Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-03-25
LAS OBJ DE VARDENS.


andoah, with DO 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 a
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 I came across
one Of those living relics She was only
a poor old negro woman, who had been
a slave and who, even after a 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 a1sid the ruins of
what had been 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 a 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 q
q mo on11t do1 Nv
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 it's 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 a
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 war de bes' in Furginia. -
AS she said this she Strengthened her
self as much as age and rheumatism
would permit.
But she continued sadly, ''dey's
all gone-all but me. I Ibis down at de
ole quarters, do da ism much lef, oney
one cabin, dats mon big enuff TO- me,
mos times, but wen I gifts de raligy in
legs an han IS den de work ain big enuff
But l has to stay an look after de place
kase I'ze de las one lef OBJ de family.
an wen l meets ole Marse Richard in
de mex 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 l reckon we's all together now,
an we unite in prayer, jess as he ulster
cherry evenin. Marse Richard war a
mitey good man. Ole miss, she de boss
She ulster say nobody cher gwine conker
her, an shore enuff nobody nebber did
She done all de conkerin. It war all
long O. her dat my Miss Mary war
forced to marry Marse Campbell's son,
''My marster hab two sons, Marse
Dick an Robert Dey jine de army one
NJ ornin, an Miss Mary tease de life
the valley whar de fghtin war gwine
on. She say she jis' wanter see der las
oh Dick and Bob. All de time l know
she dyin to see Cap'n Hunter kase she
dade in lub wild him, an me an Cap'n
boy, Long Jim, was co'tin
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 a fac.
''Miss Mary, so sweet lookin dat all
de young men in lub wild her, an she
didn' care for none oh 'em, 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 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
letter from Miss Mary jess if he didn'
know she gwine break her neck almost
to see hissef Cap'n Hunter war de
grandes' lookin man l cher sot my eyes
on. 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 an
promise never let her go no more.
''But she blush all ODER her face, al
he say Jim to take de horse Down t.
the stream to cool him off So We tux
de horse up in de woods b@ck OBJ q
cave an tie him to a tree, Wills ne
Jim sot down on de grass. Eir 5v
heard big rumblin SCUM lei tua3.1sr
do cann1,l-o, Ii, do va l.