New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1895-01-30
ChiCkdnlauga
CHAPTER VII.
OLD FRIENDS MEET.
Continued from page s.


Slack family had arrived at their home
near Jasper, in the Sequatchie valley.
Much to Souri's surprise, everything
about the place looked uncouth. When
she left it year before, it was all she
had ever known. A ten months resi-
dence in the north, surrounded by every
comfort, associating with the daughters
of refined people, had made a great
change in her. Now the furniture ap-
peared dilapidated, the rag carpets
rough. Indeed there was disappoint-
ment about "sweet home' that she had
not expected. Nevertheless she did not
sit down and repine over it. She had
no means Of procuring anything better,
but she found that she could do great
deal Of patching. With considerable fore.
thought she had brought some cheap ma
terial of different kinds with her from
the north, and this she used to the best
advantage. She made neat valances for
the beds, cushions for her mother rock
ing chair, scarfs for the bureaus-in
fact, with very little she made quite q
revolution in the house.
Her great anxiety was her brother.
Jakey had attended we'll to his studies
while at school, but his teachers had
found it impossible to change his meth
dds Of expressing himself As soon as
he reached Tennessee he began to re-
lapse into the state of semibarbarism in
which he had lived before the coming
OF his advantages. Souri, knew that
there was no hope for improvement in
her father and mother. Instead of trou-
bling them when their ways of acting
and speaking shocked her, she refrained
from comment, but when Jakey dropped
into his old ways she tried hard to check
him. Besides she felt that it was neces-
sary to keep a strict guard over herself,
for she had noticed that when under
any excitement or when her feelings
were deeply touched she was apt to for
get herself and be once more the ''poor
white' girl Of former days.
There was another cause of solicitude
rs to Jakey. 1t must be admitted, not
withstanding Jakey's good points and a
certain original shrewdness there was
about him, that he never was the same
boy after his few hours of service on
Colonel Maynard's staff It was con-
stantly when I war Colonel Maynard's
aid-der-camp," or "when the colonel
n ME rode inter Tullyhomy, or when
l carried the news of the revacuation :"
Then he would strut about with his
hands IN his pockets, much to his IA
theirs amusement and Souri's dread
that he would run away and join the
Union army. But one day when he
threatened to do so Souri, took him to
task for it and made him promise that
he would not. This ended her anxiety,
for Jakey would as soon have forgotten
his military honors as break a pledge to
his sister,
The Army of the Cumberland was
now advancing by every possible route
toward Chattanooga. One of the routes
taken by the Union army lay through
the Sequatchie valley and directly past
the Stacks little farm. One evening
Souri, was leaning over the gate
thoughtfully when she saw several
mounted men in blue, with yellow fac
were the first bluecoats to appear of
the host that was coming. There is a
certain jaunty air, devil may care ap-
pearance, about trooper who becomes
used to being always on horseback
Each man and horse seemed the same
animal. Their sabers clanked in uni
son, and they were chatting and laugh
ing as if they had come to the south
with only the most peaceful intentions.
When they reached the gate where Sou
RI stood, one Of them, lifting his hat
politely, asked.
"Would ye mind me goin to the
well for little water?'
In the brilliant display that was re-
vealed by the lifting of the mans hat
Souri, recognized head she could never
forget-the head of Corporal Ratigan.
why" she said, "ain't you Cor
poral Ratigan?'
II am, me young lady, and if Ohm
not mistaken ye're one of the party that
was goin through the lines one day
few weeks ago."
Jakey at this moment came around
the house in a fashion at which he had
become expert at school. This was turn
Ing handsprings sideways like a cart
wheel. Seeing the soldiers, he suddenly
remembered his dignity as former vol
unteer ald-de-camp, and Strengthening
up pulled his hat down over the back
OF his head and tried to look military.
True, his hair was in his eyes, but his
military training had only been for one
morning, and Jakey's hair was ALWAYS
in his eyes. Doubtless it would have
required months Of training from a
drill sergeant to get it to growing any
other way. Approaching the fence, he
climbed it and sat with one leg on each
side of it.
''Do ye know me, me boy?" asked
Ratigan.
''Does I know one O. them signal
lights on tn mounting?''
"Oh, Jakey," sighed his sister.
"Well, me lad,' pursued the corpo-
raj. laughing. "Who am I?''
Rats -e.-.. ...
II see ye have good memory. Rats.
It's quare ye should have remembered
that" And the corporal ohuckled good
naturally.