Morris tribune., 1886-12-29
STORY OF MISS ANNA"

tent talk that always felic#s good
dinner where cid ffiends have met, old
stories told. These men had been
romrades in war, had served "hdSr
the same flag, held the seine political
opinions ana suffered the same losses.
IT Seemed pleasant now, after the
lapse of years, to exchange experience
from an easy chair, with the best oi
cigars in ones mouth and a bottle OF
old wine at ones elbow. They it,
joyed it keenly in their Sober mid
tle-aged fashion, told their stories
with gusto, drank their toasts with
entnusias.tt and listened to each
'etAer's talk with an eagerness OF at.
tention and a freshness of sympathy
at once as nevsl Us it was delightful
Innume'~..ole changes were rung upon
three themes, viz, "before the war;"
'the war" and "since the war"
We of the new generation can easily
imagine the style OF talk.
Each had told his story, when our
host turned toward me and said:
"Well, Harrison, we are waiting for
your story"
Har. ison smiled deprecatingly, gazed
INTO the fire, and then began the fol-
lowing, in his soft. Southern drawl
Well, my story happened when we
were in ee0rgia, just outside OF Mar
letta, and our mess consisted OF six
men-two Georgians, one Alabamian,
aVirginian, myself, and Creole, with
a beautiful tace and q tenor voice that
would charm the birds from the trees;
named, singularly enough, Orphee.
We became very tuheful set, hndef
his inspiration, and exchanged mus
icsl Information vito much generosity.
Our favorite air was that famous
camp song "Tenting on the Old Camp
Ground" You should have heard us
sing it. Orphee's tenor, my barytone.
and the three other fellows Ginning in
softly, until the very pine trees stop
ped whispering to listen and the fire
burned softly in admiration, and war
somehow did not seem so hard and
cruel. Well one dark night we were
sitting around the fire, discussing with
unwearied enthusiasm the prospects
of the cause, when we heard irregular
footsteps outside, and paused in our
talk to listen.
"You can turn in here until further
ORDERS" said our lieutenant's CHEEKY
voice, and a minute afterward short,
thick-set man entered. He made an
apologize little bow, shook himself
like a dog, and, taking off his large
wideawake, disclosed dark, square
face, with shy, dark eyes, blue black
hair, and o. wide, firm mouth. He
smiled tenderly, giving an air of great
sweetness to an otherwise sombreface.
He sat down on a blanket, Turkish
fashion, quietly hoped he was not
disturbing us, and then dropped his
eyes meditatively on the ground. ST.
lence reigned. jWe' We're too disconso-
late to be polite, and so listened un-
easily to the slow, indefinite STRINGS
OF the wind through the trees, when
suddenly a new sound arose, as OF
stealthy, uncertain footsteps coming
nearer and nearer. The newcomer
pricked up his ears, and his face wore
an expression almost approaching
guilt. "A spy" was my first illogical
conclusion as l rose to my feet and
waited expectantly. The flap OF the
tent stirred slightly, cautiously; the
wind rose and swept the darkened
landscape; the rain poured down with
a rush, as if to give tragic signiti-
canoe to what was about to happen,
for-something did happen-the flap
was suddenly pushed aside, and
goat walked in and went straight to
the stranger, who received her with an
indescribable tenderness of look and
gesture.
"Arum CO." said theVirginian under
his breath.
We all agreed, but contented our
selves with staring at I lie strange spec
tacle ofaman and agc It fondling each
other with uncouthm rks ofaffection.
After awhile we resu ed our old lazy
positions and silentl awaited further
developments. The little man signed
the goat to a remote spot, where she
lay down, and then turning toward
US said, as ii taking up an unrepressed
thought; "You see, boys, l could not
help it if Mamie would follow me. |
have been good to her and she remem-
bers it. had to leave home secretly
to escape her, and all through the
journey l felt like a scoundrel, and
now-welI, here she isl
He stopped abruptly without wait.
ing for comment, and lay down with a
short good night. l lay awake several
hours after the others, wondering idly
as to the probable tie which bound
the new conner to the goat, but arrlv-
ed at no solution. From that night
Parsons and his goat became sub
ject of never ending speculation to the
mess. He was very quiet and unob-
trusive never resenting, although con-
triving to evadeimpertinent questions
and bearing everything with good
nature amounting to stupidity. AS
for the goat she became the hapless
butt of the whole division. We called
her derislvely "Miss Anna" treating
her with an amount of mock consid-
Grafton, that made Parsons eyes fair
ly glisten with appreciation. The sec
ond night after their arrival we be-
gan to sing, as usual, when the Virgin
ian rose, and in speech the delicate
humor of which / shall not attempt
to reproduce, begged that "Miss
Annals" rest should not be broken
by our rude chanting. shall never
forget the broken. tender, deprecating
little reply that came from Parsons,
and how he consented at last to sing.
His face was so rapt as he sat beating
time with his forefinger and OCCASION
ally quavering out an effective ''Dying
tonight, dying tonight" which we
sang as if the very life blood were ebb-
ing away, that began to realize the
absolute cowardice of ridiculing per
fectly innocent, unconscious man.
began to try and shield him from
the fun makers, and was finally
Joined by Orphee who became his
more ardent and eloquent partisan.
AS for Parsons, he grew almost
to worship the handsome, sweet
vioced lad.
One luckless afternoon Parsons,
Orphee and / strolled off together,
leaving Miss Anna" to the mercies oi
our mess, but Lormented by some
| vao1e nresentiment of evil [ ind iced