Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-06-10

Iua i
mo or rather to nv wife. what thsre is O.
it. 7 tall YOU owe much to this old mill. >
The SNEAKER was dressed in homespun
and anpeared to be a thrifty farmer of for
tv.fiye. had taken a walk before break
fsst one morning as an appetizer. out from
Jonesboro, where was attending court
and was standing by the ruins of the ole
mill when he came up. The roof had fall
en- in, windows and doors disappeared, Th,
old water wheel had crumbled to decay auG
green iyq covered the ruins. TIE dam wal
now leyeled to road, and a cabbage ustcl
had taken the plaee Of the milI.poud.
We took a seat on a moss.grown log b,
the aide of the ruin. and he continued:
"I was with Stonewall during the war
and had some pretty tough times, some
narrow escapes snd some hard tramps, bu
the close cali and hard tramp that this OLE
mill once caused me made all of my wa
experience seem, at least for time, like ,
pleasure trip, This was the first mill bull
on Cedar creek. and was built many wear,
AGO by old man Ben White. who lies nj
wonder IN the hill.
1After the surrerder our army was dis
banded and the most on ma was pretty Close
run. We had nothing and no way to get
any thing. was only about twenty one
then. was strollinp round looking fol
Something TO do. and I happened along this
road one morning. Well, that morning the
and the water was skurrying through. Old
Ren White was standing in the door. I
saws:
g. Morning, sir. Can get Job here?'
He took off bis spectacles, wiped 'em, put
'em back on and looked at me.
a sSoldier?' SAYS he.
H.I was,' SAYS I, till the surrender
!" .Luckier than nv boys says he. One
of them staid behind down at Stone river.
The other'slyinq up there on the hill-shos
in front of Richmond and come home to
die, and the old man took out his hand.
kerohief and wiped his ewes. sDid YOU
ever work ir a mill?'
"sNo.'
usWell. that don't make much differ
ence. said he: business is picking I'D, and
Won can STAY. Pm getting old. I'll pay
Won what I can afford to. We can tell BET
ter in a week or two. Have you been to
breakfast?'
"I have not, said.
sWell. 90 to the house, said he. Tell
Kitty CHATS my daughter, tie only one
the Yanks didn't kill to give YOU break
f. at. and come back, YOU can work on the
dam today. There's some leaks that need
stopping.'
80 went over the hill to the house.
still had nv Confederate uniform on, and
Mrs. White me5 me on the piazza. I saw
tears on her checks. and I suppose the uni
form reminded her of her own boys. I
told her 7 was going to work for Mr..
White. and that he sent me over for break.
fast So we went in and she called Kitty.
who soon had nv breakfast on the table.
Kitty was about four years younger than
I, She picture of health, cheeks as red as
roses. Her sparkling eyes kindled spark
in nv heart that has never gone out. After
breakfast went back, and Kitty went
with me to tend the mill while her father
went to breakfast. He showed me the leaks
in the dam before he went. In fact,
worked week patching up the old dam,
and after that I worked in the mill and on
the farm and in the garden. Drove the
nrodues to town. and became more and
more attached to the place and TO Ben and
Martha White and to Kitty. How I did
love that grill / was never so happy az
when Iiatsninr to the music of her voice.
I shall never forget the evenings spent in
the big front room before the open fire.
place when was Ben Whites hired man
Ben and Martha, and Kitty and I. used
to crack hickory nuts and butter.nuts on
an old fat iron, and Kitty popped corn.
while the winter wind was Whistling out.
side.
sIn summer Kitty and ussd to 90 fish
inp, Sometimes we would 90 up the pond
in the boat, and sometimes when the mill
was not running we'd 90 down there and
get inside the big wheel and fish in the
deep hole, There's where We generally
cot the finest fish. One day we had inst
cot our fishing tackle ont of the mill and
was hes;tatine whether 10 90 m the nond
or down in the wheel. when a neiehbor
came "a over and asked us to lend him the
boat. He took il. and we went down in
the wheel. We'd been fishing probably an
honr. and caught some fine ones. when ali
of a sudden. down poured the water from
the flood gate above, and the wheel com
menced turning. Ths sudden start threw
ma both down, got on nv feet in an in.
slant and helped Kitty up, and we com.
menced to tramp in the direction opposite
to the way the wheel was moving. We had
to in order to keep our feet. l was callino
as loud as could, but it was of no use,
The noise made by the falling water, the
revolving wheel and the grinding mill
drowned NV voice. We couldn't cet ont
The nlank from The mill hsd fallen in the
water wben the wheel started and oons
floating down the stream. The water nonr.
ed through the cracks 10 the old wheel all
over us. The deep hole was full now.
There was two feet of water in the bottom
of the wheel. Tramp, tramp, tramr
through two, now three feet of water.
held Kitty by the hand, and we kept on
our tramp. was praying it might be q
email grist. Neighbors often brought
two.bushel bag of corn to be ground in
hurry. thought if that was the extent O
the grist we might stand it. We kent nj
our march till Kitty gave out. The water
and the tramp, tramp, had numbed he
limbs. Her lips moved, but I could hesl
nothing she said. l only knew that sh,
was sinking down in tle water. I picked
her up in my arms, with one hand nut he
arms around my neck and resumed m,
tramp in the middle of the Wheel. beliey,
| felt happier than had ever felt in m,