Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-06-26
VIRGINIA ROMANCE.
What Came of Shaping a Cavalry
Captain Across the Face.

Philadelphia Times
Driving from the White Sulphur Spring.
West Virginia, to Lewisburg. a pleasant Village
situated on plateau two thousand feet above
sea level, and which nearly equals In grazing
qualities the far-famed Kentucky Blue Grass
region, became much interested In our driver,
lOquacious old man, who had passed life or
sixty-aye years in the immediate vicinity. Like
many OF his kind he had seen better days, hay-
Ing nlled the position OF sort OF major domo In
one OF the first families OF Virginia; at least he
said so, and his general department and CONVEX
sation went far towards sustaining the allega-
ton. His knowledge OF the country and It's In
peared equally familiar.
"Do you see that Old brick house over yonder,
Major?s he said. wait Till We get on this hill
top; there now, do you see Il? Well, away
back In the war times Colonel TilfOrd lived
there; the Colonel of course, was away with
his regiment, but his family and slaves were all
Yankee cavalry were encamped right near Lew
isburg, and, being pretty hard pushed for grub.
foraging parties secured the country at all
times-night and day, fair weather and foul,
there was no rest because OF them. The slaves
were In mortal fear Of these fellows, for II they
didn't bring down the butter and ham and
their ears-not really meaning to do any
harm TO the niggers, but just 10 make them
work faster.
Toward the close OF an afternoon In October.
a company OF this cavalry, under Captain b.
mish, rode Into Colonel Tiiford's plantation.
Having been out all the afternoon without sue
cess, they were not In very genial temper, and
with great many expletives told the slaves
they hadn't long TO wait; that they must have
so many hams and so much smoked beef with
chickens, butter and milk-all in twenty min
utes. believe every thing was furnished to
their satisfaction; at all events the soldiers
moved on. AS the distance to camp was short.
Captain BeLnish, who was very young man
and fond OF having little fun, thought he
family. He had Just entered the dining.
room, made his bow, anu was COM
mencing to say something about the
fortunes OF war compelling him TO do that which
he would not be guilty or otherwise when Mss
Tflford, who had dish-clout In her hand let
him have IL right across the face. 1t was the
funniest sight you ever saw. There was the
captain wiping his reeking face and clothes
and the girl laughing as though she'd never
stop. Mrs Tilford said: Have you any shame
left, TO be going round robbing defenseleSs
women? IL ColoDel TilfOrd was home somebody
would have been shot for this insolence.'
Madame said the Captain, If you are In real
need OF that which we have taken shall i'm
mediately restore it, And he was as good as
his word. In very little time his men had not
only brought back the provisions, but apologized
tC Mrs. T1lford FOR the annoyance they had put
them to.
During the stirring scenes that were con-
Stantiy being enacted we soon ceased to think
OF this little episode In the great struggle,
and the chances are 1t would never have been
thought OF more had it not been revived last
summer by the appearance in Lewisburg or a
party OF three gentlemen from the north. They
came over from the White, as you are doing
now, and wanted to be driven to Mr.. Randolph s
place. One OF the elder gentlemen knew Mr..
Randolph very well, he said, having been a
roommate at college with hfm-Princeton Col
lege, i think-yearS ago. You know how lt Is
when two old crOlieS meet after a lapse OF
years. First they don't remember one another
then they slap each other on the back, and say:
You look younger than forty years ago.
ANYBODY could tell from such meeting
that MIR. Randolph would not let them off that
night. NO. he said. we're going to have a
little party tonight. and while you and SIT On
the porch discussing some very excellent Ma
deira, which, Dy-the-bye, was imported by my
grandfather, the young men can have a chance
TO compare some southern beauty with that Of
the meanwhile, II not too tired, perhaps You
grounds
"Well. the party was a great success, I've
understood; the ladies looked we'll, and all
seemed TO be having good time. After one of
the dances captain BeutSh (for he was one of
the northern mem was talking to group of
ladies about the changes since the war The
White he said, was then a cavalry barracks
and then the people are so different Then he
told about lady Shaping him in the face with
dish clout-he could not remember her name.
All admitted him to have been badly treated
all but the handsomeSt lady In the room, Miss
T1lfOrd. Whe said: 1T just served you right
Capt BeniSh was so much incenSed at mis- treat
ment that the next day he called ON his old foe
offered hiElself, was accepted, and married, ali
In two weeks.
That's the way We do things down here,
Major; what do you think OF it?"