The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-03-10
3.

yov observe what difficult they are hav-
ing in finding enough survivors of the
civil war to make respectable squad
The papers say that not over a dozen OF
both armies can probably be secnred,
and some of the cases are thought doubt
full at that"
as it possible :" said Henry. "And
yet, too, il must he so; but it sounds
strangely to one who remembers as if IT
were yesterday, seeing the grand review
of the Federal armies at Washington,
Just after the war. What a host ofstrong
men was that. and now scarcely dozen
left Ny friends. we are getting to he
old people. We are almost through with
it,"
Henry sat gazing into vacancy over
the tops of his spectacles, while the old
ladies wiped theirs and shifted and sigh
ed Iittle Finally, Jessie said:
Those were heroic days My little
granddaughters never tire of hearing
stories about them. They are strong
partisans, too. Jessie is a fierce little re-
bel. and Sam is an uncompromising Un-
ionist, only they both agree in denounc-
ing slavery"
'That reminds me-" said Frank, anil
ing, ''that our little frankie came TO me
Yesterday with black eye he got for
telling Judge Benson's little boy that
people of his complexion were once
slaves. He had read it in his history,
and appealed TO me to know if it wasn't
true"
"I'm not bit surprised that the little
Benson boy resented the imputation, -
said George, 81 really don't believe
that more than half the people would be
certain that slavery ever existed here,
and I'm sure that it rarely occurs to
those who do know it; No doubt that
company of old slaves at the centennial
that is, if they can find enough sur
vivors, will be valuable historical re-
minder to many"
"Dr. Hayes" said Nellie, "will you
settle a question between Mrs. Hyde
and myself? Were you in c., it was
then only village, along between 1870
and 80, about forty or fifty years ago? ?"
"No-and yet, come to think-let me
see-when did you say ?" replied Frank
doubtfully.
Between 1870 and 80, as nearly as we
can make out, probably about the mid
die of the decade" said Nellie.
"I think l was in c. at about that
time. / believe 1 was sill living with
my fathers family"
~ told YOU So" said Nellie to Jessie,
and turning again to Frank, she a-ked:
"Do you remem Der anything about n
social club there ?"
II do" replied Frank with some ap-
pearance of interest. IL recall something
Of the sort quite distinctly, though !
suppose haven't thought of il for twen-
ty years. How did you ever hear of it,
Mrs. Hyde ?'
briskly, land so was Mrs. Tyrrell. We
were reminded of it the other day by a
discovery Mrs. Tyrrell made in an old
bureau drawer of photograph of the
members of the club in a group, taken
probably all of fifty years ago, and yell
low as you can imagine. There was one
figure that resembled you, Doctor, as
you might have looked then, and !
thought too that ] recalled you as one Of
the members; but Mrs. Tyrrell could
not, and so we agreed to settle the mat
ter by appealing to your own recollec-
ton"
"Yes, indeed" said Frank, "I now
recall the club very perfectly, and it
seems to me Governor Townsley was al
so in it"
"Yes, / think l was a member" as
sented George, though my recollections
are rather hlzy."
Mary and Henry, being appealed to
failed to remember anything about the
CLUB, the latter suggesting that proba bly,
it fourished before he came to c..
Jessie was quite sure she recalled Henry,
but the others could not do SO with
much positiveness.
81 will ask Mrs. Long when I get
home," said Henry. "She has always
lived at c., and is great for remem-
bsring dates. Let's see; what time do
you think it was ?"
"Mrs. Tyrell and ] concluded it must
have been between 1873 and 1877" said
Jessie; adding slyly, "for she was mar
ried in 1877. Mrs. Tyrrell, did you
bring that old photograph with you? Ii
might amuse them to look at it,"
Nellie produced small picture, and
adjusting their spectacles and eyeglasses
they all come forward to see it. A group
of six young people was represented, all
in the very heyday of youth. The spec.
tators were silent, looking first at the
picture, and then at each other.
"Can it be-" said Frank, "that these
were ever our pictures? hope, Mrs
Tyrrell, the originals had the forethonght
to put the names on the back. that We
may be able to identify them"
"No," said she, 1--WE must guess as best
we can. First, who is that?" pointing
to on of the figures.
"That must be Mrs Hyde, for she il
taller than the others" suggested Grand
ma Fellows.
"By the same token, that must be Mrs
Tyrell, for she is shorter" said Jessie
though, but for that, ! don't see how
we could have told them apart"
"How oddly they did dress III those
days !" said Mary.
"Who can that be ?" asked Frank
pointing to the finest looking ofthe thres
young men. If that is one of us, there
was more choice in our looks than there
is now-eh, Townsley7"
mo doubt" said George, fifty years