Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-12-13
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 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
thrived there in unmolested possession
disappeared to return IN after years and
find picture of utter desolation.
1t was while sojourning for short
time in the mountains overlooking the
Shenandoah valley that / came across
one of those living relics. She was only
poor old negro woman, who had been
a slave and who, even after quarter of
a 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
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
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 oyergrown by
some kind Of vine, which gave 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, in the center of which stood n
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 ur tlie
estate and keep their memory green in
her faithful old heart.
1t was warm day in June that I
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 seat under large tree;
then, seating herself near by, after apol
ogizing for sitting in the presence Of Il
white lady, said: "I'ze powerful glad to
see white folks cep'n de common trash
wat Ibis down i'll 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' i'll Furginia.
As she said this she Strengthened her
self as much as age and rheumatism
would permit.
But" shs continued sadly, "dey's
all gone.-all but me. Ibis down at dc
ole quarters, do da ism much lef, oney
one cabin, OATS mon big enuff TO me,
mos times, but wen l gifts dc raligy in
legs an hans den de work ain big enuff.
But has to stay an look after de place
kase TIE de las one lef OBJ de family,
an wen I meets ole Marse Richard III
de mex worl he's bonn to AK lne bout
de old place. Fus thing he gwine say,
'Juliette, you allus would be de las
one, but reckon we's all together now,
all We unite in prayer, jess as he ulster
cherry evenin. Marse Richard war II
mitoy good man. Ole miss, she de boss.
She ulster say nobody cher gwine conller
her, an shore enuff nobody nebber did.
She done all de conkerin. 1t war all
long O. her dat my Miss Mary war
forced to marry Marse Campbell S son,
an den all de trnhble come
my marster hab two sons, Marse
Dick an Robert Dey jine de army one
mornin, an Miss Mary tease do life
nearly outen me to go wild her down in
the valley whar de tightin war 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 an Cap'n
Hunters boy, Long Jim, was coffin
too. But we all knowed ole miss don
sot her min on Miss Mary margin Marse
Will Campbell. He was orful rich, but
he war ugly as satan--an OATS fac.
miss Mary, SO sweet lookin dat all
de young men in Tub wild her, an she
didn' care for none oh 'eni, only Cap'n
Hunter, an she say she gwine marry
Jack Hunter or nobody. Ole miss say
de Hunters didn' b'long to de fust fam.
blies, an eff Capn 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 if he didn'
know she gwine break her neck almost
to see hissef. Cap'n Hunter war dc
grandes' lookin man eber sot my eyes
OH. 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 all
promise never let her go no more.
"But she blush all ober her face, all
he say Jim to take de horse down to
the stream to cool him off, 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. Biineby we
heard big rumblin SCUM lex thunder
an saw de smoke in de valley an Cap'n
Hunter comm runnin o'des us wild Miss
Mary lookin like CHOSE Cap'n Hunter
kiss her han an squeeze 1t tight an say,
'Goodby. little sweetheart, All she say,
'Goodby, Jack. Den he Jump OH his