Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1893-07-05

In Capon Springs, Va, which is one OF
the Blue Ridge summer resorts for the
physical and mental betterment of the heat
smitten and dust-laden jewellers in the
cities, pleasing memory of the late war
has had its fruition. There are not many
such, aud one of them upon the dead black
pail of widowed wives and fatherless chill
dren shines like white flower.
Senator Mills is stopping at the Springs.
He has friend who is known from one end
of Texas to the other as Captain Jim Car
rity;" in this mans case the military title
is no empty honor bestowed upon big
paunched and red nosed politician famed
for his ability to "vOte the boys" He
earned it by long and gallant services
aud loss of blood. Clarity enlisted as a
private when the struggle between the
States began He was a Louisanian, and
went with his people. As member of the
celebrated regiment which was commanded
by Hayes, he fought through all of the
grades-corporal second and first sergeant
second and first lieutenant, and finally
captain. He wore his epaulets when his
accident came. 1t was at Winchester, Sher-
idan was twenty miles away, and the gray
clad legions of Jubal A. Early were killing
men, and themselves shouting and dying by
the score. 1t was stricken field, aud the
leaves of the trees smeled of powder for
days thereafter
Clarity was leading charge over ground
in which the men sank to their ankles in
soil that was blood muddied, when malice
nodded bullet went through the back part
of his head and he fell down. He lay there
for some hours and in his conscious hours
regretted that down South it was not the
proper thing to hire substitutes in 1864 =
After while some soldiers came along and
picked him up They took him to the
quiet and stony little town of Sirasburg,
whereon the shadows of the mountain fall
all the summer afternoon. In this town
was house and in this house lived Miss
Betty Hollis and her sister Perhaps key
to her character may be found in the fact
that she did not spell her name with an
'fe." She was rosy. checked girl, with
strong arms and pure heart. She said
that the mire soiled and blood dirtied form
was welcome and turned down the cOveret
a. ii -, ,lo kocf ronpn
For weeks of hot days aud cool summer
nights Clarity struggled for life. Some
times he knew who he was and sometimes
he did not Possibly in his delrum he
used the language of the camp. Be this as it
may, the women never faltered. There was
not moment of the long time when he
lacked anything that tender hands and
faithful watchers could do. After n awhile
he went home with no worse reminder of
his friends in blue than tendency to head
ache when the weather was wet and bIus-
terry.
Settling in Texas, and having quite
enough of the thankless task of saving the
country, he began TO make money. He has
a great deal now. He took train to Capon
Springs the other day to see his friend
Mills. While there he heard that Miss
Betty was still alive. The conversation of
a Senator had no charms for him. He char
tered hack and drove eighteen miles over
the mountain roads as fast as the springs
would stand it. He found Strasburg prac-
tically unaltered The house had been
given some few coats of paint in the inter-
vening thirty years, but it was staunch and
hearty, staunch and hearty was Miss Betty,
who met him at the door. She was a slip
of a girl in the sixties. Her name is Hupp
now, and two or three little children are
with her. The sister is still maiden
Garrity held out his hand and told them
his name 1t was a meeting good to see.
There was lesson in it for the man with a
liver who looks at the world through yellow
spectscles.- Washington Post.