Montgomery County sentinel., 1891-07-03

THE OLD MILL.

"Do | know anything about the
ruins of the old mill Well, yes, stran-
ger, | should say | did, if any one does
1t belongs to me, or rather to my wife,
what there is of it. tell you ! owe
much to this old mill,
The speaker was dressed in home
spun, and appeared to be n thrifty farm
er of forty-fve. ! had taken walk
before breakfast one morning, as an APP
petizer, out from Jonesboro, where |
was attending court, and was standing
by the ruins of the old mill when he
came up. The roof had fallen in, win
dows and doors had disappeared. The old
water-wheel had crumbed to decay aud
green ivy covered the ruins The dam
was now leyeied to road, and cab
bage patch had taken the place of the
mill pond.
We took u seat on moss grown log
by the side of the ruin, and he contin
ued:
81 was with Stonewall during the
war, and had some pretty tough times,
some narrow escapes and some hard
tramps, but one that this old mill once
caused me made all of my war expert
ence seem, at least for II time, like u
pleasure trip. This was the first mill
built on Cedar creek. and was built
! many years ago by old man Ben White,
who lies up yondcr on the hill
"After the surrender our army was
disbanded, and the most Of us were
pretty close run. We had nothing and
no way to get anything was only
about twenty-one then. | was strolling
round looking for something to do, and
I happened along this road one morn
ing. We'll, that morning the wheel was
in action. The gate was histed and the
water was skurrying through. Old Ben
White was standing in tho door |
says:
Morning, sir. Can get a job
here p He took off his spectacles, wiped
'cm, put 'em back on and looked at
| me.
Soldier ? says he.
II was, says |, till the surrender
Iuckier than my boys, says he.
One of them staid behind down at
Stone river. The others lying up there
on the hill-shot in front of Richmond
and come home to die, and the old man
took out his handkerchief and wiped his
eyes. Did you ever work in a mill 2
ono
"'Well, that don't make much differ
ence, said ho business is picking up,
and you can stay. I'll pay you what |
can afford to. We can tell better in a
week or two. Have you been to break
fastY
81 have not, | said.
We'll, go to the house, said be. -
Tell Kitty CHATS my daughter, the on
ly one the Yanks didn't kilD to givo
you breakfast, and come back, you can
work on the dam to-day. There's some
leaks that need stopping
$50 | went over the hill TO the house
| still had my Confederate uniform on,
and Mrs. White met me on the piazza
| saw tears on her cheeks, and suppose
the uniform reminded her of her own
boys. / told her was going to work
for Mr.. White, and that he sent inc
over for breakfast. SO she went in and
she called Kitty, who soon had my
breakfast on the table. Kitty was about
four years younger than |, the picture
of health, checks as red as roses. Her
sparkling eyes kindled a spark in my
heart that has never gone out. After
breakfast | went back, and Kitty went
with me to tend the mill while her faith
or went to breakfast. He showed me
the leaks in the dam before be went
In fact / worked week patching uE
the old dam, and after that | worked in
the mill and on the farm and in the gar
den. Drove the produce to town. and
became more and more attached TO the
place and to Ben and Martha White
and to Kitty. How | did love that girl
| was never so happy as when listening
to the music Of her voice | shall nevel
forget the evenings spent in the big
front room before the open fIe-plac'
when was Ben Whites hired man
Ben and Martha. and Kitty and [.
I used TO crack hickory-nut and butter
nuts on an old Hat-iron, and Kitty pop
ped corn, while the winter wind wa
whistling outside
"In summer Kitty and | used to s.
fishing. Sometimes we would go u
the pond in the boat. and sometime
when the mill was not running We
, 90 down there aud get inside the bi
wheel and fish in the deep hole There