The weekly pioneer and Democrat., 1863-05-01

lock he must bel" And as set-Otf to
his riches, don't he drink wine every day
at dinner, with his fathers awful fate be-
fore him? and amt he forever with pipe
between his teeth? and didn't he play
cards and carouse and sing songs all night,
and drove about the country all day with
those friends of his who came from Bos-
ton! Old mates in the mines, were they? !?
Humph. Guess gamblers, with their
superfine broadcloth and their gold chains
and things
So went the gossip, and Nick cared for
it all not red cent, but went on his way,
turning neither to the right nor the left; ;;
dabbling little in fancy cattle; Oftener
going off for days shooting or fishing
more oftener going down to Boston for no.
body knows what; evidently enjoying life
in his own way, despite all that was said
of him and his goings on.
At last the war broke out. The young
men volunteered by scores-by hundreds
by thousands. Weeping mothers packed
their kits and said "God bless YOU" Sad,
broken circles met around homely boards
in the brown farm-hOuses. Poor old faith
ers, with stern faces and sad hearts, strain
ed every nerve to make both ends meet
while the boys" were away fighting, and
sweethearts and wives sat themselves down
to weep over husbands and lovers march
ing away for the cruel swalnps OF Virginia.
In the midst of it all, report began to
spread that Nick Dudley was secession
ist And, indeed, his conduct was some-
what suspicious.
Before the storming of Sumter, he was
heard to say a dozen times that he ''sym-
pathized with his misguided Southern
brethren" Since that mOmentOus era, he
had held his tongue, never joining in the
excited harangues of his neighbors in the
village school house; attending no war
meetings; offering no money for the cause,
and doing nothing to encourage enlist
ments 1t looked bad, certainly. AT
length the public feeling ran SO high that
Nick heard of it, but he only laughed, call
ing them pack of fools for their pains,
and said he would give his opinions when
called upon for them, not before But no
one cared to ask him point plank what hs
thought, for a wholesome fear of his pre~A
ess was prevalent in Springdale. But Nick
got caught at last!
"Come, father, teas ready;" said Liz
zie.
eyes, child, in minute. What's this !?
Three hundred thousand more men called
for by President Lincoln!" "
''The Lord pity their poor mothers, -
said old Mrs. Hopkins, wiping her eyes, as
she thought of Ben, her frst-born, away
in the army.
The Deacon cast his eyes down the col
umn. ''Humph! What's this? New reg
iment under the Presidents proclamation
Colonel Dudley has been commissioned by
the Governor to raise regiment for I'M
mediate service
81 wonder if that's Nick" said Lizzie.
''No. He's secessiOnist," grumbled
the Deacon.
ed like rose.
"Why, Cicily, child" said Mrs. Hop
kins, "How do you know what he is?"
"Why, he told me Ga white lie)-tl'at is
(conscience-stricken didn't exactly
say SO, but II -Iknow-that is, think
Better be quite sure of what you are
saying, Cicily."
Cicily Hopkins Cicily Hopkins.
from New pshire-down for visit to
her cousin Lizzie, came blooming into
Springdale one June morning, and Nick
started at her whenever and wherever he
could, like real heather as he was; and
before many days he had made some pre-
tense to call over at the Deacon's where
he straightway received an introduction to
pretty Cicily, who wondered much at his
great moustache, and rather liked his
looks, but denominated him perfect bear
afterwards, when she and Lizzie were tax
ing him over. Then he invited Miss
Lizzie (and Cicily, of course,) to ride over
to Acomac ponds with him, to fish for
perch and gather water-lillies, and, indeed
carried them both there in his handsome
wagon in grand style, and made himself so
agreeable that they fell fairly in love with
him, and vowed that they would never
listen to a word in his dsparagement
again. Yes, Nick was caught! and Cicily,
though half afraid of the great fish she had
looked, felt proud of her conquest; and
got to looking for the dreamy eyes and
black moustache with little futter at the
heart and gush of crimson bushes over
plumy cheeks and milk-white neck. But,
then, he was secessionist, they said; and
she, a staunch Union damsel-she would
never marry secessionist- never! She
said as much one day in Dicks hearing,
but he only smiled and remarked that che
wouldn't either-if he could"
And 80 the summer was slipping by, and
Cicily's visit drawing to a close-only one
day of it remained.
Nick had gone to Boston with prom
ise to return in time to say good bye-and
something else which he wished to tell her
before they should part. Ah! she well
knew what it was
Tea on the table, Oicily sat looking out
of the open window at the honney-suckles