The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1886-09-09

=" You're no daughter of mine r says I,
Mrs. Delany, don't touch her /! Girl go
I'll hear no word from her mouth. Go!
before disgrace me uniform by strikin'
You, before l break my heart with cursin'
your
"She looked at me she knew what my
temper was when it was up, and she turn
ed and went.
"Ah, sorrow like that is hard to bear.
It's the broken heart carried in my
breast them days, and long after. Men
tried to speak to me of her and him, but
l swore I'd kill the first man named her
face the men and officers who'd known
me 80 long. had the right to ask me dis
charge after that length of service, and l
did it and got it, and went where I'd new
er see face that knew me.
"The wife never troubled me about
the hardness, but knew no other trade
but the soldering, and things didn't go
well with us. ~
"Mary kept. somehow, knowledge Of
all our changes, and every month would
come a letter with $50 in note to me.
Christmas times the notes would be for
800, so knew she was not in want.
"The Bartons were rich and high
family. Often l swore to 60 to them
with the story Of the ruin of my girl |;
but the love Estell had for her and my
own pride held me hack from exposin'
the trouble. l never played the fife, new.
er thought of the ould thing after, and its
hard life the wife had with me tempers,
but she bore it we'll.
"The wound me daughter, me officer
and meself had given me were killin' me
with anger and despair. That wound
hart me longer, hurt me sorer and hurt
me worse to the life core than ever got
from Mexicans, Injuns or rebels, and got
them from all.
"Well, sir, it was just FIVE years from
the time got that deadly hurt, and we
were livin' in, with hard scratchin'
to get along on me pension and what l
could make laborin', for I was gettin'
ould. Pm past 70 now.
came rather late one night and the
wife says: you're wanted immediate to
the Union Hotel says she you've been
sent for twice. 'Who is it p says l. Il
don't know says she; but brush your
self up and 90 at once says she, 'and I'll
have nice stew for you when you get
back. Maybe its good luck COMM
$50 trimmed up for inspection and
review. I'd been tryin' to get watch
mans place on a railroad, and thought
maybe some of the masters were wantin'
to see me bout that.
"I soon got to the hotel. My names
Delany,' says l to the clerk. He taps
the bell and says to the blackman, Show
the gentleman up to parlar b. says he.
"'Gentlemen i thinks l, 'Parlor B.
thinks /, It's risin' in the world l am.
Maybe they'll be maxim superintendent
of an ould soldier, thinks |, and l follow
ed the blackie, all in blind of wonder.
It's fine room l were shown into,
and nobody in it. The sarvant left and
was smoothin' my hair before big
lookin' glass that were there, when I
heard swish like a dress aside me. l
turned and there were Mary-my Mary
so beautiful, so like queen, with her
darin' blue eyes lookin' so wistful at me.
"'Oh, daddyp she cried, holdin' out
her two arms and callin' me by the name
she called me when she were my own in
nocent little baby. 'Oh, daddy, listen
to me now
"The anger rose up hot in me, though
me heart were beaten like 'twould burst
me breast and a lump in me throat were
chokin' me.
"Not word says l, mot word
with deserters, and traitors, and worse
You're dead to me You were no more
Mary Delany from the night YOU left
your parents
"Nor says deep clear voice, 'but
she's Mary Barton, and has been from
that same night and out of room door,
leadin' into the parlor steps my old leften-
ant and put his arm around her so bold
and lookin' 80 handsome, that l was
speechless and moveless.
eel struck the tears from my eyes, and
heard little voice say, 'Drandad ? an l
looked down, and there was my little
Mary, three years ould, lookin' up at me,
an holdin in her hands that ould fife.
"I looked from the child to the mother,
TO the father, and l saw what an ould
brute and fool I'd been. No need to tell
me word more
"'Tiss me, drandad says the little one,
and gathered her up, and ], that had
never shed tear for sorrow or pain, run
the eyes out of me with cryin' for joy.
"We talked and we talked. They
told me how they had been in England
and France for Mary's education; how
the leftenant's people had Joined them in
Paris the year before, and how they all
loved and thought there was nobody like
the old sergeant's Mary, the sons wife.
And all this time, God forgive me for be-
in selfish, were forgettin the poor ould
mother.
"The baby was bundled up, holdin'
the ould fife that Mary had taken with
her when she went, and that baby had al
ways played with, and we were soon in
carriage rolling off to my poor home.
"I went in first, little Mary in my arms.
Mrs. Delany was in bed in the back room.
What KEEP ye, sargintY says she. Il
hope twas good luck. Yell find tn stew
on the stove!
"The devil fly away with yer stew,
Mrs. Delany,' says /. Come out here
and see the stew I've brought you.' But
before she could move from the bed Mary
was on her, and-well, you can guess the
rest, happiness, the talk, the tenderness
of that night! walked the whole house
with Yankee Doodle and Garryowen
on that fife, and with me feelin' out of
of practice, too. they were played bad
enough to wake the dead.
a. rSYa - >:~,x xouch vnoro L., <oll Or.