The Meeker herald., 1905-04-15
A Strange
P0cketb00k

OF the Civil War, she had . perilous
drive. and yet one which I am sure
any Of you boys and girls would envy
her. writes . contributor to st. Nicho-
las. One night. after she had prepared
her lessons for the next day and had
little thought Of any adventure It
might hold in store for her, her father
asked. well. little woman. how would
you like to drive with me tomorrow
70 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 guerrilIas.
. desperate band Of plunderers and
hiEhwaymen, who did so much harm
during the war, were constantly way.
laying travellers, robbing banks and
raidtng the little towns. So when her
father proposed the drive her feelings
were = mixture of surprise. doubt and
delight. Our little heroine was always
ready for adventure; and having the
greatest confidence, In her fathers
ability to defend her. II necessary. she
seized the chance to 90 to the city
with him. She cared not to know his
errand. but felt instinctively that 1t
was an important one, for he was 4
busy lawyer. Judge and president of
the bank Of their town.
So. unquestioningly. Sarah prepared
that night to start early the next
morning. She noticed her mother was
unusually busy sewing on the dress
she was to wear, although she knew
Of NO stitches necessary to be made
on 1t. Yet she did not wonder but
with childish confidence went to bed,
radiant and expectant of the coming
days pleasure. You children who
travel 30 frequently these days, in
which trains run everywhere at all
times, cannot appreciate the keen de-
light 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. II 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 ten
der green leaves were peeping forth.
The country 10 20 exauisitely rolling
that Often at the top Of . gsatiy siop-
inx NJ Him Inn Gs1eat panorama Of
beauty lay before them. Along the
roadside ran gray stone fences, and
now and then tiny chipmunk would
bob up from . crevice between the
stones and. scurrying along. disappear
as II BY magic. The noisy blue Jays
were discordantiy crying in the trees.
and the busy woodpeckers indusrri-
ousiy hammering. while from time to
time gorgeous redbird would ny by,
and all the birds seemed inspired by
the splendor OF the morning to sing
their sweetest.
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. It still stands at
the foot Of Boston Hill, and IL q long,
low, rambling structure. closely re-
sembling the inns of old England.
There excitement reigned. The stage
coach stood at the door, and its pas
sengers were telling Of an attack made
on them q few miles back by q 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 10 much
of these terrible men. But on her
fathers reassuring her that they
would be too busy escaping after this
robbery to modest them, she was eager
to start again. He must have felt
great uneasinass. 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 = 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 but for the day. Sarah's IA
Their took her to q hotel. On reaching
their room. he gravely told her to take
on her dress; and not being accus-
TONED to questioning him. she wonder
tngly obeyed. Reaching out his hand
for the dress and opening his knife,
he began to rip the skirt from its lin
ing; and to our little lady's astonished
eyes appeared bank note after bank
note. amounting to thousands of dol
lars. Her mother had carefully sewed
them In her skirt the night before,
that the money which her father had
to take from his bank for deposit in
the city might be carried in safety
from the guerrfllas.
This was tho end Of an adventure,
but the very beginning of q romance;
for that day Sarah met the young man
whom In after years she married; and
the long drive. which might very cas-
lily have proved 70 disastrous to her,
was In the end worth good husband
and many years Of happiness.