Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1886-06-08
my father and uncle, their swords and hats

my father and uncle, their swords and hat
laid aside.
Supposing this to be joyful occasion, al
unexpected return, I sprang with a glad CT,
| upon the startled group. With a hasty kis
my father put me from him. ''Send tn,
child to bed, Jeanie; there is much to bs
done" This was cruel Things seemed al
| wrong to me. But the order was promptly
obeyed and my mother led me off, a mos
unwilling and fearful victim. A little pet
| ting from her helped matters and reduced
| me to meekness and bed, but sleep was i'm
possible. With promise that she would
leave the door open if I'd be good she Ief
| me.
The people in the adjoining room moved
about. heard the tearing of papers. The1
| they unlocked the cellarette and locked il
| again; then words of warning would come
| to me. What did it meang Why must they
| be guarded with Tom"-good, kind Tom
and why was nanny going away? And
wandered off, sIeepily thinking what would
| we do If nanny didn't dress US in the
morning. Would we stay in bed all dayi ]
| rather thought that would be fun. There
were nine of us-my little cousin and our
| play all together in the big nursery at the
| top of the house. Here my eyes closed and
| there was a blank.
| "Never mind the others, Jeanne, if only
Sadie keeps up. They are all so little" he
| sighed.
| I woke with start. This was a very
| strange sight. I must be in fairy story, fol
i4ere bsE1iEg over me we're thoss two, So
| wrapped in each other that they scarcely
seemed to see my eyes were open as they
| spoke of me.
| Remember, DEAR" he went on, "you al
| ways have your diamonds and the silver that
| Is LETT, but that must only go for bread.
| may be sooner back than think, and help
| will come from the other side as soon as the
| line can be crossed"
| "But if you do not come what does it
mattera" and she hung tearlessly, despair
ingly upon him.
| "Why, Jeanie, this isn't battle; they are
over" he added bitterly. 81 rely on Joe,
he went on hurriedly. "He is faithful and
| If the other negroes go he will look to you
Now let me kiss the child Why, she's
| awake! Kiss father, Sadie; take care Of
mother and the Others, and with most sat
| isfactory hug he drew my mother away
| Some hurried movements, the clinking O
| swords quickly buckled on, some sobs from
| aunt and the door closed behind them.
| They came back presently, those two care
| worn sisters, letting each other see the mis-
| cry and terror that must be conquered by
| the daylight. They put whiskey and tobac
| CO on the mantel, carefully rolled up some
lace, remnants of former grandeur, sewing il
carefully i'll their clothing. / saw my moth
| er take two rare pieces of silver older than
| our county, and wrapping them in rags
| put them up the freless chimney. | watched
| it all in dumb amazement, my senses taking
! in and half appreciating what would have
| been Hebrew to me the day before. The
| next morning the first thought that came to
me was of relief that nanny was there,
| and as I sat up and rubbed my eyes I said
| NANNY, L thought you'd gone; papa said
| So"
''He amt never said no such foolishness, "
she fatty contradicted. Chow de name er
God Miss Annie gwine to do 'dout me, let
| alone you contrary chillun--'
"But NANNY"
"You git out'n dis bed and put dem stock
| ings on. 1 suppose" the willy old dame
| went on, seeing some pouting imminent,
''you dom want to see no fire. ALI de cd
ders bin lookin' at it dis long time"
But did not spring cheerfully up to the
| distasteful scrubbing and hair curling with
which nanny regularly afflicted us. She
| handed me second pair of stockings !
accomplished the last garter.
"What for, Mammy!" I asked.
TTain't no use your askin' questions.
| chile" she replied. 81 reckon I knows Miss
Jinnies orders You amt obliged to know
| eberything," she added. eyer all gettin' sc
/ smart you bleeged to be so knowing yor
better comb your own hyar." But she
| helped me kindly enough. Nobody minded
mammy's talk and on this occasion 1 fount
| two of kind very interesting.
When the last curl was accurately adjust
ed she led me to the window with ''dyal
| now?" How beautiful it seemed to me-tht
| familiar -four mills that used to loom NJ
black and ugly in the distance, now il
bright flames with every window jewel.
How red the sky wasl And yet it struck
asked. can your mar done let you sleep all
| dis time! An all de ehillun done dressed
and gone. No, chile tits late and eff you
| dom hurry d'aint no brekfus' for you dis
morning" But there was as usual my own
| special meal waiting for me, graced with the
solitary piece of butter which had been
saved for the delicate one, SO ungrudgingly
given that it never occurred to the other
| children that their poor sorghum was plain
fare.
| And 50 we children went to our morning
| play. Soon the bursting of the bombs came
| to drown our childish cries. We were hur-
| ried into cur homes and to scene after scene
of such terror as even now comes vividly be,
| fore me.
| One by one the homes in our neighborhood
| took fire from sparks which few thick and
fast before a strong wind Ours alone was
| saved and that by the bravery and resolution
1 of my aunt, who spread with her own lovely
| hands blankets all over the fiat roofs anC
| then saturated them with water, which was
supplied to her by mother and such of the
| elder children as could be trusted to do such
work. We boasted an underground kitchen
to our house, which at such time we
| thought specially cafe, and here we finally
| collected, being reinforced by terrified
neighbors who were without any such strong
| hold until we numbered forty.
| The terror-stricken servants went from
| room to room, seeking courage from the
| two brave mistresses. Ny aunt, until quite
late in the day, kept her place on the roof
| My mother was in twenty places at once
| ordering, rebuking, comforting and now and
| then finding time to come to us in a crowded
| kitchen with words of cheer or a smile OF
| sympathy. The hours crept by, the minutes
| kept by the booming shell, the dense gray
| smoke as of a fog over all, but no enemy
was seen-hardly creature upon the street
It was by this time three O'Clock. We
were all dazed by the long suspense, the
| frightful bursting of shells at the armory
| not five blocks away, followed by the death
| like silence. Every window in the house was
broken. My mothers eyesight was perma
| nently injured by the effects of the concus
sion. Suddenly the long expected cry OF
''The Yankees!" was brought to us by ter
ror-s stricken negro. No one quite knew what
was to be feared, but the terror was none
the less real because SO vague.
The Yankees were coming. Surely enough
they were coming-a gallant and gay compa-
ny of cavalry eantering up the street. Our
house was large and conspicuous, and by the
time the cavalcade reached it my aunt was at
the door. There she stood, calm and stately,
her grand figure and dignifed gentleness a
fit protection for the frightened children
hiding behind her skirts and the bewildered
negro faces in the background. What pic
ture of quiet bravery she madel Child as
was, looked up at her with a wondering
awe, and thought she must be like the great
Joan of Arc, the heroine of my small stock
of learning. She stood on the portico be-
tween two tall pillars, at the top of the
high steps, and signed to the leader of the
band to come to her.
"Sir," my aunt said, with what winning
grace and dignity have no words to de-
scribe, 'sI see that you are gentleman:
We are household of helpless women and
children, and I desire from you some guard
or protection from such as may prove less
courteous than yourself"
"Madam," he answered, standing bare
headed before her, 'I will gladly leave you
one of my men until I can see the COM
mandant and provide you with perma-
nent guard. And permit me to say, mad
am, that if the women of Louisiana had