Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1896-08-21
A REDEEMING ACT.

ways UOIuo tuo IeputdtlOu VI 6t1lau
cowardice ever since he had crawlet
over the side of his dugout cradle tt
wallow along with the underfoot world
on the white sand before his parents
cabin door, Though country born and
bred, a passing thunderstorm STRUCK
him with terror, and the sight of the
black waters of the "crick'' caused a
remarkable agitation of his knees. He
was coward pure and simple. The
bristling of a coon routed him uncondi-
tionally, and determined possum could
rob the henroost before his very face.
Indeed, Dave was a coward, and his
cousin, Sue Spivey, laughed uproarious-
" when the poor fellow perpetrated his
initial and only act of boasting. He
had said to her one day very solemnly
and no doubt sincerely:
''Toe purtec yo' honah an happiness
'ud th'ow away my wuthless life.
Ordinarily Dawes speech was unpol-
ished and provincial, but on this occa-
sion it rose to the dignity of what he
felt the occasion demanded.
Sue knew full well his timorous dis
position and would have thought it safe
to count on his poltroonery in any
event. But day was sadly near which
proved to her the full worth Of the poor
fellows grandiloquent assertion.
Long before the late unpleasantness
and until this day Honeypath was only
{. siding, where occasional trains took
water and passed each other. Two or
three log shanties, without special pre-
tensions to any architectural dissimi-
larity, marked the site of the town, dis
tinguishing it from the vast area of i'm
penetrable swamp that backed it and
the arid waste of sandy bottom through
which the glistening, polished rails Of
the grand trunk line writhed and sinu-
ated. Along that glowing metal high
way troops of both armies passed and
repassed, gazed at curiously by the few
old women and senile males left in the
village, but exciting no other emotion
than a blank curiosity that died out
even before the white mist Ct the fine
sand stirred by the soldl--s feet had
settled tehind the. retreat. ands
Dave was o native of .&5neypath and
lived with All aged father enc of the
shanties. Sue dwell with .el mother in
another near ny. Dawes father was o
hot blooded southerner, whose patriot
ism answered to the first call to arms,
but Dave was tlmid, fearful Of the smell
of powder and refraihed from action,
preferring to suffer the opprobrious cpl
thets which We're literally bestowed up
on him and the contempt of the county
generally to facing he knesy not what
horror upon the battlefield. He was not
philosopher and could not plead in ex-
tenuation of his neutrality that the
martial slaughter of his brother man
was crime and that the wholesale sac
rifce of human life was immoral
Dave was simply coward and accept
ed maekly the obloquy which the con-
dition imposed, not even the taunts and
cutting sarcasm of pretty Sue Spivey
being able to a:o,se the instincts of bat
tie in his craven soul.
Before the strife ended Sues mother
was gathered to her final rest, being
put out Of sight in the little sandy
graveyard, with only the comment Of
the two remaining neighbors. And then
Dave and Sue toiled early and late in
order to wiring from the starving acres
an UNMARRIED livelihood Of yams, corn
bread and bacon, more often the corn
bread without the establishment Of po-
tatoes and bacon, particularly during
the weeks after hungry foraging party
had passed that way.
One day Dave was working among
the young potato vines in an open arid
field behind the cabin, when Sue ran
out to him in troubled haste.
"Oh, Dave, I'm pow'f1l skeered!"
she painted.
''Skeered O. wi1at?" he asked, with,
out intermission of the bent labor.
'Some-some soldiers just went down
the road, an they spoke to me-sassy
like" She hesitated, and Dave looked
up to see her pretty face scarlet and her
brows bent together in angry lines.
well. what did they all say?" he
demanded Ia bis accustomed slow drawl
after waiting In vain for her to proceed.
"They lowed they all was a-comin
back"
"Who was they ennyhow?'' he asked
uneasily, his face blanching in antici-
patton Of the martial visit.
"They was Mosby's men, I lowed,
an they was five of 'em.' -
"Our fellers?' a little surprised and
Strengthening his back. ''Come on back
to the house, Sue,'' and, shouldering
his hoe, he trudged stolidly on before.
Don't you be skeered,' - he continued
as they reached the yard. Il reckon
they won't do nothin.'
Of the two it would have been mani
fest to the most casual observer that he
was the worst "skeered. T" but he walk
ed OH till they reached the house, and
Sue cried out:
''Yondef they come now-all FIVE"
Dawes face blanched to sallow
whiteness, but he pulled herquiekly jp-
side the door.
"What you gwine to do?" Sue asked
he apparently did not hear. He had
taken down rifle that had belonged to
Sues brother, who had also offered up
his life On the altar Of the cause, leav-
ing his weapon to his sister as means
of defense in just such emergencies as
this.
''What you gwine to do, Dave?' the
girl persisted, coming closer and laying
her hand on his arm. Dave shook sever
al cartridges into the cylinder Of the
winchester and waited in silence, ap.
parently not aware that Sue had touch
ed him. Only a few more moments to
wait and then the last act in the COM
monplace little tragedy, A loud pound
Ing at the rickety cabin door and de,
risive, imperative voice demanded;
Eli, in there, open up, Or Well
make splinters of yer ole door, The
threat was garnished by several strong
expie1iyes and accompanied with more
vicious ponnding
Then for answer went the spiteful
snap OF the winchester, followed by a
surprised howl Of pain, more yoluble
profanity and footsteps in rapid retreat.