Daily camera., 1897-01-26

dbiulHS- Jldcc VI al tht iphS' .tSf', III I
less negroes in the neighLGrhood. Shc
had offered the house. gardt and cot
tonfelds still remaining in her hands
to any purchaser at almost any price
but who was there to invest in such
improbable estate at such time?
In The midst of these cares and
troubles. which she could share with
her daughters, were Others which she
could not She burst not let them
know on how slender thread her i:fe
depended That was one secret. held
as yct by their old family physician and
herself alone, because the knowledge
of it would bring such grief to the
girls" There was another, which she
prayed tht., "';ol.i never know because
its very existence brought such grief
and shame to her; Floyd, her youngest
son, her darling, who had fought so
bravely by his brothers side through
the hottest battles of the war, bad "ab-
iured the faith of his fathers" as she
bitterly expressed it-had become init
mate with the federal officers and sol
ders. instead of sticking closely to
reading law in the Office of her old
friend Judge Summers at Quitman.
And then, worse than all. she learned
through his own desperate letter that
he had enlisted in the cavalry. That
within week thereafter. repenting OF
his mad folly" he should have de-
serted the service and fed the country,
was in the poor stricken woman's eyes
no crime whatever. That he, should
have enlisted, sworn to defend the flag
which was to her the emblem of in
solent triumph over the fallen fortunes
of the land she loved, the only land she
ever knew, .ha once happy, sunny
south-that was infamy.
Not until weeks after her boy had
taken the step that made him a fugitive
from justice did she learn, or begin to
imagine the chain Of circumstances
that led to it all. While occupying a
desk in the Office of Summers G. Todd.
attorneys and counselors at law, Floyd
also occupied seat at the table of a
widowed relative who, left penniless
at the close of the war. had to struggle
hard to keep body and soul together.
The efforts of Judge Summers had been
sufficient - save the house in which she
dwelt, and taking boarders" became
her vocation. But paying boarderr
were scarce, and even when her table
was crowded with homeless people hel
pockets were often empty. When
Sweets squadron of the -th U. S. cav
airy marched into town and took sta
ton there, the application Of some of
the officers for "I.ations and quarters"
under her roof was coldly declined.
They went to a hotel, and suffered, as
they deserved, the pangs Of Indigestion.
Later it transpired that two of them
went to church, and this put an un-
looked-for factor into the problem of
how to treat these conquering but un-
popular heroes. Rev. Mr. Pickett. of st
Paul's might condone his parishioners'
refusal to supply them with bodily food,
but it was impossible to refuse to min
ister : to their spiritual necessities.
Their religious faith was identical with
that of his flock; it was in political faith
that they differed. One might decline
70 sit at meat with them, but coull
hardly decline to sit with them at wor-
ship. They could be forbidden to eat
with the elect, but the elect would not
forbid them to pray. Even in the sane
tuary, however, only hostile or ayerted
looks were vouchsafed 10 Col. Sweet
G,ett h
it's doors; but in the course of few
months the women found -hat their SOL
diers-their husbands, brothers. or low
ers, whom The war had spared-werA
actually fraternizing with the Yankee
invaders, and that. h1.e'Ht.. those who
had done hard and honest fighting on
either side there was springing up firm
and honest friendship. The irreeoncil-
ables were limited, apparently. to the
noncombatants. When the squadron
was ordered elsewhere after six
months sojourn at Quitman, the popu-
lace was astonished to find how much
the troopers were missed and really
needed; for even Yankee custom ha
been acceptable in the stores and Yam
kee contributions welcome in the
church. Business had brought Col.
Sweet to Summers Office, and in the
course of frequent visits cordial rela-
tions were established, and Floyd Wal
ton could hardly treat with disdain a
soldier and gentleman whom his
patrons welcomed, even had he long
retained the disposition to do so.
The command had not been gone q
week before men were unnccountabiy
wishing it back, and when it reap
peared, with certain additions, it was
actually welcomed by people who would
have secuted the possibility of such 4
thing the year before. This time Col.
Sweet announced to the rector that his
wife and daughter would speedily fo'-
low, and were even then in New Orleans,
awaiting his Instructions to come. Th.
hotel was no place for ladies in those
rough days; the rector went to Mrs.
Tower, and Mrs. Tower no longer re-
sisted the inevitable. Floyd Walton,
going to tea one rot June evening, was
astonished to find himself in the pres