The Xenia sentinel. [volume] (Xenia [Ohio]) 1863-186?, 1864-02-16
.SETCTT--J 3FTE
Su1eFngs or an East Tennessee
Refugee.

ThepJ esent rebeiiioh has b6enthe fruit-
full sour IF many scenes OF sad desti-
turiOn and want, unparalleled in the his
tory-of any nation. The subjOined, which
recently fell under my own observation,
is only Ohein ajbourand; and will be read
with fearful eyes by many Of the more
favor d who have fortuna ely been loca-
ted further frOm the conflicts of the two
opposing elements. 49,
1, Was,a cold, wet, dismal day in Jan
uary, when sad and lonely, was seen. ap-
preaching our r'ieqrets, a-femaIe,=eIad in
the most rude attire; her hair disbeveled,
and presenting at.frst sigbt.a sad picture
Of want and exposure, such as would
make the stoutest-heaFt recoil, and bring
tears to the eyes of the most wayward.
Upon a closer view one could readily per.
ceive that our heroine had seen better
days. Her form was graceful, and her
manner, though. somewhat rude, bore
ongindications Of former afluenee and,
in the depths of h,r large, lustrous eyes,
one could easily perceive degree of self
reliance, SO necessary to the well-beiDg Of
one placed in such circumstances. A few
well directed questions as to the cause of
her SAD appearance, ELECTED, in Substance,
the following sad story:
What p0us nv home is in Scott county,
Tennessee; have been well rai,ed, and
WIS early taught the principle of srlf-re-
ian3e, as tbezpnly sure m,'thOd to, with
s slahd~rhe fr0wns and bdfFets Of an Un-
friendly world. At the age Of sixteen
was left m therless, and being the eldest
Of five Chi dreh-threeL brothers and one
sister-I was compelled to assume the posi-
ton of mother. Only those who have
been placel in like situation can imagine
my feelings in this trying emergency.
But " th fortitule equal to the magni-
tude Of the ,ituatiun, I nerved myself for
the ia: k, and for long time went On very.
we'll. Ny father (revered be his name)
did all in his power to make US comforta-
bic, a1ds fer, 4 Wbiis gqeceeded very we'll
But alas the destroyer came-came in
the garb of IntCmprrance-my eldest
bro hen Ibeing the7yiefim. Oh, sad and
cruel f,te At st au occasional " spree,
as he was want to call i, was the extent
If his offending" But, as is usual in
suea-cases, the habit grew sstrOhgcr- and
stillstfonger, I'LL, what was begun in per
versencss-aS evil habits generally do
end,d in the total destruction of every
good and noble quality Of. his soul. = Aud
be b earn 10, horrible tn relate la be-
sOtted drunkard But death came to his
relief, aud early in the springtime of life
he was sacrifeedtto the awful fateL of dy-
ing drunkard's dea h.
l saw the grave close over bis mortal re-
mains, and returned home to witness the
effects of this last sad str ke Of affliction
upon the -strong nerve of my father, in
whom, upltOthis time, re,tedsalf my hope
of earthly happiness. Up to this time he
had b rue all with an iron will which
pr missed to carry him safely through every
Emergency. But as soon as we had ar
rived at home, to my. utter consternatiOn,
he gave way to feeling Of utter despond-
.eney: His reason rrelad, and he soon be-
came utterly sinseusible to all that was
passing around.
THIS was too much for my young spirit
to grappl5 with, and for time it seemed
to mel too, must yield to the pressure OF
the evil circumstances which bore upon
us--But-the--al-pnWsrful arm-af-the
Creator was interposed, aud again became
sensible ~totbe. vast Fesp1nyihtiitys WHICH
rested,upoa- me, ,SsfHd I-fesolFed-to bear up
under it al for the sake Of my dear young
sister, Malvina.
My father lived but few days. His
body .Ra6luid ID the silent tomb By The
side of mother iand lhey now rest quietly
in the little family cemetery while 1 am a
wanderer--an Oute9st- upon the face Of
the Garth, and. for the present, dependent
upon the charities of the people for my
subsisteuce--Follswis-g e immediately u on
the death Of my father was a new trouble,
upon y which, L had not counted for,
saatedg had the funeral Dbsequis been
performed, when my second brother joined
the rebel army, and my third, and only
remaining biOthsr, inFormgdme of his de-
termination to enter the Union army. All
my enlreaties AMI supplioatious were of no
avail. l. vain did I point to our young
and helpless siStar, andlurge that asa rsa.
son. In vain did portray the awful suf-
ferings to which she and / would both
necessarily be subjected in the event of
his leaving US. His determination was
unalterably fixed, and gave way to at
of entire despondency, from which was