The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-04-09

the words Of the song struck upon my ear as
strangely familiar, and my memory instantly |
sprang to the time and place where had
heard them before. Remembering,,to too, what
Ransom had said, stopped and spoke to her |
She looked up pleased when put little |
gold piece in her palm and then asked her
il she remembered me?
"She never forgets anything" the old soldier
said, pale smile spreading over his sickly
features as he looked at her.
But upon this occasion 1t appears that Nina
had forgotten. She shook her head and
glanced mp shyly into my face, but declared
that she had never seen me before
But when recalled her childish feat OF
walking into an enemy's camp alone at night
her face tup directly.
And were you there?" she asked. II do
not remember anybody: O yes, d." she
added thoughtfully,. II remember the ser.
geant. He took me in his arms and kissedme"
think some of my readers must know the
feeling that one has for any old comrade at
with, and loved. l doubt if there is
any other feeling in the world quite like it.
That this little thing should have remembered
Ransom alone, out Of a score of men who had
been kind to her, touched me deeply. I had
little to interest me in the world, and I was
thing OF the child's history, and perhaps do
something for her for Ramson's sake. And
yet I did not know then the claim she had
upon him.
| questioned the soldier closely and found
out where he lived. That evening went to
took with me generous supply of the Lone
Jack for which Nina had pleaded SO eloquent
ly two years ago. It was only garnet where
| the two lived, and yet the child had managed
| to give it certain, home like air, for her
pretty ways and songs brought many penny
| were not in absolute want. And some kind
ladies, too, in the house below, had helped
| them, the man said, for near friends of their
own had fallen in the Lost Cause.
But the man was very uneasy about Nina
He had taken her as q sacred trust, he said,
| from his dead Captain, that Capt. Ned of
whom Nina had told us so much. Capt. Ned
(his surname was Anderson) had rescued the
| child from a house that the Federals had
fired, and although he had advertised for the
parents he had never found them. The com
mand had been ordered to a distant part OF
the country, and in time Capt. Anderson had
become 80 attached to the child that he could
not bear to give her up But he had always
said that he was only keeping her till he
! could find her parents; the mother, he said,
had been an old sweetheart Of his, Mrs. Ram.
| SON.
"Ramson!" cried; "are you surew
20, yes" answered the soldier. "Capt. An
derson knew the old plantation well, and SO
did I, and pretty Miss Louise and her father,
Col. Mallory. We all came from the same
parts. Aud when Capt. Anderson died he
gave me these papers and charged me if ever
came across any of the Mallory's that
should give up the child"
I looked at the little one, who was kneeiing
beside the pale soldier, with her small hands
clasped over the gray sleeve of the Southern
uniform.
my child" said, gently, "You did right
to remember the sergeant. for he was your
own father"
I am getting on in years now, and my
hair and moustache are quite streaked with
gray Nina Ransom is tall maiden OF eigh-
teen, as lovely and modest creature as any
one would wish to see. 1t is little that
have done for her in comparison with the
pleasure it has been to me to educate poor
Ramson's child, for although she has found
her grandfather, he, poor old man, has been
nearly ruined by the war and can only Offer
J her the shelter OF modest home.
Col. Mallory, however, has been able tc
the child's career.
On that night of terror, When the family
fled from their burning HON estead, the negro
nurse of little Nina confessed that in he1
| the upper rooms. The Federal army was
, known to be pressing behind the fugitive
/ party, and it was only by accident that Capt
Anderson, then attached to party O
guerrillas, had alloped up in time tt
see the woeful little face gazing dow1
| at him out of the flames, and like bold an,
+ gallant soldier as he was, rescued her. Their
was no time for delay, SO that he carried he
, for miles on the pommel Of his saddle, and
:, Sherman's terrible march to the sea left des
l olation and distress in its wake, there wa
e nothing now to bring the Mallory's back t
D their ruined home. The nurse declared tn
8 child to be dead, for the walls had fallen i
s with terrible crash a few hours after tn
owners had left, and the woman, negro like
d had stayed behind IN the firm belief that tn
e Federals had come for the special purpose {
d bestowing riches on her race. But thong
b Col. Mallory had but an humble home
t which to shelter his grandchild, she is yer
i happy with him Her mother died man
j. years ago, and fancy that she fills more tina
that wayward daughters place. She sha
= never suffer for anything, please God, Will
' I live. and when die who is there that hs
any greater claim On lonely mans wealt
8 than Nina Ransom, 1.-THE Pride of the Ba
. terry" Philadelphia Times