The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-09-29


sort o. weddin's dat my young maister
got married at. Big supper. dance all
night an de whole crowd stayin' dar
sebrel days. Table fairly loaded down
wild ev'rythIng ye could think of Ole
Ferginyer ham. ole Eerginyer cured ven :
son, ole Glorster pint oysters an ole
Ferginyer mountain dew fom beyant de
Blue ridge. an wine an egg nogg twel
yer coudden hole yer bref. An evry
now an den ole cunnul SAID "Gennul-
men,, iine mel" An dey'd step up to
dc long 'hogeny side board where de sli-
yer chewreens an things was stacked,
an doy'd mix de peach an'de honey. an
DOW ter one another an say, MY rec
CARDS, gennulmen," an drink 1T OFF,
while de niagers stan'in' 'roun' wild dey
white APP uns on ter wait on de table II
feel dey moufs 'rly waterin'. Den
gled brass ban Germans, but de reg lar
ole time swipg-corners, an de whole
iF% ersanyeT Tin Tee AnnP pompey Row GiS
was de boss fiddler, wId two mo- o. dem
tide-wster niggers--,young uns, ye know.
Dey's an orful petite set. dem darkeys
down bout Clorster Pint -reglar 'risto-
oratick niggcrs dat knows what's what.
Come o. de vocations, l spec. And fid-
| dle-Lord, you ies orter to heered dem
niggers swingin' o. de bow. De pictures
on de wall looked like dey was gwine to
Slep GOWN OuJ nc frames an 1lne0 at
| reel. Eben de preacher what married de
couple soon after Pomp stuck up marches
ODER to de side board an takes peach an
honey in his on wld de Curnnul, an de
fus' thing | knowed he was jerkin' eZ
lively hoof CT any in dat crowd. Well,
after de doin's was done ended we came
back up here to de mountains, an Marso
Berk and Miss Agnes settled down at de
Grass Lane place DAT ole marster gin EN-,
an such another happy couple / never
seed, an | waited on 'em an | think dat
dey loved one another bout jes de same
--dar warnt much difference. But l
noticed bout ds time Marse Berk was
eternally an foreber comm up her ter
make speeches out dar in front O. de
court house. an down on Grass Lane KEEP
readln' O. de newspapers, An de fus'
thing L knowed he had done gone an
got him cavalry company, an used to
have drill every day. An den one May
mornin | reCollects it as well ez II it
was yesterday-he comes ter me an he
seq: 'Envion, saddle de horses an git
yerself ready ter go off wild me. De
Yankees is pas de Potomac an my
company is ordered out. In two hours
everything was ready an de bosses a
standin' at de do. DE sun was shinin'
ez bright and purity as | eber seen it. de
green was on de trees good, an de willow
bushes all along de bank o. de creek in
front o. de house fairly sparkled in de
light. De cherry an de apple trees was
all in blossom an de birds was singin'
like dey was gwine to bust demselves
Yes, sab, de place looked mighty beauti-
full, an it did seem pity like 10 leave it.
But de purtiest thing was Miss Agnes, a /
in white,a standin' dar in de porch whar
de honeysuckle vines was a giowin'
waitin' ter see Marse Berk mount an
ride away.
- cndden let you go, my darling.
oha eto bnr
coat sleeve, but or made fac dat |
know yer country calls yer. an It's yer
duty. Ez it is, yer stayed L cudden love
yer as L do
"An den do tears come in her eyes
when he put his arms about her-an'-
an | looked away.
''We mounted de bosses an rid off, an
when we turned in our saddles dar she
still stood neat de honeysuckles all white
an beautiful shadin' her eyes wild her
han an watchin' us go.
Dat was de las time dat he ever seen
her, Up an down. roun' an about Marse
Cap'n Berk an I carried our cavalry
company, fightin' an scri,n magin'
wild de Yankees, an manuverin'
aroun' generally. Ontil at las dey OF
us over yander beyond Culpepper Court
House, at dat place dey calls Manassas.
T T.iirsor GEN. had borygard an Gent
snljors in de country to whoop up de
Yankees dat was comm. l most com
monty stayed ter de rear an TUX keer o.
de baggage when de fghtin' was goin'
on, hut dat day Marse Berk seq he:
Envlon you must come wild me. Mebbe
I'll be kilt down here today, because it's
gwine to be big fight. an eff so, dar's
letter in my pocket ] wants tux back
ter yer Miss Agnes"
$50 dat day when de lines o. infantry
was a-deplorin' an a filadin an car
ryln' or, ar, Marse Berk was sittn' dar
on his boss wild his saber up agin his
shoulder in fornt O. his company. l was
right by him. An den de bugles sounded
all on sudden an Marse Berk he said
Charge! Right down on de Yankees
In front o. we rid, wild de horses a snort
in an bright swords q shinin' in de sun,
light. 1t would looked offul purity eff
self, Niger yer times come now, sho =
but rid on wild EN-, close up to Marse
Berk. We charged agin de Yankee
tanks on our hoses ez we met dem COM
in upon der launches. De way de pis-
tolls was goin pop! popN was eau
in an cussin' ar rattin' O. swords an
scababrds an tin canteens never heared
in all my born days. But Marse Bcrk
never said word. He rid right on sill
ent, wild his saber a falln' right and left,
till all on sudden l seed de sword softer
iuiNoi hhsc was WatculH on MN
all de rime-an' den he flung up bof arms
in de air an rolled tor one side.
:" My God, for Miss Agnes, seq I, an
l kotched him in my arms an draggin'
him often his boss ter mine, l rid out O.
dat bloody mix wild him ter der rear. A
bullet TUX me in de shoulder-if my shirt
was Off you could see de mark dar now.
sab hut didn't never stop for dat.
kerried him out O. de reach O. dem
whistlin bullets en- laid him down on de
groun ez sof' like ez | could. He groan-
an den sort o. gogglin' sound kim in
his troat, an l knowed dat dat was de
las on HIM. l reached down in his
brcas' pocket, whar he had toe me de
letter was, an TUX it out. Oar was lot
O. blood on de corner of it, but [ put it
IN my pocket ter take ter young Mstis
Jest so. buried him dar dat night on
dat field. dog his grave wild my own
hans an | laid him away widout coffin or
SO dat | would know whar to find him
when Miss Agnes seut ME arter him
again.
An den widout sayin' nothin' to
General Borygard or General .Jonhson,
widout no passport or noJhn' 7 sot out
fer home wld dat letter. l never shall
forgit IN till my dyln' day de look on
Miss Agnes face when she see1 me
slowly comm up over dc big front gate.
She stood on dc porch lookin' out like
she looked dat May mornin' when we
lett her. an at fust she started to ds me.
Den l seed her sort O. ketch at de piller
by her side. an when / got dar her face
was whittier dan MaIse Berkeley's was
when de jeath grip was on him, an she
sort o, gasped out at me:
'Envion. is he dead?'