Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-03-21


Two tired il ON several occasions WHOM I
needed rost, and minutes trot invariably
into hours
"Some time during the middle of
February, 1861, Just few days after our
joking about the rag man, n sure enough
man came along with sack gathering
up rags. OF course, lie stopped ut our
house. We all laughed mcrrily, dcclar-
ing Inc was the fate OF one of MS and he'd
come to carry off his prize. Each of us
gave him small package of scraps to
swell his already bulky bundle.
''Upon noticing the old fellow was
coatless and wore much torn nat, I i'm
mediatcly gave him one of fathers old
swall0wtailed coats and an old beaver.
1t being right cold he felt the need of
both, SO lost no time in setting down his
rags and arraying himself. His transfer
nation occasioncd such mirth that we
were compelled to run in the house to
give way to our mcrrimcnt, lest we'd in-
suit the old fellow
st wasn't long before father came in
with an unusual twinkle in his eve {:
'Oh, girls, he said, you'll be the death
OF me yet. When 1 saw that fellow just
now with my antcdiluvian beaver and
swallow-tailcd coat, had TO lean OH my
horse for support. Even my old Nance
mule stopped cating grass to look at him,
aud all the dogs began to bark
''By the time father finished telling us
of all tho ridiculous things that happened
after n sight of that rag man, we all had
Mysteries. The rest of the day and half
of the night we were in glccful humor,
and well we were, for it was our last
happy dny for many month together.
"With the next days mail came let
ter from Aunt Belle, fathers sister. In
it she said that rs the war was surely
coming father must spare her one of his
five daughters to live with her till peace
rcigncd once more She reminded fa-
thcr that n widow could not live through
such times alone. Her home was about
ninety miles from ours, and a large, beau
tiful plantation which she managed her
sell, but of course employed an ovcrsecr.
The number of negroes. houses, fowls,
stock and things i'll general claimed her
care and attention, so That it was impos-
sblc for her to think of leaving, otherwise
she would have moved M to our home.
'It was plain that one OF lis must pack
up and off TO Aunt Bellies. But which
one was the trying question.
"Evcry one loved her dearly and
would have gladly answered the sum-
mons at any other time. But then every
thing was i'll state of excitement, every
thing an uncertainty except the war SO
it was hard to think OF leaving home
Father looked at us all, then walked out
of the room, saying: Decide among
yourselves, girls; one must go, but
cannot say who that ono must be. We
looked Mt each other, then cried little,
then drew straws. The shortest straw
fell to my lot, so knew that meant IN
adieu to home and loved ones, though
didn't know how long our separation was
to be, or my heart would have given
away. In week left for Aunt Bellies.
Everyone cried, even to Aunt Sue, just
as if was going to the other end OF the
world.
"My aunt was delighted when she
saw me coming in, and the sight of my
great old leather trunk made her forget
her age and skip down the walk to meet
it. She said that trunk was evidence
that L had moved, and she WAS happy
as Il lark. Father brought the girls to
see lis once before The war began; then
we saw each other but once more till the
war was over.
"Thosc were frightful days. 1t al
ways was Il wonder that my hair didn't
turn white the first year; but some way
or other it didn't Aunt Bellies did,
though, when she heard the first cannon,
but she didn't know it till peace was de-
clarcd-and even thcc 1 drew her attcn-
ton to it, She was troubled n good deal
with rheumatism, and when those at
tacks came on she was compelled to sit
quietly at the fire, or more frequently
stay in bed. Between attending to the
household affairs, the poultry, sheep,
and cattle, did not have much time in
which to get lonely. A little later, how
ever, Aunt Bellies stock had dwindlel
down considerably, and it wasn't very
long before they were entirely dimin-
ished. So we had no chickens to feed
us-or lis to feed
con the 9TH of December, 1861
never could forget that date, even if l
tricd-Aunt Belle was suffering from
rhcumatics, old Aunt Linny right sick
down at her cabin, some of the negroes
had run away to meet the Yankees and
everything was in terrible confusion.
My hands were full in nursing Aunt
Belle, Aunt Linny and attending to the
numerous other things.
cit was just time to give Aunt Linny
her medicine when it began sleeting in
fine fashion. 1t had been miserable
day and was growing colder every MN
ute. But no matter how terrible the
weather might have been never would
have neglected giving Aunt Linny her
medicine. She was faithful old soul
and we wanted her cured.
"Therc being no umbrella left fixed
up my dress slightly, robed myself in an
old overcoat, hat and pair of boots
which once belonged to Uncle Joe, and