The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-11-21
LAS OBJ DE VARDENs.

In the beautiful valley of the Shen-
andoah, with no sound to disturb the
quiet Of the summer day save the muir
muring OF the pine trees as they whis-
per to each other some tale, perhaps OF
far other 9 than these, Of days
when the peaceful valley was such q
scene of human strife that the birds and
bees and eve the sweet wild roses that
thrived there in unmolested possession
disappeared to return in after years and
find q picture of utter desolation.
1t was while soiourning for n short
time In the mountains overlooking the
Shenandoah valley that / came across
one of those living relics. She was only
apoor old negro woman. who had been
q slave and who, eva after q quarter Of
d century Of freedom, had almost failed
to realize that she was free. There was
nothing particular 20 recommend her TO
ones notice Or call attention to her for
lorn itLation. 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 N
nounced 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 war, the home Of the
Vardens.
All that remained of the house, two
tumbling chimneys, was sovergrown by
some kind of vine, which gave a sort Of
picturesque beauty 10 the forsaken scene.
A little to the left and just in sight of
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 a warm day in June that /
stood within the gates of Rocky Mead,
as 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 a large tree;
then, seating herself. near by, after apol-
ogizing for sitting in the presence of o
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 WA de bes' i'm Furginia. "
AS she said this she Strengthened her
self as much as age and rheumatism
would permit
But, I" she continued sadly, ''dey's
all gone-all but me. / Ibis down at de
ole quarters, do da ism much lief, oney
n cabin, OATS mon big enuff TO- me,
mos times, but wen ] gifts de raligy In
legs a hans den de work ain big enufR.
But l has to stay al look after de place
kase I'ze de las one lef OBJ de family,
an wen / meets ole Marse Richard in
de g 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 / reckon we's all together now,
an we unite in prayer, jess as he ulster
cherry evenin. Marse Richard war a
"ASOy S10o AlAA. SlO AllcCp ELlC uC DOED.
She lister say nobody eber gwine conker
her, an shore enuff, nobody nebber did.
She done all de conkerin. 1t war all
long O. her dat my Miss Mary wal
forced to marry Marse Campbell's son,
an den all de trubble come.
my marster hab two sons, Marse
Dick an Robert DEFY jine de army one
mornin, an Miss Mary tease de life
nearly outen me to go wild her down in
the valley whar de 6ghtin wan gwine
on. She say she jis' wanter see der las
OBJ Dick and Bob. All de time I know
she dyin to see Cap'n Hunter kase she
dade in Tub wild him, an me am Cap'n
Hunters boy, Long Jim, was coffin
too. But we all knowed ole miss don
sot her min ON Miss Mary margin Marse
viii Campbell He was orful rich, but
he war ugly as satan-an dat's a fac.
Miss Mary, SO sweet lookin dat all
de young men in Tub wild her, an she
didn' care for none OBJ 'em, only Cap'n
Hunter, an she say she gwine marry
Jack Hunter OF nobody. Ole miss say
Tie Hunters didn' b'long to de fust fam
biies, an eft Cap'n Hunter tempted pay
any 'tention to airy chile OBJ her'n she
posed TO interfere. So co'se we das'n'
Let her know at Cap'n Hunter war
down dar in de cave under de hill wild
Long Jim, waiten for me TO fotch him a
letter from Miss Mary jess IL he didn'
know she5gwine break her neck almost
20 see hissef Cap'n Hunter war de
grandes' lookin man I cher sot NV ewes
on He eyes fairly dance when he saw
ns bofe comm, an he jes' TUX Miss Mary
mp in he arms an hole on to her an
promise never let her 60 no more.
NBut she blush all ober her face. an
he any Jim 20 take de horse down to
the stream 10 cool him OF. So we tuk
dc horse up in de woods back OBJ de
cave An tie him to a tree, willis me an
Jim sot down ON de grass. Bimeby we
heard q bic rnmblin SCUM lex thunder
~ saw do smoke I'm do valley an Cap'n
Hunter comm runnin osdes as wild Miss
Nary lookin like aghosa. Cap'n Hunter
lis her han n squeeze IL tight an say,
90odby, Little ssseethoart. an she say.
- IA