Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-11-19
LAS OB DE VARDENS

andOah, with no sound to disturb the quiet of the summer day save the mur- muring 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 scene of human strife that the birds and bees and even the sweet wild roses that thrivcd there ill unmolcsted possession disappeared to return in after years and find picture of utter desolation.
 It was while Sojourning for n short time i'll the mountains overlooking the ShcnandCah valley that I came across one of those living relics She Was only q poor old negro woman, who had been a slave and who, even after n quarter of q century of freedom. had almost failed To realize that she was free. There was nothing particular to recommend her to ones notice or call attention to her for lurn situation. She had been left all alone i'll the wOrld-in her own words, the last of the EarslenS and judging from th" grand air with which she an nounc,d that fact would have scorned the idea that she needed sympathy or pity as she stood amid the ruins of what had been a grand old southern home before the WAT, the home of the NardcnS.
 All that remained of the house, two tumbling chimneys, was overgrown by some kind of vine, which gave n sort of picturesque beauty to the forsaken scene. A little to the left and just in sight of where the house had been was an in closure i'll the center of which stood a tall monument, surrounded by smaller Sr;lvC>tuutS. marking the last resting place of the NardUnS, who seemed to have turryd th, IF back upon their earth ly Iao<$, :l~iunS and laid their joys all away |, II, lth the shadow of the great munum, ,nt. leaving but one poor, crook ed, feeble remnant of their departed greatness Ia occupy the rest of the estate and keep their memory green in her faithful old heart.
 II was q warm day in June that stood within the gates of Rocky Mead. aS the place was called, and listened to a part Uf the family history of its former owner from the lips of old Juliette, who invited me to scat under large tree; then, seating herself near by, after apol- oEiziuS for sitting i'll the prcsence of q white lady. said: ''I'ze powerful glad to see white folks cep'n de common trash
 
 famhlics iS all dade ccp'n de Camp IvllSc>- D,y place iS ncX' to we ails. Our fambly WAT tlc EcS' in FurCinia. |" As she said this Shr strengthened her self as much aA age and rheumatism would permit.
 But, she continued sadly. 'dcy's all gonp-all but me. libs down at de ole quartcr~, do da ism much lcf oney one cabin, d:.t's mon big cnuff fo' me, mos times. but wen I gifts de raligy in legs an han s den de work ain big cnuff Eut has tu stay all look after de place kas. I'zc de las one lief ob de fambly, an Wen 1 meets ole MarSe Richard in ,i,. Il, N worl he's buun to ax me bout de old place. Fus thing he gwine say, 'JUlit;tc, you allus would be de las one. but reckon we's all together now, an we unite i'll prayer, jess aS he uster es,cry cvenin. Marse Richard war a nritcy good nlan- Ole miss. she de boss. Slsc uStcr say nobody ebcr gw-ine conker her, an shore enutf nobody nebber did. She done all de conkcrin. It war all long e her dat my Miss Mary war forced to marry Marse Campbell s son. an den all de trulblc come.
 My marstcr hab two sons, Marse Dick an Rols.rt Dcy jinc de army ono mornin, an Miss Mary tease de life nearly outcE me to go wid her down in the valley whar de fi-htin war gwine on. She say she jis' wantcr see der las | ob Dick and Bob All de time know ! she dyin to Scc Cap'n Hunter kaSe she | dadc in Tub wid him, an me an Cap'n Hunters buy. Long Jim, was co'tin tOo But We all lnOwCti ole miss don sOt her min on Miss Mary marvin Marse Will Campbell He was orful rich, but he war ugly as saItan-an dat's Q fac. Miss Mary, so sweet lookin dat all de young men i'll Tub wid her. an she didn' care for none Ob 'em, only Cap'n Hunter. an she say she gwinc marry Jack Hunter or nobody. Ole miss say de Hunters didn' b'long to de fust fam plies, an If Cap'n Hunter tempted pay any 'tention to ary chile -ob her'n she | posed to interfere. So coAse We das' m let her know at Cap'n Hunter war down dlr in de cave under de hill wid | Long Jim, waipen for me to fotch him a letter from Miss Mary jess if he didn' know she gwine break her neck almost to sce hissef. Cap'n Hunter war de grandes' lOOkin man eber sot my eyes on. He eyes fairly dance when he saw us bOfe comin, an he les' tux Miss Mary up in he arms an hole on to her an promise never let her go no more.
 ''But sine blush all ober her face, an he say Jim to take de horse down to the stream to cool him of So we tuk de horse up in de woods back ob de l cave an Sic him to tree, whils' me an Jim sOt down on de grass. Bimeby We heard big rumblin soun lek thunder an saw de smoke in de valley m Cap'n Hunter comin runnin o'des us wid Miss Mary lOokin like a ghose. Cap Il Hunter kiss her han an squeeze it tight an say, | 'GOOdby, little sweetheart, an she say, 'Goodby. Jack Den he jump on his horse an rode away down into the noise an smoke Miss Mary watch him till he all gone. Den minds her dat ef old miss fin us out she gwine mek trouble for us. So we come back to de house. Aunt Maria met us at de do an says, 'Dey's company in de parlOr. De min. ister an ole Marse Campbell wid his son an ole miss, dressed up wid hel white lace cap on. Ole Marso Richard away at de wah.' Miss Mary say she want be by herself, en ef anybody a1 for her I'ze say she have a headach, 'kase she wouldn' see. de Cmnpbellsei den. But. honey, ole miss didn' ax mt nuthin. She jess walk right in an say Put Miss Mary bes' dress on her. Ju iette.' .-= --~ --s-
 ''Den she tole Miss Mary somp'n bote ole Marse Campbell gwine tek all de Ian an de house kase Marse Richard owe him so much money, an. den shl l 1..,- ,,1. age, an it break her fathers heart ef h, l ahar come hack an da nlacn r,nrn, n,,t d.