davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-12-24

i few momeen,ts later the trnin glided
beside the Redlands pin AZ the
two travellers descended : hand was
laid ION Courtland's shoulder, and =
stout figure IN the blacklist and sh biz
Of alpaca jackets and the whitest and
broadest of Panama hats welcomed
him. Glad to Gee go, con'nel I reck-
oned I'd waltz over and bring along the
boy pointing to grizzled negro serv-
ant Of sixty who was bowling before
them, ito tote yo'r things over instead
Of using q hack. haven't run much
on horse flesh since the wah-ha! ha!
what I didn't use for remounts reckon
yo'r commissary gobbled up with the
other live stock, eh?" He laughed
heartily as il the recollections were
purely humorous, and again clapped
CORTLAND on the back.
..Let me introduce my friend, Mr..
Drummond, Maj. Reed" said Court
land, smiling.
..Yo' were in the wah. sir?'
ssNo-I--" returned Drummond hest
tating, he knew not why. and angry at
his own embarrassment
..Mr. Drummond, the vice president
Of the company" interposed CORTLAND
cheerfully, twas engaged in furnishing
to us the sinews of war"
Mai Reed bowed little more for
mally. 'sMost Of us heah, sir, were. in
the wah some time or other, and if you
gentlemen will honah me by joining in
social glass at the hotel across the
way, I'll introduce you to Capt. Prem
dergast, who left leg at Fair Oaks. +"
Drumnond would have declined, but
significant pressure at his arm from
CORTLAND changed his determination.
He followed them to the hotel and into
the presence of the one-legged warrior,
(who turned out to be the landlord and
barkeeper), to whom Courtland was
hilariously introduced by Maj Reed as
1.-The man, sir, who had pounded my
division for three hours at Stony Creek!'
Mai. Reeds house was but a few min
utes walk down the dusty lane, land was
presentlyheraldedb by the baying OF three
or four fox hounds. and foreshadowed
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-12-24

Mr.. Cyrus Drummonds WAS tno vice
president OF large northern land and
mill company which had bought ex-
tensive tracts Of land in Georgia, and
the younger, Col Court land, was the
consulting surveyor and engineer for the
company. Drummond's opinions were
good deal affected by sectional preju-s
dice and sell -satisfied and righteous ig-
norance Of the actual ditions and linn
itations of the people with whom he was
to deal, while The younger man, who had
served through the war with distinc-
ton. retained soldiers respect and
esteem for his late antagonists. with q
conscientious and thoughtful observar
ton of their character. Although he
had resigned from the army, the fact
that he had previously graduated at
West Point with high honors had given
him preferment in the technical APP
pointment, and his knowledge Of the
country and it's people made him val
liable counselor. And it was fact
that the country people had preferred
this soldier, with whom they had once
personally grappled. to the capitalist
gle.
The train rolled slowly through the
woods; so slowly that the fragrant pine
smoke from the engine still hung round
the windows of the cars. Gradually
the ''clearings" became larger: they
saw the distant white wooden colon
nades of some planters house, looking
still opulent and pretentious. although
the fence of it's Enclosure had broken
gaps. and the gate wagged on its single
hinge
DR.. Drummond shifted at this damn
ing record of neglect and Indifference.
Gwen if they had been ruined they
might still spend few cents for nails
and Stats to enable them to look decent
before folks, and not parade their pow
erty before their neighbors," he said.
''But that's just where you misunder-
stand them, Drummond," said Court
land, smiling. "They have no reason
to keep up an attitude towards their
neighbors, who still know them as
Squire so and so, Colonel this and
that, and the 'judge'-owners of their
vast but crippled estates. They are not
ashamed OF being poor, which is an &C
cident."
'.But they are working, which is de-
Iteration interrupted Drummond.
''They are ashamed to mend their
fences themselves, now that they have
no slaves to do it for them
II doubt very much if some of them
know how to drive a nail, for the mat
ter of that said CORTLAND, still good
humoredly; but that's the fault of a
system older than themselves, which
the founders of the republic retained.
We cannot give them experience in
their new condition in one day, and, in
fact, Drummond, am very much afraid
that for orr purposes-and I honestly
believe for their good-we must help to
keep them for the present as they are"
''Perhaps,'' said Drummond, sarcas-
tically, "you would like to reinstate
slavery?"
'sNo. Rut I should like to reinstate
the master. And not for his sake alone,
but for freedoms sake and ours. To be
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-12-24

