The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-01-28

Capt. Bib paused to note the effect of
his speech, and his friends took another
drink all9ar0und. Already they were all
more or less under the influence OF the
liquor drunk under a hot sun, and their
oaths and actions were shocking to the
peaceable, orderly, clean-speeched Wart-
| burgers.
WAS meint der Kerl? Was will err
| tremblingly asked one of the patriarchs,
| relapsing in his excitement into the old for
| gotten German speech which he had
| scarcely heard or used since he was a
| child
Though my troubled mind began to re-
| call what had heard and seen in my pas
sage through the South, answered in the
same tongue:
| That know I not entirely
Attracted by the startling strangeness
| OF the music of fife, drum and bugle, the
women came from their houses toward the
mill-elderly danes dragged forward by
their eager grandchildren; buxom wives
| with babes in their arms, and brood fol-
| Notwithstanding at their skirts; girls just
blooming into maidenhood, with long,
heavy braids of hair hanging down their
backs, faces round as apples, pink-and-
white skins, and big, soft eyes like young
/ AcAcIs. 1Hey Ill wore the WnlIc linen
| caps of their German foremothers, and
long, housewifely aprons made from the
| linen spun and woven by their own hands.
| The boys crowded around the new-com-
ers and gazed with open eyes and mouths
| at their strange faces. stranger clothes,
and still stranger swords and revolvers.
| The young men grouped themselves around
| the maidens, and passed the simple, old
neighborly jokes with them. Brawny,
l N ha rda h1Ic ha hal. bod
hairy and red from exposure in the fields
| went to the sides of their wives and took
| from them the babies and stood waiting
| quietly for the outcome which the elders
were to decide.
"As was the custom when anything un-
usual occurred in the neighborhood the
patriarchs drew off by themselves in a
little group to talk over the startling IT.
ruption, and determine what to do. It
was as impressive and authoritative a
| gathering as sitting Of Legislature or
Congress, and no man under so presumed
to approach. during its deliberations.
Capt. Bibb came over to me as stood
little apart from all the rest, and in
qnired:
go. Where are you from, and what are
you doing in this settlement?
I am a schoolmaster here, and preach
on Sundays. answered.
What have you been teaching these
people as 10 their duty in this crisisy
What ,crfsisY asked.
Why the war. You know very well
what mean, be said irritably, for he had
drunk enough to be quite impatient
What have yoh told them about going to
the defense OF their counfryT
"'What WARP asked in ,amazement.
He looked at me angrily for an instant
but the entire sincerity with which asked
the question at length seemed clear even
to him. V,'
HE asked eontemptuously, is it possi-
Bile that you Dutch cove-steers here are so
stupid as mot to know there is war
Il surely do not, and Of course they
Bt9ti.r HsSs Ts get into trouble with the
'He garS me a aespiseful look as he
"sThe British? No, you, mountain
mole. With the Yankees, the Abolition
"sWith the Abolitionistsv / echoed.
sWhy. thought that they hung old John
Brown and the. rest OF the Aboiitionists
that they didn't kill, up at Harper's Ferry
three or four years ago.. - -
He seemed almost on the point OF
bursting with scorn at my Ignorance, but
was interrupted in what he intended to
say by the patriarch Of the elders coming
up to inquire in the quaint, old speech OF
the Bible, which they had all used since
their German had died into forgetfulness.
what manner of men are We, whence
came ye. and wherefore come YET asked
Father MeIilot.
Capt Bibb turned to answer him with
rough impa thence, but the simple dignity
Of the aged man awed him into respectful
speech.
"We had all thought how much Father
Melilot resembled the picture of Moses in
tho old German Bible had brought into
the settlement with me. Taller than most
OF the Wartburgers. his so Years had
slightly bent his broad shoulders His
forehead was high and wide. his eyes large
and calm, and direct in their steady gaze.
His abundant locks, washed white as
wool by the SHOWS of fourscore Winters,
fell far down his shoulders, and on his
breast lay full-fowing beard, white. as
his hair. and which had not known shears
for a lifetime Of young men.
~ssGapt.. Bibb answered.:
Well, Grandfather, we are Confeder-
ate officers
Confederate officers" repeated Father
Melilot. slowly going back to his Bible
knowledge for understanding. isaiah
says that Syria was confederate with
Ephraim against the Lords anointed.
do not understand you.''2 sa tas
"'Why, we are officers of the Cenfeder-
acy--the Southern Confectionery you know
said the Captain with little qniekness,
for the old mans calm elaboration dis
turbed him.. The Confederacy, you know
he repeated.
-" Say ye not, confederacy, to all them
to whom this people shall say confeder-
aey; neither fear We their fear, nor be
afraid. spoke the old man, slowly, recall
ing the words which We're to him and all
his people the guide Of theft every act In
life.
whats that got to do with It, /
don't understand said Capt Bibb impa-
tiently. We've come up here to get your
young men for the army. and they've got
to go with us, or there'H be trouble
'Sanctifyd the Lord of hosts Himself;
and let HimIbe your fear, and let Him be
your dread z replied the venerable patri-
arch with iriai sfbw, even speech. - ts'
".WeIl. Iodidn't come here to talk re-
ligion, or listensto texts said Capt Bibb.
No. inlded,a interrupted q tall young
man, with FADES OF hiekory-hardness, and
who Was Eirtswith an old inilitia sabsr and
q holster iskal.Hs He. had come mp during
the Conversations I afterward heard him
called Lieutu Hnnlole.- Mo-. indeed, we
Il s~yA - = -