Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1911-06-23
ROCKVILLE MARYLAND. FRIDAY MORNING, JUNE % 1911
Playing
Hero
A Story Of q Virginia Manor House
just Before lie Ruin
By WORTH WOODBURY.
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911
By WORTH WOODBURY.
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.


There has nsver been and never will
be again any such life as existed on
the southern plantation up to the Pc
Rod when the system of slavery ceas-
ed to exist. In many respects It was
an ideal life. Its pleasanter features
were more pronounced in Virginia than
in any other state. 1t having been
the first Of the colonies and planted
by the cavaliers Of England. Two
hundred years later their descendants
formed unique people. The planta-
ton was patriarchal institution. The
planter stood In the place Of the pa
triarch. his children constituted the
next grade. the negro house servants
the next, and lastly came the field
hands.
The children of the planter were ed
ucated In accordance with the some
what lofty IDEAS of their English an
cestors who lost their cause at Naseby
some two centuries before. The young
men lived an out of door life and
mostly In the saddle The young wo
mems duties consisted largely In visit
ing the negroes on the plantation and
ministering to their wants. There
was no actual work done except by the
negroes, and they were not overwork
ed. The plantation supported every
one on 1t and was administered usual
ly with justice to all.
saw the end of this system not as
Il part Of 1t, but as participation In
the military struggle by which 1t fell
The plantation on which the incidents
narrated In this story occurred Is now
divided into thirty parts. Even tho
beautiful grounds In which the manor
house stood and still stands, slowly
rotting 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 n battlefield TO this manor
house brother officer who had been
wounded. II was then rs It always had
been. but was not to be in future.
Two soldiers carried the wounded man
on stretcher through an avenue Of
trees to the front veranda and set
down the stretcher. while stalked in
side quadroon house servant re-
ceived me. asked for the owner of
the premises.
"What is 1t, ClarlceT
The voice came from person on the
second story and seemed to roll melo-
diously down the great winding stair
cnse. When I first heard the opening
strains Of "Annie Laurie" fell In love
with the song, and when heard these
words. "what Is II, ClarlceT" 7 fell in
love with the unseen voice.
T have brought young officer"
said, "from the fight going on over the
river. He IL badly wounded Can you
not find II In your heart to take him
in? He would die II left on the field"
As \ spoke n girl OF twenty. perhaps.
came down the staircase Alas! she
was the last Of long line Of refined
danes who had passed up and down
that same staircase, built In England a
hundred and fifty years before. Her
complexion was that olive white mixed
with vermllion which was often to be
found among these highborn women
Of the south. She cast quick glance
at the linn form. the pale face lying
on the stretcher, and her features were
TRANSPORTED to express profound pity.
This way" she said and. turning.
opened n door that led to n chamber
on the ground floor. We followed.
ordered the men to set down the
stretcher. and one Of them assisted me
TO Iift the wounded man on to the bed.
Then, telling the invalid that I would
be back as soon as possible. left him
We were members OF the same staff.
and | went at once to our general and
reported what had done. He directed
me TO find n surgeon II possible and
take him with me to Kirkwood my
wounded comrade-and remain with
him until he was out of danger OF
dead. reminded the general that II
one from so many who needed him.
and he said he would send me one as
soon as he could be spared.
II was week before we could
form any opinion as to Klrkwood's
recovery. During that time my gen
erals headquarters were not far from
the RutIedge manor house where Kirk.
wood lay, and I was with the invalid
n GOOD deal of the time. NV presence
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