Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-08-23
"Miss Anna"
OR, The Pet or n Confederate Soldier
A story of the war

genial after glow OF pleasant, reminis-
centtaik that always follows good
dinner. anil especially II dinner where
old friends have met old friendships
been revived nnd old stories told.
These men have been comrades in
war, and served under the same flag.
held the same political opinions and
suffered tho Same losses Each had
told his sl0r,, when our host turned
toward me and said:
We'll. HARRISON We are waiting for
your story"
Harrison smiled eprecatingly. gazed
into the fire. and then began the
following. in his soft Southern drawl:
Well, my stort happened when we
were in Georgia. just outside of
Marietta. and our mess consisted of
SIX men-two Georgians. Que Ala
baman. Virgnian. myself, and a
Creole, with beautiful face and a
tenor voice that would charm the birds
from the trees, named, singularly
enough, Orpheo. We became very
tuneiui set under his inspiration. and
exchanged musical information with
much generosity. Our favorite air
was that famous camp sony. '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 stopped whispering
10 listen and the fire burned softly in
admiral on. aud war somehow did not
seem so hard and cruel. We'll. one
dark night we were sitting around the
fire. discussing with unwearied en-
thusiasm 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
CHEEKY voice, and II minute afterward
a short, In cksct man entered. He
made an apUlOgetic little bow, shook
himself like dog. aud. taking off his
large wideawake, disclosed II dark,
square face, with shy dark eyes, blue
black hair aud I, wide firm mouth. He
smiled tenderly, giving an air OF great
sweetness to AN otherwise Sombrc face.
He sat down ON n blanket, Turks.
fashions. gu city hoped he was not dla.
turbing us and then dropped his eyes
meditatively on the ground. Silence
reigned. We were too disconsolate to
be polite. and so listened uneasily to
the slow indefinite strings of the wind
through the trees. when suddenly a new
sound arose. rs of stealthy, uncerta in
footsteps coming nearer, and nearer.
The new conner pricked up his ears,
and his face wore an expression almost
approaching guilt. "A spy" was my
first illogical conclusion as L ro1e to
my feet and waited cxpectantly
The flap of the tent stirred slightly,
CAUTIOUSLY; the wind rose and swept
he darkened Landscapes; the rain
poured down with a rush. as if to give
tragic significance TO what was about
10 happen, fOr-somethng did happen
the flap was suddenly pushed as de,
md q goat walked in and went straight
20 the stranger. who received her with
IN indescr bable tenderness of look and
GESTURE.
"a rum CO." said the Virginian
under his breath.
We all agreed. but contented our
selves with staring at the strange spect-
4cle OF a man and n goat fondling each
Jther with uncouth marks of affection.
After while we resumed our old lazy
positions aud silently awaited futher
1evelopements. The little man signed
he goat to a remote spot where she
ny down, and then turning toward us
aid. az if taking up an unrepressed
thought: You see. boys, l could not
ielp it # Mamie would follow me.
nave been good to her and she remem.
oered it. had to leave home secretly
escape her, and all through the Jour-
,oy felt like a scuondle, and now
well, here she il"
Ho stopped abruptly without waiting
or comment, and lay down with u
short good night. Law awake sever
il hours after the others, wondering
IDLY as to the probable tie which bound
he new conner TO tho goat, but arrived
at no solution. From that night Par
sons and his goat became subject of
never ending speculation to the mess.
He was very quiet and unobtrasve,
never resenting, although contriving 10
.vade impairment questions and bearing
everything with good nature amount
ing to stupidity. AS for tho goat she
became the hapless butt of the whole
division. We called her derisively
"Miss Anna" treating her with any
amount of mock consideration that
made Parsons eyes fairly glisten with
appreciation. The second night after
their arrival we began to sing, as usual.
when tho Virginian rose, and in II
speech the delicate humor of which /
shall not attempt to reproduce, begged
shat "MIss Annals" rest should not be
broken by our rude chanting.
shall never forget the broken, ten
der, deprecating little reply that came
from Parsons. and how we consented
at last to sing. His face was so rapt
as he sat beating time with his fore
finger and occasionally quavering out
an effective dying Tonight, Dying
Tonight" which we sang as IL our
very likelihood we're ebbing away. that
I began to realize the absolute cow