The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-12-04

4 , e.
Fhere was the great house, moth
ing changed for more than half a
century. A vide, shady garden ran
down to another street. We had
free range without and within-al
ways excepting randfather's rooms.
1! On rainy days, or when we felt
particularly full Of fun, we used to 60
to the garnet, where our racketing
could .distrb nobody; and in that
great cobwebby space we had royal
times, till we needed other things
than play. Here We acted plays atg
firing ourselves in the antiquities we
found there. s.I
/ Wye and | wrotesa thrilling drama
of the war, in which he represented a
/ Union officer taken prisoner, and
Beck the lovely Virginian who set
him free. Bannie was sentinel, / d
spy There we're scenes with sol
| diers in which we four appeared, and
hospital sketches 10 which holsters
laid out made capita. sick soldiers
and Wye was a surgeon to cut of
! arms. - ees'5A 49, s. : ''''+e
1 fy,,..,sgt, $50, dos, t.5s,x5s5. ~. Il
We all felt out Of sorts when Bee.
kie grew too old for this entertain
ment and used to walk alone ID the
garden, like an imprisoned princess.
1--WE Inherited from our mother afl III In
| come Of one Hundred dollars; this
was pdhetudally paid to : Beck thy
grandfather, in quarterly 9 Install
nents,, to be spent for the four
4 What a life We led herr How We ID
sisted she should buy atcordfons,
! pistols, dolls, work boxes, fobfgetfal
of ragged hats and toes sticking
fIuFOuSE our SHOES.
All this time the great civil wal!
was raging, and grandfather who ha-
tied war, and thought : everybody
wrong and everything going to per-
dition,a talked nothing hut politics to
his neighbors' and to Us Wien ne
were still enough to listen. ''as 49,.
He particularly hated tie paper
currency, and Bnnnie once came in
glee with i dirty fifty cent note a
fisherman had given granafather. in
change. It had fallen to the ground
and he, being ilritaled that morning
told Bannie to take it away. He had
never ssfveii Us anything before, and
we sent Wye out to buy chocolate
ea,lar. .''!4 n + '''t y. = 50 " ~
/ When Beekie was eighteen. Wy
man was in his last year Of the high
school, where Sockie had told US we
ought to send him. For d long time
one hundred dollars had to be ex
pended on this youth. We knew he
must have an education, and wear
decent clothes. We looked forward
to his getting Situation some time,
and our having each new alpaca in
consequence. He would grow SO!
One Of our most wl.etclfed aexpeirien-
!ces was when he insisted Oh having
a sage green overcoat that faded ii
streaks,, and that he had TO wear.
IBannie's little clothes, ever even to his
caps, he cohtrived out Of his broth
er's. He was independent. s.is \
Beckie and I, for several years, ex-
ercised in the, shades of evening, or
now and then, systematically. ap1|
peareyd@| separately at the Iitt!e Mis-
sion Chapel near US. We, had a.
black alpaca between Us, one skirt,
and two hasques, Beckie. had q sash
when she. wore, hers. I had some
bows pinned on mine lile..,9 Oppe sum IN
,mer we asked. grandfather for two
linen sheets (they were superbly
fine, anpla1Its,rm made lBeckiee dress,
which she wore in, triumph to apic7
mic, with Mr.. Van Aster, the young
man who took such an in crest in
Wye. >, He belonged TO the, academy
and taught Greek and Geology IN the
High School. Wye sometimes
brought him TO tea. ts;as; ..t4,,
Beck had the best clothes, It was
necessary. ! # + happened TO have a
fresh calico, ] presented myself! If
not, some excuse was made for me,
| remember we made ourselves wrap
pers o}u y. yolf,1s some soft Canton as silk,
covered with great flowers that We
fonnd.oilIt had once been used for
curtains when the house was ia its
pride. When hard pushed for a cos
tame, que fol Of ssluus would max make tbs.
most Of a. little cold, and .extia7
gushing the glory ofshe wrapper by,
a shawl would sit near the, IRE, Wye
4, .1s3.ii 81 st4ifEt ~ q Sr,sit 10