THERE WE'RE TIE USUAL LlsTLEss BLAox
SHADOWS.
ed 'em to work over time and get me-
paw. And the result was that she and
her niece and lot of poor whites,
Irish and Scotch, that she had to pick
up long the river, Go all the work. And
her niece Sally was mo- than half union
woman during the wah and up to al
no'then tricks and lodges and swearin'
by them. and yet for all that the thing
won't work. s.
''But isn't that partly the 'reasons
Isn't her failure great deal due to this
lack of sympathy from her neighbours
Discomfort is easily sown and the negro
is still weighted down by superstition. !:
The Fifteenth amendment did. not
quite knock off all his chains"
Eyes, but that is nothing to her. For
if there ever was a person i'll this world
who reckoned she was just born to
manage everything and everybody it Is
Sally Dows!'
'Sally Dowsv repeated CORTLAND,
with slight start.
Eyes, Sally Bows, of Pineville.
''You say she was half union, but did
she have any relations or-or-friends
in the war-on your side? Any who
were killed in battle?''
'sThey were all killed, reckon" re-
turned Miss Reed, darkly, ''rhere was
her cousin. Jules Jeffcourt, shot in tho
cemetery with her beau-who they say
was Sally's, too; there was Chef Brooks
and Joyce Masterton, who were both
gone ON her, and both killed, too; and
there was old Capt. Bows himself, who
never lifted his head again after Rich
mond was taken and drank himself to
death. It wasn't considered healthy to
be Miss Satly's relation in those times.
or to be even wantin' to be one"
Col. CORTLAND did not reply. Tho
face Of the dead young officer coming
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-12-24
HE POINTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO II
RAILS.

thickness had been reduced quarter
Of an inch, while in others the project
ing edges were torn off or hanging in
iron shreds, so that the wheels actually
ran. on the narrow central strip! Il
seemed marvellous that the train could
keep the track.
Now you know why we don't go
more than five miles an hour, and are
thankful that we don't, . said the yo'1ng
traveller, quietly.
s.But this is dsgraceful, criminal
calculated the other, nervously.
mot at their rate of speed, : returned
the younger man The crime would
be ii going faster. And now you can
understand why good deal OF the
other progress IN this state is. obliged to
20 as slowly over their equally decay
ing and rotten foundations You cant
rush things here as we do in the north. :
The other passenger shrugged his
shoulders as they remonnted the plat
form and the train moved on. It was va
not the first time that those two fellow
travellers Had differed, although their
mission was j common one. The elder.
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-12-24

ready crushed, beaten down and tram
Piled out of all semblance of its former
solitude. The heavy, springless jolt of
gun carriage and caisson had deeply cut
through the middle track, the hoofs of
crowding cavalry had struck down and
shredded the wayside vines and bushes
ia bury them under cloud OF follow
ing dust, and the dull, plunging double
quick Of infantry had trodden out this
zhideous ruin into one dusty level chaos.
Along that rude]y-widened highway,
useless muskets, torn accoutrements,
knapsacks, caps and articles Of clothing
were scattered, with here and there the
larger wrecks of broken-down wagons,
roughly thrown aside into the ditch to
make way for the living current. For two
hours the greater part of an army corps
had passed and repassed that way, but,
coming or going, always with faces
turned eagerly towards an open slope
on the right which ran parallel to the
lane. And yet nothing was to be seen
there. For two hours a gray and blue
ish cloud, rent and shaken with explo-
sion after explosion, but always closing
and thiclzening after each discharge,
was all that had met their eyes. New
ertheless, into this ominous cloud solid
moving masses of gray or blue had that
morning melted away, or emerged
from it only as scattered fragments that
crept, crawled, ran or chung together in
groups, to be followed and overtaken
in the rolling vapor.
For the last half hour, also, the
desolated track had stretched empty
and deserted While there was no
cessation Of the rafting, cracking and
explosions on the fateful slope beyond,
it had still been silent Once or twice
it had been crossed by timid, hurrying
wings. and frightened. and hesitating
little feet. or later by skulkers and
stragglers from the main column who
had boldly entered it from the hedges
and bushes where they had been creep
ing and hiding Suddenly prolonged
yell from the hidden slope, beyond--the
nearest sound that had yet been heard
from that ominous distance sent them
to cover again It was followed by the
furious galloping Of horses in the lane,
and 6; handsome red-capped officer, &C
companied by an orderly, dashed down
the track. wheeled, leaped the hedge.
rode out on the slope and halted. In
another instant cloud of dust came
whirling down the lane after him. Out
OF it strained the heavy shoulders and
frightened chain traces of six frantic
horses dragging the swayi7g gun that
in this tempest of motion alone seemed
passive and helpless with au awful
foreknowledge of it's power AS in
obedience to a signal from the officer it
crashed through the hedge after him, a
sudden jolt threw an artillery man
from the timber before the wheel, A
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-12-24

