Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-02-22
"what might be yer name stranger"
Iueried the old lady, standing with arms

not exactly think Of his own name.
The pretty girl was looking at him. you
know,
"My name isis" He looked down.
ward to the ground and upward to the
clouds In the sky. 81 think we shall |
have rain" he said mechanically, and In !
his embarrassment he poured the gourd |
of water through the hole, on to the |
floor.
eyer imperdent Yankee" screamed !
the venerable visage, shaking her stable
FIST in his face, "reckon yer need some
teaching throwing water and making
siCh mess on respectable white folks
floors; reckon yer need lesson; and
here comes our soldiers arter ye, to give
it to We.
A body Of Confederate cavalry as she
spoke appeared around a turn Of the
road, and dashed up to the house
SCOT him for Ibid you, Georgiana q
said the leader. "Come, be off with us,
sir Yank; no time to lose"
Without another thought OF hot cakes
and honey, away was marched Paradise
over many a mile, to Richmond, to the
Libby.
II was nine months in prison" said
he to me afterwards. "When | came
out, / found an old coffee sack, in which
cut two holes for my arms and an
other for my head. 1t answered capt.
ally for shirt. Some of us exchanged
fellows, you know, didn't have any
shirts at all because some Of them
wore out, and some of them the rebs.
took, as they didn't have any
II like all the girls as well as ever"
he said, in reply to my question of his
faith in womankind, except few OF
the secesh persuasion"
CHAPTER SECOND.
1t is great mistake, this always US
ing the descriptive word 'Crusty in
speaking of old bachelors. I know ev-
erybody does it. How stupid everybody
is. Call to mind all your old bachelor
acquaintances, and see if there is one OF
them who is not the most genial, ami
able, agreeable fellow in the world
| Did YOU ever know one of them to cher
ish wicked feelings of resentment !
! With no little world of wife and chill
! dren in which to center their love, the
heart going outward embraces all things
| in its tenderness, and Uncle Tobey in
| Tristram Shandy is the truest portrait OF
us much illuminated individuals that
has ever been drawn.
This preamble is to explain that l
know not how to plead Paradise's cause
50 well in this chapter as l did in the
last. Who couldn't find excuse for him
in that case, especially as he assured
me that youngest girl was real pretty
no mistake" | should have done the
same thing, myself, | think, under the
same circumstances, only | shouldn't
have parleyed even as long as he did
and + poor, simple old bachelor that
am, should never have entertained any
feelings Of resentment toward the girls
no, not even during the nine months il
the Libby.
don't know positively that Paradise
INDUCED very bitter feelings. He said
to me, "You know l just thought
would come up with them"
The only excuse can find FOR him is
that he may have read Charley O'Mal
ley, and have taken the young dragons
college friend as precedent. But that
was an aggravated case--kissing Miss
Eastwood right in the face and eyes OF
her lover. | would like TO see any man
do it in my face and eyes.
| Paradise was reported captured, Of
course, and duly exchanged returned to
his command.
One bright sunny morning, sitting be.
fore the door of his tent whistling, q
comrade passed with a chicken in one
hand and q dozen Of eggs tied up in a
| handkerchief in the other.
"Where did you make that haul, sol
dier?" cried Paradise after him.
"Old woman over yonder with cart
peddling; got pretty gal-two Of EN-
with her"
Don't care if have some eggs, too
| Don't believe have seen pretty girl
in a MONTH" soliloquized our hero, as
he walked leisurely along in the direc-
| ton indicated, Of the cart. Which was
| the ruling motive with him, eggs or
pretty girls?
"Old woman looks sort Of natural -
thought Paradise, as he approached.
The girls were chatting and laughing
loudly with a group Of soldiers, making
extravagant protestations ftheir Union.
ism.
Paradise was naturally, constitutional
ly and habitually ladies man. He was
soon In the good graces Of the two
young feminines to the exclusion and
disgust of the rest.
"Maybe you would like to walk
around some and see the camp" sug-
gested Paradise.
They simpered consent, and away he
trudged, one on each arm around the
camp, almost at double quick, for half
an hour. The sun was broillng, girls
faces very red.
otis time we were going" said one,
painting for breath "the old woman has
sold out"
Gold man and old woman are the res
pectful appellations of parents in the
South.)
"0h, no." replied Paradise, calamity;
"you haven't seen half the camp vet"
"But she is waiting for u.s." urged the
girls. ave must 60"
Paradise was imperturable. Don't
make bit of difference; you don't come
here every day you know"
But we must CO." The pretty girl
was almost crying.