Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1894-11-13
LAS OBJ DE YARDENs

LAS OBJ DE YARDENS.
In the beautiful valley of the Shen-
andoah, with no sound to disturb the
quiet of the summer day save the muir
1auring OF the pine trees as they whis-
per to each other some tale, perhaps of
far other scenes than these, of days
when the peaceful valley was such a
scene of human strife that the birds and
bees and even the sweet wild roses that;
thriyed there in unmolested possession
disappeared TO return in after years and
find q picture of utter desolation.
1t was while sojourning for short
time in the mountains overlooking tho
Shenandoah valley that came across
one of those living relics. She was only
poor old negro woman, who had been
slave and who, even after a quarter of
century of freedom, had almost failed
to realize that she was free There was
nothing particular to recommend her to
one's notice or call attention to her for
lorn situation. She had been left all
alone in the world-in her own words,
'the last of the Vardens'' and judging
from the grand air with which she an
the idea that she needed sympathy or
pity as she stood amid the ruins of
what had been grand old southern
home before the war, the homo OF the
Vardens.
All that remained of the house, two
tumbling chimreys, was overgrown by
some kind of vine, which gave a sort:of
picturesque beauty to the forsaken scene.
A 10 10 LET IL!
where the house had been was an in
closure, in the center of which stood q
tall monument, surrounded by smaller
gravestones, marking the last resting
place of the Vardens, who seemed to
have turned their back upon their earth
ly possessions and laid their Joys all
away beneath the shadow of the great
monument, leaving but one poor, crook
ed, feeble remnant of their departed
greatness to occupy the rest of the
estate and keep their memory green in
her faithful old heart
1t was warm day in June that
stood within the gates of Rocky Mead,
us the place was called, and listened to
a part of the family history of its former
owner from the lips of old Juliette, who
invited me to a seat under large tree;
then, seating herself near by, after apol-
ogizing for sitting in the presence of a
white lady, said: ''I'ze powerful glad to
see white folks cep'n de common trash
wat Ibis down in de valley. De fus
families is all dade cep'n de Camp
bellses. Dey place is mex to we alls.
Our family war de bes' in Furginia." /"
AS she said this she Strengthened her.
self as much as age and rheumatism
would permit.
but" she continued sadly, ''dey's
all gone-all but me. Ibis down at de
ole quarters, do da ism much lef, oney
one cabin, dat's mon big enuff fo' me,
mos times, but wen gifts de raligy in
legs an hams den de work aim big enuR.
But has to stay an look after de place
kase I'ze dc las one lef OBJ de family,
an wen meets ole Marse Richard in
de mex worl he's boun to ak me bout
de old place. Fus thing he gwine say,
'Juliette, you allus would be de las
one, but L reckon we's all together now,
an we unite in prayer, jess as he uster
ebery evenin. Marse Richard war
mitey good man. Ole miss, she de boss.
She uster say nobody eber gwine conker
her, an shore enuh nobody nebber did.
She done all do conkerin. 1t war all
long o. her DAT my Miss Mary war
forced to marry Marse Campbell Is son,
an den all de trubble come.
My marster hab two sons, Marse
Dick an Robert Dey jine de army one
mornin, an Hiss Mary tease de life
nearly outen me to go wild her down In
the valley whar de fightin war gwine
on. She say she jis' wanter see der las
OBJ Dick and Bob. ALI de time I know
she dyin to see Cap'n Hunter kase she
dade in lub wild him, an me an Cap'n
Hunters boy, Long Jim, was co'tin
too. But we all knowed ole miss dom.
sot her min on Miss Mary marryin Marse
VIII Campbell. He was orful rich, but
he war ugly as satan-an dat's fac.
Miss Mary, so sweet lookin dat all
de young men in lUb wild her, an she
didn' care for none OBJ 'em, only Cap'n
Hunter, an she say she gwine marry
de Hunters didn' b'long to de fust fam
blies, an eff Gap'n Hunter tempted pay
any 'tention to airy chile OBJ her'n che
posed to interfere. So co'se we das'n'
let her know at Czp'n Hunter war
down dar in de cave under de hill wild
Long Jim, waiten for me to fotch him o
letter from Hiss Mary jess if he iidn'
know she gwine break her neck almost
to see hissef. Cap'n Hunter war de
randes' lookin man eber sot my eyes
on. He eyes fairly dance when he saw
us bofe comm, an he jes' TUX Miss Mary
up in he arms an hole on to her an
promise never let her go no more.
But she blush all ober her face, an
he say Jim to take de horse down to
the stream to cool him of. So we tux
de horse up In de woods back OBJ de
cave an tie him to tree, willis me an
jim sot down on de grass, Bimeby we
heard big rumblin SCUM lex thunder
an saw de smoke in de valley an Cap'n
Hunter comm runnin o'des as wild Miss
Mary lookin like chose Cap'n Hunter
kiss her han an squeeze it tight an say,
sGoodby, little sweetheart, an she say,