The Columbus journal., 1882-08-16

unwelcome visitors, and my first thought
was of Yankees coming.
"'Don't be scared, honey said
nanny. 1T am only Aunt Hulda got
a bad spell, an 1 wants a drop of wine
an q little bread an milk for her.
"'Why, mammy!'I cried. when she
Interrupted me.
$50 chile, dom you be AKIN ques-
tons. Jes' git yer ole nanny what
she AZ for, an done you 90 for tell Any
body. Can't you trus' me, chile?'
"There were tears yelling down her
cheeks, and her voice was trembling, 50
without another word gave her what
she wanted not omiting a small portion
Of our precious stock of wine, which was
scanty, indeed.
"Returning to my room, l could not
sleep, for thinking of mammy's conduct.
I knew 'Huldy's SPELL was only used 70
cover up some other need. But what
could It be? A runaway slave she
would not have asked wine for; q South
ern soldier in distress she would have
brought to the house. Could it be one
Of the enemy? A troop Of horsemen
had passed through the country, some
miles north of us, two or three days be-
fore, in pursuit of . band of our own
men. Could it be one of them? 1
dropped asleep without coming to any
conclusion, and woke in the morning to
find nanny busting about the kitchen
as usual.
1.-THE first chance l had of speaking
to her alone, l asked how her patient
WASP Instantly her face turned gray,
and her eyes dropped.
"sHoney, she said, solemnly, what
de good Book say bout yer emmy bein'
hungry, or bein' naked, or ANYTHING
else? Oh, chile, yer's no gwine to be
hard on var ole nanny Is nussed We
from dc day she TUX ye from yer dead
mothers breas'. She was q good mistis,
she was. She teach me be good to
everybody. Oh, chile, yer looks like
her in de face, an yer's wearin' her
dress; now jes' act like her. Done AK
your ole nanny no questions. Jes'
help her, an min dis yer, yer nanny
won't do nothin' till harm any our
folks
"What could 1 do? l knew the woman
was faithful; what else kept her with
US? She knew she was free to 90 at any
time. So 1 promised secrecy, and sup
piled the wants of the unknown as we'll
as possible from our scanty larder.
fittings went On thus for about ten
days, when, n morning, nanny be-
sought me- to 60 to her cabin q few
minutes. 'He'-she always designated
the unknown in that manner-was gwine
to leave, and she knew he was too weak
to start. Wouldn't 1 jes' speak one
word Il keep him? LESS 1 did, his
death, she argued, would be on our
heads.
Lied more by curiosity than human
ity, I fear, I followed nanny to the
quarters; and, going into the little
cabin, 1 found a tall, handsome gentle
man, in blue uniform, who rose at my
entrance, and, bowling gravely, offered
me q seat, with as much graceful polite
ness as if we were in an elegant drawing
room instead of a cabin in the quarters.
81 was too much embarrassed to
speak, but he opened the conversation
at once by saying that he found himself
at last able to walk, and wished to join
the army as soon as possible, but could
not think of leaving without expressing
his gratitude to me-, as he knew, from
what his benefactor had told him, that
1 witiAOu Ut oooAot0uOS ~ SSulO uOg uoVO
taken care of him.
find him recovering, but urged him not
10 depart too soon, As he might break
down before he reached bis friends.
I'm reply, he said he felt pretty
strong, and then proceeded to tell me
how he got into such a p~redicsment. 1t
seemed that he did belong to the cavalry
regiment of which l spoke, and that, on
~overtaking our men, there had been
quite a sharp fight, in which he had been
wounded, and had fallen from his horse, |
and been left for dead, he supposed. On
recovering consciousness, he had found
himself fain: and weak from loss of
blood, and alone in . forest. He had
wandered about two days, and at last
reached the edge of the wood, where |
Ben, who was cutting ire-wood, found
him, and conveyed him to the cabin"
My friend paused, and nanny took
up the tale, saying:
eyes, Miss Nellie, an I tell you he's
bout tuckered out. 'Spect if it hadn't
been for dat wine he die sure. He faint |
way dead, when l fix his pore shoulder;
but, laws, he dat spunky arter dat he
nebber groan; jes' set his teef hard.
He's ezyess Teller to nuss I ebber seed;
nebber grumble bout nothin'."
"Well," resumed Mrs. c. 81
could not persuade him to remain longer
than until the next night, 50 1 left him.
promising to prepare q few provisions,
and come to the cabin again 10 say
good-by.
"As L returned to the house the rain
began to fall heavily, and 1 thought
now much better it was for the wounded
man in mammy's cabin than out-of-
doors. Just then, hearing the noise of
horses feet l looked toward the road
in front of the house, and saw q band of
horsemen approaching. l hurried in
doors and told grandfather, but he was
already going u to meet them. They
were COnfederates, and meant to camp
with us. They were without tents, so,
of course, the officers quartered them
selves in the house, while the men we're
put in the stables and empty negro
quarters. All was hustle and confusion.
My heart lay like lead in my breast
Not only did 1 fear for the Federal Off
Ger (for by his uniform l knew he was
an officer), but what would grandfather
think of my harboring an enemy?
True, 1 did not believe my grandfather
would have turned q wounded man from
the door, even q Yankee; but he surely
would deliver him up to the authorities
after he recovered.
81 could not get q word with man,
my. Apparently serene and calm, she
rent about preparing food, arraying the
table, waiting on every one. Only once
in passing me she whispered:
"'You's too white, honey. Done ye
be feared; it's all right
and night came. The soldiers were very
much exhausted, for they were on .
long march, and they soon prepared for
rest. As the rain fell in torrents, and
no enemy was known o be within fifty
miles, l suppose they felt more secure
than usual; at any rate, they stationed
but q few sentinels, and, long before