Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-03-27
Apicture of a Thousand.

Herald.
Picture of Thousand.
When Sherman's army entered Columbia
there lay upon bed of sickness, in hospi-
tai. the widowed mother of two little girls,
who, innocently, and in blssful ignorance OF
their sad situation, amused themshlves with
childrens sports in the place of 2rivation,
sorrow and pain to which their poor mother
had retreated as the only refuge in her heip'
lessness. She had come from Georgia to at
tend her husband, soldier, who was sick In
the hospital, and who was soon relieved from
misery and the dread scenes to come by death.
His poor wife soon took his place in tho sick
list, and her only children, the two little girls,
remained as guests of this place, where inlan-
cy was so strangely associated with disease
With all its horrors, and became familiar with
Death, who, attended by famine, maintained
his hideous vigils over the sick, wounded and
dying inmates.
The thunders of the approaching army,
the roar of flames, the ringing of bells, the
falling of houses, the bursting of shells, and
the general clamor OF panic, distress, and
grief. 80 shocked the feeble sick woman in
! The hospital that she died from grief and
fright, bestowing last glance, in utter de-
spair, upon her two little children, whose fate
it was to be left ct such time amongst
strangers, far from home and perfectly help
4 less. Who can tell the anguish of that poor
mother at passing away from the world and
| leaving her tender offspring to the mercies
and chances of that perilous day! It was in
deed mercy that the pang and the agony
were brief.
7 The mother died, and was buried by order
Eof General Sherman, who also ordered that
the two infants should be sent to the asylum.
A general famine followed in the march CT
that general officer, and there being nothing
| wherewith 10 feed the inmates OF the asylum,
there was no recourse but to send them away.
| Acre was another phase of that extreme hui
man misery which chills the blood even to
/ read of. The feeble, the sick, the lame, and
1 the halt, and the helpless who found refuge
| in that asylum, were to 30 forth, as there was
nothing there to feed them. Where were
they to 20 and what to do? What became
, of them all, none can tell. Death ended the
sorrows of many.
/ In the midst of this sad community were
the two motherless girls, mere infants, uncon,
scious of their lot. People came from all
quarters to see what Gould be done for the
dispensing household. Among tleose who came
on this errand was lady of great worth and
refinement, who was once the mistress OF
mansion where all that wealth, and elegance,
and taste could contribute to comfort AID en-
! ioyment WAS gathered together. She had
| He'd from the fine estates of her husband IN
Beaufort, and the fair and rich domain she
once looked on US hers wa, now parceIled out
amongst her late slaves. Living in waat may
be called poverty in Columbia, she yet nccdad
some assistance in her housekeeping tor her
self and family, and repaired to the asylum
], to obtain, if possible, u servant gil. here
4 nereyes were attracted by tue two little girls,
aide of the h use on chilly April day, hug
ging each othsr TO keep warm. They were
remarkable for their beauty, and very SYM
metrical aud delicate figures.
The lady made inquiry, and learned their
history. Her heart yearned towards them
but what could she do in her povertyf Con-
tempIutinp them in their forlorn condition,
vet so bright aud so unconscious Of their
fate, cheerluly endeavoring to borrow from
the sun that warmth which mans inhurnanity
had deprived them Of, she was oppressed with
the force of the tender sympathy which she
felt she was too poor to crafty. She turned
away abruptly and hurried towards her home.
But those two tender and bright faces-thcse
two babes with neither home nor relative,
were before her. She could not shut them
out. Her pity and sympathy grew as she
widened the distance between her and them,
and at last, completely overcome by her sollc-
itude, she turned back, and in the multitude
of miserables sought the children, and taking
one in each hand, walked off with them in
delight. ,,,
Since then, until few days ago, that noble
lady has maintained these children under all
the privations Of her own situation. She had
soush in vain for place of refuge for them.
Some two weeks ago she wrote to Miss Emil
w Mason now in Baltimore-that lndefatga-
| bic lady who had done 80 much to relieve the
unfortunate and afflicted of these timcs-ln-
curing if some provision could not be made
for these children. Miss Mason had filled all
the places she succeeded IN finding, nnc had
written letter saying that nothing could
then b. done for them-when, as it were ny
Proyidential design, letter came from St.
Louis offering places for twelve Southern
children. the means for the support and edu'
cation of whom had been provided BY the
liberal citizens OF that city. Miss Mason,
with delight all who know her can well i'n-
ague, reopened the letter to her Columbia
friend and wrote postscript, il which she
was requested to send on " "Beulah" and
Lulu"-for these were the names OF the
motherless little fawns-at once, that they
might go on to the homes just found for them.
Poor children! who will not offer up prayer
that they may now be happy for lite! ;.
This is, indeed, picture of thousand,
and no one can road the facts, we arc sure,
without being impressed more forc!bly with
The solemn duty at such time as this of con-
tributing to the aid aud succor OF those
brought to dependence and destitution BY the
events of the war.-Richmond Dispatch.
"The colored people of Charlotte have
formed an auA.cmigration society to- prevent,
as far as possible, the emigration OF colored
people from that State. They insist that North
Carolina colored citizens should remain at