Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-04-03

thought to what they heard and feeling
confident that even IL war came 1t
would not AFFECT them.
And now, right ut the beginning, a
battle was being fought almost at their
very doors. Just n few miles away
General Sterling Price and his army of
men In gray were laying siege to Lex
ington and it's garrison of men in blue.
Unused as they were to war, the peo-
pie OF Postum Ridge saw dreadful
meaning In the rattle of the musketry
and the booming Of the heavy cannon.
As bad us war is in reality, to the Inn
agination Of those people 1t was a thou
sandfold worse. 1t filed them with a
feeling Of awe and terror that Is indie
scribable, and they could scarcely have
been more affected had they known
that the end of time was ut hand.
One old man known as Pap Samp-
son. who had long been looked up to as
the village oracle, shook his head
grayely and predicted sad and awful
things to come.
"As have said time an ag'in." he re-
marked, "the people have grown wick
ed an unruly in their stinf necked pride,
an the Lord. he's a-gwine to humble
'em, an he's a,gwine to humble 'em
down into the very dust. I've see it
ascomin for years, an I've knowed the
mind OF the Lord. l knowed he was
patient I'M long sufferin, but knowed
he WANT a-gwine to bear with these
people forever IN that sooner or later
he was a-gwine to humble 'em."
~Oh, my Lord, my Lordr' an old wom-
an walled as she paced slowly back
and forth. frantically wrlnging her
hands. "Oh, my Lord, jest a-listen to
them cannons a-boomin an them guns
a-poppin Oh, Lordy. it's Jest awful
They're a.killin an a-slaughterin IN
a-slayin 'em by the thousands, an afore
It's over with they'll all be killed an
there won't be nary one left. oh,
my Lord, my Lord. It's Jest awfulT'
'sWelf may you say TINT, Gran'mai
Fell" another woman, religious en-
thusiast, remarked, ian well may you
trimble for all them thousands that
are a-bein killed, for they are a-dyin In
their sins IN never stoppin to ak their
selves the question, Where are we
a-gwineY It's the duty Of good Chris
tians to pray for 'em, IN I'm a-gwine
to do It.
suiting her actions to her words, the
woman knelt In the street and prayed
long and fervently, but she prayed all
alone. Everybody else was too excited
Z to listen to her petitions even. much
less take part in them.
TITS sholy awful" Jacob Hicks re-
marked, with an ominous shake of his
head. Pears jest like the whole
world Is goin all to smash an that
pretty soon there amt goin to be no
end to nothin. Seems like can most
hear the groans an the cries Of the
thousands that are mangled an dyin.
Ny Lord. my Lord! wonder what
the world is ever goin to come to any
how"
AN the wust amt begin to come
yit" Ebenezer Sparks said solemnly.
Lord. the war amt fairly got started,
m this fghtln amt nothin TO what it
win be before it's over Jest wait till
you've seed tightin us I've seed 1t, with
Thousands IN thousands of men Alright
IN an everybody a-gittin killed. That
thar's war shure enough"
wonder II that war'l git here7"
some one asked in trembling and fear. !;
At this question the men and women
all looked inquiringly and with wide
eyes In one another's face as IL in
wiling an answer. After short pause
Ebenezer Sparks said confidently:
.Landl OF course that war'll git
here. How can 1t help It when It's SO
nighi Yes. Stree! You bet it'll git
here. Why, them two armies will wal
lop each other oil round over the
country Jest like q passed. of dogs wal
lop one another all over ever'whar
when they git to fightin. Course TINT
war'll GIT here, Jest as shore as any
thing"
= ian wc4l all be killed." one Of the
women exclaimed In terror.
''Most shore to be-" Ebenezer re-
piled consolingly. Don't see how it
can be helped with all them guns an
them cannons poppin away all the time
ever which away. Yes, stree! Ever
body is most shore to git killed, women
an children as well as men,"
At this encouraging prospect the wo-
men set up wailing and the children
began to scream, while the faces Of the
men grew white and their limbs be-
gan to quake.
~Lord, Lord! Thar amt no sparin no
body when them wars are a-gwine on
Ebenezer continued relentlessly, ian
everybody an everything is jest shot
all to pieces same as SO many hogs.
Yes, street What one army don't git
the other does, and atwixt Fem they
make q clean sweep, you bet. oh, my,
I but them wars is dreadful thingsl I've
flt-in 'em enough to know, IN to people
that amt never had no experience
they're Jest awful. But thar amt no
use OF bein skeered, IN IL you all had
ever been in the tight places have
been In you wouldn't be neither.
Land, Jest love war, an amt no
more afraid of them guns than I would
be Of that many gnats. I'd rather fight
than to eat, an IL that battle keeps up
much longer don't believe I'm a-gwine
to be able to hold myself out of 1t.
got to keep q powerful grip on myself
to keep out Of 1t now"
At that moment Jacob Hicks gave 9
start and stood listening intently. From