Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-08-06
CITERRYCOTE.

CuERN UUIE.
And you expect me to travel over
hine miles of muddy roads behind that
beast and in that rattle-trapln a gentle
man SAID, discontentedly surveying the
conveyance provided for him by an oblig-
ing countryman residing near the station
OF the Virginia railway where q way-train
had recently deposited the stranger.
"Well, tain as ef thar was much to
choose from, mister,n was the answer.
III you've mind to wait till eveniu'.
the stage mout happen along. But: Bless
gores souE sab, ole Buck III carry you thar
ct you only give him time enough. An
l reckon the buggy won't break down
tween this and the blacksmith's at the
crossroads. Thar's string an rope an a
lot O. nails under the bufer-robc, an
little Poss here'll manage to mend the
damage ef so it be that thar's rock to
pick up long the roadside"
MAY drive, boss?n was the hesitat.
ing prayer of little Poss short for pos
SUM, as the dilapidated vehicle. drawn
by spawned plow-horse, got finally
under way. Looking down with amuse.
ment at his excited petitioner, Barksdale
saw droll little negro, costumed in meal
bags, hat!ess, and with plated twigs of
wool, who, when the rope reins were re-
llnqulShed into his hands, assumed the
oost of charioteer with dignity ineffable.
Barksdale forget Poss and everything
besides, as the overmastering power OF
early association took possession of him.
len years before, he had left the neigh
oorhood through which they were now
passing, at the outset of the war between
the States, and during all that time the
history OF its places and its people had
been almost scaled book to the wan.
derer in many lands. He had faucied
himself weaned from his sentimental 10, e
Tor old Nirg MIA but here he was craninq
his neck to look at the ancient land
marks, recalling rides ending at this
point and picnics at another his cheek
flushing, and lump coming into MS
throat, like the veriest school-boy home
for the holidays. The country was beau.
tifully gree1, and as old Buck plodded
aiong there was nothing to do but resign
himself to memory and anticipation,
while the spring wind, laden with fra
GRANGE from the blossoming woods. blew
over him refreshingly.
AT last Cherrycote Fam was reached
but before they could enter it, little Poss
jumped down to have struggle with an
ola red gate of such persistent inhospi.
talltY that Barksda!e himself could only
force it open by half lifting the gate post
from the crumbling soil
Barren acres" he said, with a sigh,
glancing over what were once prosper
Gus fields Of grain. Grass grew on the
roadway, and multitude of little blue
star flowers were crushed beneath their
wheels. Emerging from bit Of pine
woods, he caught sight of the gables of
the old house. They at least were un-
changed, half yelled from sight by Vir-
ginia creeper and wisteria, Jasmine and
roses. His old room was that one with
the window over which grew the branch
OF mulbery-tree, its foliage so thick
that neither blind nor curtain was re-
quired. AS Barksdale gazed he saw. com
ing from the shrubbery around turn in
the road, a cavalier bestriGing a mule.
lhls was man seemingly between thirty
and forty years old, his once clear-cut fea-
lures overgrown with flesh, and wearing a
long brown beard of liberal proportions.
His frame, trihe unwieldy was muscu-
lar, his eyes were of an honest blue; his
seat in the saddle even though the steed
was OF the present unenyiable class, ad-
mirable. His clothing consisted of u
pair of corduroy breeches tucked into
spurred cavalry boots, and nondescript
shooting jacket faded by sun and rain,
with a broad br.mmcd hat of straw
showing marks of home manufacture. At
the first sight of Barksdae his brows
knit inquilingly; in moment he
charged down upon the antique buggy
with military da.h.
"Lance, old fellow" he cried. "It
isn't possiblew
"Hal" exclaimed the other, stimuli
taneously, in tone that meant much.
Immediately two hands met in fer7ent
friendship. Since these hands had
grasped each other last river of blood
had flowed between them. Bitter words
had been spoken, hot discussions h d
ragged, party strife had swelled resentfgl
hearts; but now, when the half brothers
met again, neither thought of ANYTHING
but the early ties of blood AMI affection
ate companion, hip. Barksdale, thin,
active, and embalmed with an atmos-
phere of foreign travel his clothes scru.
pulous!y we'll cut, his speech refined to
nicely, appeared at least five years
younger than the bluff, sunburlt Vir-
gi1ia squire, who was, in reality, con-
siderably his junior. TLey were the sons
of a Virginia gentleman, who, left a
widower with one mall boy when he
WAS hardly out of college had consigned
the little Laucelot to the care of his
mothers relatives in the North. Marry
ing a second time in Virginia, Mr. Barks-
dale had settled down to peaceful agri.
cultural existence on the estate belong
ing to his bride, ''one of the Caitcrs of
Cherrycote Farm" as that lady was
styled.
Hither LanceloC had come to spend
many happy hours of irresponsible holi.
day in the free and easy life of o,d-time
Virginia. Here he had learned to feel
sincere affection for his kind step
mother and her boy Hal. But at the
outset of the war his Northern training
and sympathies in political faith set a
terrible stumbling block in the path of
family ''pleasantness. Unwilling to
contest the fervid torrent of secession
talk, he at first kept silent. This led to
suspicion, and finally to open warfare on
the part of the generous people who had
once extended their arms to him. His
father had died, and the widow, an ar
dent Southerner, learned to look on him
with consti iaint. Even Hal, merry, hand
some Hal, who had adored the ground
Lance trod upon, began to quarrel with
him There was nothing for il but re-