The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1897-01-05
| iSE@g THE WAR WIDOW.
yny "1iiss Mary" had Cause to Ecmcni-
her tho Struggle of Long Ago.


yny "Miss Mary" had Cause to Eemcni-
bcr tho Struggle of Long Ago.
"What dear little old maid!" eaid
kse Northern visitor, as the charming
goutherncr tripped down the garden
walk, prim little skirts gently stirred
by the autumn breeze, shawl neatly
folded over shoulders which had the
slope of the true Virginia aristocrat,
dark hair banded beneath the close
little bonnct--an ideal type Of spin
sterhood.
Everyone laughed. Miss Mary an
old maid? Why, she's the fercest war
widow in the whole Shenandoah Val
ley. She bit a Union soldiers arm
clean through to the bone once. Yol
must get her 10 tell you the story, It's
very Interesting" The story was in
crcsting-decidedly so.
"You see," said Mary, bending down
to pick an invisible thread from the
spotloss rig carpet rug, "you see, there
had been good deal Of trouble all
along the valley because certain of cur
people were said TO be giving signals
by moons Of lights in the houses at
n,ghi TO the Confederate troops in the
1,ue Rid &c heights. Sheridan was EN-
c1mped all around rs, and he had Is
sued an crder that any house showing
light after dark should be burned to
the grouad. 1t w3s q regular curfew."
"What did YOU do?" murmurcd her
bearer sympathetcally.
Miss Mary's laugh was delightful
thing to hear. No one would have rus
pocted her Of misfortune, and certain
~ not Of the tragic experience OF war.
"Ch, 1t wasn't pleasant, but we all
stumbled into bed In the dark-those
who didn't go to sleep with the chick
erg. Well one night, just at mid
night. me3serg ger rode UP to our door
with note for me. 1t was a note
from ore of my re-. lives, telling me
that my fayorite aunt was dying. OF
course. | had to have a light for the
purpose. ! went up into the garret
and lighted just one little candle"-
all, Miss Mary what meant that odd
gloam In your keen. dark eyes at the
recollection but 1t was seen, and
early the next mornirg regiment Of
soldiers fled into the yard marched UP
on to the gallery and into the kitchen
and proceeded to turn The kitchen stove
upside down, and set fire to the
house. My father expostulated with
the ccptain showed the letter about
my aunt, told him my mother was old
and feeble and liable to die from the
shoclS-lt did kill her. Nothing avail
ed; the houec was ablaze in a dozen
places, and the soldiers began ran
sacking everything.
IL rushed frantlcally up stairs ard
tr,ti 70 ha
able things, our morey-we hadn't
much-and the silver and jewelry. My
two children were asleep on the third
floor. taking their morning nap, when
the excitement began; my little girl of
years ard my baby boy, My first
thought, OF course, had been fer them,
and the negro nurse was directed to
take them to place of safety.
81 could see her In the distance, my
little girl running about, so I took it
fer granted they were all right. But
suddenly l had an spiration--you
know things are told you Just as
though a spirit spol;e-I was dragging
small trunk out when the volce-it
was nothing lcss-3aid, Go to your
children
Il dropped the trunk. ran down to
the quarters; there was the nurse, there
was my little girl, but-there was no
baby. Law. Miss Mary said the STU
pid black creature, wrlnging her hands
and crying, he was SO heavy l could
MT done tote 'em bofe.'
II never stopped. l fairly few back
to the house; the nursery floor was al
ready in flames. Cn the stairs a big,
burly soldier barred the way, l tric J
to Dodge past, but he caught me by the
elbows-Im not v.iy big. you know
and held me out at arms length.
Il couldn't stop to argue; time was
precious. just du lied my head down,
bit at the foshy part OF his wrist and
let My teeth meet. He dropped me
with an oath. l scampered past and
caught up my baby just in time. The
bed clothes were on fire"
A fash of the old bitterness and
storm stirred Mics Mary's mobile fca-
lures for the moment; then she leaned
back, with her own mlbsically South
en- ripple of laughter. well, well,
those days are past, end my b'i"y's
father, and I'm a grandmother, end
you, my dear, were invited to eat Sally
Lunn and drink tea. which Is a heap
more polite than telling tales sg inst
the Yankees. Let's 60 and have our
supper. Now York Tribune.