ognized stations and villages, some
times at the apparition of straw-hat-
ted and linen-coated natives in the
solitude Of pine woods, where, after a
decent interval of CHEEKY conversation
with the conductor and engineer, it
either took the stranger on board, or
relieved him of his parcel, letter.
basket, or even the vocal message with
which he was charged Much of the
way lay through pine barren and
swampy woods which had never
been cleared or cultivated; much
through decayed settlements and
ruined villages that had remained
unchanged since the war-whose last
gun had been fired three years before.
There were vestiges of the severity of a
former military occupation, the black
ened tinbers of railway bridges, st,ll un-
repaired; and along the line of a certain
memorable march, sections of iron rails
taken from the torn up track, roasted
in bonfires and bent while red-hot
around the trunks of trees, were still to
be seen. These mementoes of defeat,
seemed to neither excite revenge, nor
the energy to remove them; the dull
apathy which had succeeded the days
of hysterical passion and CONFUSION
still fingered; even the slow improve
ment that could be detected was
marked by the languor of GONZALES
cence. The helplessness of race,
hitherto dependent upon certain bar
barrie conditions or political place and
power, unskilled in invention and sud-
denly confronted with the necessity of
personal labor, was visible everywhere.
Eyes that but three short years before
had turned vindictively to the north
now gazed wistfully to that quarter
for help and direction. They scanned
eagerly the faces of their energetic and
prosperous neighbors-and quondam
foes-upon the verandahs of southern
hotels and the decks of southern steam
boats, and were even now watching
from group in the woods the windows
of the halted train, where the head and
shoulders appeared of two men of man.
ifestly different types, but still alien
to the country in dress, features and ac~
cent.
Two negroes were slowly loading the
engine tender from a wood pile.
The rich brown smoke of turpentine
knots filing the train with it's
singing fragrance. The elder of the
two northern passengers, with sharp
eastern angles in his face, impatiently
glanced at his watch.
''Of all created shiftlessness this beats
everything! Why couldn't we have
taken in enough wood to last the ten
miles further to the terminus when we
last stopped? And why, in thunder!
with all this firing up, can't we go
faster?"
The younger passenger, whose calm,
well-bred face seemed to indicate more
repose of character, smiled quietly.
eff you really wish to know-as
we've only ten miles further to go--Ill
show you why. Come with me-
He led the way through the car to the
platform and leaped down. Then he
pointed significantly to the rails below
them. His companion started. The
metal was scaling off in thin strips
from the rails, and in some places it's
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-12-24

