The Press., 1901-07-04
'V'...'T''.'
:: M N (yN[ENIPIE|G7 ED :
!: uu PLEASURE.
A Story Of the Civil War.
BY FANNY DAY HURST.

A Story OF the Civil War.
:; BY FANNY DAY HURST. /;
*.."..!..".! !.."..*
The period, the early part of the civil
war; the scene, one Of the stately old
homes that have made the Blue Grass
State famous for it's hospitality; the
chief actor, a stanch little rebel, who
gloried far more in the fact that in this
awful time of war her husband was
one of the bravest in Morgan's brave
band of rough riders than she did in
the knowledge that in the times of
peace no other home in all Kentucky
showed more elegance in it's appoint
ments than did hers; the exact time,
an early morning In the early summer,
when the Inhabitants of the town had
awakened to find that, although few
hours before they had gone to sleep in
Dixie, with ''Desha's boys" camped in
one of the fine old woodlands just west
Of them, they had seemed to awaken in
Yankeeland, for their streets were fill
ed with 1000 bluecoats under Colonel
Landrum.
Coming from her room on the MORN
ing in question, with her boy in her
arms, Mrs. PEBBLES met at the door
two negro women, their black faces
filed with terror and their bodies quiv-
ering in an agony of fright.
"What Is it, nanny? Quick! Has
anything happened to-
Her mistress anxiety dispelled her
own fright in an instant, and the elder
Of the two answered: "Mass Jeems?
No, chile, bcess Gawd, l hopes he an
GinI Mawgin is still mekin hit wawm
TO- de inimy In Ten'see. But dis mawn-
In befo' was up Kit come a-reshin to
my cabin an say de Yankees done got
us, an sho' 'nuff, Miss Annie, de towns
done live wild 'em. Heah, gimme dat
chile, honey, kaze you'se gwine drap
him sho'. Sit down, now, an dom take
on SO. / might a. knowed you couldn't
stan dis fright"
"But what has happened to our
boys?" Mrs. PEBBLES asked, stepping to
the door and glancing into the street
at the line OF soldiers Stationed at in.
tervals as far as she could see. 'Were
many of them killed?"
"Whut dat you say?' And Easter's
face spread into a grin. ''Not much
am dey killed. Dey done got de news
dat KunI Landrum comm wild a big
Yankee ahmy, an dey jes' fol- up dey
tents an lef', an dey amt sprecify no
regrets, nuther. Dey do say, Miss An
ME, dyah a comp'ny brack niggers
'mongst de Yankee soldiers an dat we
| all IL have to feed de whole kit an
Doodle of 'em."
The little woman's eyes flashed as
she answered: II for one shall not
feed any Yankee soldiers, and you may
send for me II any Of them come
around. All, good morning, uncle!'
The last was spoken to negro sol
der who wore the blue uniform and
who had come up the walk as she
spoke.
"Good mawnin, missis. jes' wants
to use yo' saw eff you can lemme have
1t fo' little while. We done mawch
all night, an we's mighty tired an hon
CRY, an we has to cut some wood fo'
de fahs."
"Yes, indeed. OF course you can
have the saw" answered Mrs. PEBBLES
quickly. Exit, show the man where
to get the saw, and let him have the
woodhorse too." TT
| A suppressed laugh from behind her
brought smile to Mrs. PEBBLES face,
and she turned to the older negro to
say:
NANNY, 1 am sure that negro was
ten feet high.'
"NO, Miss Annie, 'twarn his bein q
big man whut done hit, but you knows
you aim gwine turn no hongry nigger
frum yo' do. 'Tain't in you, an you
can't do hit, even eff you does wanter
kaze he got on dem blue clothes"
A few days later martial law was de-
clared. What was coming no one knew,
and so strict was the surveillance
that not one word could be got from
the outside world. When the military
rule had begun, the supply of food had
seemed large enough to last perhaps
six weeks, but at the end of the first
month the supplies began to run low,
yet neither market gardener nor gro
Ger was allowed to bring food into the
town. Evidently the Federals were
getting ready for the early advance of
q Confederate troop and were using
every precaution to prevent the enc
my gaining any advantage.
One evening during this anxious time
as Mrs. PEBBLES sat in the twilight
grooming a lullaby to her baby boy
Easter came into the room and asked
in low tone:
/ A.
nieT'
mot quite, nanny" the mother an
swered and smiled to see the little fell
low sit up and hold out his arms to the
old nurse, who said:
"Dat's right. Come to yo' nanny,
honey, an she'll tell you about Brer
Rabbit. Dyah is Yankee capting In
de library, Miss Annie. an he says he
mus see you, dat dyah some business
he mus talk to you about"
| When Mrs. PEBBLES entered the libra
ry, the soldier stood looking at a PIC
eure of her husband that hung over the
mantel.
A sudden fear seized her. Was II
Morgan's men whom the Federal had
expected and had a skirmish already
occurred?
"Oh, sir" she exclaimed, "do you
bring me news from my husband"
He was an elderly man, and as he
turned and saw the white face, with its
pleading eyes searching his own, he
pressed her gently into large rocker
whose arm she had clasped for support
and said rather to himself than % hARs