The Columbus journal., 1882-08-16

"After they were gone grandfather
instituted an inquiry, but with no result,
other than to mystify himself. Nanny
told me afterward that Ben got the
horse with little trouble, as the sentinel
vas sound asleep, sitting in the barn
door. Did not ever move. Ben said. as
the horse passed him. That he led him
q piece down the road, and then Mars
Captain got on and rode off, slowly for
q while But l 'spec,' said Ben, 'he
hurry some after dat
"a day OF two sfterward, Ben, find
ing me alone in the kitchen, took from
his pocket and handed to me q small
package, saying:
"'Miss Nellie, Mars Captain tole me
gin that to you, and tell you keep it fur
him, COS it was his mothers, an, if he
lib, he cum arter it when de war ober.'
81 opened the paper, and found this
ring" holding up her hand, on one
finger of which she wore . plain gold
circle.
"You know that winter virtually
ended the war, and that with spring
came peace. My grandfather took to
his bed when he heard of the fall of
Richmond, and died, they said of fever;
but l have always believed his heart was
broken. He had lost one sOn in the
beginning OF the struggle, and, with the
news of the defeat of our armies, came
the tidings of the death of another son
his eldest, the hope of his old age. II
was more than the poor old man could
bear, and he only lived q few weeks.
My grandmother bore up bravely, and
tried in every way to cheer the rest.
Aunt Emily's husband came home, and
removed her and the children to New
Orleans, where he intended going into
business. Uncle Tom, grandmother's
only son., returned, q haggard, broken
looking man. totally unlike the hand
some, light hearted youth who had rid
den So gayly away from the home, four
years before.
"During all this time we heard moth
lng-mammy and I-of the soldier who
had left US that stormy January night.
We often wondered what had become
of him. l felt doubtful whether he ver
had reached his friends, in his feeble
condition. But nanny was more
hopeful. She insisted that he had lots
of pluck, an a mighty good boss. Pend
on it, Ben picked q fine one, honey.
Some O. desc fine days he be arter dat
ring
ain April came to us, as to all the
world, the terrible news of Lincoln's
death. l never saw any one o
shocked than Uncle Tom. He declared
no greater calamity could have befallen
US, and seemed bewildered, and unable
to comprehend why it had been allowed
to happen.
"'It seems to me- he said to grand
mother, God does not take much notice
Of Us poor wretches now
"Dear old grandmother, as usual,
was our comforter. To her loving, rev.
erent heart God was always good, and,
no matter how deep were the waves of
trouble through which she passed, His
hand ever guided her.
"One day, in the latter part of this
sad month, q visitor arrived. He came
on horseback, and 1 did not see him
until he had been in the house some
time. Then nanny came upstairs,
where I sat sewing, all in a trembls of
excitement.
"'Oh, Miss Nellie, honey she cried,
my sojer done come back. He's down
stairs wild Mars Tom; and, honey, l
dom un'stan' it, but Mars Tom dat
glad to see him he mos hug him.
Hurry, chile! l spec he be wantin' dat
ring. You got it all safe, hadn't you?'
"YOu see l did not, then, wear it,
wishing to answer questions about
it. Well, to shorten my story, l may as
we'll tell you why Uncle Tom was glad
to see him. It seems, after the battle of
Gettysburg, Captain Graham had found
a dying Confederate on the field; had
had him taken to the hospital and cared
for, and, when he died, had sen the
few little articles of property on his
to his brother. That brother
was my uncle. The correspondence,
so begun, had been kept up,
neither knowing that the other
had been on u plantation, until a
few days previous the Captain had
learned that the name which nanny
had called sBeecham' WAS spelled
Thus enlightened, he said,
he set out for the place.
"Uncle Tom was surprised to see us
meet a acquaintance, and still moro
surprised at Our story.
"Bsn, on being questioned, told now
he managed the escape. He said she
got Mars CAPTAIN in Hulda's cabin, and
hid him. 1t rained so de soldiers didn't
rummage much, Mars Tom, an as for
dat sentry: an de odders, too, for dat
dey dom 80 beat out, and SO on
dey aeep like logs; mout
took dozen horses
"'Did all the blacks help hide the
Captain, Benz asked Tom.
"'Dey all did what dey could, Mars
Tom; but one de white folks know but
Miss Nellie
"'But 1 had no idea any one knew
except Ben, nanny and myself
"The Captain smiled.
"sI Think said he, most of the COL
bred people knew l was here
"Tom interrupted him.
"'Excuse me, Captain he said,
there is the dinner-bell. Walk into the
please
"The subject vas never resumed. l
it was unpleasant to grand
mother, in fact she intimated as much,
she eve thought of being de-
,eived by her W people.
"Captain Graham remained several
weeks with us; and, when he departed
|or his Northern home it was under.
stood that he would return again shortly
ior his rebel bride. During his absence
[ obtained grandmother's forgiveness
For having ono deceived her; and,
when the Captain came for me, bring
ng his young sister with him, she re-
,eived them very graciously, even smil-
on Uncle Toms very evident admi-
ration of the Yankee girl, and not OBJ
at all when he informed her that
ne had traded his Southern niece for q
wife. So, you see, We are all
happy, and nanny is, l think, the re-
'ponsible person. Don't you agree with
me?"
"Of course" said I. "She ought to
be proud of her work"
can so l is, honey" said the old
woman. "I'se a Southern darby, l is,
out Use a Nordern sympathizer, an dis
yer bow" holding M the Growing child.