St. Landry democrat., 1881-10-08

name-when Trannv was seventeen She
was the wonder of us all. She didn't
care for books-we'd had her at school
an she could play an sing, but she
didn't care for books--but all day long
she was like a picture, with her skin
like a rose leaf and her hair below her
knees and her eyes with look in them
she keeps now-like a baby just wax
ing. I'd liked horseback riding and
CAV times when l was young. but she
Just hung about me all the time, or
petted the other children. Now and
then some one would ask if | felt just
comfortable about her, she seemed so
Indifferent like. as if she was way of:
Wonder all the time, and she wouldn't
mind if she was all by her lone hours
an hours. She was quick enough when
she chose, N | said she'd wake up
when the time came. Id ALWAYS the
feeling she was little nearer the angels
than any of us, and in church often I've
watched her, with her eyes set on the
minister and a look as if there was q
light inside shining out.
Then came the waking up. She
hadn't cared not a thing for any one of
the beaus that were about her, and
there were as many and more than
had had in my time. But | knew the
night it happened-the night that
young Walter Bunsby came home.
North Carolinians don't take to the sea
often, but this boy did; and it came in
way you'd never think-from book
| have now, ''Tybee." He was our
next neighbor, in and out all day; and
often he'd talk with me when he was
little and say: Mrs. Moore. just as
soon as am big enough, l shall marry
Tranny,' and Tranny always smiled a
little, but never said word.
He'd sit and read to her and tell
her things, but she never cared much,
till one day he brought this book and
began to tell her all about the strange
trees and the wonderful things, and
they read it day after day. And at last
he said he must see it all. He should
come back and settle down; but he had
never seen anything, and he would go
and bring back some of the strange
things And Tranny liked it and want
ed him to. and he went in a ship that
sailed from Charleston.
"She didn't seem to miss him, as |
thought she might, but was just the
same. He came back in Year and
brought all those things which you see
| here, and many more, and they fixed
up Tranny's room at home the way
this is now, so that every one said l
was crazy to let them And then
tyranny promised to marry him when he
came back, for he had said he'd go
| once more. He was wild for the sea,
and had asked her if she would not like
to be Captain wife and sail all over
the world and Tranny said she didn' t
know, but she liked everything he had
| brought her. And then he went away,
and she waited; but she was different
bright and interested and loving; oh,
loving us all SOL and more like an angel
! than ever
And then came the war. Oh, you
! can never know what that was like!
] My boys were too young-only sixteen,
the oldest OF them but tall and strong;
and before year had gone two of them
were in Virginia under Lee, and Iran
nv said: when Walter comes he must
go, too
''My husband was gone the first day
we knew men were wanted, and | wait
ed at home And then there were no
more letters, no word of Walter. At
first Tranny said: 1t is because he is
coming, and is almost here but when
the second year had nearly passed we
could not say that any longer. And
then my boys went my beautiful boys
and before | could think how to live
without them, my husband; all shot
down and dying and | not near them.
And Tranny only sat every day by the
window and watched and watched.
"And then it was the emancipation.
Out OF the seven Id brought with me
from Virginia, Midnight was the only
one that stayed by, and she stays by
now. We should have starved without
her, and nearly starved with her, if
hadn't reused up at last and done all Of
a mans work | could. But, you see,
it told on the children. They weren'
strong. We lived in one end of the
house and let the rest. We did with
out everything, and they pined. Low
fever, the doctor said; and first Harry
died, and then Johnny, and | knew the
rest were going. And one day in '64
\ oh, l shall never forget!-a sailor
came up the path. tyranny sat by the
window, and she rose up suddenly ane
then sat down.
II thought it was Walter she said
Perhaps he knows about Walter
"1he sailor fixed his eyes on her AZ
if he could not take them off, and ther
he told US. could not stop him. He
spoke right on, and Tranny seemed t.
make him, for with each word hi
seemed to stop, and with each word sh'
faced him, and said: Go on
"And do you know what it was? No
common shipwreck, not drowning, no
anything that could ever give any bod.
thought of comfort that he was lylns