The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-03-17
A Revolutionary Story.
TIE GHOST THAT APPEARED TO TIL
YOING FOLKS.

homestead where my fathers father and
grandfather had lived and died. Al
though he and Aunt Betsy had " nc
time to waste with company" they al
ways had n welcome for all the children
who bore their name.
1t was the delight of myself and two
cousins to gather there in berry and
harvest-time, "to help" rs we called
it, with the farm work. Then We hunt
ed the hay-lofts and empty stalls for
eggs, rode on the hay, picked up pota-
toe as fast as Canaan, the black man,
dug them, gathered apples and rode the
horses to water, till wearied out with
work and play, and then came on those
happy "farm evenings"
Uncle Jacob and Aunt Betsy passed
their evenings in the sitting-room, on
either side of a little stand, which held
his book and newspaper, and her work.
basket. They were good and intelli-
gent persons, and it is a mystery to us,
even now, how Uncle Jacob set at
naught all the rules of good English,
having had the same advantages IL
father had in boyhood. As they were
very silent, we young folks chose to
pass our evenings in the kitchen, hear
ing the honest farm men, Emery Dix
and Peter Hardness, discuss politics,
or laughing while black Canaan told
stories Of Southern life and sang plan
tation songs. Prissy, whom Aunt Bet
sy always called "my girl" a grave
woman of so years, always sat darning
stockings by the oil lamp, and rarely
spoke unless we laughed too loud, when
she would look over the top of her
glasses, and say, "Quit that racket,
now, or you'll disturb the folks"
One evening when election had killed
political discussion for the time, and
Canaan had gone to town, we asked
Emery Dix to tell us u story about
something that happened at the home
stead long ago. He was like a grand
old story book to us.
"Miss Warner" he called out tc
Aunt Betsy, ''hev you any objection tc
my tellin' them about that Britisher that
died here a hundred years ago?n
"No, Emery, but don't brighten the
children about ghosts, or any such non
sense" was the reply of our kind aunt
and we gathered around him with eagel
eyes, hoping there might be a ghost il
his story.
"Well," he began, "my grandfather
worked for your great grandfather jus
as l work for your uncle. The Rcvo
lutionary War was a-ragin' round herr
in them days. There was big iightin
goin' on over to the west of us one day
and they all expected to be '~sassinate,
: by the red-coats. Next mornin', whei
/, grandfather went-out to feed the cattle
) he seed a Britisher in officers uniform
lying most dead, side of his dea'
!, horse. He run in and told of it, an
= your great-grandmother said her reli
| gion teached her that if her enemy wa
2 a-hungered and thirsty, she must Civ
4 him food and drink; and she nusse
G him as if he was her own son, till h
died with his arms round her neck, an
4 calm her mother He died at peac
!. with God and man, after trustin' her t
send his jewels to his lady-love, and h
love to his. mother; to plant a rose o
e his grave, and never to forget him.
d will show you the grave next Sunday.
!. We all shed tears, and wished it ha
G been now, rather than a hundred yea
/ ago, that we ourselves might nurse an
comfort the young officer, and writ
beautiful letters to his mother and h
y lady-love, and then plant flowers on h
+ grave.
G We were in a very subdued state
y mind, and urging Emery to tell I
something more, when suddenly "
g heard a strange noise in the shed-kitc,
l. en-, as if a heavy body had fallen; al
: then a low, muttering sound, as of son
one pleading for help.
n "It's only old Moses. He's fallt
a asleep, and wants somebody to he
& him to bed," said Emery, IS he ros
g good-naturedly, and went out.
le Old Moses was a pauper, WI
y "boarded" with our uncle, and work.
'e or not, as he pleased. Boarding wi
So farmers was the way the towns pc
a were cared for in the days when the
r were no almshouses in the countr
<. Old Moses was very simple and We
feeble. He always muttered to hil
e, self, as if thinking aloud. Our au
s, never allowed any one to treat hi
w rndpIy or IN make snort of him. ri