The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-01-10
A TALE OLE THE LATE WAR.
From Onr Continent

A TALE OLE THE LATE WAR
From Our Continent.
Lauderdale, a little Virginia town, lying
between the Blue Ridge and the Ale
ghany Mountains, was astir early on one
June day of 1854, for the soldier boys
were coming-the ones in gray-anc
they would Of course be very hungry, {
condition that had become chronic with
confederate soldiers by that time. They
were to march rapidly through the town
ard whatever hospitality was to be shown
them must be in sort of passover form
So the town-folk we're making busy prep
arations to waylay the regiments on the
street with bread and meat and coffee
rye coffee!-ani bltermilk, and black
berry wine, and home-brewed ale.
You would have taken it for market.
day in some Old.World village so ANNA
ted was the thronged street and with PEG.
pie in such queer costumes. The digni.
fed matron and the doucest maid wore
complacently furniture calico of the
most startling patterns; gray and blue
"domeslic' was made to fit slender
waists, whose ante.bellum silk and vel.
vet had given out; hats and bonnets
we're of all shapes and no shapes, all
| home-plaited of wheat straw; old silk
| stocking legs figured as welt as fitting
guuntlets, and the more stylish wore
shapely gloves of alamois skin, which
had known the good effects Of soap and
| water, since it used to rub the family
silver. Trim feet were covered with hand
knit stockings, the cotton having been
spun in the winter evenings, when read
ing was scarce for want Of new books,
| and letter-writing scanty be-
cause Of 10 cent stamps, and sociables
few because there were no beaux and
no refreshments to be had; stout leather
shoes, of village manufacture, were
laced over those primitive hose, with
heels the iarthest possible remove from
French. Men were conspicuous!y alb
sent, only old men and boys representing
the sex, except where some sleek publ
CAN managed to put government office
between himself and hot bullets.
This was the picture presented by the
long, Struggling paain street, as Lauder
dale awaited che soldiers, that bright
summer day.
Cary Brook, however, vas not lend
ing herself to this good work of cater
ing; she seemed to be devoting herself
to the esthetic instinct OF the soldiers,
for the adjournment Of her dainty self oc.
cupied an unusual time. And yet COL
onel Bird, of the One Hundred and First
Mississippi, was net in the divis-
ion which was to pass through Lauder
dale that day, but when does not pref
ty girl think that her lover may chap
pen along" Oh, if you knew what fun
ny clothes we wore in these days. And
if you could believe how serenely fine
we felt in tho queer buds! Cary's dress
Oh that morning was of homespun cot.
ton-that is, woven in the country SIS a
1t was new and fresh; fit ny her "slim
elegance" as HoweIls says "as the
slit ath Of the flowers fits the flower"
Brown lengths Of hair ornamented her
shapely head with lavish beauty, but no
girl is satisfied with natures adjoining,
and the long blockade had brought
Cary's stock of pretty things to the low
est ebb. The W ite frills were freshly
crimped, and throat and wrists res oond-
ed to their becoming effect; bu. OH, for
touch of color!' sighed the girl with
true instinct, for the somberish dress
needed it.
Why there, to be sure, were the Gre
Vile roses, climbing right against her
window. Long clusters OF small flowers.
white, shaded with MANY varieties of
pink, all in one bunch, and so sweet.
Half an hour later Cary stood at the
front gate, with the Grevllle roses in her
hair and at her throat, as intent upon
rationing those dear, dirty fellows as
chief Of commissary. But they were
bite that could be found in the house
had been given out, straggler came up
and asked for breakfast.
ooh, Pm so sorry" said the girl.
1--WE shall! have to keep fast day as it
is, but would keep two at time if I
only had nice breakfast for YOU"
The soldier took off his old SLOUGH hat,
and made such a low bow that Cary
turned again to look at him.
"To what regiment do you belong?"
shs asked.
II am just from the Lynchbnrg hos
pital," he replied. "anl on my way to
Join the One Hundred and First Mis-
sissippi." .,.=
The roses suddenly bloomed in Cary
Brooks cheek, and she came out into
the road.
"ihen must shake hands with YOU"
she said. II love every man in the One
Hundred and First Mississippi"
"And Pm sorrier than ever not to
have a breakfast for you" cried the girl.
"lf YOU would give me your roses,"
he said, with gallant grace, II should
not miss the breakfast"
She unfa>tened them quickly, both
clusters, saying arct,ly, "With one con-
dition-that when you reach the regi-
ment, you will take them to Colonel
Bird with my compliments"
ooh my honor as REBEL" replied the
soldier, again bowling low, and carrying
off Cary's bright flowers.
"\ow, I call that skillful dodge" he
chuckled, as he fastened after the troops.
'lt will not be perjury to break an oath
sworn non est, and having no honor
as rebel: so l may keep the roses and
arlean conscience. May the kind fat es
bel some day that she gave the roses to
Yankee spy"
The next two weeks witnessed many
rapid march and countermarch, and
Lauderdale held its breath while the
dust of it's streets blew first upon gray
coats and then upon blue. Mean
time our ravisher of the roses
had gotten safely buck to his
own place and his own coat, and early in
July entered the little mountain town
with Hunters army. The gala look it
had worn two weeks before was gone,
and d sullen expression marked its coun-
tenance. No women were to be seen,
boys ". re kept carefully indoors by anx-
lous mothers, and men had sudden &C.
cess of feebleness, leaning on canes and
hating in their gait i'll way that was
very colnical to one who remembered
their alertness two weeks before.
Two hours after his arrival our 1uon-
dom Mississippi man rang Mrs. Brooks
door bell, and was answered by that
matron herself, with an air of dignified
defiance. After great deal Of trouble
in persuading her to allow him to see
her daughter for moment only, and in
her presence, Cary was summoned.
Again the soldier bowed low before her
this time removing blue cap instead of
the old SLOUGH, and returned her with
cred but carefully preserved roses.
81 beg leave to restore unlawful gains."
he SAID: II did not reach the One Hun
dred and First Mississippi, but have
never doubted that it has the abiest
commander in the confederate army
and the most fortunateW Whereupon
the soldier showed that he had prac-
ticed retreating,
Tl,,.o IN WIN E, %;,,,o (I>lo,,