Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-04-08
Written for the Oxford Democrat
A REBEL WIFE.
BY MRS. II. E. II. ALLEN.
PART FIRST.

PART FIRST.
Somewhere in Northeast Missouri Ol
one of the tributaries of the Mississippi
there is little town that, before th'
war, was place of considerable impor
tance-a county seat and the principal res
idence of the aristocracy of that region
The town was built on picturesque
bend of the little river that in dry
season was merely chain of mud
puddles, but when swollen by heavy
rains, raging flood that tore away
bridges and laid waste acres of the ricf
bottom lands along its course. Although
beautiful for situation and bearing the
high sounding historic name of Water.
loo, the little town itself was never in
its most palmy days distinguished f0,
fine buildings or handsome streets
Having been settled almost exclusively
by immigrants from the older Southern
states, it resembled many of the small
towns one might have seen thirty ol
forty years ago in various parts of the
South and Southwest-perhaps may be
seen there still In some localities. Many
of the houses were low one story
structures with rough stone chimney
built up on the outside at one of the
gable ends, sometimes at both; few had
ever boasted a coat of paint, though here
and there whitewashed log house re-
lieved the general dinginess. 1t was no
uncommon thing to see, even in the
business part of the town, swine rowing
about at their own sweet will, or taking
a bath in the sticky red mud that after
every rain made the unpaved streets a
terror to inexperienced pedestrians.
The number of dogs one saw at every
turn might have raised the query if every
man and boy in the place had not a
canine following of two or three. AS to
the people one saw walking in the
streets or gathered about the shops and
stores, a New Englander's first impress
sion would probably have been that
nobody there was ever in a hurry. IT
some had not attained to ease with dig
nifty, they seemed to enjoy comfortable
share of ease without it.
The weather. and more aristocratic
portion of the community-families who
claimed that the blue blood of old
Virginia or Kentucky ran in their veins
occupied residences on the sloping
sbluffs" that overlooked the town.
These were generally wide roomy houses,
plain in exterior, but with an air of
substantial comfort about them and
perhaps not without luxurious furnish
ings within. The finest of these, a
mansion shaded by stately oaks and
set in the midst of thickets of rose
bushes and ornamental shrubbery, was
the home of Judge Harwood, promi-
nent social and political leader in the
county. The Judge was fine specimen
of the Southern gentleman, affable,
courteous, a generous neighbor and a
genal host, delighting in large hospi-
tality. Although native of Virginia,
rolghing it for dozen years or more in
the West, whittier he had come to repair
dilapidated fortune, had worn OIL
somewhat of the old Virginia stateliness.
There were two things of which he was
extremely proud, his birth in the Old
Dominion and the ''sOle daughter OF his
house and heart" whom he had named
for his beloved native state. Perhaps
his pride in the latter was even greater
than his state pride and not altogether
to be wondered at, for certainly Miss
Virginia Harwood was an unusually
pretty young maiden with the vivacity,
the easy grace and the charming natural
ness of the typical Southern girl.
"Thereby hangs tale. Several
wears before the war, Judge Harwood
had met on board Mississippi steamer
a yopng college graduate fresh from
New England. Pleased with the young
mans appearance and learning that ne
was a teacher in search of position, ne
had persuaded him to make a profess
sional venture at Waterloo. 1t was in
this wise that Henry Cotton drifted into
this sleepy little town, and, unpromisinG
as the field looked at first, soon found
himself the popular principal OF flour
ishing select school.
Previous to his coming, Miss Virginia
-Ginnie as she was usually called
had entertained lofty contempt Tor
Yankees. Not that her personal knowl-
edge of them was extensive, for although
there are not many hooks and corners
of the world where they have not pene,
trated, Waterloo had hitherto attracted
few waits or strays of that obnoxious
genus. But from her childhood she had
heard them satirized and ridiculed, had
been told that New England, more than
all other portions of the North, was the
home of horrid abolition fanatics, and,
like the average Southerner OF that day,
she could conceive of nothing lower
down in the social scale than negro
.vmnatbizer. That a Yankee could
actually be gentleman would probably
have struck her as a somewhat dououui
proposition. Consequently when i've
specimen materialized in her presence In
the person of a decidedly handsome
Young man of refined aspect and a
bearing both dignified and graceful, she
was too much astonished to put on any
lofty or condescending airs. 81 don't
care if he is Yankee" she afterwards
declared to friend Of hers, Hes just
splendid, any how, and ike htm."
Miss Ginnie's likes and dislikes were
always of a very positive character. She
never did anything by halves, and when
she constituted herself champion OF
the new Professor" as he was styied
by courtesy, she did it with an enthu,
siasm that overcame all obstacles ana
secured him no small measure OF MS
popularity. A., A..
0pposites attract each other. An
observant eye would soon have perceived
that Ginnies brightness and vivaclty
had wonderful charm for the quiet and
somewhat reserved Cotton. To have a
dark-eyed little witch whose every
glance and smile was charged with a
subtle magnetism, looking up to him,
appealing to him as perfect oracle oi
wisdom and knowledge, was danger
Gus experience even for young mar
whose head was not easily turned
Ginnie's scholarship was of somewhat
superficial character; she had never
been bookishly inclined, and the seiec'
schools OF Waterloo had not always
been of the highest grade. 1t is doubt
full however if display on her part ol
the most brilliant genius would nave
been half as irresistible as the humilit,
with which she was wont to say-some
times even with tears in her lovely eye
-"Oh, Professor, I'm so stupid In
Alf H,,mnec