Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1911-07-27
Playing
Hero
A Story OF . Virgins Manor House
Just Before Its Ruin
BY WORTH WOODBURY.
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation. 1911
BY WORTH WOODBURY.
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation. 1911

be again any such life as existed on
the southern plantation up TO the pc.
riod when the system OF slavery ceas-
ed TO exist. In many respects It was
an ideal life. LIS pleasanter TEXTURES
were more pronounced In Virginia than
In any other state. 1t having been
the first OF the colonies and planted
10y the cavaliers Of England Two
hundred years Inter their descendants
formed a unique people. The planta-
ton was a patriarchal institution. The
planter stood 10 the place OF tie pa
triarch. his children constituted the
next grade the negro house servants
the next aud lastly came the field
hands
The children of the planter were ed
ucaied in accordance with the some
what lofty ideas Of their English an
cestorS who lost their cause ut Nasehy
soIae two centuries before. 'fhe young
men lived an ont OF door life and
mostly In the saddle The young wo-
mems duties consisted largely in visit.
ing the negroes on the plantation and
mnisterlng 60 their wants. There
wus no actual work done except by the
negroes and they were not overwork
ed, The plantation supported every
one on il and was administered usual
~ win iusrre TO all
saw the end Of this system not as
u part Of H. but us u participator In
the military struggle by which II fell.
/ The plantation on which the Incidents
1 narrated In This story occurred Is now
I divided into thirty parts Even the
beautiful grounds in which the manor
| house stood and still stands. slowly
rottlng away. are covered with potato
/ vines. and the immense trees that
| shaded the roof from the hot southern
sun have been cut down for firewood
one afternoon-it was in 1927 car
/ ried from battlefield TO this manor
house brother officer who had been
wounded II was then as II always had
been. but was not to he In future.
/ Two soldiers carried the wounded man
on a stretcher through an avenue OF
trees 10 the front veranda and set
down the stretcher. while stalked In
side A quadroon house servant re-
ceiycd me asked for the owner OF
the premises
what IS Il. Clarlce"
The voice came from person on the
1 second story and seemed TO roll melo-
~ FI,, MIN sYoI
case When first heard the opening
strains of Annie Laurie" fell In love
with the song, and when heard these
words What Is II. Clarice?" fen in
( love with the unseen voice
II have brought a young officer"
snii "from the fight going on over the
river re is badly wounded Can you
not find it In your heart 10 take him
/ IN? He would die II left on the field"
AS spoke girl of twenty, perhaps,
came down the staircase Alas. she
was the last Of n long line OF refined
DANES who had pissed up and down
1 that same staircase. built in England a
hundred md hfty years before Her
1 complexion was that olive white mixed
with vermiliou which was often to he
found Hmoug THESE highhorn women
4 Of the south She cnsi u quick glance
4 ut the limp form the pale face lying
ou the Stretcher. md hor features were
trunsfgurrd "a express profound pity
/ This way" ~ho said aud. turning
opened u door thai ted ia chamber
! on the ground noor We followed !
/ ordered the men 10 sci down the
trctrher and one ~ them assisted me
( 10 lift the wounded mau en- tu the bed
Then telling the invalid that would
/ be back aS soon aS possible, left him
I We were mcmhprs Of HE same stan
/ and ! went 40 once % our general and
/ reported what I had done He directed
/ me to find a surgeon II possible and
! Jake him with me "a Wildwood my
( wounded rOmradp- nud remain with
/ him until ne was out Of danger or
/ dead | reminded the general ihnt II
would not do'to ask q surgeon 70 go ia
4 one from so many who needed him.
4 and he said he would send me one ms
soon MS he could be- spared
II was week before we could
form ANY opinion us 10 Eirkwood's
re ovr.y Durinr that time nay gen.
erals headQu0rt. were not tar from
the RutIodet umwl nuuSr where Eirl,
wood lav. and was with the invalid
80 good dcaluf the time My pre>pu.r
'Ncr' wu~ realty unnecessary. FOR tur
w0mcn of tNr family the mon were