River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-10-25

W NE ~ ~ dOah, with nc
- tr sound 10 dis
A{%-A- H turb the quiet
~ OF the summer
IA day. save tie
nETS murmuring of
the pine trees
as they wills
per TO each other some tale, perhaps,
Of fa- other scenes than these, of days
when the peaceful valley was such
a scene Of human STRIFE that the birts
and bees and even the sweet wild
roses that thrived there in unmOlested
possession, disappeared, to return IN
after years and find a picture of utter
desolation. To be sure. the soil mad
been enriched by the blue blood of the
south, commingled with that of the
brave boys in blue. a they fell to-
gether. fighting, each for a cause which
each thought right; but the record Of
the brave deeds Of those who persisted
then lives in history. while we have
put behind us. with determination
TO forget. the bitter feelings of see
tionalism which possessed US for a
time, and il is only now and then that
some relic of the past appears 10 re-
mind Us of that unhappy period. and
then our thoughts are only sad, not
angry ones.
IL was while sojourning for short
time in the mountains overlooking the
Shenandoah valley that ! came across
one Of those living relics She was
only a poor old negro woman. who had
been "A slave. and who. even after
- > F-....flr.r. Fn.sI
almost failed To realize that she was
free. There was nothing particular To
recommend her to ones notice or call
attention to her forlorn situation. She
had been left all alone in the world
I'm her own words: ''The last of the
Nardens," and, Judging from the grand
air with which she announced the 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
war-the home Of the Vardens
All that remained of the house. two
tumbling chimneys. was overgrown
by some kind Of vine. which gave
sort Of picturesque be5 uty to the for
salxeu scene. a little to the left and
JUST AAA NAA l4A AfA NlACAG AttG nQu~E AeAAA
been was an inclosure. in the ceLter
of which stood a tall monument sur
rounded by smaller gravestones, mark
ing the last resting place of the Var
deus, who seemed To have turned their
back upon their earthly possessions
and laid their joys all away leneath
the shadow of the great monument,
leaving but one poor, crooked, feeble
remnant Of their departed greatness
TO occupy the rest of the estate and
keep their memory green in her faith
fuI old heart.
II was a warm day in June that
stood within the gates of Rocky Mead.
as the place was called. and listened
10 part Of the family history of its
former owner from the lips of old
Juliette, who invited me to seat un-
der large tree. then seating herself
rear by. after apologizing for sitting
In the presence Of a white lady. she
said: Use powful glad to see white
folks cep'n 6e common trash wat Ibis
down in d, ~ Hey. DE fus families is
all dade cvp'n de Campbellses. Dey
place is mex to we alls. Our family
war de hes in Furginia-" As she said
this she Strengthened herself as much
as age and rheumatism would permit.
''But," size continued, sadly, ''dev's all
gone, all but me. / Ibis down a de
ole quarters, do ia ism much lef. Oney
one cabin, OATS mon big enuff 70 me.
mos times; but wen | gifts dc raligy
IN legs an hans. den de worl' ain big
enuff. Ru, has To stay an look after
de place. kase Use de las one lef oh
de family, an wen I meets ole Marse
Richard il de mex worl' he's boun' To
ak me bot, de ole place Eus thing
he gwine say: Juliette. you allus
would be De las one. but reckon ives
all together now. an we unite in pray
err les as he ester cherry eveniu'
Marse Richard war a mitey good man
Ole miss she lie boss She ulster sav
nobody ebcr g,vine eonker her. an
shore nuff. nobody ucbber dill She
done all De conkerin'. II war all long
o her dat my Miss Mary war forced To
marry Marse Campbelrs son, an den
all de trubble come.
"My marster hab two sons. Marse
Dick an Robert Dey jine de army
one morniu' an Miss Mary tease de
life nearly outcn me - 20 wild her
down de valley whar lie fghtin' war
gwine on She say she lis wanter see
der las OBJ Dicl- and Bob. All de time
] know she ; dyin' to see Cap'n
Hunter. la>e she dais in iu0 wild him.
Rn' me al Cap'n Hunters hoy. Long
Jim,' was cOtiu' too But we all
knOwed ole miss don sot her min ON
Miss Mary marryin' Marse VIII Camp
bell. lie war orful rich. but he war
ugly as Satan-an dat's fac. Miss
Mary. 50 sweet lookiu' dat all De
young men in lub wild her an she
didn' care for none ob EN-. only Cap'u
Hunter. and she say she gwine marry
Jack Hunter or nobody. Ole miss say
de Hunters didu' b'long 10 de fust fam
blies an ef Cap'u Hunter tempted pay
'tention - airy chile Oh her'n she
posed To interfere 80 cose we das n
le. her know ut Cap'n Hunter we're
down dar in de cave under de hill wild
Long Jim waiten for me - Eotch him
letter from Miss Mary, les If he
didn't know she gwine 20 break her
neck most 10 see hiSSef Cap'n
Hun ter war de graudes' loOkin' man
cher sot my eyes ON. He eyes fairly
dance when he 81 = rs bote comm an
he ies TUX Miss Mary up in he arms
and hole on To her and promise never
1et her 80 no more.
But she blush al ober her face and
he say Jim to take de horse down TO
the stream and cool him of. 50 we TUX
de horse up in de woods back 90 de
cave aud tie him - a tree. whites me
and Jim sot down "a the grass. Bime-
by we heard big rumblin' SCUM lex
thunder saw de smoke in de valley
snd Cap'n Hanter eumin' runnin' todes
Us wild Miss Mary loolSin like ghost.
Cap'n Hunter kiss her han and squeeze
1t tight. and say; GoOd-by. little
sweetheart and she say; Good-bv.
Jack. Den he jump on his horse an
rode away down into the noise and
smoke. Miss Mary watch him till he
all gone. Den | mines her DR. ef ole
miss fin Us out she gwine me 5uble
for us. So we come back TO de ..ouse.
Aunt Maria met US at dc DO and says;