The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-09-03
OR
He OLD SOLDIERS STORY OF THE JAMES
By Col. D. A. Dickert.
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back and gracefully glide apart; then
hands around and back to your places.
Connie s eyes shone like diamonds,
while Dell's were glistening as if he
was in the throes of a great battle.
Old Bones stood upon the box where
he had been sitting, the bones going
over his head, then at arms length,
then again they would blaze out in a
circle, his body swaying from side to
fside. The cross-eyed fiddler sat, with
his eyes burning holes through every
thing he looked at, his face adamant,
but ever and anon he would spring
into the air, the fiddle and bow away
above his head, and bring a whoop
like Ute or Siwash chief, while
Duck was calling all the time, con
with the dance.''
Dell danced every step, I think,
known to modern times. He double
shuffled, then the pigeon-wing, pos
sum trot, and buck scratch. But
! Connie would match him. Her little
feet spun around and around, then
she would waltz up to Dell as if she
would turn him, but she would spin
by and then eoquette, then again face
to face, standing as it seemed upon
her toes in the air. Oh! "such aban-
don,' as the circus folks would say;
such grace and ease, such witching CO.
quetry as the Little Mother display
ed, was enough to run a sane man
mad.
When the revelry was at its height,
and every one in a delirium Of JOY,
bang! bang! went the guns down The
road, and in a moment the negroes
threw everything into wild confusion
by rushing in, their eyes bullying, their
faces depicting the terror they felt,
yelling out:
"Great God-er-mighty!: white
folks, the Yankees are on us; the
| rOaOS Irl1l OF EQem .
| If any Of you ever saw an old
Thomas cat spring into room full Of
mice at play, you can have some idea
of Our CONSERVATION, and the girls
fright. Hot Spur grabbed rifle and
rammed a cartridge home, and others
did the same with the other guns and
pistols, Hot Spur leading with real
old rebel yell. The girls ran scream
ing to their dressing room, each push
ing and tugging to get her wraps ard
! hoop skirts, and it was said that some
Of them in their agitation put their
hoops over the outside of their dress
es, and some couldn't get them on al
all, while others were seeking in the
dark, their heavy shoes. The old
bargeman gave wild snort, jumped
the balustrade, and shot like an arrow
down the rough descent, to his ship,
calling out at every step: "Hosst
away! hoist away! up with the rear
anchor, and cast off to mid stream. "
! I wanted to go out with the boys,
too, to fight, but how could l, with
Maggie clinging to me, laying those
brown curls Of hers trustingly> upon
the lapel Of my coat, and looking up
at me, through those windows Of her
soul, with all the confidence of the
weak to the strong, her little bosom
heaving. her body trembling with
fright, and saying so pleadingly:
"Don't leave me, St. Luke.'
Well, how could I? While I might
have been willing to fight an army for
4her, still somebody must stay and
protect the girls. I told her to hang
to me, and if the worst came to the
worst, We would fly to the river and
find that boat or know the reason
why. Oh! I wasn't afraid,it was only
I didn't want to see my little girl
frighted.
Connie being chaperon, she ran out
to the gate to see how matters stood,
so that she could allay the girls
fears. She didn't 60 step farther
than the gate, but just listen what
that wicked reporter Of a poet had
to say. and he was not there either:
"Little Connie lost her garter,
dancing Of reel,
! And where do Won think she found It,