The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1884-04-29

the old battlefield to his neighbor at Ia
BILE. ending with sn inquiry il such vio-
lence OF feeling and expression were
usual
"Hardly, now," was the reply, "except
among the most ignorant and prejudiced
But this girls is peculiar case.> Her
name Ia E len Evresst. Before the war
her father was the richest planter in the
State. He put every dollar he could
command into the cause, and finally was
killed on the field over there lighting for
it. They carried him to house, which
stood on the hill above, where his wife
who had remained there, despite every.
thing that could be deplored or comman.
ded, received his body aud tended II
While doing so the house was fired by 9
shell aud burned to the ground. Shs
had her husbands body carried to the
quarters, and there that night her baby
was born and she died. Before she died
she gave the child to the old house stew,
ard, having made him solemnly sweal
never to des-it."
ibid be do so ?"
"No; he stuck to it through every
thing, and when the other niggers lef
the plantation he and his old NANNY
staid and took care Of it down in tht
quarters"
Ibid none OF the relatives claim the
child ?"
"There we're none who could. Unlik,
most Southerners, Evresst had no CON
nections, and bis wife few. Those wert
so impoverished that they we're glad te
escape the burden Of supporting it,
"Hov did the negro do 80 p
"Oh! by cultiVating as much of the
most fertile land on the place as he and
his nanny could manage. But here
comes the most interesting part OF the
story to you, as a physician. Three
years ago the old man, who is over sew.
enty, became so crippled by rheumatism
that he could not work. and what does
Nell Evresst do but turn to and work
the place herself"
."Do you mean with her own hands ?"
"Yes, by Jove! and handsome ones
they are, too, though they are hard and
brown as nuts"
"Why didn't she teach ?"
''She has no education"
"Or sew? p
"She might have done that, but she is
proud as Lucifer, and said that she was
willing to work for herself and nanny,
and Uncle Jake. whom she adores, bat
would not consent to be servant to any
one."
This account of the girls history af-
fected Kortlandt powerfully. He no
longer wondered at the intensity of the
hatred with which abe regarded all those
Of Northern blood. How could it be
when everv day of her life
she read airesh this story in those hill
side graves, those implanted fields, and
The charred ruins among the cedar trees
The anger which moved him passed
lw8v IN woutlcffut. .ssus; s.;~s.spp boz TIE
pictured to him self that strong and beau
.iful figure, which had confronted him 80
le6aDtly, taken upon itself and perform
ing, in its pride OF independence, the la
oors of field hand on the land where
ler forefathers had commanded in abso.
ute supremacy tue labor of hundreds,
The weeks passed by and Kortlandt
ound his health, which had been some
what impaired by his professional labors,
and which he had come to the South to
entirely restored. Yet he
was in no haste to return to the work
which he had been so 10th to leave. In.
Iced the heat OF the summer was upon
lim In its utmost intensity, and yet he
,ould not break the spell which held him
u the South. What was this SPELL Was
i occasional glimpses he caught as be
rode by of girls figure at work in
"trip of cotton or corn down 10 the rich
bottom land2 Or the glsnces be had
.wo or three times received from pair
,f defiant eyes under the brim Of broad
straw hat as he encountered their owner
IN the road2
At any rate be said to himself one
night as he entered his room: "You are
! fool; this has got to end; you start
North tomorrow"
He had passed the old Evresst plan.
latinn returning from his evening ride;
The nigh. was brilliantly moonlit; he had
left his horse in the shadow ~ some
trees and walked up the long cedar sha-
ded drive which formerly led to the
house. A shorter, shaded path led to
The quarters, and this he bad followed
till he came where he could see the door
Of one Of u cabins, and before it in the
light OF the moon young girl seated al
the feet Of a white-hsired old negro,
against whose knee she leaned her head
while ,heysang together-she in fresh,
sweet contralto,he in the quavering tones
Of AEGEAN old plantation ditty, simple
and plaintive.
He had stolen away unnoticed and hal
ridden slowly home, with feeling in his
heart that was something like despair.
1t was the consciousness of this feeling
which had ELECTED lhis sudden exclama.
ton and resolve.
1t was near daybreak when knock at
bis door aroused him and frightened
prayer took him to the bedside of one OF
the servants of the house. 1t was yell
low fever.
That settled the question Of his de-
parture for home. He remained where
he was, and In the terrible days that fol-
loved no help that be could give was
So faithful and efficient was
be that the yankee Doctor" was zane
on the lips of every one, and Eever ut
tered without q word Of commentator
and gratitude.
Alone-for the physician who had
long held the practice of the little place
10 monopoly had early succumbed to the
fever-he fought the disease, battling
with courage that inspired others and
kept them from despairing through all
One rainy night, after the epidemic
had passed its crisis, Kortlsndt, return
ing from a visit at a distance, and dis
mounting from his wsarv5 horse at his
door. found a woman's figure standing
by his side which he knew even in that
dim light. the voice which addressed
him was so stiasi as 10 be almost inau'
dible. "Forgive me-" it said; ~ was