Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-06-29

| my house is not equal to SO large party,
but If each of you will take glass or tea
cup from tray, I will see that they are
| filled to your liking, and we will drink the
| first toast of the day before we eat. Come
along, there-Sam-Jonas! What are you
| niggers afraid of? One of the pitchers those
| boys are carrying gentlemen. contains
peach brandy and the other apple brandy;
| take your choice"
| When all the glasses and cups were filled
the old gentleman raised his own and ex-
| claimed:
| Gentlemen, the day we celebrater
| The Union and southern commanders
| touched their glasses and bowed, after
| which there was mighty clinking of
| glass and china, and a northern soldier who
| had been church member at home, but
| who had acquired military thirst since he
had entered the army, quoted softly
| MY willing soul would stay
In such scene this,
| And sit and drink herself away
| To everlasting bliss
| Meanwhile there was a great squawking
| of chickens somewhere in the rear of the
house, and soon the doors of cooking. which
| had been perceptible from the first, became
more pervasive and within hour there
were great trays full of fried chicken and
light, puffy biscuits, already buttered, pass
| ing through the hall and about the piazzas
| and over the grass. on which some of the
soldiers were seated. Then the host said,
| very loudly:
| Doctor, will you ask a blessing?" and a
| venerable, sanity faced gentleman advanced
| to the front of the piazza and offered a
| short prayer, and the women and children
arose rafting fire of "Amens" from the
| uniformed fellows, each of whom seemed
| anxious to get in his belated response as
| soon as possible.
| that. Most of the southern soldiers knew
| the native guests. and paid special atten-
| ton to the pretty girls, of whom there
were at least dozen, but they weren't
learned
Union men with whom he had been talk
| ing, and introduced them, ard the Union
| men brushed up their manners rapidly, in
| friendly rivalry with their late foes, and
| the girls soon talked as freely with their
| new acquaintances as If the northerner
was not a mud sill, or hireling, or a foul
invader or anything of the kind
Soon the colored men with pitchers made
| their way again through the throng, and
| again the host arose and requested atten-
| ton.
Washington the man to whom every SOL
| der, 10 matter under what flag should be
/ proud to drink
The toast was duly honored, there was
whispered consultation between the old
gentleman and one of the young ladies.
and then the young lady disappeared, and
| in a moment the notes of Yankee Doodle
came from the ancient piano in the mouse
and the host arose with fine dignity. As
| the last note sounded he raised his hand
! and exclaimed:
whipped the British! Hip, hip"
"Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah"' came from
| two or three score manly throats and all
| the women and children Joined in it, and
| the host shook hands with every one near
| him. and then everybody shook hands with
every one else in reach.
Than came more fried chicken and bis
cults. and more apple jack and peach
| brandy and some one suggested games,
upon which there was a long succession or
| running ard jumping matches. section
| against section. and each section against
| itself. One of the aged native guests sug-
| gested as the sun began to decline that he
| hadn't seen a horse race since the war be-
| gan, which reminded the host that he
| hadn't either, so he requested the two cav
| airy officers to kindly arrange oasn OF
| two, and the hosts eldest daughter, who
| vas quite pretty, took a ribbon from her
| throat and cut it into prizes, and every
| trooper determined to win one of those
| prizes, even if he ruined his horse. The
| ''grand stand" was the fence and the "fn-
ish" the plantation gate. and there were so
| many races that the ribbon had to be d.
yided and Subdivided many times that
| the prizes were finally only long enough to
tie in button hole.
But the greatest fun was Just before
sunset when some girl suggested a dance
| { n the green in front of the house Twenty
men struggled for the right to help move
| the piano to the piazza, and so many long
| ed to dance that the only way to accom-
modate them was to have grand ''Sir
Roger de Coverly," which every one knew.
| There were not enough ladies to go round,
| but the ladies did their best to make up
| the deficiency by sharing the dance with
two or three partners in succession, so
when the dance ended the stars were shin
ing and the night birds singing.
Such a jolly party no one could recall
from the two or three last years, and
| the host seemed the happiest member of it.
no one thought of breaking it up, but,
| the contrary, did everything to prolong it.
Singing followed the dancing. and there
| were good voices in both detachments of
troopers, and as the officers passed the
word that there were to be no war songs
there was nothing in the music to inter-
| rupt the harmony of the occasion.
Once more the beverage-laden pitchers
were carried around The two cavalry off,
GERS began to whisper to each other, and
| then the hostess. and then one of them
shouted:
Ladies and gentlemen. I and my friend
ly enemy have obtained permission from
the hostess to offer toast, which our host
himself might have forbidden. Soldiers,
attention! Here's-our host"'
The other officer in a tunefuI voice began
For he's jolly good fellow"
The officer had the first line all to him.
self. but the noise with which the second
one shattered the evening air frightened
the tree toads and katydids into AFFECT ST.
lence. Then some fellow, who seemed to
think a good thing could not be said too
often, started the old chorus again. and at
ter 1t ended some one said: "Once more"
so once mere it was given.
Then the cavalry officers whispered to-
gether again, and said. in the politest pos
sible manner to their host and hostess,
just as if they were leaving an evening
entertainment at home, that they really
must be going, 1t had been very rude OF
them to have remained long, but such
hospitality was SO unexpected so unusual,
etc.
Il hope. gentlemen" said the host that
You will not resume your difficulty on my
premises"
Not we"' exclaimed one Of the officers
earnestly, while the other said:
Heaven forbid that our men ever meet
again anyw here. with arms in their handst'
Amen! responded the other.
When all the horses Were sadiied and the
men mounted and in some semblance of
column there was as CHEEKY chorus of
good-byes Us was ever heard at an evening
party. The two columns started slowly,
SIDE by side, down the plantation road to-
ward the gate, but suddenly they counter
marched halted. and at a signal they sang
Should auld acquaintance be forgot?'
the company on the piazza adding their
voices. Then the soldiers took up the march
again, but as they naarel the gate they
began once more to sing For he's Jolly
good fellow, AMI one singer on the Union
side was so anSiouS that ,,,s x,oio, ebo,,1a