, 1864-03-20
THE HOSTESS <sF TF1N wyf.

THE nosrEss oF TEE NJ
"a lew weeks ago ny reporterial dut,
calling me in the vicinity Of KNOXVILLE r.
+. nessee, the tedtum Of my ride over tbe ron,
mountain roads was much a1leyIated for
sh.a GHEen n nnee Or 30 by the genial conpanio
scout, as ne rode along begged him
give me an account Of an adyrnfnre :wh3r
nao created some Interest In the army a f.
months before, and in which hc himself ba
aRuIeu somewhat conspicuoas1y lie COZ
d a1'Hus n1'oss. anu MS relation Was very much: T;
There we're fey pretty girls in the part {
tennessee We travorsed during The last can
pa,go southWestward, so that, 60 soou as "
IeaSaeo me Georgia frontier, and cot win
Of the old widow v: aud her thr5e grand I'd
Gnanghters nrngt,n r.; amelia, Gordelia ana Ophs!i
fork Of the lower Atlaaa road: there va VA
niue else thought Of by our ashouldar
suaps," except perhaps brcsga and hiscrcw
and they were mailing tracks for 4 more ge
nlel climate at sd lively rate. that prcit,
Eoon the fai. damao1s Of the liquid name;
uegan 10 trouble brass -huttoned bosoms to su
Alarming degree. 1had first discovred the lew.
c1s IN one Of my lonely expeditions sontaHard
ana tlreugh me nearly all my chuns had
pecn t1oduced at an early stage Of the halt.
ana h.n dozen OF us had been: specially In.
enea 70 the house on several occasions, nv
bouqnets we're not to b had, but ali the spt.
iers OF the. division were beeicgcd for their
beet notions, and silk handkerchiefs, hslr
| grease, lemon syrup, fine combs baking
powder, tooth brushes, etc., etc, began to
ny In the shape Of compliments; and; one
could find nothing appropriate amonF The
suffers scores, 80 be sent IN enormous old
! pound cake, as stale as q brick, with some
! charming verscs,' to tho Youngest. Even
Zen; e. had gone head over cars with
tbs "a 70 the tune his seal ring and had
an eye to grace In high quarters. H.,
But the impression was slight. They wero
secesh all over; and though the presents
were received with, much Willingness, /, for
one, saw that Wo were "Yankees" still and
rated accordingly in their warm Southern
estimation. It might have boen different If
re girls had been BY themselves, but tie old
lady-there Was the rub. = =:
Besides being as proud as Lucifer, taking
what ehe could get from our stores though.
n11aa trom sheer necessity, sometimes caught al
fellows were beneath 1t, Immersed IN the
sweet converse Of the younger doves. which.
! led me to think that If a 1ice comnay;T nf
guerillas conld be LET in at the back door'
some OF those delightful autumn evenings
upon an uneuspecting Colonel or two !tbat
chnes9a e Gid lay WIS just the girl to do IT, and
The grand d-daugh ghters-whose sire Was cool.
Ing his Southern blood in some Northern
Pr1Eont and whose mother had quilted thn
hoc.cake and bacon Of her nati7e lind for
another, and, very probably, better. World
to contemplate. And compound descrip.
ZION Will answer for the three There VIA
just one years difference in their respective
ages, one inch difference in their respective
staautes, ei1d aad apparently, one shade q post
respective hair; Amella's-the oldest-beIne
black, Cordelfa's brown, and Ophelin's d brie |
Liant crimson. Otherwise, they all looked
alike; did about the same amount Of smiling.
laughing, and signing always In concert.
Inc Big Cabin, as their home WIS called |
primitive, but not uncomfortable 'mn1or
>honse, only one story high, With multitude
o. wings, sheds, porches, and additions Of |.
various dates, all built Of logs, rough outside
but plastered withIn-the whole structure
appearing to spread itself over full halfacre
S'.g.. p1 gfoana, Wlth corn field IN front, aud
knc4en garden and stable yard between the
rear and the nnbroken forest, which tLey
Well, something extraordinary VIE on thu
tapis. The old lady had apparently melted.
ana a. ah We Were progressing In her favor, as we'll
q gathering, OF whatever It may be called. at
the Big Cabin. Hints had been silly dropped:
some OF our mess acted -mysteriousIy. rs II
they we're deeper in the secret, while all of Us
looked forward expectantly. And one morn
ing was officially apprised Of the affair by q
oro9ghtsme the young ladies' compllmentsfn
: fellow envelope, sheet Of foolscap, and
blue Ink, which ran as follows. rer6aiio.:
THE BIZ; CAn1s Scnt = 1sea L"
Cupt, Layston. o'p'' = ao"''
wewant you rery mueh I'd coms oxs- - Ill.
II our iestiT bord. VeTAT: von1 r1 4uiapea ia'f
. 1NEIH u /
CospE1lA tGnAanr,
,s,.,s.n orrE1IA J :.
,enen frnn as 1s goine 20 have some other gen.
e.. A''A' e'0 n0'enooinooo sae wants you to
F. s.-Do ty and mike e,en ,n,o. - nj
hot he would butt we're atfade be wont w. ue
NJ nor-eo ,-,. =, ....,s.'
hfa enehinr ,r,1a,s.a 10 , oss'nS eestaclce at
hrrss Tna Gees Gs1t.ae - iu1A q esteem; oqt
ng. Col. ~was wtth me- a' H. a. nc hed 1nmk iast
ecefred simI1ar T inr,ation and ne IT, naa }nst
II orer 1illo ~ a 1,nnan 1naen, aao vas SMILING
or rota a11,1, - - ttsG ~ VINO. e3Molfed
h;ng s;cnaiiv te83s 40 49, - ~ sontaineq some
efnfa t6e ;Jao nFs,. f!.. mnel ne In1ae naste 10
hown me hv disn1ay1nr IL n,1[. n4stnE peen
nnn;nn- 4s sGonnr.I G ro1oe, +h miea = postcElpt :
ome nSsr ~;1hS ~ ao.t ,luo1eaI ne would :
onld Pnr+r tr ~ in55 esn ~ t "asat snre ne =
ice >, or somsthinU ~ +I,a4 % 1. !. WI oe SO
anta,n y wv enteEna ~ IT. ttat that straln. ana
1ared a,n,l,r aI.,atf a. IIt 1as lnomenL, Gus.
on.iiv eo1ini4n,s eEshe, y Win q postscript
lnt General =. a. ~ thaP PtGsoaes 81 me gal
~ ..I1ct 5o,- - a. +hngi.t tu1 ihof[oWs go1nef-
Hannr faI16yw W. nrsaJ n9I w r Golonel -.
K bas an,e1r ,nu1ru nads sne ~ 1aPIa'n aiond;
nd eaid uothtng favinr ~ ao,, tR;.essloa ,atts;n
70 mind an1 ~ ;anh!i1 nIsa ennmet9ing else ~ 2
Ass ANAoAAAs5 AAAAt A4 LIZ 1ufl-.! q