The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-04-12


says the leader. Three or four of the
stoutest fellows raised the peddler and
were about to carry out their instruc-
tions when suddenly there comes MUIR
muir from the rear of the group.
.'Heah's de missus! Heah Mis- Ham
ilton Hole on, now, boysl
They let fall their burden and parted
respectfully as handsome matron IN
a white muslin gown, her head held
proudly erect and her brilliant brown
eyes flashing with anger, steps into the
center Of the group.
"Who is this poor fellow? What
have you been doing to him, Sambo?'
che demands. .'How dare you treat
man like that on my plantation! III
have you all horsewhipped!' Growing
more and more angry as the darkles
stink back without replying, she stoops
over the peddler to see the extent Of his
injuries.
.eAnswer me, Sambo," she reiter-
ates. "What has this man been doing
that you should so misuse him p
The burly Sambo covers before her
scornful, steady gaze.
"He war tramp, Mis- Hamilton, an
yuh allus tole ne that no tramp war
lowed on dis heah plantation, so we
war jes' a-gettin hilh off'n de place.
an
..That will do, sternly interrupts
the mistress of Reserve .Brutes You
would have killed him if you had had
time, 7 presume. Lift him up, now,
you two men, Sanbo and Jonas, and
carry him carefully to the house. AS
for the rest Of you" looking about the
group. .1'll attend to you later, and,
picking up her gown. she leads the way
to the house.
The peddler is put to bed in small
room in the rear of the mansion. Mrs.
Hamilton herself brings cold water and
soft linen and binds up the ugly cut
in his forehead a pretty little girl, with
brown eyes, clinging to her skirts. Lat
er he is given food, and that night
slept, for the first time in many weary
weeks, without the open sky above him
or a haystack or disused old shed for
his bedchamber.
By the next day he is able to sit up
and show his wares to his preserver,
who buys literally of his household
goods-linens, laces and o few gew-
gaws-and also distributes calicoes and
ginghams among the women. Then,
with generous sum in his pocket and
a new pair of shoes on his feet, he bids
farewell to Reserve and again starts
forth on his travels with a light heart.
'sI shall never forget you, madam,
and your great kindness to me, = he says
in parting. ''It may be that the time
will come when I can serve you. And
the lady cf Reserve graciously bends
her head and wishes him successful
journey.
Five years passed. There were many
changes in Reserve Devastating war
had robbed the household of its stalwart
young master, Percy Hamilton, who, at
81, led his company to victory one sum-
mer day and fell before the Yankee
bullets. The darkies scattered at the
first sound Of war, and, without serv-
ants, the plantation declined and fell.
So did all the other Hamilton fortunes,
and in 1865 Mrs Hamilton, with lines
of care in her face and gray hair about
her temples, found herself obliged to
dispose cf the land for mere song to a
shrewd speculator who scented profit
from the rich soil.
She took her daughter, now maiden
budding into womanhood, and went to
live with some New Orleans friends, q
broken and sorrowful woman. Early IN
the seventies a party of New Orleans
merchants took a trip up the Mississlp-
pi for combined purposes of business
and pleasure They had large plans for
improving the land and raising cotton.
Incidentally. they had capital enough
to spare
zone of the richest and most produc-
tive plantations before the war was
along here somewhere below Natchez, :
said one merchant to another as they
stood on the vessels deck, looking OF
into the country. "NIy agent secured 1t
for me the other day. and l propose that
when we land you and I take car
riage and drive out, SO that l can take
look at my newly acquired property. :
The friend, tall black haired, eagle
eyed merchant of the southern city,
readily agreed, and the two carried out
their plan that afternoon.
They found the deserted plantation
without much difficulty. Deserted it
was indeed and forlorn In the extreme.
No trace left of the neat white fences,
nor semblance of we'll kept rcadways,
no thick foliaged live oaks hung with
strings of 1noss-all gone, swept away
before the relentless scythe of war. a
few tumhledown sheds marked the
place where once stood a group of tidy
servants quarters, but the mansion,
once pillared and luxurious looking
had long since gone to ruin, the VIII
dows broken, the walls crumbling
where they stood.
The tall, black haired merchant
looked in silence for Il few moments as
they drew rein in front Of the house.
s.Do you happen to know what was
the name of this place before the wal
and who owned it," he asked his com,
panion.
..Reserve, believe they called it,
replied the other ga Mrs. Hamilton