Litchfield enquirer., 1879-09-25
WHOLE NO. 2781

fellows in the Black Hole; dropped in the streets; and had regular plague-spots on their bodies. It's too bad to think of! And such clean, healthy place as Kilbuck used to be !"
 "Kilbuck! did not know that was river town?"
 ''Oh yes; though it's only five miles from Vicksburg, which makes it easy enough to get there by rail.
 "Do you stop here"
 "For a couple of hours Why don't you go on shore and look around?"
 II will"
 AS soon as the gang plank was lowered, MT. Balingall crossed it, and walked up into the town. With it's irregular paths, steep ascents, and many trees it had cool of appearing to hide itself from an obtrusive gaze; but he sought out the houses, trying to fancy in which one of them Idalia had lived. He soon be- came aware of confused impression of dead flowers and old clothes Odd conjunction! In every garden blackened blossoms hung from whitening stalks and along the railings fo the verandas, about the houses, on the fenc- es, and on ropes stretched from one tree to another, hung motley assortment of garments -mens clothes, for the most part-happing in the wind. There was something ludcrous about the sight, until. with sudden creeping of the flesh, he understood it's dreary slgnln- cence. These were garments of the dead that living love dared not fold away until air and frost had done their work on the mystery of poison that nothing kills save cold. Doors and windows were open to admit the chill Novem- Der wind No sound of laughter was heard. Memories of horror seemed to be in the very air.
 Nor was it more cheerful in the business part of the town, though here, at least, there were people to be seen. But everything look- | ed woful and half alive. In front Of some of the shops sat old men, their hats pulled | down far over their eyes, One could readily | imagine that business transaction would be- | gin with an apology. No one noticed Mir. Balingall. The time had gone by when trivial interest could move the people of Kill buck. They had stood too long facing and fighting great terrors. In every face was look of gloom, whether that of some pale con- valescent, or the ruddy countenance of some refugee who had saved hmselfby flight. The point of interest appeared to be at the door of | small office over which was written Ike lief Committee Rooms" Here motley crowd was gathered trying to push thelr way inside. | Through the windows one could see boxes and bales of goods, provisions and half-worn cloth ing, which some boys and ladies were distrIb- uting as fast as possible to the applicants.
 After twice making the circuit ofthe square, | Mir. Balngall followed a well-worn path that | led him on until he saw stretching before him | GildG SdClCu CA ApdnSC OA SLOuhu "hOAS OAC NS"NA are hidden from the sun. He opened the gate and went in. An sight of thrilling sadness Filling every glance of the eye as it restlessly sought relief were fresh, thick planted graves. | Red and sinister spots on the green earth, they lay there like bloody swords on a deserted attle-field, each telling It's own tale ot unlm- | aginable horror.
 s'And this is the end of every mans desire, he murmured. A profound sense of despair and isolation seized his soul Twilight was l falling, and the mists of the distance seemed like exhaations from the dreadful earth. He turned to leave, when, coming through the gate, he saw woman's figure. All the l glooms of the November day seemed to have | gathered about her. Close and black, like | gathered cloud, she came toward him, with step so gliding that she seemed to float rather | than walk Her hands were slightly extend | ed, to hold great mass of flowers that trailed to the hem of dress in falling scarlet. As she passed MT. Baliugall a cluster of blossoms dropped. He stopped to restore it. She bow ed mechanically, without looking at him. | thick veil was over her face, but for him only a glance was needed. Through the folds of binding crape he recogniXed-ldalia.
 The young man could have laughed aloud. 'She did not die, then," and 'I knew Ormsby was fool" thought Mir. Balngall inone flash | of the mind
 
 bidding. The graves were no more to him 1 than the leaves that strew the earth after a hurricane. Idala was alive--that was l enough.
 He watched her as she went to a distant | grave, and laid the flowers upon it in lines and clusters Then, kneeling, she pressed her face upon the earth remaining thus so long that Mr. BaIingal's professional instincts | were aroused, and he wanted to say to her, l fEYO1 EnnJ XxIll niV n dreadful cold?"
 'You're stranger hele, Sir, see," inter- rupted voice.
 | He turned and saw an old negro man, with | a spade and watering-pO in his hand-pre- | sumably the sexton.
 "Yes, he said; "Ive never been to Kill l buck before."
 ''lt's sorrerful time, marster, for you to l see de place for de fust time. 1 seen all de trouble straight trough, an powerful misery it was; but dis here tryjn' to piece things to- gether agin is de hardest thing yit. Faint no use. De end O de worl' is at han. Dey shall see sighs an prophecies. An de signs an prophecies is already come to pass"
 "You remained through all the epidemic ?" ''Yes. marster. Oar warn't no partikeler use in my runnin' off. Pve had misery in | my back for SO many years dat Pm ready to go whenever de good Lord calls. An dar was work for me to do Who'd have buried de DO critters if hadn't been here? 1 s'pose dey would have hired some fool nigger, an he | might have made some hOles to put lem in. 1 made grG0eS-good graves every one of em even in de greatest of de rush."
 Frying work for you"
 "Yes, marster but you know de edge of a thing soon wars off. 1 knowed lem all, an
 loved many of 'em, and wd de fust dat put away shook an cried like baby. But ! if In hn bOCinaSs | nrOIl1 O seein how many 1 could git under-g -groun' in l day. 1 couldn't eat nor sleep if acOrpse was a-waitIn for me. An Lord Lord de very day dat Gneral Cincinnatus Hewett was bur l ied-youve heered of Gineral Cincinnatus 1 Hewett ?"
 II think so," said Mir. Balingall, cautious ly.
 ''Oh yes, marster, he was de biggest man in de State-reglar Moses an Aaron rolled into one! Always on han at fairs an barbecues to make de speeches, an gre0t Ill politics. Take you right off yer feet he would. An a l good man, ginerous as de floowin' streams l Nobody was too pol or triflin, for him to help Often an often have I watched him as he stood on de platform a-talkin' grand talk in dat ring in voice O his, an de boys a-cheerin, an everybody a-hangin' on his words an Pve l thought to myself, what funeral he would have Wid de Masons an military, an half l de church pews full O mourners-for de gIne- l ral had a great family connection--an de ] shops closed, an de papers wid black around | lem, an de coffin all a-shinin' wid silver I used to love to think it over. An, Lord Lord! de day he was buried. jes counted him in wid Hinkleys chillen, eight nggcrs, an lot O pol white-trash emigrants-jes counted him in, you know, one GinerM Gun ci,e1eGtus Heaoettl" and the old sexton shook | his head as if scarcely believing now in his in- | sensibility or temerity.
 At this moment Idalia passed them.
 ingall
 "Dat's Miss Ida Carey, pol chile She was a-gwine to marry young Evans-Fane Evans "a rlsn' young lawyer here. He'd been d soldier-fought under Morgan when he was a boy. 1 reckon dats whar he learnt to be SO brave: Den he was good stock, too. No ocow-