by dilapidated condition of picket
fence and succeed gate front. Beyond
it stretched the wooden doric columns
of the usual southern mansion, dimly
seen through the broad leaves of the
horse chestnut trees that shaded it.
There was the usual listless, black shad-
ows haunting the veranda and outer
offices-former slaves and still attached
house servants-arrested like lizards in
breathless attitudes at the approach OF
strange footsteps, and still holding the
brush, broom buster or home implements
they had been lazily using, in their fixed
hands From the doorway of the de-
tached kitchen connected by gallery
to the wing of the mansion, "Aunt
Martha,'' the cook, gazed also with
saucepan clasped to her bosom and her
revolving hand with the scrubbing
cloth i'll it apparently stopped on
''dead center"
Drummond, whose gorge had risen at
these evidences of hopeless incapacity
and utter shiftlessness, was not relieved
by the presence of Mrs. Reed-a soured,
disappointed woman of forty, who still
carried in her small dark eyes and thin
handsome lips something of the bitter
ness and antagonism of the typical
southern rights woman-nor of her two
daughters, Octavia and Augusta-whose
}anguid atrabiliousness seemed part
of the mourning they still wore. The
optimistic gallantry and good fellow
ship of the major appeared the more re-
1narkable by contrast with his cypress
Swallowed family, and their venomor1s
possibilities, Perhaps there might have
been a vein of southern insincerity in
his good humor.
paw said Miss Octavia with gloomy
confidence to CORTLAND but with a
pretty curl of the hereditary lip, lis about
the only reconstructed one of the en-
tire family We don't make 'em much
about yer. But I'd advise yo' friend,
Mr. Drummond-if he's coming here
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-12-24

81 Courtlanl remained with the letter
and photograph in his hand, gazing ABB
stractedly after him. The smoke had
rolled quite away from the fields on the.
left, but still hung heavily down the.
south on the heels Of the flying cavalry.
a long bugle call swelled up unsteady
from below. The freed sun caught the
white flags of two field hospitals in the
woods and glanced TRANQUILITY on the
broad. cypress fringed, lazy-iowing
and cruel but beautiful Southern river,
which had all unseen crept 50 sn,ilingly
that morning through the very heart OF
the battle.
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-12-24

toward him out of the blue smoke rose
as wildly as on that memorable day.
The pictures and letters he had taken
from the dead mans breast, which he
had retained ever since; the romantic
and fruitless quest he had made for the
fair original in after days, and the
strange and fateful interest in hes
which had grown up in his heart sinca
then, he now knew had only beer
lulled to sleep in the busy preoccupar
ton of the last six months, for it all
came back to him with redoubled force.
His present mission and it's practical
object, his honest zeal in it's pursuit
and the cautious skill and experiences
had brought to it, all seemed to
be suddenly displaced by this ro-
mantle and unreal fantasy. Oddly
enough, it appeared now to be the only
reality in his life-the rest was an inco-
herent, purposeless dream.
SIS is Miss Sally married7" be
asked, collecting himself with an effort.
..Married? Yes, to that farm of her
aunt's! reckon that's the only thing
she cares for"
CORTLAND looked up, recovering hin
usual cheerful calm 'sWel, think
that after luncheon I'll pay my respects
to her husband! From what you have
just told me the farm is certainly an
experiment worth seeing. ] suppose
your father will have no objection 70
giving me letter to Miss Dows.''
(To be Continued)
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-12-24

4 III = - II i -
carpet bagging, not to trust too much
to paws reconstruction It won't
wash But when CORTLAND fastened
to assure her that Drummond was not
. carpet Dagger, WAS not only free
from any Of the political intrigue inn
piled under that ba1eful title, but was q
wealthy northern capitalist simply
seeking investment, the young lady
was scarcely more hopeful Il suppose
he reckons to pay paw for those mig
gers yo' stole2'' she suggested. with
gloomy sarcasm.
said Cour t1and, smiling, 'sbut
what Il he reckoned to pay those mig
gers forworking for your father and
slfm?q'' 50
IS paw Is going into the trading
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-12-24
10 be Continued.)
California's Fruit Crop.

$5,0O0,OOO worth raised this year. Do
you want to knew where ana at what
profit the golden orange is raised? Do
you want to know where and what profit
the unsurpassed California raisin grape
is grown or the luscious peach, the love
lest prune in the world, or the magnid-
cent grape? DO you want to know how
to travel through that district comfort
ably and cheaply? IT you do, address
CA1lFoRNIA BUREAu or Ir1ronnAT1on .
Room 1888 Guaranty Loan B,,ilding,1,
I minneapolis linn
TIE IR1sH srAHbf q. 5oS lper yeer
ia advance
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-12-24

