The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-05-17
SELECTED STORY.
The Potency Of Pie.


Mississippi, the women of the state were
speechless with indignation at the ruth
less invasion of their sacred soil. Not
tear was shed as the Roman matrons
buckled on the armor of the home
guards-old, gray haired majors" and
''rolonels," who had mustered with flint
locks, and young boys just in their
teens.
All who could bear arms" went pour
ing forth with iinpetuous speed and swift
ly formed in the ranks of war. The in
vaders were beset front, flank and rear
by an undisciplined but pertinacious foe.
The willy generals march was executed
In deux temps to avoid the harassing
enemy which he dared not halt and dis
perse. Many bluecoats from the invad-
ing column were picked off by the way
side, and every straggler was gobbled up
by the ubiquitous home guards. They
sent the wounded Yankees to the nearest
hospital A number were taken to Co
lumbus, where u Confederate hospital
had been established under the super
vision of the Soldiers Aid society. The
society was composed of the women Of
Columbus, who had organized at the be-
ginning of the war. The hospital was
full of sick and wounded Confederates,
but the ladies made room for the 'hated
Yankees" as a Christian duty.
To relieve the crowded hospital dozen
Confederates were removed to the house
of dear old lady, who made them coGl-
Portable on cots in her parlors. This
dear old lady had three sons in the army.
Her husband was on duty with the
home guards.
Her carriage horses were in the artil-
lery service, and pair of plantation
mules pulled her carriage.
Her spinning wheels and looms were
manufacturing gray jeans, and even
while she slept her fingers moved, as
when awake she knitted socks for the
soldiers.
Daily she drove to the hospital and
went through the wards, followed by,
her negro woman bearing basket of
homemade dainties, which she dispensed
TO the sick. With Christian charity she
extended her ministrations to the Yankee
ward. She could not love them-they
had invaded her home and shed the blood
of her kinsmen-but she could return
"good for evil" 1t required, however,
no small effort ON her part to divide with
the enemy's sick the dainties so hard to
get in the blockaded south. She did so
because it was duty, but her heart was
not in the work.
There was one of Griersons soldiers
scarcely man in years-who lay on his
cot in the delirium of fever. The kindly
black face of the nurse who bathed his
head was strange to him, but he smiled
feebly when he looked into the gentle face
of the dear old lady who bent over him,
and he called her mother"
At that moment the heart of the dear
old lady surrendered, and she took that
Yankee boy for her own.
Never was invalid more tenderly
nursed, and never hung life on a more
slender thread She watched him from
day to day and administered with tire
less hand medicine and liquid food. He
fingered days and weeks. his brain
clouded with fever fancies and the flesh
shrunken upon his bones.
One morning there was CLEAN of in
telligence in his pale blue eyes as he
looked up at the kind, earnest face of
the southern woman, and he whispered,
"Water." After few sips he contin-
ned, II thought you was mother, but
guess as how | won't see her no more"
He closed his eyes, and the dear old
lady sent at once for the surgeon. The
doctor felt his pulse and remarked, His
vitality is very low-we must try to
build him up with stimulants and nour-
ishing liquids"
These were obtained but he refused
positively to touch the whisky, as he
had promised his mother never to do so,
he said, and had taken the pledge. He
swallowed the beef tea with reluctance.
The fever had gone, and with it nearly
all the life that was in him.
The dear old lady looked sadly upon
the emaciated form and sunken cheeks
of the poor boy. She forgot that he was
an enemy and saw only mothers son
among strangers and sick unto death.
Her soul went out in "A great wave of
sympathy to the invalid.
In vain she tempted his appetite with
each of the liquid foods within the for
mula allowed by the surgeon. She could
not persuade him to take stimulants,
and his vitality continued to sink daily.
To her question whether there was
anything that he would like to eat he
answered, Pumpkin pie.'
But the doctor said it would kill him
b. "a hours.
Pumpkin pie" became the lads day
long and night long plant. 1t made the
dear old ladys heart bleed to refuse it.
doctor, can't you save the poor fell
low?" she asked.
The doctor answered gravely, "Mad
am, | am afraid all your work has beer
in vain. He cannot hold out much long
err"
After the doctor had gone, the dying
boy opened his eyes and whispered wist
fully, "Please-iust one piecew
eyes, you shall have itr' said the ole
lady, and as she stepped into her car
riage and ordered the driver to ''whiI
up those mules and drive home quick
there was in her face the same expires
sion of determination which may be seer
~, fbot of tba 90, -