The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-29


especially for its lovely trio, Sallie
Ward, Alice Brannin and Jennie
Moore. She had been raised in
fashionable manner, but she settled
down with earnestness into q
thoughtful, teachable little house
wife, and don't think Russell Han
cock could ever have picked out u
better or BONNER bride than the lit
tie girl who ran away into Hoosier
land across the falls in the darkness
with him, to prove her devotion to
the son of Yankee General.
Our boarding house broke up.
We dril'ted apart. Two years AT
ter | spent Il summer afternoon with
my young friends at Mrs. Gen. Han
cocks mothers, Mrs. Russell, at
their country seat, near the old bar
racks, a few miles out, Of st. Louis.
The house was an imposing, old
/ fashioned mansion, set in park,
upon which pretty lodge faced and
monster gate opened. There was
q wide hall. inlaid door, a bio rug in
the centre Oft; a sofa and table on
the rug; the back door stood open;
titled out into the summer green
ness, and the fresh tangle of wood
bine scents, and lily spikes and ro-
ses. In the parlor was fine harp,
standing under portrait of Mrs.
Hancock in bridal dress. There was
a life size portrait of the General,
grand and commanding, in full uni
form; there were swords and en-
broidered chairs, screens and orna-
mented piano cover, the work OF
Mrs. Gen. Hancock's fingers when
She was Il girl, and a picture, | think,
of their dead daughter, Ida, and of
chubby, rosy baby, Russell-a man
grown uow-all treasured by the
old grandmother, as mementoes OF
the old time that mothers never for
oct, no matter how infirm they grow
OF how aged the children get. There
was no one in the house but the
young people, the grand mother and
the servants. The grandmother, con
| fined to her room, sent her kindly
greetings by her grandson. Grand
mother raised me nearly. | wish
YOU could meet her. | was with her
a good deal when was a little fellow
and father and mother were soldier
ing.
Presently grandmother sent in a
4 tray with fruit, cake and wine, and
we three chatted and recalled past
DAYS as merry, hut not merrier, than
we had been in our close quarters in
the boarding house. think from
the simple, co dia. hospitality OF
Mrs. RusselIs home, that | know
where the grandson gets the courte-
sv and unaffected simplicity Of his
manner. | have never heard him
brag, boast or prop himself on his
fathers merits, or his position or
family. A wood sawyer's son he
might be for the style he assumes.
Many q son of such a brave old war
rior would talk ofeXploits, and be SO
big that civilization could hardly
furnish him room. But this son,
proud of his father, seldom mentions
him save to his near friends, and, as
sample of his breeding, speaks as
politely to old NANNY as to an heir
| -, "A hnIned. to, my l,n"r~lHdso q
/ p TrTnI tnt N IL 81 he
streets under his umbrella with rs
much consideration as if he had
been Il duke.
Once afterwards | saw the Han
cocks. The husband met me on the
street unexpectedly, and took me,
whether or no, to see his wife and a
wee mite of a baby that had just
come. 1t was a little bundle and
wouldn't wake. 1t was tossed up
for me to admire; kissed, hugged and
helped up by the heels, or dress
skirts, but not bit did it care for
company. Then they pulled its eye
lids open, so | could see its lovely
eyes; comic stare met me for a
second, then the lid dropped, and the
/ baby was in dreamland, thinking OF
the time, maybe, when it might be
the grand daughter of a President,
and fashioning out of heavenly ma
terials the radiant garments it would
wear when that time came.
The mother and myself looked at
Hall the pretty baby clothes in the
ibaby's special drawer, and | was
shown a box of dainty things that
Grandma Hancock had sent, and a
basket that Greatgrandma Russell
Ehad made for it. It was to bear the
name of Mr.. Hancocks mother and
hdead sister. ] left it well equipped
flor it's journey of life. | left the
Eyoung people loving, happy and
proud. | have never seen them
since. iiaNf ..l.H M 'F..
| | hear that he has become Il pros
porous cotton planter, a favorite
with his ncighbors, in good repute
with the world, making money and
keeping up his cherry witticisms
He would be the same frank fellow
whether son of blacksmith, General
or President. Everything is happy
in his life. But then, as his wife
once said, "somc people are born tc
luck