Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-05-26
[cosTINUED.]
XI.

, acres. Wnlle Ike always referred 10
himself as broken down by hard work,
about five days oct of every week had
been spent tramping around the coun-
try with his gun or discussing yam
KEGS and ''niggers" in the village bar
rooms with others of his iik. Accord
ing to his own line of argument, he was
a martyr. Ill luck had always followed
him, ever to the birth and death of
triplets.
Mrs. Baxter also had a constitutional
and ready made grievance. If she had
been allowed to have her way about
things, she always argued, they would
long ago have been rich and owned mig
gers, Yes, sab, real niggers and mo-
or fewer $40 nevis"
Ike Baxter had also been granted a
furlough, and according to the stories
he told after reaching home the battle
of Bull Run would not have been avic-
tory without him. When anything was
said about Kenton, he was prompt in
replying:
''Durn the Yankee! But we uns has
got our eyes open now, and he un can't
play us no mo- tricks!"
He was SO outspoken in his language,
and his language was so bitter that
Lawyer Williams and others were given
an mixing of the true state of affairs.
The lawyer found opportunity to in
quire of Ike:
Didn't my nephew enlist of his own
accord, and is there a man in the COM
pany who has exhibited more bravery
and won more of a reputation"
What did he I'm rush in and rally at
Bull Run fur befo' Duke Wyle could
git thar" demanded Ike in reply. He
un just wanted to show off and make
believe. And isn't he un givin us away
to the Yanks all the time? And isn't he
un talkin bout Gineral jackson and
holdin his head above us? And if he un
gifts the chance won't he I'm give up our
hull army to Gineral Mcclellan? Oh,
we uns has our eyes open fur him!'
Mrs. Baxter had got the idea from
Ike's letters home that he had not only
won a crown of fame under fire, but
was holding the whole Federal army in
check. She could read and write, but
very poorly. She had picked up most of
her information and all her military
terms from others scarcely less ignorant.
When Ike appeared in sight down the
road, she ran to meet him and welcomed
him with:
"Hurrah fur Gineral Ike Baxter, who
fit and fit till the Yankees dun run
away!"
Don't yo' I'm know nothin 2" angrily
demanded Ike as he came nearer.
Didn't yo' un fit and fit?"
"Of co'se ] fit, but yo' needn't CAB it
all over Virginny and make other folks
jealous!"
"Whar's yo'r ~stripesf" she asked.
"YNhat ~stripes?"
son yo'r arms-yo gineral stripes?''
81 hain't no gineral!"
"Yo' hain't? Why, l thought yo'
was boss of the hull army! What's the
matter yo' hain't no gineral?"
whats the matter yo' hain't got no
sense in yo'r head?"
but yo' un's a corporall"
"No."
ga MAORI"
mo"
"a ~leftenant?"
"No."
"Hain't yo' un nothin but jest com.
mon folks?" she persisted.
mo"
Didn't l allus say yo' I'm had no
eooo-it obo1t vn' aD1 tbot'e xubv u-a
was allus pore and low DOWN." she
bitterly exclaimed as they passed into
tho house. like Baxter, yo' hain't
shucksl You un's low down. and yo'
like to stay right thar! Everybody else
is comm homo with gineral's and cor
poral's and majors stripes or thar
sleeves, bat yo' has dun let 'em walk yo'
inter the mud and hain't got no speerit
to resent it, II I'd gone down thar, I'd
"a come back as big as anybody! I've
dun told everybody yo' un was a gin
eral, and now-now yo's only jest COM
mont"
Mrs. Baxter sat down and wept and
used her apron for a handkerchief. Ike
had expected just such a reception, and
he had a plan to develop at the proper
time. While she continued to weep he
helped himself to a bite to eat from the
cupboard and maintained silence.
And why didn't they make a gin
eral of yo'?'' asked Mrs. Baxter after
about 10 minutes.
IF yo' I'm dun had any sense in yo'
head, l could tell yo'," he sullenly re-
piled.
Sense! Sense! If l hain't got sense,
who has? If it hadn't bin fur my sense,
we uns would hay bin right down to
later skins vars agol It's my n that
has kept us outer the porehouse and let
us hold our heads up with the best of
'eml Leastwise I've allus held my
head up, even if yo' hain't!"
Its this way" said Ike as he o
tinued to eat and reflect. It's cor
poral, sergeant, orderly sergeant, leften-
ant, captain, major, kurnel and GIN
eral. Takes a heap O. time to git up
thar! Everybody has got to begin way
down"
But yo's not even a corp-corporal
yit!' she exclaimed as one eye filled
with tears of disappointment.
And what's the reason | / ain't? Do
yo' I'm remember that Yankee lawyer
who lived yere-feller named Kenton?"
"Seems like | did,"
HE un's to blame. Tried to git us
all captur'd at Bull Run. Tried to put
all the officers down. Got in with Gin
eral jackson and talked agin us, par
ticklarly me. Reckon he IN said a heap
bout yo', too, while he I'm was at it. If
it hadn't bin fur he un, I'd hev had
stripes on my arms-heaps O. stripes
and yo'd bin proud O. me. It's jest he
un that keeps me down. We all hate he
IN, but him's got Gineral Jackson on
his side."
The pesky varmint!' she gasped,
with uplifted hands. HE un's all to
blame them"
"AIl to blame"
Talked about me TO Gineral Jack
soni What could he un say?"
Dunno, but | reckon he un went on
bout yo'r gwine b'arfut to church and
dippin snuff and gaddin bout and COM
p~lainin. He un rubbed it in on both o.
us powerful hard, most likely. Befo'
that Gineral jackson was as good as
pie to me, but afterward he un wouldn't
dun notice me 'talli'
"Then-then it's the Yankee who
dun keeps yo' all backs" she asked aft
ar toI-ipr a onppla IF p,fnutao fo. ra9ao-