
ike the usual coarse mercenarles, that really
q they must accept ofeur teoossptaalty- And you
viii come know y"
Who could resist such a speech, accompan-
EN3as it was, with blush and look which
Exp4l hare Drought Gen. Wool on his lsar-
POW bUnes sx.s -.
!" Bos' + can't. leave. the road uagarded.
Nv orders are
O, never mind that. slsnlt the road in
sight from here? Why can't you leave one
man and bring the rest up? There is no
danger in the middle of the day, to be so much
afraid of. This is Northern courage, is it ?"
with a sniff highly derogatory to the aforesaid
Northern production.
OF course it was the old story of Sampson
and Delilah and this speech, with a little
more wheedling, produced an acceptance of
the invitation and the sergeant, after tax
ing a short leave of the family in the parlor.
and long and affectionate one of Miss JEFF
on the stairs, effected retreat.
Flattering. isn't it? that she should take
such an interest in me-" he soliloquizcd.-
.' But then to ask the men. Pm blessed ifI
can see through it anyhow" And he fell
into brown study, from which he was star
tied by whisper.
Massa sergeant"
The sergeant started, looked around and
half drew his revolver; but seeing nothing
hut juvenile darkey ensconed in an angle
OF the worm fence, he thrust it back again.
Hello, Nick, you imp of darknessFe he
cried. recognizing one of the house servants
of the Jeffs upon whom he had bestowed sew
eral smslll favors: '''' q
9 Step, here, Massa sergeant. Don't let
no one see you, and will tell gou somefn"
Along and anxious confab ensued, inter-
spersed with considerable cursing on the part
Of the military gentleman, at the end of which
the sergeant took his way to the camp instead
of the post, in study far browler than that
from which he hal 81 recently emerged.
At precisely noon the next day, look into !
the dining room of the Jeff's would have dis |
closed the sergeant, and with one exception, |
The entire picket under his command setting |
at the table, their arms stacked in the hall, |
making an onset before which the dinner van
shed like chaff before the wind.
One hour passed.
Suddenly steps were heard on the niazza.
"Don't disturb yourself" said one Of the
young ladies. going to the window: g It's |
,nly soiMe the niggers-"
;'ss womb r''r replied the sergent, with
ender glance. p
''The steps came on the stairs-up them
he young ladies looked uneasily around but |
he sergeant never stirred. There was stir
n the hall. filed by a sudden rush of about |
twenty-five of Ashby's cavalry, who made
heir entrance with an utter disregard of the
,roprieties of life and the presence of the Ia |
lies
= You may as well give yourself up quiet
"" smiled the sergeant conquest TO her /
,dorer and his followers, who consulting in |
he corner to which they had retreated:-'a Ny |
brothers always treat their prisoners well,
and we have your guns"
'Well. darned if ever saw such perfdy,"
said the sergeant throwing his hat from the |
window in a rage.
'' Give me five minutes to collect myself,
Lieutenant" said the sergeant. turning to
he commander of the troop, "and Plr tell |
you what I'll do"
g All right, my boy-take SIX" returned |
the young lady's brother in the most good.
natdred manner. sitting down and pitching
into the dinner like a half-starved drdgoon. as |
he was-an unceremonious example 'whict |
was initiated by bis followers.
Fiveninutes passed stramping vas heard |
outside. -
ssDarn those hosses," exclaimed Lieuten- |
ant JEFF. with his mouth full of corn bread |!
and boiled CT icken i" there's no guard there. /
rods, go down there and see if they're get
ling unhitched."
Tom filled his mouth full of the same arti-
lie, picked up his carbine and started to go |
,ut.
He Looked hack Is be reached the door.