Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-10-25

MRS. SPRIGGINS The NEUTRAL

depth OF winter, that l saw her. The snow
was loot deep. She mounted the train
at way-statiOn, and hobbled along the
aisle OF my car, carrying a brass-bound
Vallse' She stood some five feet eleven on
her crutches Qor she was lame), broad and
muscular, aged about 60, and was a for
midable looking parsonage. As she clat-
tered along ithe aisle, the men on either
side glanced at her over their newspapers
or drew their legs away from the threaten
ing valise, and then fell back upon their
greedy mess of lying "latest intelligence ~
from the scene of strife. But nobody
made way for her nobody offered her a
seat. There were seventy-one Yankee
men in that car, and honestly believe the
woman would have stood on her crutches
till the train reached the terminus, if the
swenty-sscond man had been similarly un-
| fortunate.
When had her comfortably seated, her
valise packed away behind the stove, her
crutches poked under the seat, she turned
her sharp gray eyes upon me as stood by
her, and commenced conversation.
A." I'm very much obleeged to you, I'n
shore :" she began. 81 s'pose you know
me {? My name is Sprggins, Missis Sprig-
gins"
" No, madam" | answered, ~ csnnot
say that do. am comparative stran-
! ger here -
"Ah, that counts for it. I'm purity well
keknown hereabouts and / thought YOU
/ was so kind to me mebbe cause YOU
know'd had been kind to our boys."-
While | was considering what sort of reply
to make, she went on: "Any noos this
mornin'? L guess not. Them papers is
mostly lies anyhow. l come from the
front last Toosday"
"From the front ,"
| I,ya boaT with C11r hove uo;p, or,
three years. | muses. them when they gifts
sick or wounded. I'm horspittle nuss. SO
| them devilish RebS has got to answer for
breaking my leg as well as breaking up
our Gov'ment."
81 never heard that they made war OH
women"
! "Well, the cusses didn't exactly shoot
me, but l slipped down on the ice at the
horspittle. But there wouldn't have been
no war if there wasn't Rebs, and if there
hadn't been no war they wouldn't have
had use for horsepittles. So / say they are
| to blame for my broken legw
There was no reply TO reasoning so
cogent as this, SO | remained silent. Mrs.
Spriggins didn't.
"You see, I've been in from the fust.
Me and my darter went to Vaginny a.
nussin, with regiment from hereabouts.
My darter she got married. He warn't
much. lie was a 'Piscopy man, sorter
chaplin. I'm a Methodist. Anyway he
died, and my darter is a wildly. So am l.
Them cusses beats all! / had one last
summer a-nussin. He was pris'ner, and
shot bad in the leg. But bless you, they
never die! He got well, and his leg got
well, and he's tightin' agin his country this
very minnit, guess, as bold as Brass
That feler laid up in the horspittlG a.
gruntin' with his leg, and eatin' about
half bushel Of Injun bread day, when he
was well as [ was. He sneaked out one
night and got clear off. The horspittle
warn't garded much. He used to sing
wish was in Dixie, and goodness knows
| wished he was too! When he did go
he stole four bottles of K'neen and my
scissors. There was little fight about 3
week afterwards, and our boys got whaled
severe. One Of 'em that got hurted was
brought to my horspittle, and he says,
EMissis Spriggins, do you remember that
Johnny Reb you nussed month p 'Yes,'
says |. 'Well,' says he, Il seed him to-day.
He was a-turnin' our boys over that was
killed, and a-cuttin' open their pockets
with pair of scissors. When he come to
me, he says, Hello, Yank, amt you dead"
Not much,' says [. Got any tobacco"
say he. "A small Chunk says |. (which
pocket" says he. Right, says |. SO he
jest kneeled down and cut my pocket open,
as cool as a kOwcumber, and took my to-
baccO. He had to run minute after
wards, because the reserve was comm up
and he hOllered back to me-tSay, Yank,
tell Miss Spriggins her scissors is fust
raten"
l had to laugh at this story, and after
little hesitation Mrs. Spriggins joined me,
qualifying her mirth with the observation
that "lt was the biggest piece Of impudence
she had ever heard tell on"
"They lcds real good scissors" she re-
sumed with sigh, "they was surgeons
scissors. One of the doctors lent 'em to-
me out of his case.'
1t did not appear polite to press the ques-
ton Of ownership too far, though | was
curious to know whether the johnny Iteb
had robbed her or the surgeon and if the
latter, whether or not it was Uncle Samuels
loss or merely private property. The four
ounces of quinine were undoubtedly
"Gov'ment" stores, which was a conifor
table reflection.
"Did you say lie took some medicine
also ?'' / inquired.
eyes, he Gid-four bottles Of k'neen.
They was worth their weight in gold TO
them Rebs. We needed 'en too. A good
lot Of our boys was down with ager, which
they cotchcd in the swamps. There was
plenty Of castor oil layin about which lie
.
a-nlindcu. But he went i'll for k'neen II
BY this time the train had reached the
terminal station, and the seventy one loyal
citizens vacated the car with exemplary
rapidIty, crowding and crushing each other
as if the car were a fire or the enemy Of
mankind in hot pursuit Of them. Our car
was the last on the train, and was outside
of the depot. With some difficulty L as
sisted Mis-. SprigSiHs TO Iight, and
Lot, 4
las. got OH the sheltered platform. l had
her valise, and asked her some questions
about her destination.
.'I'm goin' OH the horsecar," she said 4:
g il Ort to be at the other end Of the depot.
If you wouldn't mind hurryin' up leetle,
mcbbe you could catch it, and make the
driver wait till | git there. Tell him it's
Missis Spriggins on crutches-he knows
me, leastways he ont to-"
/ "hurried up'' as requested, banging
the valisc against my legs with rude abra
sion at every step. The horsecar was there
: and vacant. BY the time that had tucked
the Internal machine in the car, Mrs
: Sprggins arrived, clambered in, and flop
, ped into seat.
"Im shore I'm very much obleeged tc
you," she said, you've been quite some
kind to me. But I've always found gentle
men kind to me when they knowed that
; was takin' care of our boys in the horspit
J ties.
My shins were smarting and my tempe
trifle Iuflled. There vas nobody els.
/ within ear-shot, and it was not likely tina
, should see Mrs. Spriggins again, and
} longed to SPEAK disloyally. 1t was not
popular amusement in that locality, ane
8 the opportunities for safe explosions were
f infrequent.
: II 4 fpt ~