Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-01-25
A STRANGE PoCKETBooK.


Luck Fitch Perkins in st. Nicholas.
A STRANGE POCKETBOOK.
Sarah Caldwell was little girl
thirteen years old, when, toward the
close of the Civil War, she had
perilous drive, and yet one which
am sure any of you boys and girls
would envy her. One night, after she
had prepared her lessons for the next
day and had little thought of any ad-
venture it might hold in store for her,
her father asked, We'll. little woman,
how would you like to drive with me
tomorrow to Louisville?"
Now, Louisville was thirty miles
from the little Kentucky town in
which they lived and there was at
that time no railroad between the
two places. The drive was one full
of danger, Sarah knew, for the guer-
rillas, desperate band of plunderers
and highwaymen, Who did SO much
harm during the war, were constant
ly waylaying travellers, robbing banks
and raiding the little towns. So
when her father proposed the drive
her feelings were mixture of sur
prise, doubt and delight. our little
heroine was always ready for adven-
ture; and having the greatest conf
dence in her fathers ability to ae-
fend her, if necessary, she seized the
chance to go to the city with him.
She cared not to know his errand, but
felt instinctively that il was an i'm
portant one, for he was busy law
yer, a judge and president Of the bank
Of their town.
So, unquestioningly. Sarah prepar-
ed that night to start early the next
morning. She noticed her mothei
was unusually busy sewing on the
dress she was to wear. although she
knew of no stitches necessary to be
made on it. Yet, she did not wonder,
but with childish confidence went to
bed, radiant and expectant of the
coming days pleasure. You children
who travel SO frequently these days,
in which trains run everywhere at
all times, cannot appreciate the keen
delight of boy or girl forty years
ago, whose trips from home were
red-letter days.
The next morning found Sarah up
for an early start. 1t was late spring
and the day glorious one. The
drive lay over the state Pike" and
led past grassy fields and woods full
of great beech and oak trees, whose
tender green leaves were peeping
forth. The country is so exquisite
ly rolling that often at the top of a
gently sloping but nigh hill a great
panorama of beauty lay before them.
Along the roadside ran gray stone
fences, and now and then tiny chip
munk would bob up from a crevice
between the stones and, scurrying
along, disappear as if by magic. The
noisy blue jays were discordantly cry
ing in the trees, and the busy wood:
peckers industriously hammering,
while from time to time a gorgeous
redbird would fly by, and all the
birds seemed inspired by tine splendor
Of the morning to sing raeir sweet
est.
Watching eagerly all this, and un-
needing any danger that might lie in
their way, our travellers reached Bos-
ton Tavern. midway between their
town and Louisville. 1t still stands
at the foot of Boston Hill, and is
long, low, rambling structure, closely
resembling the inns of old England.
There excitement reigned. The stage
coach stood at the door, and it's pas
sengers were telling of an attack
made on them few miles back by
band of guerrillas who had stolen
their money, watches and the mail
carried by the coach. Here Sarah's
courage wavered, for she had heard
so much of these terrible men. But
on her fathers reassuring her that
they would be too busy escaping aft
er their robbery to modest them, she
was eager to start again. He must
have felt great uneasiness, but his
daughter felt that her father was all
bravery and that nothing could harm
her under his care.
And nothing did harm them, al
though along the path through a big
woods lay mail strewn by the escap-
ing guerrillas.
They reached Louisville in safety.
In spite of the fact that they were to
be there for the day, Sarah's father
took her to a hotel. On reaching
their room, he gravely told her to
take off her dress; and not being ac-
customed to questioning him, she
wonderingly obeyed. Reaching out
his hand for the dress and opening
his knife, he began to rip the skirt
from it's lining; and to our little,
lady's astonished eyes appeared bs
note after bank note, amounE
thousands of dollars Her
had carefully sewed them
the night before, tina
which her father J.
his bank for depe
be carried in
las. .-.s
This