Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-07-17

10y lux me ter bin'al Sherman, an he
AK bout de roads, an all de time he wor
ookin' at a big picter he he'd spread out afore
hin an maxim marks on it. Den ho say:
viii yer 90 wild US froo dc mountings, fer
pirateT An tolo him | wor mos wshful
to be pirate fer dc Unions, an fer dc Lord,
an I'D go wild him jes whar be say.
wall, missy, | won't tell yer all whar we
vent fer likely yer gifts tired wid de ole
mans talk but wor de pirate for de Unions
all de way long til we coined ter Richmon'
Specs yer done heerd bout de vaccination O.
kicbmon', missy2 | wor dar dat time Den
tuck sick, an' dey done sent me up yere;
an l'se mighty well tuck keer on ant got
uuihn ter ak fer ony Id like ter see de
Gn'al agin; fer seuce | wor his pirate, |
feels jos like b'loug ter him"
| saw the Generals pirate often during
that winter, and talking with him one day, [
asked :" Uncle Henry, did you never have
wife 2"
The pleasant smile faded, aud the old eyes
looked sadly into the distance, as he an.
swered
"Yaas, honey did hab de bes' wife dat
ebber man wor possessed wild but it II be
twenty year de mex corn-shuckin' sence wor
sol away FUN her, au' | uebber specs to
see her agin in dis worp.'
His voice trcnbed with the weight of pain
Iand sorrow, and reproached myself for the
thoughtless question that had walked such
bitter memories. 1t was but few days after
this conversation that | met the doctor, who
said
"Do you know that Uncle Henry's wife is
at the hospital ?"
"No. When did he fud her,--and where,
aud how ?"
Don't ask me-" said the doctor, with
quiver in his voice " | shall spoil it in the
telling. Go and see them together, and let
them tell you"
found Uncle Henry lying on his cot,
completely prostrated by the excitement, but
with an expression Of perfect couient upon
his face, gr-sping tightly the hand Of an old
coored woman who sat beside him. She rose
at my approach and he said Nancy, dis
ls de lady dat | spoke ter you oh. Make
yer rospecs ter her." Then with half shy
ness infinitely beautiful and touching he
looked up at me. s'pose," he said, " dat
some folks I'D won'er what sees in dis ole
CONAN ter t'ink SO much OBJ but dey looks
at her, an dey es' sees wrinkled ole oomun;
bNh iVoho htlf SITS uil NlIty uht
De's true ter me all desc many years.
Theu he told the story of their meeting.
' wor settiu' on de bench by de winder, an
a man come in au say dar wor a CONAN out
side dat wor wishful fer to see me- | didn't
know what business no CONAN he'd wild me,
but | tole him ter sen her 10. SO she coined
10, an sot down de oder en- O. de bench but
| didn't take no notice OBJ her. knowed cf
,he he'd any word ter say she'd say it widout
me akin her 'kase wheu women's got any
tug ter say dey can't ho' in long wdout
sayin' it, Dey'd bust ef dey couldn't talk,
sho's trufe. So sot dar, an she sot dar,
but 'peared like she wor mighty oncasy, an
bmeby she kin O. rz up little, an she say
Henry = Den | look roun', fer | won'er
snat CONAN wor calm my name like dat
an when caught de fus' blush OBJ her face,
len knowed her. She wor oer an l wor
ol'er dan we wor twenty year ago but she
sor Nancy, an wor Henry all de same''
How did you know that Uncle Henry
was here 2" | asked.
And then learned how truth is stranger
than felton," aud how all powerful is faith
iul love.
Washington was the Mecca Of the freed
men. Hther they flocked, expecting not on
y freedom aud its accompanying blessings,
but reunion with those who had been separa-
ted from them years before. Ia this hope
Aunt Nancy came, and found employment in
oue Of the hospitals, where for nearly two
years she worked, constantly searching and
lnquring for the husband between whom and
herself rolled such a gulf of years that each
would hardly know the other when they met
/ rhnn tka min 80 St,S WA
he smallpox ragged in Washington. The
Kalorama the smallpox hospital, was crowd
cd to overfowing, aud an advertisement for
nurses appeared in the daily papers. Aunt
Nancy offered her services aud an ambulance
vas sent to take her to the Kalorama. On
tie way, the driver, socially inclined.
poke OF people aud doings at Campbell
Hospital, where he and the ambulance be-
'onged aud at last mentioned the name Of
Henry Dodson. Said he never saw any,
thing act like that woman. She just gave
screech, and tumbed on her knees in the am
1ulance and went to praying and crying, and
calling Henry" till thought she was gone
stark, staring mad" Arriving at last at a
comprehension Of the case he turned his
horses heads toward Campbell Hospital, aud
here the two faithful hearts, by man "put
isuuder," were once more "joined together"
! Uncle Henry had been made Ward-master
Of :" No. 81 Two rooms in the hospital
were given to him, and here the old couple
took up the thread Of life that had slipped
from their hands twenty years before. Their
manner to each other was beautiful to wit
uess on her part such unvarying Difference
ou his such perfect gentleness. She did moth
ing without consulting him, and his usual an-
swer was; Berry well, Nancy, hab yer
wish. has no objections. | alters trusts
tor yer ladyship ter do eberything ladyied
an proper becomin dc wife OBJ preacher
ob de gospill"
For UucIe Henry was preacher as well as
pirate and though his sermons were not
modelled after either the Princeton or Andov-
or school, his prayers were supremely beauti-
tul aud never did he omit petition for
=" particular blessin' onto de top O. Gn'ral
Sherman's head, au' onto de top o. Gen How
ards head, and ont de tops O. de heads OBJ
all dar two families"
-Four years Of happiness were given to them
after their reunion, and then Uncle Henry lay
down upon the bed from which he was to rise
no more lie never uttered a complaint, or
expressed wish for anything different, but
met those who visited him with the old peace
ul smile and cheerful words. To one who
went to bid him goodbye before leaving town,
he said " doubts bout seein' you again,
honey. Pears like l'se nearly done wild dis
ole frame, an 'twarn't fer Nancy. I'd be GLAD,
but its hard fer her ter be let' SO lonesome
again. But | ant noways troubled. Use
settin' top o. de Lords will, au' Of hs luff
me heah while longer, or ef he take me ter
hisse'f tonight, has no word ter say"
The "od frame" was, indeed, nearly done
WITH and with the waning summer " Gen.
Sherman's Pirate" went TO his rest.--Eiiza-
beth Kaham, IN Christian Onion.
AT a late concert, a testy old fellow, who
Ill H.