A SINGLE RIDER WAS sem GALLOPIN6
FURIoUSLY.
driver glanced back on the tense chain
and hesitated. go on" yelled the
PROSTATE man, and the wheel went
over him. Another and another gun
followed out of the dust cloud, until
the whole battery had deployed on the
slope. Before the dust cloud had fairly
settled. the falling back Of the painting
horses with their drivers gave mo-
.uentary glimpse of the nearest gun
already in position and OF the four
erect figures beside it. The yell that
seemed to have evoked this sudden ap-
partition again sounded nearer; a
binding fash broke from the gun,
which was instantly hidden by the
closing group around it; and a deafen-
ing crash with the high ringing OF
metal ran down the lane, A columnof
white, woolly smoke arose. as another
fash broke beside it. This was quickly
followed by another and another, with
"a response from the gun FIRST fred, until
the whole slope shook and thundered.
And the smoke, no longer white and
iwoolly, but darlxening and thickening as
with unburnt grains Of gunpowder,
/, mingled into the one omi1lous syapor,
and driving along the lane hid even the
slope from view. ssss.5
The yelling had ceased, hut the grind inc
1 ii1n iii. and IA tling heard through the5de-.
/ tonation Oh gums seemed nearer still e y
q. xtd sud denly there was q shove q
y III twigs the lower
aof tree near the
inne g
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-12-24

THE HANDSOME ARlIlAAEEA OFtlCEH LIS
MOUNTED AND WAS GENTLY ExAM1N-
ING THE DEAD MAN.
tered the hand of the gunner who still
mechanically served the vent. AS they
lifted the dead body down, the order
came to cease firing. For the yells
from below had ceased too; the rattling
and grinding was receding with the
smoke further to the left The ominous
central cloud parted for q brief moment
and showed the unexpected sun glitter
ing down the slope upon near and
peaceful river.
The handsome artillery officer had
dismounted and was gently examining
the dead man. His breast had been
crushed by fragment o. she'll He
must have died instantly. The same
missile had cut the chain of locl6et
which slipped from his opened coat,
The officer picked it up with strange
feeling-perhaps because he was con-
scious himself of wearing a similar one;
perhaps because it might give him some
clew to the mans identity. It contained
only the photograph of pretty girl, a
tendril of fair hair and the word
sSally." In the breast pocket was a
sealed letter with the inscription: For
Miss Sally Bows, to be delivered if
fall by the hireling's hand A faint
smile came over the officers face. He
was about to hand the articles to SER
geant, but changed his mind and put
them in his pocket.
Meantime the lane and woods be-
yond, and even the slope itself, were
crowding with reserves. and waiting
troops His own battery was still un-
li1nbered awaiting orders. There was
slight commotion in the lane.
every well done, captain. Smartly
taken and CALAMITY held
1t was the voice of g. general officer
passing with his staff. There was a
note of pleasant relief in its tone and
the n1iddle-aged, care-drawn face of it's
owner was relaxed in a paternal smile.
The young captain flushed with
pleasure.
s'And you seem to have had close
work, too,'' added the general, point
ing to the dead man.
The young officer hurriedly explained.
The general nodded, saluted and
passed on. But a youthful aid airily
fingered.
1.-THE old mans feeling good Court
land. he said. ''We've rolled 'em up
all along the line. It's all over now.
In point of fact reckon you've fired
the last gun in this particular fratri-
cidal engagement. =
The last gun! CORTLAND remained
silent, looking abstractedly at the frag-
ment it had crushed and broken at his
feet.
And shouldn't wonder if you got
your gold deaf for to-day's work.
But who's your sunny southern friend
here?'' he added, following his conn
panions eyes
Courtland repeated his story a little
more seriously, which, however, failed
to impress the young aids levity.
$50 he concluded to stop over" he in
terrupted, cheerfully But" looking
|. at the letter and photograph, 81 say
look herel Sally Dows7' Why, there
was another man picked up yesterday
with 8 letter from the same girl Doe
Murphy has III And, BY Jovel the
same picture, too, Ell? Look here,
ICourtyi yon might get Doe Murphy
letter and hunt her up when this cruel
war Ii over. Say you're full 1illing q
sacred trustl' See? Good idea, old
mani Tart !, aud he ttrotted quiclkly
ter hts Superior.