Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-03-22

ssWnprp IS your IIUtHCl
..Dunno. Mass Cap'n. Ole Mass done
al, ber down in Georgy las corn-shuckin
an, amt nebber heerd oh her sence. But
TONIGHT mebbe she mought ha' ruined
way TOO an I'd fla her wild der Unions ,
.Well, now what are you going to do p
Dunno, Mass Cap'n. I'd like to stay
long wild YOU
"What can you do ?"
kin wait on yer, Mass Cap'n; kin
shine up boots; an" Frightening up as
his eyes, wandering round, caught sight
of the horscs-kin clean de bosses right
smart"
"You are not big enough to take care of
a horse"
"'Deed / is, Mass Cap'n; an | ain t
feared o. no boss. Ole Mass allus sot me
ter tend ter de bosses dat nobody else
could MT manage. Dey allus lets me han
die em eff dey's eber so debblesome. Jes'
yer try me Mass Cap'n. an see eff amt
telled yer de troof".
.'If keep you with me, you must be a
good boy and do as tell you"
Deed l will, Mass Capn. Use do cherry
word yer say, sho's your bohn."
So when the troops left Harrison's Land
ing lobe went too, in charge of the Cap
tain's horse and baggage; and, when the
steamer was fairly underway, frightened
into a new creature, as every revolution
of the wheel placed a greater distance be-
tween himself and ''ole Mass"
Mass Cap'n" he asked one day, ''whar
Is we gwine at 7?
Either to Washington or Alexandria.
don't know exactly which
"Wil4 dar be one sto' UP dar, Mass
Cap'n?''
Eyes, there are plenty of stores. What
do you want from one?n
please, Mass Cap'n please jes'-' and
he stammered and caught his breath, APP
parently overwhelmed by the magnitude
of his desires.
"Well, out with it; what wonderful
thing do you want ?''
please, Mass Cap'n, buy me one
banio2"
"a banjo. what on earth do you want
of that -
'.Kin play de banjo right smart an
dance too. Hi. Mass Cap'n, plays fer
yer all de time
"There'd be rather too much of a good
thing about thatr
rs yer goine ter git it fer me, Mas
Cap'n?''
Il don't know, II see when we re
there"
If friends from home had been at Wash
ington or Alexandria, to welcome the
'Peninsular veterans on their return, they
would scarcely have recognized those
they sought in that crowd of ragged, bag
gard. war-worn men. Hair and bearc
uncut and uncared for, for weeks formed
an effectual disguise. Said one officer
II lost my brush and comb a month ago
and since then I've let my horse lick my
hair down once in while by way of a
brushing" There were crownless and
rimless hats; sleeveless and skirtless
coats, sometimes no coat at all ; pantaloons
with the legs half torn away by briers
boots without tops, and tops without soles
The grand army of the Potomac" looked
more like an assemblage of bandits ant
pirates than regularly enlisted United
States Volunteers.
But payday came. Everybody go
''fxed up;" and lobe fell heir to an oil
cavalry uniform. 1t didn't fit to be sure
The pantaloons came up to his shoulders
and were rolled up in great punches roun
his ankles. The jacket came down to hi
knees; and the sleeves hung like yawnini
caverns into which his hands dsappeare
so far, that it seemed doubtful whether h
would find them again. But there wer
the gilt buttons and cavalry stripes: an
Tobe's Utmost soul rejoiced over them.
He was so absorbed in his clothes ths
he seemed to have forgotten the banjo
when, one day, the Captain suddenly hel
one up before him. His eyes dilated ii
they seemed to cover half his face; an
he gasped out, Eyer gi' me dat ar, Mas
Cap'n?"
"You said you wanted banjo, didn
you?"
II knows axed yer fer buy me one
but fought mebbe yer wouldn't gi m
de clo'es an de ban 20 too"
"Well which will you have, the clothe
or the banjo p
lobe answered never word, bat pulle
off his jacket, and laid it at the Captain
feet. Captain Leigh laughed. "Well,
he said, ''if you want banjo as bad a
that you shall have it. Here, take it,
'Whar mus put de clo'es at, Mas
Cap'nP"
You need not put them anywhere
Keep them on
'Does yer mean fer gi' me de clo'e a,
de banjo too? And understanding at Las
that it was really so. lobe gave vent
his feelings in prolonged "ki-yi." the
stood on his head. kicking his heels in til
air, till his voluminous garments provin
too much for him, he lost his balance an
rolled over. This sobered him. He picl
ed himself up, and walked off carryin
the banjo as if it were baby.
CONCLUDED TOMORROW.