The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-11-13
THE OLD APPLE WOMAN.
A Sketch of '61.

A Sketch of '61.
EVERYBODY who was in Washington
during the early years of the war, knows
that Franklin Square was used as a
camp-ground; but everybody may not
remember the old apple-woman there,
who disappeared so suddenly after reap
ing brief but rich harvest from her
ruddy-cheeked apples and toothsome
cookies. Her history was one of
the thousand little romances, both
sad and sweet, which blossomed bright
ly amid the carnage and desolation of
that terrible time.
Pretty Genevieve Hildegarde, in her
far-away Southern home, awaking sweet
echoes with the trills of her merry
roundelays, feeding her snow-white
cockatoo with sugar from her own dain-
ty fingers, or dreaming away long hours
in her low-swung hammock among the
magnolias, knew no heavier sorrow than
rainy day when she had planned a
glorious ride across the country, or the
non arrival of the thick, square letters
which came semi-weekly from New
York. But the great tide of sorrow and
suffering, so soon to submerge our
peaceful country, was even then surg
ing heavily along the shore, sending the
thunder of its roar far inland.
just at this time, or shortly before, the
first cloud appeared upon Genevieve's
sunny horizon. Caro-, her sister, and
senior by scarcely more than a year,
was thrown from her horse and serious
ly injured.
After several weeks of tedious con-
valescence it was found that the sur
geon's work had been bunglingly done,
and Colonel Hildegarde at once deter
mined to take his daughter to famed
physician in New York. The change of
scene and air proved beneficial, and
April, 1861. found them pleasantly stu
ated in the city. Caro-, though still con-
fined to her room, improved from each
visit OF the great surgeon, and the cloud
was lifted from her brow, only to settle
upon that of merry-hearted Genevieve,
who had accompanied her.
Handsome George Fordham had been
class-mate of Hal Hildegrade at Yale,
and the winter after this course was
ended had gone homo with his friend.
To pretty "Vieve," tired of her beaux
whom she had known from childhood,
this wide-awake, resolute young North
erner appeared very Apollo, and when
he left the hospitable mansion late in
the spring, his last and warmest kiss
was given to the dark-eyed girl who
promised to be ready when he should
come to take her away to his distant
home. And now, here she was in the
same city with him, and no answer came
to the little note she sent telling
OF their unexpected arrival. Several
days of anxious watching passed, and at
last it came, post-marked Lenox, Mass,
and written in a pretty, girlish hand,
quite unlike Georges dashing chirogra-
ply. 1t was from his sister, and Gene
We've remembered clearly but one SEN
tence:
"George has gone to Washington
with his regiment, and we have all come
to my grandfather's to stay"
The days which followed were dark
and sad for our little girl, as well as for
the thousands of her sisters all over the
broad land who had dear ones at the
front. Every moment she could spare
from Caro- she spent porting over the
papers, following eagerly every move
ment of the army, longing for news, yet
dreading that each day might have
brought the impending battle to an is
sue. And, at last, one bright June
morning, the wires flashed the message.
"Bull Run is lost" and then long lists
OF the dead, wounded and missing car
ried anguish to thousands of hearts.
Genevieve, pale ard trembling, read the
fated columns and saw, "George Ford
ham, Capt. N. Y. Vol, dead. Shot
through the heart.''
She was aroused from the depths of
her own grief by her fathers announce
ment that they must leave at once for
home. Caro- was i'll able to travel, but
each days delay increased the dangers
and difficulties of getting through the
lines; so they started, and had gone as
far as Washington, when Caro- grew so
much worse that it was out of the ques-
ton for her to 60 on. 1t seemed almost
impossible for the Colonel to leave his
daughters alone, but his presence at
home was imperatively necessary. So
he found them pleasant boarding-pl
with widow, opposite Franklin Square,
and, promising to come or send for
them at the earliest possible moment,
left them with heavy heart. At the
depot he met an old friend, who said
that he would look after the girls, and
so the Colonel went on, his anxiety u
shade less now that he felt that his chill
bred had one friend at least in the city.
Happily, he did not know that, in the
pressing cares of those stirring times,
the promise was never thought of again.
So the summer wore away-a long
and weary summer To GeneVieve and
Caro-. Upon the, square regiments of
soldiers were camped; as one passed on
to the front another took its place, and
there was constant sound of drum,
bugle, and fife. This, with the sight of
the blue coats and the daily drill, tor
tured the nerves of the sick girl almost