The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-02-11
MRS. 'GUSTE.

was near q nice old fashioned market,
where l went as much for al occasional
chat with tho proprietor as for the very
good things she sold me. Sho was
stout, brisk old French woman, wild
ow, Nine. Augusto Dieulouard by name,
rather German in appearance, but very
French in her manners as she talked
from behind her bars or hustled about
her shop, directing and sometimes scold-
ing her undorlings. She was delighted,
the first day 1 went to market, to have
Inc speak French to her, and soon we
were quite intimate. Before the win
ter was over and l had returned to New
York she had told me, bit by bit,
great deal of tho story of her life
Translated from her queer half German
patois and pieced together, it ran some
what ns follows:
- was born in 1880, in Lure, near
Alsaco, i'll the old Franche Comte. Aft
er my mother died | lived with my
grandmother. When my grandmother
died, could not go back to my father,
for he had married again, had n large
family and was very poor. Some of
our noighbors were coming to America,
and came with them. We took sail
ing vessel to New Orleans. and the voy-
age lasted III days. Two years after
reaching New Orleans | married a
young Frcnchman who had nico little
sum of money. Then my troubles be-
gan, for he would not have Il settled
home, as wished, but wanted to trav-
ell all the time. | kept him in New
Orleans most OF the time for two years,
but then he got too restless, and We be-
gan to CAD about the country We went
up the river to Memphis and St Louis,
then we Travelled through Kentucky and
Tennessee. Later we went to Califor-
mia. When the war broke cut wo were
back in Kentucky. My husband en-
listed in the southern army, leaving mo
i'll Columbus with very little money.
l lived there until my money was near
ly gone and then took n boat to Vicks-
burg. l reached Vicksburg just before
travel was stopped. The siege lasted 4S
days helped nurse in tho hospitals,
and ono day, when | was sent out for
drugs, was struck by Yankee shell
and wounded i'll the forehead. At the
end of tho siege Yankee doctors and
nurses took charge Of tho hospitals, and
had no work and no money Some of
my ncighbors were without money and
food and caino i'll to see me and said:
Madame, what shall We do? We are
starving. | said, Go homo and will
think what to do. Then | was offered
rations. Rations for what | asked
i am no Yankee soldier. Why should
tako rations Of you?' Then said to
tho neighbors: we will mako beer.
Get me two barrels of water, some
yeast, hops, molasscs and corn When
tho Yankees whisky is gone, he will he
glad to drink my beer and will have to
pay for it, Sometimes he did not pay,
but mostly he did, and wo lived Il year
by making beer.
There was military law in Vicks-
burg. General ID. was in command for
long time There was very strong
feeling against him. think he was
the meancst man that ever lived.
knew everybody hated him. One day
said, i am going to General ID. to get
permit TO open Il store. Every one said.
He is too mean to give you enc
said, / will try went to him and
said very politely, General d., want
a permit to open IL store. He asked
Inc. Why should give you permit?
lsaid, Because l must make some mon
ey to live. He said. Arc you Irish!
No. Are you Dutch?' No Are
you German?' No. Are you French?'
Yes. Then go to Napoleon for n per-
nit
After awhile General d. left Vicks-
burg, and General S. was in command.
One morning | went to sec him. He
Ix-II ON, I H.,
permit. He said: My good woman,
you shall have ono if you will get me
pen and paper from the next room.
have been at a ball all night and could
not get up for the president. General
S. was not so bad for Yankee. But
General Grant was the incest Yankee
ever saw. His headquarters were on
the river, but we often saw him in
Vicksburg, and he used to walk about
and talk to tho people. He was very
kind, and every ono liked him. One
day he came into my store with a
friend. He said: What kind of stuff
is that in your window? am hungry
and it looks very good. Washington
pie, | answered. Why do you call it
that2' said he. That pic is named aft
er the great Washington whose memory
all good Americans adore, | replied
That is good, said he; how much is
a slice of Washington pic?' | said,
Some slices are 10 cents, but some
cut arc cents. He said to he officer:
j am so hungry believe could eat
~ cent slice, could not your Ma
dame, please cut me two 10 cent slices.
and will trouble you to wrap them
up for me. So | did, and he would