The national leader., 1889-03-09
FINS DEVOTION /!
A Story of War Times in Middle
Tennessee.


A Story of War Times in Middle
Tennessee.
In Middle Tennessee, at the foot of
range of hills that aspire to the
dignity of mountains, stood Fin Crown.
overs house; clap-board ''shanty"
with one room. BY the door a clear,
cold stream flowed over a bottom of
solid rock. The soil gave to him the
necessities of life with little coaxing;
the sugar maple had only to be
slapped" for luxury In Imitation of
which ''town sirup" is a weak fraud.
When the civil war came, Fin re-
fused to join the Confederate army,
and when the conscript law demanded
his service he refused to give 1t. He was
thirty years old, lean as a fence rail
and hard as pine-knot; but he didn't
care to fight, and wouldn't. The pro-
vOst marshal often sent for him, but he
was always absent when the messenger
called. His wife did not know where
he was. His daughter, a black-eyed
girl of ten years, with hair s'shingled"
like that Of her baby brother, who
stood silent and trembling by her side,
was equally ignorant.
Fin cultivated his corn at night. He
slept the hours of day away in an airy
bed. To the limbs of hickory tree he
tied blanket, and from this hammock
he frequently looked down on the man
hunters as they rode beneath in search
of their prey. His daughter carried
food to him In the evening-his break
fast, to fortify him for the nights
work.
One evening in early autumn she had
finished this service and was returning
home.
NO usen gwine ter his house, fur he
aren't thar, you know said old Snlffles
to the soldiers who were following him
afoot. 'Itell yer know ter er mats
heel whar he hides, fur seed his gal
60 thar onct with his vlddults. It's
erbout feedin' time now. an I'll bet
she's thar
at turn of the path they met the
girl.
We'll, sissy said the Captain, a
young fellow, with face as smooth as
Sissy's and almost as fair, ''I've got
youl''
Il didn't know you wanted me,' she
replied, stopping short and holding her
breath.
4 mean to know where your daddy
hides, and Pm goin' to get him.
Yes Snif1es broke in, "we've treed
the coon at last
She answered with look that caused
the old fellow to wipe the tobacco juice
from his Gilman unusual act for
him.
You'll fetch i'm by home when you
do ketch limp she asked, addressing
the Captain.
Yes, sissy
Can l 60 homep'
"
Don't let 'er &c, : interposed Sniffies.
They give 'im all kinder warnln's by
blowin' er horn.'
'I'll lead the way, then,' said sissy,
turning about and walking ahead.
They had scarcely gone more than
fifty yards when the girl stepped quickly
behind a big red elm. and picking up
hunters horn that lay hidden under
the leaves, blew loud, short blast.
The branches Of a distant tree shook,
the leaves rustled, and a man glided
down its trunk and disappeared.
You confounded little huzzyr'
shouted Sn;ffles, and he slapped her
face with his open hand, which was as
wide and as hard as board.
You Internal old heathenp replied
the Captain, with blow that sent
Snltlles rolling down the hill till a fall
ing log stopped him.
All right, Cap'n.' he whined, 'the
iig's up. She give the signal, I'll bet
on it, an Fin Crownover's beyant the
sarch NV the devil hisself.'
But Snlff1es' wager was correct. I'll Q
conscript was gone.
The sun had set on the battlefield of
Franklin. Dead and wounded lay so
thick there was scarcely any stepping
room between. A man prowled along
in the darkness, STOPPING now and then
and examining body.
III you find anything, divide said
one in whose pockets he put his
hand.
'Cap'n Rawlins, by jiugor muttered
Snitfies tit was hel, as he shambled of
as fast as he could.
'I'll fin Jim ef he's on ther groun','
said another man, some hours after, as
he walked along lantern In hand.
who's thisP It's hum shore! Cap'n,
air yer dead2 Whar yer shot?'
'I'm not dead, but my thigh is
broken. What you dOin' here?'
'Lookin' fur you. node you wuz
In the fight; and ever sense sissy tole
me how you slapt ole Sniffles down the
hill swore I'D sarve you eff it ever
come nigh me ter do it. I'll hf' you
inter my waggin an jes' take yer home
l haln't in no danger now; the Confeds
hain't huntin' cOnscri a. np:s.
The Captain is forty years old now.
Sissy is thirty. Her pluck and devo-
tion, as we'll as her beauty, charmed
HIM. and he gave way to the spell and
married her. The horn, attached to
sllken string, hangs by a silver rail
over the mantel-piece; and when Fin
Crownover looks at it he calls his
daughters eldest, a girl of ten, and
says:
EFF it hadn't been fur that hon an
or little gal erbout your size, TWEEN y
years ergo, the chances air I'D or been
er sort Nv or soldier. But one fightin'
man IL ernuff in one family, an Yer