The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1869-02-04

dat ole massa' S spirit come to her three time.
fore he died" -,.,.s,
/ We'll, then" l said, impressively, ii
things do come to pass which are dreamed Of
IN this room, you are villain and if any
thing happens to this house, Iii shoot YOU
With a look of ignorant terror, the negro left
the room.
At breakfast alluded to my dream My
friend said that the negro seemed to think
there was something wrong about the room
but he had often slept there and had never
been disturbed In an hours time | was on
my way to the village of s., some forty
miles distant, and in two weeks reached New
York. s5e 1916 .4'- =.
Six long years passed before again visited
Alabama, SIX years OF cruel and unnatural
war, for even after the actual battling ceased
a more unmerciiul species of persecution ex-
listed. Coming as l do from New England
and being imbuedi with New England sesti-
ments, am constisutionally an abolitionist,
and feeling as Do that negroes should befres,
can but contemplate with actual sbhorrencs
the unjust laws which allow an inferior RAGS
Of men all the rights Of freemen aud citizeas,
and condem to isnoble serytude people in
every respect worthy and enlightened "Equal
rights to alp is my motto. s4a1
Again at New Years l found myself in'thc
same portion Of the State, and then, remea-
bering my dream, portion Of which had been
fulfilled by the war, [ determined to pay my
old friends visit. New Years eve spent
in back-woods cabin, and in the morning
started for the house among the hills Irode
up to where the large gate used ostand it
had disappeared. look for the house, and
saw only pile of ashes and brick. An old
negro was crouched among the ruins, and when
approached him he regarded me with va
cant stare.
"Uncls," said, putting my hand kindly
on his shoulder, "whsre are the white folks ?"
"Gons! y ne said with wall of despair
"gonc-all gone"
"Who did this r asked, pointing to the
ruins. 2ha
Dunno, nassa nobody knows some deb
bill or udder" .t
Scarcely knowing what Ibid, I raked among
the ashes with stick [ had carelessly picked
up. 1t struck against something hard II
took it up, and found the remains Of the sill
yer hofaa. ,..f, +. f.,ee
"Un0ls," I asked, almost crszed, "whsre is
your young mistress, the elder OF the young
ladies y e e4s IS ,'.faa o1j Te7
sGone, 7 toll you-dead, and gone to Hea-
yenp' # 49, III sfoe..7.5l ~.
By dsgrses / learned from him the horrible
story. It was upon what would have been
her bridal night, that the Federsls took pos
session Of that part of State. a1
They would not have harmed her, bat she
was ALMOST erazed when they took hsr brother
prisoner, aud, in her fear, she went into the
woods and stayed all night. Twas very cold
for that cIifnats, and tile dslicate girl could
not bear the e1 posilre. In the morning, whsn
the Federals found her, she was insensibls !;
they touaorly bore her to the house and kind
y cared for her, but in vain--in two days she
died. Then he tsld MS how the rest Of the
family went to visit dying friend, and when
they returned, found themselves hodseless
L. !" Have they no suspicious who committed
the horrible deed? 'i2a -
s'No, nassa, ncue at all.
IF you knew. would you tell 7" I asked
IT would massa chen if it was one OBJ my
own children. Massa, let one OBJ my boys
take your horse and you goi my cabin, and
getsome 'freshmsnts," said the negro, prompt
ed by the old hospitality which eharscterizes
the race. I nodded ...r "a; ...as.,,s..-, &
George be called The cabin door open
ed, the negro of my dream came towads me,
he locked up, and. when his eyes fell upon my
face, he turned and fed. I took my pistol
from my belt, and, pointing it at the running
negro said !:
ale burned the house"
'SShoot p said the stern father
There was fash, sound, and fall. We
went to the boy.
Daddy he said, ''You, will fad all OF
masss's things under the cabin floor jim
helped me-. IfIE had nsver been free should
never have thought of stealing But the
Yankees gave US freedom and nothing to sup
port It and how could We get bread without
stealing it? Oh, daddy, daddy" One Goa.
vulsive movement, and the negro was out of
his misery. oss..6.3 ss4Fa4 sf .T
"Massa." said the old negro, turning to me
with hardened look, "the rest Of the white
| folks are ia Virginia now Then pointing
to the body Of his SON. 'Vou sar7ed him
right-he ought to die, but he was ny boy
massa, SO please go away now. fsf L cannot
bear to see you" Z
I slowly mounted my horse and rode sadly
away from All mat was left Of the house among
the hills, aud sincerely pray it may never
again be my duty to spend a New Years day
in the devastated South.
I.-se Virginia LANDS.