The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-06-15

YOUNG FOLKS COLUMN


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the Beers commence to fire their cannon
at u.s.
How FUNNY cried Elaine. But it
d1dnt seem funny when a few days later
the bombardmtnt commenced in earnest.
One afternoon just before the sun went
down Mrs. Montrose and her little daugh-
ter were sitting in the cozy parlor chat
ting with their cousins and some friends
who had dropped in. Two or three Eng
llsh officers were there beside.
Mrs. MontrO>e was playing soft, pretty
things on the piano and one of the Off
| GERS. who belonged to her husbands reyi-
! mont, was humming the air, when there
was heard a dreadful whistlng noise in
| the air which grew louder and louder,
| and then frightful rcnding crash over
head. The plaster came tumbling down
from the ceiling, raising cloud Of dust,
and the window panes were shivercd to
DIS. The woman present screamed and
the men all jumped to their feet, when
OF God Save the Queen from the old
piano, and above it all could be heard
Mis-. MCntrOSes sweet. unfalterng voice
| singing the words. The other women
| stopped screaming and presently all were
singing with might and main, and now
and then Elaines shrill treble piped up
above the other voices. Out in the street
crowd had quickly gathered at the
sound of the exploding bomb. and as the
notes of the music Swcllcd on the evening
| breeze they stood with barel neadS. join
ing nightly in the song. When it was
over what do You think they did?
| They gave three cheers for Mrs. Mont
| rose and three more for Elaine and then
three for the absent captain.
| IF Elaine had hrcu worry unllrh fright
ened few minutes before she was Il
very proud and happy girl now.
! The very next day she and her mother
were moved to u pit in the ground, which
had been fitted up as comfortably as was
possible.
And oh! such dreadful times as fol-
lowed! Such weeks that seemed like
years. and months that dragged out like
Il lifetime.
Elaine will never forget this period as
long as she lives.
Food grew scarcer and more scarce I'M.
til meal, coarse and about as tasty as
sawdust was the only regular article Of
| diet. All the fine, strong horses had
to be killed ind eaten, and even Elaine
sturdy little pony had to share the fate
Of the other animals Poor Elaine cried
for days over this. and she never could
be induced to eat any meat for fear it
might be the pony.
The officers We're as kind and devoted
as could be. They deprived themselves
en- After Il time things got awfully bad
and everybody rackcd his brains to think
of what new things they might make
food out Of. One day a young lieuten-
ant rushed to the MontrcSeS with shouts
of JOY. saying he had brought them
something fine for supper: and what do
YOU suppose it was? Why. nothing il
| tho lint hol Nv,
the drug store. which he had been ram
sacking. But even Il 1O-ycar-olu girl
will not turn up her nose ut baby food
when there is nothing else to be had
Some time afterward another office.
trembling with excitement and weak
ness. called on Mrs: Montrose and pre-
SSented her with a little cake which he
had paid s. for.
Some enterprisng man had found that
face powder contained RICE and so could
be eaten, and this was what the cake was
made of-facc powder!
can tell you, Mrs. Montrose diln t
even laugh at the idea: she was only too
thankful for it,
In these days no one thought to have
MS shirts ironed-only just pla II washed.
For the people even ate starch. though
It contained blueing and made them look
kind Of funny after they had eaten it,
Somehow Elaine had managed to keep
her pigeons feeding them from her own
scanty allowance OF food, sometimes.
did. For when she could no longer send
letters to her father and the weeks and
even moi1ths went by she knew he must
be nearly frantic with anxiety for their
safety.
One day her mother wrote a long lie: tel
on hne tissue paper, telling the captain
that they were well and not to worry
and then Elaine added few lines her.
self. This message was carefully tied tc
the leg of one of the pigeons and at night
when he could not be seen by the Beers
he was released, and away he flew, and
Elaine knew that in few days her IA
Their would get the letter.
pigeon had been released that the siege
of Ladysmith was raised, and almost the
first man to enter the town was Capt
Montrose.
just happy little family as they were
and what a glorious dinner they haG
that night. Real bread and fresh milk
yes, and real coffee! When Gen. White
ceive their rescucrs Elaine and her par
ents stood in window close by anC
watched. The poor fellow who had beer
so long half starved and weakened by
fever would stand up to salute the colors
and the colonel of each regiment, ant
they would sink down On the ground
When the band played the Irish airs as
a, brave Irish regiment marched by they
checred and waved their helmets Gu thei1
bbayonets: and great, sting men criet
like babies.
And Elaine and her mother had t,
cry from sympathy.
The Mohtroses arc all back in Eng
land now and happier family does MOI
exist. The captain is able to get abou
with the aid of a stout cane, but he i:
not able for active service, and l dom
think that Elaine and her mother are
sorry for this.-Douglas Zabriskic Doty
in Brooklyn Eagle.