The Portland daily press., 1898-02-22
COPYRIGHT 1893. BY THE AUTHOR,

hand, though we does nope mlgntlly Tor
our tobacco and little coffee now and
then. But what is pesterin mos Nv us is
clothes. What we goin to do for clothes,
missy? Some Nv the women folks and
chillun is real bad off now"
Miss Turner coughed impressively be-
hind Jessica's back.
''Oh, really, my dear Jessica, this is
too much. Why don't you tell him that
we don't know ourselves where we are
going to get our next pair of shoes?''
She fidgeted as if she would like moth
ing better than to take part in the
discussion.
Jessica's reflective silence moved a
petitioner in the rear to lift his voice
in gentle apology:
''We amt here to find no fault with
you, missy. Thar amt man in this
crowd that wouldn't fight for Marse
Merry's daughter if need be, and he
knows it eff you don't. We JUS corn
cluded that you could think up some
way for us to git hold of some cloth.
This is mighty tight times with all on
us, white and black, but we dom want
to poster you, little mistiss.
s'You are not troubling me at all,
boys. I am only troubled by your trou-
bles. I was wondering why we could
not start looms Of our own. There must
be some among the old women Of the
place who know how to weave
This practical suggestion met with
cold reception. 1t seemed a very round
about way out Of their pressing necessi-
ties.
"Give me until tomorrow night, and
I will tell you if can start loom.
There must have been spinning done on
the place once upon time, for the
looms and spinning wheels are up stairs
in the attic right now"
"In old mistiss' time, +" said Jeptha re-
luctantly, "the women and girls all
knowed how to spin and weave, but.
there amt but one left on the place
now that used to sit at the loom in he.'
day.
"And that one?"
els one we all gives a wide berth te
Savanna that lives on the edge of the
place.
Savanna, then, must help us"
"You just let Savanna lone, missy.
No good won't come of stirrin her up"
81 have seen her once.
"You ISL"
Jessica laughed. eyes. She was not
but shall call on her again tomorrow,
and now, friends, can only repeat that
if you will give me few days time I
think can help you out of this trouble.
We are likely to have others to confront
before our head comes back to us, but
will try not to forget that in my fathers
absence you are all my children, for
whom must look out. Good night"
A murmur of thanks ran through the
delegation, and then the men turned
away, vaguely comforted now that q
white friend was to take some interest
in their case.
81 think, said Jessica, turning
bright face toward her companion, 81
begin to understand that the world has
need even of it's Shorters. l shall thank
her for my lessons at the loom if this
old crone proves refractory. never ex-
pected to utilize any of the accomplish
ments learned in that school. -
Accomplishments. Did that dreadful
woman ever really teach you anything
that could be called an accomplish
ment?"
From your point Of view, no. From
the standpoint of our present necessities,
yes. Who knows but we may have to be
weaving for our soldiers soon?"
81 should think it was not at all I'M
likely, seeing that Mrs. Brownell has
already issued call for all the damask
curtains in the county to be made into
soldier shirts. I am SO glad, by the way,
my dear Jessica, to hear you speak OF
our soldiers. Your attitude throughout
this entire time has been SO peculiar.
"My attitude toward my father and
the men he led into the field is one OF
affectionate solicitude. do not care to
discuss my attitude toward the larger
questions at stake. I am afraid our men
will be in sore need of many things we
cannot provide.
SnOuld say So. OHe WHoio yoaA
since the Apologize sharpshooters took
the field, and what are we the better for
it? When New Orleans falls and Vicks-
burg is taken, which is inevitable, we
will be Theoretically sealed from the
rest Of the world, and we will be crush
ed between the upper and neither mill
stones. Who would have believed it
possible for this thing to 60 on SO long,"
81 fancy it has but just begun.
"Just begun Mercy, Jessica, then
we may as we'll give up! I haven't a
pair Of shoes to my name, and as for
gloves, I really have forgotten how they
feel. "
(Which only goes to show that they
are an effete superfuity!' p said Jessica,
with a note of irony in her voice.
ooh, SO far as that goes, everything
beyond bearskin robes and the moccasins
of the savage can be called effete super
fuities, but having been born in that
station of life which ranks gloves and
wells among the decencies l don't like
to do without them. Really, do believe
won hava mora syJopatbv for tboco