Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-08-20

ana reQfeQ nOuSenOiQb, senSdtl0tB fefy blullhE W
those which are experienced inthe barn yard, when
the rapac;ous hawk makes one Of his hurried morn
ing calls. The candle nearly dropped from her
hand and her eyes opened still wider In her alarm,
while her dark face assumed leathery hue. She
did not speak, but her glances few from one to the
other spprehensively and, from their rude soldiers
garh to their faces At gesture, the least threat
ening, she would have sunk down 10 her terror or
fed from the spot in alarm. ~''-'T''<
"Is there any Of the family at home tonight,
mauma ?" asked Victor, In his bIsndest tones.
'tDe Lord be praised! IF didn't think the
dear boys was Yankees" exclaimed the startled
janitor, with almost yen Of delight, while the
sudden transition from fear to joy made her look at
least score of years younger 'De Lord be
praised they Is our own people P'-and throw
ing the door open, Victor and Prescott entered,
whilst their yolube conductress, in the joy at find
ing they were not the dreaded Phihstines Of whose
visits she had been 80 fearful could scarcely re-
strain herself from throwing her arms around their
necls Their tone and the terms and manner Of
their address, especially That Southern term Of con-
idence and kindness tmauma' satisfied her in
stincts that they were Southern boys" and not
the dreaded "Yankees" In the exuberance Of
her joy, her thoughts were borne away, and she
gave no heed to Victor's enquiry until pause in
her rapturous CALCULATIONS gave him an opportuni-
ty to repeat it
"Ah, yes massa, !" said she, her tone and man
ner all at once changing to one of plaintive sad.
ness, "the family is here, and here they have to
stay, yankees or no yankees. Poor mass Tom,
can't turn himself in bed yet"
Chill and fever ?" asked Prescott =.
'.Ah no, bless your heart, we don't have dem
things here any time, specially in de Spring Of de
year; it's worser den dat, my chile, its yankee
bullet"
"Haye the Yankees been here yet, maulna p
asked Prescott, again. .....
.ssBless you, chile" said the old woman I'VE
bin free from dem al through de war till now. ]
zee dem fur de first time in my life, to-day, march.
in along de road-not dis road by de house, but
De turnpike, way cross dem hills yonder-and
bless de Lord, or maybe it might bin de devil, my
chile for putin it into dere hearts to shy 'roun
massas house, when he can't hardly turn himself
in his bed Bym' by hear de big gun go boom,
and de muskets rattle off like crackers in barrel,
and just about dark, I see dem yankees comm
back ike oxens from hornets nest. Poor mossa
could hardly keep himself in bed when de guns sci
up dere roarin'. He'd bin on horseback and
right among de yankees wid his sword, if we could
only get him sot on horseback. Did you see de
fight young mossas and was de yankees whipped
bad 2'' 'e-
eyes mauma," answered Prescott-"we gave
them "Bnuger"-if you know what that is-but
I expect they will give US 'Jessie, tomorrow"
The old woman looked curiously at Prescott,
whose slang phrases lay ike stumps in the road
her volubility was travelling, and checked her
thoughts in their career. She paused to collect
herself, and her mind went back to the starting
point as she smoothed down her apron and took
time to reflect
''You want to see mossa9 He'll be glad to see
you, know Take seats, gentlemen, and III step
up and let him know you want to see him. Shall
I give him your names"
IF you please mauma," replied Victor, scrawl.
ing his own and Prescotts name, and that of their
regiment, on a scrap of cartridge paper. "We
are strangers here, but this will show him who We
are"
SOLDIERS never strangers in mossa's house, u
said the old woman proudly, as she deposited the
candle on the mantel board, and received the Inn.
promptu carte de risite from Victor's hand. 81
shall be back directly, gentlemen; take seats until
I return"
Old mauma Hannah like many other persons,
consisted of two individuals in one body. We read
somewhere of cat changed by o powerful and be.
neyoeut fairy into dashing and fashionable young
lady, whose destiny it was to become the consor'
of prince. The veritable history informs us that
this charming princess conducted herself according
to the usages and customs Of the most refined clasE
of her day, varying in no respect from the mos
thorough-bre princesses of her time. One might
have almost sworn that she had regularly descen
ded from some of those hard swearing, hard drink
ing old robber chietains of Germany. whose de-
scendants to this day, are imported into every
kingdom and prinGpaity to keep up the blood
royal of Europe One to seeher gait, her dress snd
her hauteur Of manner, would have sworn-were
he swearing man-that she had never descended
from some grim old tom cat, who passed his days
in sleep and his nights in watching for mice anc
other such small deer" but unfortunately, when
ever a mouse crept from behind the arras thu
charming princess would horrify the whole court
BY her conduct, while her carly instincts, and old
habits returned upon her in full strength. thus
old maum Hannah, when startled from her reserve
and thrown off her guard, had the hearty hiarity
and free.and-eas manners of the cabin in which
she had been reared but when circumstances re-
called her position and domestic station to hel
mind, she fell into the tone and manners Of the
diguifed old Virginia serving women.
The apartment in which she left the young SOL
diers awaiting her return, was that of plain anc
soberly furnished country house. A fine rosewood
piano stood against the wall the floor was softly
carpetcd and the easy old fashioned, carved, oaker
chairs, around the apartment, seemed an heirloom
that had come down from a welLto-do and solld
English ancestry who prided themselves sensible
people that they were-on furniture that would
outlast a half dozen generations Of their descend
ants. The heavy brass ire.dogs and fender cast
their simmer from the ample fireplace where, II
wintry days,
ssybe fire, with well dried logs supplied,
Went roaring up the chimney wide,"
around which scores of cousins, to the fourth and
fifth degree, were wont to meet, and draw still
closer together, the ties of blood under the gena
influences of warm-hearted and almost prodiga
hospitality. The old mahogany table, grotesquely
carved and almost black vintage, but still polished
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