The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1892-01-23
THE CLOUDS ROLLED BY.


saying wait till the clouds roll by
and we've waited and waited but the
clouds keep getting thicker and when
they've finally rolled by YOU and will
be laid in tho grave. Not that that
will DO such calamity for we've
about lived the allotted number of
years of mankind. but it's hard moth
er--ycs, it's hard-to have 10 die in
the county poorhouse and be buried rs
raupcrs. It's more than we deserve"
We've not got there vet. Silas. just
keep up hope. Wait till the clouds
roll bv, for | tell YOU they will roll by.
We're not driven from the old home
yet.
No: hut. mother, Thursday at 10
o'clock tine old home and all that we
have will 90 under the hammer, and
Commissioner Purdy said wagon
would be here to take us 10 the poor
house"
Well, Silas, it will be hard for Us
to leave the Old farm where we have
lived for forty years. where our chill
drcn were born and where three of
them lie buried. Bul Gods will be
done; | still believe the clouds will roll
by"
They can't. mother; there's noth-
| ing To roll them by There's no one
| left but YOU and |. | know YOU still
| think Stephen and Alice may be alive.
but remember we haven't heard from
stephen since the battle of Cold Har-
bor. lie must have been killed, or.
even if taken a prisoner. died in prison.
| Its six years since the war ended; six
, years since Alice ran away with the
lieutenant. He probably deserted her
| somewhere off north. and the Door girl
| died among strangers. Just TO think
| that We took The Yankee in here
wounded and nish TO death aud nurscd
! him back TO his health. and then he
ran away with our Alice!"
Il often think Sllas. that probably
| If we had not forbidden Alice marry
| in" him it might have been much bet
| ter.
Yes mother NAV be; but could
Mt bear that Alice should marry II
man who fought against the south and
against her brother. but had no Idea
she would run away with him"
The above conversation took place
one morning in June. 1871. between
!
home on the old plantation about nine
miles from Marlinsburg. Va.
| When the war had broken out be-
tween TIE north and south ii found
them not wealthy but in comfortable
| circumstances owners %! several
hundred acres of land. few slaves
| and M prosperous condition. Early
in the ,trug gic their son, st"phcu. had
enlisted in the confederate army. Nor
| had they -rcn him since he bade them
| gond-hy ;tuA ici, home with his com-
| pauy. They had heard from him fre-
| ,uentlr until the battle of Cold uar-
Dor. since which time he bad never
been heard from and Sias had long
since given him up as dead.
| That part of Virginia was right Ia
the path Of the hurricane Of war. and
The planters who remained home could
| do hut little toward sustaining them
selves. Their fences and building,
We're burned and destroyed. their stock
run off and killed by first one army.
| then the other. and the end of the war
found them with nothing but their
naked land, and that probably heavily
mortgaged. Nor did they have mean,
To fence stock aud cultivate il.
Que evening in the spring of 1865
| Silas and his wife and daughter Alice
we're sitting out on the piazz,. when II
young man approached the house from
the direction Of the creek which ran
through the plantation. One arm was
| in sling and was very bloody. He
was pale. and tottercd AS he walked.
and had the uniform Of Yankee SOL
dcr.
Well. Yankee" said Si!as. you
got the worst of the skirmish. | reck
ol."
II did" said the Yankee icobly
and have nearly blcd to death; can
you do anything for me'"
WAY didn't Mosby take you alons?'
said Silas.
Because hid down by the creek.
| In my condition II prisoner aud ex-
posure would mean death"
You're "A Young looking chap for "A
soldier" said Sila-. How old are
you. aud what is vo,u namcp'
My name is james Howard. Pm "A
| lieutenant in an ONO regiment. and -
years Of age"
| Well. III take you in--that j.. ill |
/ get chance To tiansier you 10 Moaby.
| Perhaps we can save your life.
They took the wounded lieutenant
| into tie house. aud old Aunt judy IA
faithful negress helped HIM 10 bed.
aud they nurs0a him back In health.
Alice used often to sit nj the head OF
| the bed and read 10 him aud wet with
cold water the towels on lis wounded
arm. IL seemed tc him that the touch
| oi her hand was more gentle thNn that
of others. Somehow Silas never re-
/ ported the wounded Yankee at his
! house. Perhaps FROM the fact that
| A ice said To him one day: Papa, The
war will soon be over now. the lieu
| tenant SAYS, soatlon't report him. lie
is improving now. Let u' keep him
! he might die were he moved"
Yes, Silas." said his wife, "lct the
poor bov remain; perhaps some north