News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-10-22

The homestead had been left in the
sacrifice, with enough of the farm to
suppOrtChe little family, and through
the long agOnizing years that came
and went Mrs. Alden was spared at
least one thought that tortured many
another soldiers WIFE With mex
pressible thankfulness she realized
| how wise her husband had been in
providing against the future and,
come what might, she knew that in
the secret store behind the chimney
piece there was enough and more than
enough for all. Often when she and
the children were sure they were quite
alone, they spoke of this, and as the
war drew near it's close, began to form
vague plans for the future
Then came the er-tO-be-forgOt-
ten time when the great living scythe
of Sherman's army moved its swath
through Georgia to the sea. The
pathway of the destroying legions
lay near the Alden farm, and day by
day, through little "deadening' that
interviewed, they saw the onward
sweep of vast battalions, horse and
foot, cannon and tumbrel, and heard
on every breeze the rattle of the
drums, the scream of flies and wild,
wide echoes of the soldiers songs.
The little settlement was seized
with panic, for rumors of plumber and
rapine had reached folks ears. Nor
were these fears without foundation,
for it was past denial that in that
great mass of men there were many
who took up arms for loot and not
for war. Such crimes, when known,
were mercilessly punished by the off
GERS in command, but too often they
were undetected, and many a foul
deed was done that never saw the
common report. filled the whole sec
ton with terror and apprehension.
On the evening of the fourth day
when session in the line of march
had left the place in comparative
quiet, the household were grouped
upon the porch, peering anXiously to
ward the road. Itwas growing dark
but suddenly among the pines, they
distinguished a Struggling body o
| llleH JlSiIillS UOWdlu Uuclll. DOlllt'
| thing sinister in their appearance
: something wild and lawless in theil
advance, quite different from the or
dered movements, of the troops, tOlt
them that the dread marauders wer,
| at hand. At the right of the mansion
: lay field OF growing corn, and to
2 ward this the little group fled precip
) itately. There, with a few negroes
: who had remained faithful, they
crouched among the stalks and hearC
the yells of the plunderers as the,
7 took possession of the house.
} They heard the clash of viOlentl,
: opened doors, the slam of shutter
e and the eager pounding of feet upol
, the stairs; light flashed from windOy
J.. to window and presently above tn
5 other tumult, a fusllade OF musketr.
: doomed DULY through the air.
: How long they lay in the corn-fielt
e they never knew. 1t seemed to then
!, hours, but at last darkness and 81
: lence assured them that the unwel
n come visitors had departed, and the.
: crept back. At the threshold of tn
If hall Mrs. Alden stopped with an IRE
# pressible groan, tor, there by the fire
i place, the wainscOting had bee
$ wrenched apart, the treasure each
r capped open, and the box was gone
The shock fairly benumbed he
senses and she walked through tn
n ravaged house like one in a dream
/ At the rear there were the visibl
0 marks of a struggle. The trample
e bushes, fence torn down and benche
y overturned all bore witness that
S conflict of some sort had taken plac
e on that spot. She stepped aside an
|. her feet struck against Il body in tn
h grass.
:, "Jesus marster!" screamed one {
), the negro girls, ''it's Abel"
= SO it was-an old and faithful SCI
:, want of the house, who in the excit,
II ment they had not missed before. II
J. lay stretched on his side, a muskt
d clutched in his hand and a bullt
e wound in his forehead. In whatevt
u it was that had happened there, |
had surely played a part.