The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-13

| Ouo ts inClined 10 DeileNe tho' 'hN | ter dinner effervescence of humor IS | carefully thought out before break- | fast: type-copied and sent to the press | agent with a special delivery stamp hurried to publication, snatched by the clipping agent and read with unctious delight by its maker as he rides nome in the subway to his dinner. 50 ma l chine made are we today. It IS the good books like this that tell us oI the delights of living yesterday. But this was the proverbial duiet before the storm. Mrs. Pryor gives thrilling pages of the separation or the States, of the honors of war; or 'ne period of reconstruction
 My husband."she writes was prop ably the first Congressman to wear 'the gray a suit of domestic cloth having been presented to him by his constituents. Immediately Northern member said, in an address on the state of the country, virginia, instead of clothing herself in sheep's wool. had better don her appropriate garb or sackcloth and ashes'.'
 The men most devoted to the coun- try both North and South endeavored to stay the torrent, that was to engulf our land in blood, but the Stars in | their courses" fought against us
  from General Cass. Secretary of State, to her husband after General Pryor's notable speech on the state Of the country: The evening after the speech | was delivered, we were sitting in the | library on the first floor of our home. when there was ring at the door bell. It was snow'-g fast carriage stood at the door, and out of it bun dled a mass of shawls and woolen scarfs. On entering a man-servant commenced unwinding the bundle which proved to be the Secretary of State, General Cass! He was seventy seven years old. What had brought him out at midnight?
 | As soon as ne entered, before sitting down, he exclaimed: MT Pryor, I have been hearing about secession for a | long time, and I would not listen. But now I am frightened sir. l am fright | ened Your speech in the House today gives me some hope. MT. Pryor! I crossed the Cfio when I was sixteen years old with but a mere pittance in my pocket, and this glorious Union has made me what I am. I have ris- en from my bed. sir, to impiore you to do what you can to avert the disasters Ee''h threaten our country with Fu-
 Through the Peace Convention, the | Spontaneous Convention" of the 17th | of April in Virginia we follow the narrative with breathless interest: While the argued and struggled. Lieu tenant Governor Montague entered the hall with momentous news. An ordi- nance of secession had been passed | by the State Convention. This an- tnouncement was followed by a thrill ing moment of silence succeeded by tears of gladness and deafening shouts of applause. The venerable ex-Presi- dent Tyler made a stirring address" Many old time romances are found in these pages lying between the gray CT matters like pressed roses in the pages of ancient tonnes:
 You promised me my answer to- night? said a fine young fellow who had not yet enlisted to his sweetheart.
 "'Well you can't have it. Ben, until you have fought the Yankees said pretty Helen.
 "What heart will I have for fight ing if you give me no promiseT
 "Tll not be engaged to any man un- til he has fought the Yankees said Helen, firmly. You distinguish your self in the war, and then see what I'll have to say to you
 "'But suppose. I don't come back at all! suggested Ben.
 "'Oh, then I'll acknowledge an en- gagement and be good to your mother, and wear mourning all the same--pro- vided-your wounds are all in front "
 How little did these and thousands of others know what war really was.
 A few pages later we, have a glimpse of all the reigning belles of Peters burg gathering to bid the young sol diers God-speed.
 "'We are not to cry, you know said Agnes.
 "'Of course not! said Helen, wink ing away her tears and smiling.
 When the men were on board, and the wheels began to move, Ben leaned out of his window and whispered to Helen, just below him.
 |" Cant l have the promise now, Hell en?'
 "'Yes. yes, Ben--dear Ben, I prom ise? and as the cars rolled away she turned and calmly announced, Girls, I'm engaged to Ben Shepard.
 I'm engaged to half a dozen of them,' said another"
 Helen" was engaged to but one Pages further on we find the end of the romance. A gallant charge on the field of battle. A dead soldier. A heart broken girl.
 It was a story repeated many times over Mrs. Pryor's love for the matrons of colonial days, and her skill in depicting just that period of our history comes uppermost in her chap ter covering the sail down the James to visit her husband, then Colonel Pry- or in camp at Norfolk. There follows very fine description of a typical Virginia tobacco plantation, the home of r. 1zard Bacon Rice. Of the grand flinders" of the time, when each table was prepared to entertain all the neighborhood, a description by an old butler is given:
 "'Yes, sir! We had fine dinners in like temple with pillars, and a rose stuck in the top. There was a wreath of rose roun' all the dessert dishes. Whey billed the ham in cider. We had roas' pig, billed turkey, chickens fried and billed, spring lam, ducks an green goslin'. An every cut glass dish in the house was full of preserves, an the great bowl full of ice-cream an float in island. an tipsey-cake, an cheese cakes, and green sweetmeats, an cit ron" Enough.
 From this portion of the interesting volume we have but the story of bat tie, hardships war The calm, unprej- udiced and unexaggerated account of these things make the book of i'm mense value to people of every sec ton.
 "On May 31, old Joe and Little Mac, as they were affectionately call ed by their respective commands, again confronted each other, and fought the