Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-06-29
THE MOCKING BIRD.

ho ohS Ciose Vi the war, however, q Qarl
/, cloud had settled upon the fortunes of til.
house, Its fields were devastated by thu
!, raids OF contendlng armies Horses ant
cattle no longer tenanted the roolny barns
fhe former having been led away for serv
Ice In the Confederate cavalry, while thu
lat1ef mad been appropriated for food by
Yankee raiders. The silver plate and the
family Jewels had been sent to Richmond
as patriotic contributions to the depleted
treasury OF the Confederacy. Many of the
siaVes had gone to seek their fortunes in
ohe cooler climate of the north, and the
lew VINO now remained behind had learned
chat they, too would have to find homes
elsewhere, for with the death of the young
master on the bloody field of Antietam the
male issue of the Sylvesters had become
extinct and the fortunes of the family had
been lost beyond repair. At first their
faith In their young mistress Anne Syl-
Vester, lmpelled them to doubt the rumor.
Anne, beautiful young woman of 20,
was the only surviving sister of the former
master Her affection for the old place
and her servitors was unmistakable. but IL
soon became apparent to all that the IN
happy girl was indeed face to face with
ruin and was powerless to obey the die
tates Of her heart
For almost year after the surrender
of Lee at Appomattox Anne Sylvester
| tried to fight against fate Then, re]uc-
family confessing her impotency, she relin
| quished the struggle and prepared to bid
farewell to the scenes and friends of her
glrlhood A distant relation in Nashville
had offered her home, and in the spring
OF 1865 she began to make preparations for
her departure
On the evening of the day preceding her
leave taking of the old house Anne went
into the garden to sit for awhile among
the shrubs and flowers which had only
lately opened their perfumed petals to the
warm spring air. She was ACCOMPANIED
by her cousin, Mary Edgerton, who was
interchangeable in her efforts to alleviate the
sorrow OF the unfortunate girl.
upon arriving at a rustic bench beside
the trunk of lofty oak they seated them
selves, and for several minutes both were
silent
At length half smothered sob issued
from the breast Of the unhappy Anne, and
her cousin, rousing herself from reyerie |
into which she too, had fallen, placed an |
arm around her and drew her closer.
Come. dear be brave Perhaps all |
these things you love SO fondly may one
day be yours again. There must surely
come time when all these ravages of war
Will be obliterated, when prosperity will
come back to the south once more Per-
haps"-
Pm not thinking of that, DEAR" re-
turned Anne sadly.
A shadow crossed Mary's face for a mo-
ment Then she opened her lips to speak,
but her cousin interrupted her:
All, things have changed SO in the last
four years that I sometimes feel that it
will do me good to go elsewhere for lit
tie while. The old place is full of pleasant
memories, but sometimes get to thinking
out here, Mary
She hid her face in her hands, but in
few moments she raised it again.
"See, Mary, seel" she continued as she
pointed to neighboring magnolia. ssDo
you see that trees Do you remember how,
On those warm spring nights, the hooking
olrd used to sing among the blossoms and
now often you and have sat out here and
listened to its musicf Year after year it
came while the magnolia was in bloom.
Then one year 1t left us suddenly and has
never visited us again. Do you know what
happened on the night heard it lastp No,
40. How can you know? You were not
With me then, Mary"
Come, darling, calm yourself" re-
nonstrated her cousin gently.
I'm tell you, DEAR" continued Anne.
more quietly ''It has been the only one
Il all my secrets that l never told you of. ..
t IS just four years ago tonight since I
at here with Andrew Cotton, listening to !
ne knocking bird, as you and I SO often !,
sed to do, and never before had it's notes !
eemed half so beautiful. Andrew and l !
ad been talking of our future and of the )
ONE that he was going to take me to,
At last, while the knocking bird was .
lnglng, while, with my head resting on
Is shoulder, was looking over the moon Y
. lawn and through the dark cluster of =
oplars-at the castles we had been build =
1g In the air-he gently told me of his =
urpose to enlist in the ranks of the men Z
no had invaded our country and laid it :.
asUe. AS ne spoke my heart rebelled :
ga1nst him and babe me cast him out. l =
,se ana ordered him to leave me- He y,
but refused to listen to what -
> had to say. I told him he had been ID
Use to me and traitor to the state to =
hich we both owed allegiance. Then I y
lrned away and left him standing there -
one. ~
The night after our quarrel went !
to the garden, hoping in my heart that "
would find him there, but resolved that ~
ne spoke to me would treat him as ~
ID done the night before. He did not Y
me again, and since he left have not re
R,,t a.
at since the moment when I told him =, =.
at all was at an end between us the !! ~
'eet voice that used to come to us from A.
magnolia tree has not been heard again =.
any one about the placer That Is why ~
Is old garden has become distasteful to
,, and am not as sorry to leave IT as
u fancied might be-
DO you love him stjll9" asked Mary tn
lily as she took her cousins hand. tic
Yes, " answered Anne as a dark flush he
sntled her brow. If, after what he told col
!, he had altered his Intention because of an
fear OF losing me, should have de- DO,
sed him. | hated the convictions he SIN
Dressed, but respected them because :
conscience told him they were true. If
had been false to his conscience, then
might have been false to me in later for
'rs. !" hat
Anne paused, and for several minutes VIII
ii we're silent 9
Perhaps, " said Mary, but she said no
re- for at that moment she was CON sno
ous Of once familiar sound that broke 9
full and clear upon the stiffness Of the g
TUNED air. Note after note of joyous, the
! thrilling melody seemed to awaken
silent garden to the consciousness Of
Nat
lutte and breathless, Mary olutched at n
arm Of her cousin. But Anne had
n and was standing, pale and motion F
!, beside the seat which she had yacat. roui
Her eyes were turned toward the left, turr