Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-12-25

Then tnat she was gong 10 tell the story
and | settled myself comfortably for the
recital.
wei, the little woman began with
rather nervous laugh. ''our family was
not always situated as you see us now. |
believe it is the proper thing to begin UNI
fortunate family histories in that way is
it not? But it is no mere romantic dream
with us, madam, for my brother and
can remember when a handsome white
mansion stood in the place of this old red
shanty of ours. Once all the fields of
waving grain that you can see about
us belonged to my father. Now that
potato patch and few rods back of the
house are all that we retain of our for
mer property.
My father position here in the heart
of Virginia was somewhat peculiar, for he
was New Englander, born and bred in
the state of Vermont. When he was a
young man of about %, distant relation
in the south died and left HIM this estate.
He came on to look at his new possession,
and found. of course, that along with the
plantation he had inherited number of
slaves. My father hated slavery, and
though he could not decide to sell the
property when he saw the fair broad
acres of rich Virginia soil, he determined
to abolish slave labor there. He freed the
slaves therefore, and sent for some of his
old acqnaintances IN the Vermont village
to come and aid him in his new adventure.
They came and my fathers New England
thrift made success of what was a phe
nomenon. strange enough. in those days
Virginia farm ruiz by free labor. His
neighbors regarded him as a sort of mod
ern Quixote, but they respected his enter
prise and energy. and he was soon re-
ceived in the s God social circles. He
had handsome face and pleasing man
ner, so it was not long before he found a
wife
MY mother loved my father, but she
always had a sort of goodnatured con-
tempt for his ideas about slavery. This
feeling of hers my arother Sam inherited
He was always mothers favorite child, for
ne was handsome while was insignii-
cant and homely. She seemed to take a
delight in fostering all kinds of aristo-
cratic notions in Sam 5 micd as he grew.
This she continued to do as long as she
lived. which was until Sam and were IL
and Is respectively.
80 you see. Madam. my father and my
brother differed on that most important
subject-slavery, and many an angry alter
cation took place between the two as my
brother approached manhood. The year
that Sam was Is, my father took him from
the academy in the neighboring town and
set him at work upon the farm, to make
a good Vermont lad of him. All this was
very distasteful to Sam, who had no wish
to settle down into country pumpkin, as
he expressed it. My father was firm,
however, and Sam went about his tasks
more and more sulkily every day. But he
was always q reticent boy, and my father
! thought he would soon come out of his lii
| humor.
ION one particular morning, Sam start
ed down the lane to drive the cows to oar
back pasture three miles away. ! remem-
Der the morning just as well; the air was
very cool and the honeysuckles by the
porch were so fTagrantl | often went
| with Sam when he drove the cows to pas
! ture. as | liked to stop in the blackberry
patch, q mile or so down the road, and Sill
my pail while ! was waiting his return
So this pleasant morning | appeared with
my purple calico sunbOnnet in one hand
and in the other my tin pail. When my
brother caught sight of me he said quick
| w: Better not come with me to-day
TT III u iTITrTv -771Jif vJu CUu1rUfi
keep up. thought his voice had queer
sound. was not disconnected, however,
a. was used to his ways, so | replied
cheerfuly that ! would try any way. He
turned around AMI said CURLY, But
don I want you | stopped short in the
lilac bordered path and watched him go
down the road. Sam did not come home
hot 10, hn
watched for long, long weeks, he never
came.
''He went away in October, and the next
spring the civil war broke out My father
decided that Sam had away from home
to enlist on the southern side He said
little, but knew that Sans conduct was
breaking his heart We were in des-
nerate straits now for my fathers known
anti-slavery opinions made his position in
the center of rebellion decidedly danger
Gus. He managed though, to escape the
Union lines and died fighting in his coun-
try's cause.
81 was left with the mouse servants TO
take care of things when father went away.
He said he did not think that woman
would ae molested But he was wrong,
for when the southern forces encamped in
the mountains here they learned the story
of our plantation. One day some cowardly
rutflans from the army ,rept up our lane
and set fire to our bindings and fields OF
standing grain. 1t was done without the
sanction or even knowledge OF the southern
officers. had been warned Of danger and
had fed with two old servants to dar-
ky's hut fan up on the mountain. From
that night | watched the destruction of
all our property. Madam, it is impossible
to describe the feelings of person who is
compelled to stand by and see his home
sink in ashes-and that the result of wan
ton destruction
IL lived hand-to-mouth, fugitive exist
ence on the hills with my faithful friends
until it was safe for me to go down and
do what ! could to restore our home. All
this time no word had come from Sam,
and thought sorrowfuly that he, too, had
erished in the war. And fighting
against his own father! | had buried
some of our silver in the back yard, and 50