The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-04-22

eoAu lIcI ut udu WTlLtcu ON tnaC paper
that he was for her boy "gettin' "
out. "~-------
Controlling her excitement with a
strong effort, she caught up the paper
and abruptly left my tent. The simple
fact is that Capt. Keith had deceived her.
He had repeatedly and uniformly told
her that he would favor her son s dis
charge, had written out her application,
and, instead of approving as he Lad
promised, he disapproyed it, as he after
ward SAID, trusting that she would never
know it. lie supposed she would bring
it to me, and that would take ana ia
dorsc it and forward it up, and his du-
plicity would never be discovered. 1t is
curious fact that simple uncultured
natures like hers are always suspicious,
and she intuitivciy sought to verify the
correctness Of his statements
THE MALEDICTIoN.
The end OF the old creatures visit to
our camp was dramatic. Her sense of
wrong at Capt. Kelth's hands was deep
and intense. Probably sh- would hard
ly have been less resentful and indig-
nant if he had struck her. But to dupe
her, to toy with her hopes, assent to her
wishes, give her sympathy in her plan
day after day, and then finally deceive
her, was cruel beyond measure, and it
awakened in hera deep, implacable fury
that knew no bounds She had enter
taincd high respect for him, and gave
him thorough confidcnce.@ The transi-
ton was complete. Every fibre of her
strong, coarse nature was wounded to
the quick. It was wonder, with their
ungovernablc spirit: that she did not at
tempt personal violence upon him. But
she reserved her revenge for something
more tragical. In her intense excite
ment she began to drink, and the liquor,
Of course, inhamcd her rage. Finally
just about dusk, she came to nv tent
pretty we'll intoxicated, and the scene
that cnsued is vivldly impressed upon
my recollection.
Her dlsordcrea appearance added to
the effect she made. Her hair hung
rough and uncombcd about her flushed
face. Her eyes glstcned with excite
ment. Her countenancc we'll indcxcd
her turbulent soul. Hes massive frame
shook under her fiery agitation. She
poured out q volume of talk, speaking
none the less deliberately because OF the
velemence of her tones. Her language
was slngularly and effectively dramatic.
She began by telling me that she had no
quarrel with me- 1t is true refused to
do her will, but have been candid witt,
her and never deceived her. had told.
the truth like man. But Rcub Keith
had acted like dog, AS she spoke his
name it seemed to intensity her wrath.
She elaborately, and, it must be said, c.-
oquent'y portrayed his perfdy, giving a
graphic picture Of her hopes, her plans,
her love for her boy, her strong ycarnin:5
to get him home, her labor, her appeals,
her trust in Keith, his ready, sympathetic
cooperation in her fcrvcnt desire, his
base betrayal of her confidence. The
stern old soul got right pathetic
and touching in some of her al
lusions. Her tale was told with the
finest simplicity and effect Of finest art.
The conclusion was as striking as it was
unexpected. Throwing herself upon her
knees, the declining sun casting a sort of
illusion around her homciy put express
sive old face, its marked features an
gulshcd and vinaictivc, she uttered such
an imprccation upon Keith as horritcd
me and those that heard it. The malig.
macy Of that malcIiction was something
dreadful. She invoked deadly blight up
Oh his mind, heart and home. She hoped
that he might never know peace or hap
plness; that he mi ght live in misery and
Il wi, ho :o<1
die like hunted hound, trlcndlcss, un-
piticd, away from friends. and his body
be lett unDuricd and uncoffined as food
for carrion. And she frcnziedly declared
that her curse would be fulfilled.
There was nothing in the scene to
break the solcmnity Of the old woman's
demonstration of hatred. She preserved
her rude dignity through it all, and ncy-
cr lowered her tragical effectiveness.
She certainly thrilled her hearers and left
an uncomfortable horror for the object of
her imprccations. The deep words, the
falling twilight, the martial surrounding,
all were fit accessories of the picture.
Rising slowly, composing her features
and stalking silently into the woods and
In the night, she disappeared, leaving
only the dark, hideous memory OF her an.
palling malcdiction.
THE FULFILMENT.
Old Rachel Stone passed out of immc-
e'iate memory. The swift and changing
drama of war left no time nor opportu-
nifty for rctrospection. But the old cre;l-
ture's curse sped none the less surely to
a seeming verltication. The passage of
Gen. Sherman's army through Georgia
left IN the northern section OF the State
frightful condition of things. This tav-
orcd section of the statc-rich, healthy,
beauti!ul-was continuous ruin. It
exempliticd 1ully the horrors of war.
The white section of the state, it fur
nished the bulk OF the Union element.
The arena for contcnding armies for a
long period, it was desolatcd in its en-
tircty. Lett for months outside of the
protecting acgis Of both governments, the
hiding place of gucrillas of both armies,
the theatre Of that worst of all strife that
exists between inimical local factions, it
realized in all its dread malignance the
miserable suffering conveyed in the word
The melancholy condition of this
section was the saddcst picture of all the
sad ones Of the late war. Those able to
flee fed. Those unable to get away.
stayed in armed despair, ever present
peril, and subject to daily rapine and
death. Courts were silent, schools emp
ty, churches deserted, dwellings were
burned and fences destroyed, until the
civlliziny demarxations of home and
farm were lost in indis,inguishable ruin.
Strollins bands Of descrtc1s and robbers
herded in the mountain caves, made pre-