The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-11-13

" sissippi from New Orleans
to Vicksburg and the Con-
federate army OF the transmississippi
department lowering about the western
and northern borders Of Louisiana, the
people Of Avoyelles were in state Of
Insulation which made life harder day
by day and at times appeared to men
ace even the very possibilities Of exist
ence. Commercial navigation Of the
rivers, on which they depended for
much Of their supplies, was stopped.
A number Of the largest planters had
taken refuge with their slaves and ami
mails in Texas and the Indian Terri
tory. The scarcity Of all staples Of
food and clothing increasing from
month to month, labor was but poorly
sustained and diminished crops were
cultivated under formidable and multi
plying difficulties. Medicines were
desideratum sorely needed. Prlvatlons
and suffering were present actualities.
Selfshness grew apace, community
interests waned, social phases disap-
peared, and Indifference to neighbor-
hood concerns prevailed. And thus 1t
was that, though a numerous cortege
attended the obsequies Of Mother De-
shautelles, the doctress, who was
found dead in her thronelike chair,
with Egyptian cotton in her hands and
an unfinished fllet in her lap, yet when
Laure accepted the protection Of Quille-
bert and became his housekeeper, an
event which in normal times would
have set the entire parish by the ears,
the spirit Of gossip and censure mate
rialized now in mere shruggings Of
shoulders and shakings Of heads. On
returning to the cottage after the fu-
neral Quillebert had said to her:
"You cannot live here alone. Your
father and were friends. I am older
han he would be if alive. Do not mind
what these dolts about here may say.
Look to your own interests. Come to
my house. When this war is ended and
I have finished the harvest it yields to
me, may go back to France to end
my days. Perhaps we may then mar
ry."
And Laure had replied,
mo; we will not marry then or ever,
but will go and keep your house. l
have no kin here. 1t is nothing to me
what the neighbors say. can truly
speak worse Of them than they Of me,
and they know it. I am not beholden
to any one and will make my way ac-
,ording to my own notions, not those OF
others"
In the autumn Of 1862 news percolat-
ed into MarksYille and thence spread
RAPIDLY that a terrible battle had been
fought near Perryville, in Kentucky,
between divisions Of the armies COM
manded by General Buell. on the Union
side and General Bragg on the Con-
federate and that Judge Tailleur and
Horace Oakfell had been slain and left
on the bloody field by their reteating
comrades. For many months the re-
port could not be verified or tested,
communication with the army Of the
southwest being cut off by the Federal
lines east Of the Mississippi, but gen.
eral credence was given to it. An add
ed gloom settled upon the people.
Father Grhe stroYe in vain to prevent
these tidings from reaching Estelle.
She staggered as If under bludgeon's
blow, but tears came not to her relief.
Odette knelt beside her and repeated
like a de7otee telling beads: 'tThere is
no proof Mr.. Horace is dead. Then,
mistress, do not believe it" And by
dint Of her strange persistency she
lodged q doubt in Estelle's mind, which
brought her the consolation Of a frail
hope.
Quillebert gave the intelligence to
Laure with. q chuckle and Observed,
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