Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1895-01-19
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 l came across
one of those living relics. She was only
poor old negro woman, who had beer
slave and who, even after quarter of
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 sco1ned
the idea that she needed sympathy or
pity as she stood amid 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 sort of
tu fr bo J-o,, .,o,o
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 a
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
part of the family history of it's former
owner from the lips of old Juliette, who
invited me to a seat under large tree;
then, seating herself near by, after apol-
ogizing for sitting in the presence of
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. Ibis down at de
ole quarters, do da ism much lef, oney
one cabin, dat's mon big enuff fo' me,
mos times, but wen gifts de raligy in
legs an hans den Gle 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 reckon wes all together now,
an we unite in prayer, jess as he uster
ebery evenin. Marse Richard war a
mitey good man. Ole miss, she de boss
She uster say nobody eber gwine conker
her, an shore enuff nobody nebber did
She done all Gle conkerin. 1t war all
long O. her dat my Miss Mary war
forced to marry Marse Campbell S son,
an den all de truhble come.
MY marster hab two SONS, Marse
Dick an Robert Dey jine de army one
mornin, an Miss Mary tease de life
nearly outen me to 60 wild her down in
the valley whar de fghtin war gwine
on. She say she jis' wanter see der las
OBJ Dick and Bob. All de time know
she dyin to see Cap'n Hunter kase she
dade i'll lub wild him, an me an Cap'n
Hunter boy, Long Jim, was co'tin
too. But we all knowed ole miss don
sot her min OH Miss Mary marryin Marse
Will Campbell. He was orful rich but
he war ugly as satan-an dat's fac.
"Miss Mary, so sweet lookin dat all
de young men i'll lub wild her, an she
didn' care for none OBJ 'em, only Cap'n
Hunter, an she say she gwine marry
Jack Hunter or nobody. Ole miss say
w bith ~ iNilSS " VIC luoU ldlll-
blies, an ef Cap'n Hunter tempted pay
any 'tention to ary 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 de
grandes' lookin man eber 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 ober her face, an
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 a tree, willis me an
Tivvn cNt lnDx, Nxx do ~~~a,a Ds,a,1r .,,o