The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-11-27


neighboring plantations that provided
wealth of sociability, and adjacent forests
and streams that tempted the fox hunter ana
sportsman, there reigned throughout sehse
Of peacefulness and content that well COM
ported with the brave and gentle character
Of the men and women who, generatlon a1ter
generation, had gone forth from the olo
family to grace with their influence the out
side world.
Just before the war, the members or the
household consisted of Col. Bainbrldge his
son Will, cadet in the naval academy at
Annapolis, and three daughters, Dorothy, the
elder, upon whom by reason OF the death OF
her mother devolved the care Of the 1an1ly'
Margery and Clara-all of them bellies OF the
nelghborhood. Like most Virginia homes,
this did not escape the Affections Of the time.
Death laid upon it a heavy hand. Col. BAN
bridge was killed in the valley while leading
one of the regiments of Stonewall Jackson.
Marsery was left widow at twenty-five,
but had never laid aside her mourning, and
always spoke of her husband as if he had
died within tho past year, her only consola-
ton being that, instead of dying of his wounds
amid the agonies of a battle field, he had been
taken prisoner and tenderly cared for by
some Federal officer, she knew not whom.
Dorothy likewise was not without her grief.
Before the breaking out of hostilities, she had
found among the officers stationed at Fort
ress Monroe one who had promised to brighten
her life, and to him had plighted her heart
and hand. At the call Of his state he went to
the front, and monument, around which
Dorothy in her grave way every Sunday
strews flowers, tells the story Of his gallant
death at Manassas. Clara, the youngest sis
ter, after the close of the war, while visiting
friends in the north was wooed and won by
Col. Hartley, formerly of the Federal army,
and at the time ct which this story opens
was living in New York among the surround
ings of wealth, daughter, Kate, being the
only fruit of the union. Will was still fol-
lowing tho seq and was the captain of
steamship on the Pacific.
To her aunts Kate was comparative
stranger, for they had not seen her since early
childhood, and of her father they knew less
The wounds Of the strife had not yet healed.
Yet Dorothy had written time and again for
her handsome northern niece to come down
and spend winter on the plantation only to
be met with an excuse, for visit to Old Roam
oke and the two ancient relatives was sug-
gestive Of anything but pleasure to young
city girl who counted the figures on her dial
plate chiefly Us they scored the change from
one scene of gayety to another. So, in her
own words, "the evil day was put off as far
as possible"
Finaiy, however, Miss Dorothy made such
point OF it-Kate being, after her mother,
''ne1t Of ki1"-that further resistance be-
came an offense, and the journey was made.
At the outset it seemed like retirement into
rural seclusion. We shall see.
On arriving at the station of the dilapidat
ed little town that marked the end Of her
travel by rail, Kate found awaiting her
Daddy Hercules, with the old fashioned Gin
namon colored coach, swinging high up Oh
its springs, the family coat of arms emblaz
oned on both door panels-an ancestral ark
that had been figure head i'll Roanoke for
nigh on to century-and it was with nc
little amusement that she ascended the flight
of steps let down with an air of immense inn
portance by Tony the footman, while Her,
cufes informed her that ''de basket on de
front seat wur filled wild good tings by Miss
Doroty to keep young missis comp'ny while
he fotches her home" Then the old coach
man went back to his perch on ''the dickey
seat,n Tony mounted the trunk rest behind
seized the straps whereby he preserved a per
pendicular, and they started for Beverly
Farms.
And right royal company did Kate find il
that basket of fried chicken, hard boiled eggs
'sbeat biscuit" and home made cake, for she
was ravenously hungry and the bouncing oi
the coach had speeded her appetite. 1t wa:
ride novel to the young city girl in other
respects. The scenery was such as she had
never looked upon or dreamed of. The road
ran over a lovely landscape, smooth undula