Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1881-06-24
DEB,S MESSAGE.


DEB'S MESSAGE.
To what class of Southern women
Deborah Fells belonged would have
puzzled one to tell had she been seen
alone ON the highway. She looked like
a ''poor white" angry as the sugges-
ton would have made her. She owned
large amount of land; year before
our story she had possessed twenty
slaves; but within twelvemonth all of
these who were bodied, without
any folding of tents, silently stole away
and left her to take care of herself.
She was equal to that emergency at any
time. One afternoon she came and
stood in the door of her house, with
bare head and arms akimbo. She list
ened, muttering to herself; for she
failed to hear certain dull roar that
all the morning had reverberated
through the woods about her home. 1t
was IN the month of June and at the
hour OF sunset; but neither significant
fact could make this person or place
charming. Even in n rosy light, the
mems that scratched about the deserted
negro quarters were disreputable-loo
ihS Olu iOWlos luO lOHSs
house was bare of paint, chimney
fallen, many windows gone. Not far
away was an old horse, his skin like
saffron-colored calico, half bleached
and mottled by age. Skulking under
the cart attached to him, and seeming
to be made out of bit of the same
stuff left over from the horse, was q
lanker dog. A lame negro was list
lessly trying to strengthen harness al
ready more of rope than of feathers;
and these were all the living creatures
in sight except the woman. She was
about forty-five years old, so tall and
big boned in body, so Yankee hating in
soul, she had more than once threat
ened disguise and an irregular join
ing of the Confederate army. Her
swarthy face was heavy in repose; but
when she spoke out loudly, saying,
'1t's all over, Ireckon," the old negro
made no answer but a grunt. Grunts
were safer than words with
Deborah. She stood sluggishly
rejecting while longer, then
lifted the tangled, grayish hair
slipping into her neck. and wound it
into hard coil, looking about the door
sup llCaIWulG iOl lCl IL
was below in the dirt, moving mystic
riously here and there; but when she
stopped down for it a much-bedraggled
hen walked out and left it for her. She
put it on at once and struck off into the
woods, at first following beaten path,
then, hating at the sound of voices that
seemed to be approaching, she strobe
off again at cross-cut through the un-
derbrush. Her gait was like man s,
and 20 feminine finery impeded her
limbs. A scanty, dark skirt cleared her
ankles and showed her strong, leather
shoes; a small shawl was crossed hand
kerchief-wise over her breast and tied
behind, leaving her arms free 10 hold
back the bushes that came in her way.
She continued mutteripg, and the words
audible now and then were tough ones;
the mildest were of Yankee cusses;''
the harshest-well, Deb had lost hel
money, lost her slaves-the money a
rough old father left her, the slaves
whose owner and overseer she had been
for years. Last of all, and chiefest, she
was a woman. and she had lost her son.
He was bigger and coarser than his
mother. When she had him, they quar-.
relied many time, but all the same,
she loved him with the passion of a
wild, strong nature. He might be dead
months before, left on some battle field,
but that she woula not believe. A ru-
NOR once reached her that he had heen
taken prisoner and sent North. Since
she had lost all trace of him she had
been like wild beast robbed of hel
young. After intervals of apparent
apathy, OF living stupidity quiet with
her one old slave, she would be missing
for days. The stories were that she
followed the army; that, after battles
she had gone stealthily over the fields
and robbed the dead and refused tc
help the dying by SO much as turn o
her band-if the dead or the DYING
wore the color she abhorred. Perhaps
these stories wronged her; those were
not days for just Judgment; but Goo
knew the wild love and the hate were
both there in the heart of this gaunt
ugly Deb.
This day there had been battle
near her home. Tom, the olI negro,
hidden in the woods, had limped back
and forth to bring her reports, always
confused and contradi ictory. Not that
she cared much, in one way, how mat
ters went. The worst had happened
for her: that six-foot Virgnian Rich
was her country, her word; and she
had lost him! Her passion for ven
geance was not greater than her grief
although it was certain satisfaction tc
her TO know that scores of Northern
mothers sons lay dead.
On she went through the woods, out
on a lonely road, mile or so along it,
across another patch OF forest, ther
along its edge where it skirted the
highway. The sun was now down, bu
1t was yet light. She saw many strag
glers, heard there had been q brief
indecisiye fight, with small loss OF
either side. She did not show herself
Indeed, she had no definite object il
view; she had not thought to find he
son among the dead. Sometimes sh,
questioned wounded Confederate sol
dlers. hoping for news of him or hi
comrades; but to-day she heard tina
the wounded had been carried away OF
the field. Stopping in the thicket,
short distance from the scene of action
she felt no curiosity to 60 further. Th
horrid details were familiar by thi
time-mangled bodies. fallen horses
broken weapons-she knew exactly no,
II all looked.
Heated by walking fast in the sultr,
air that betokened a auick-comini
thunderstorm, Deb pulled off her sun
bonnet and leaned against tree. Th
sun had left lurid red low in the west
The rest OF the sky was rapidly dark
ening, while the thunder was not uulilx
the dulled ca anon roar all the mornin
echoing In her ears. The only othe
sound for few minutes was the pate