Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1889-11-28


neishcurns plantations that prnvideTi
wealth Of ~,a.atiIty, ami aaJanent fnr'~ts
and streams tia; icInp;ei the fox hunter and
sportsman there rclsnsi tar uShoui sense
of pcaccfulnc-S and content that well com
portel with tho brave and gentle character
nf .hc men arI women who, generation after
generation, had gone forth from the Old
family a. grace ~ith thor Influence the out
silc v arli
Just h~.ar" the var. the meut-rs O! the
bo,.s. bold q, insisted II Cnl BainhriiEe, his
s1n Will, "a i-t ta the naval academy at
Aunap il. anil three dau Shirrs, Dorothy, the
elder ui.oa whom hY reason y the death u
her mother dcyolvcl tho ARE u the family,
Margery AMI Clara al I them l-atcs OF the
nelchtsrhu Like mosi Virginia homes
this did MT g. ar the Affections q the time
Death bad uj-tn II a heavy hand Col. Balm
bridge was Ailioi ia the valley while leading
one of the regiments Of S,nucwall Jackson.
NarEcry wAs left a widow at twenty-five.
but h,. never laid aside her mourning. and
always -ys,he Of her husband a. !! he had
dirl ~itAin the past year her only eonsoia-
ton jtl.. that instead o! dying Of MS wounds
aiuii ia" q .nus,-~ x battle field, he had hr-en
taken "a PRISONER aai teuder!y cared for by
some FEDERAL officer. she knew not whom.
Dorothy llk"wis. was not withuu. her grief
Before the breaking out u hrstilItles, She had
found among the officers siattpued al Port
r,sSs Monr -eonc who had promised u brighten
her lTe, Hnd t. him hal rhsht.-i her heart
ami hand At the call of ms state LIE went to
the front and monument, around which
Dorothy ln her grave way every sunday
strews flowers, tells the story q bis gallant
death al Manassas. Clara, the youngest sis
ter. after the close %. the war, while visiting
friends IN the north WAS wo.-ei and won by
Col Hartley formerly Of the Feieral army,
ami AT the time at which this story opeus
was living in New YORK among the surround
in.-s II wealth, a daught Kate, being the
only fruit Of the union VIII still fol-
lowing the sea and was tie captain OF
steamship on the Pacific.
To her aunts Kate was a comparative
stranger, f1r they had not seen her since early
chiidhooi, ami Of her father they knew less
The wounds of the strife had not yet healei
Yet Dorothy bad written time and again for
her handsome northern niece - come down
ami spend winter on the plantation only TO
b. met y ith au.xruse for a visit t. Ola Roam
oAe And the two ancient relatives was sug
gestIve u anything but pleasure 10 young
city grl who counted the figures ou her dial
plate chiefly az they scored tue change from
one scene * gayety - another -, in her
own wurG, "the evil day was put of as far
possible
Finally, however, Mss Dorothy made such
a point of I;-kate being. after her mother,
next II kiu'-that further resistance b.
came an offense, ami the journey was made
At tile outset 1t seemed Ike retirement into
rural seclu>lun. We shall ~.
~, q d.
Ell little town that marked the end Of her
travel by rail. Kate found awaiting her
Daddy Hercules with the old fashioned Gin
nanon colorcd coach. swinging high up on
It's springs. the family coat Of arms emblaz-
oned on both door panels-an ancestral ark
that had been figure head in Roanoke for
nigh on to century-and it was with no
little amusement that she ascended the flight
OF steps let down with an air Of immense i'm
portance by Tony the footman, while Her
cules informed her that lie basket on de
front seat wur filed wild good tings by Miss
Doroty 70 keep young missis comp'ny while
ne fot,hes her home" Then the old coach
maa went back to his perch on THE dickey
seat. Tony mounted the trunk rest behind,
seized the straps whereby ne preserved a per-
pendlcuiar, and they started for Beverly
Farms.
And right royal company did Kate find in
that basket Of fried chicken, hard boiled eggs,
''beat biscuit and home made cake, for she
was ravenously hungry and the bouncing Of
the coach had speeded her appetite. 1t was
ride novel 10 the young city girl in other
respec-s The scenery was such as she had
never looked upon or dreamed Of. The road
ran over lovely landscape, smooth undula-
tions, among wind mills, corn and grass beau
tiful fields and wild flowers, where the birds
poured out their songs and the shadows Of
the branches interaced and made trembling
carpet on the road, while the overhanging
trees formed aisles and arches dimmed with
the softened light that crept through the
leaves
And the old mansion, as the big white gates
swung open at the entrance of the broad, oak
lined avenue at the end of which it stood,
how inviting it looked! Dorothy and Marge-
ry were waiting on the porch, and such Q
warm Virginia welcome as they gave to their
handsome niece
1t did not take Kate long to find herself
the queen and fairy Of that household, with
subjects, both white and black, for whom
she had nothing but love. True, her
kingdom at first looked prim, but in lit
tie while every object had in her eyes &C
quired golden tint. The dear old aunts In
their ruffied caps, Immaculate aprons and
crossed neckerchiefs seemed like ancient bits
Of history that had stepped out from their
ancestral portrait gallery to make themselves
agreeable. Perfect harmony reigued be-
tween the place and its occupants Every
thing seemed to belong to the same age, and
that past age Not an object had the vul
parity of newDesS abOUt il Stiff hiph