The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1916-01-28
AComplication Of
Love and War
By ELlNOR MARSH

termined to go south as tutor il
some southern family. Events leadin.
to the war between the states wer,
coming on rapidly. and there was al
ready much prejudice in the soutt
against northerners. Nevertheless my
grandfather. Gilbert Hastings, secured
such a position as he desired in the
state Of Georgia in the family of Fitz
hugh Griggs. who owned large plan
tation worked by 800 negroes.
His duties were to prepare the Older
son, Herbert, for college and teach the
younger children in the elementary
branches. There was a daughter two
years older than Herbert whose stud,
les in literature young Hastings was
expected to conduct.
1t is strange that parents will permit
the intimate association Of son or
| daughter with one whom they would
not approve for a wife or husband, for
a love affair is most likely to be the re.
suit. The present case was no eXcep-
| tion to the rule.
However, no one was aware of it eX-
cept the lovers When both the south
and the north were arrayed against
each other by the firing on Fort Sum-
ter my grandfather left for his home
with the understanding that when
peace came he would return and see
what could be done in gaining Olivia's
parents consent to their union. But
the outlook was not hopeful.
In the spring of GA. when General
Sherman was making his march to the
sea- my grandfather, who was a lieu
tenant in the invading army. passed
near the plantation where few years
before he had been tutor. Being ia
miliar with the region and able to
initiate the southern accent, he volun-
teered to disguise himself as a poor
white countryman and go forth for in
formation as to the location and num-
bers of the enemy's forces. He was
recognized by one he had known dur
ing his residence there and turned over
to the Confederate authorities, by
whom he was tried and sentenced to
be hanged as spy.
AS last resource he sent to the plan
tation to learn if Fitzhugh Griggs
was there and if he would not inter
cede for him. Griggs had commanded
Georgia regiment, had been wounded
and was at home recovering from his
wound. He declined to interfere to
save Lieutenant Hastings until his
wife and Olivia begged so hard that he
should do so that he at last consented.
Ger into whose hands the spy had fall.
en-, his efforts were successful. Colo
mel Griggs not only succeeded in saw
ing my grandfather's life, but in hay
ing him paroled to remain ON the
Griggs plantation till the end of the
war.
The planters children had received
no instruction for several years. Her.
bert had recently entered the Confed.
crate army, but the younger members
of the family were growing up in ig-
norance. 1t was this that induced
Colonel Griggs to suggest that Hast.
ings be paroled on his plantation. He
desired that he should resume his du
ties as teacher.
But this plan placed Lieutenant
Hastings in an equivocal position. His
life had been saved by Colonel Griggs,
and his intimacy with the coloneIs |
daughter was resumed, Griggs not |
dreaming that Olivia was in love with |
a northern soldier who had been con.
demned as spy. Not only would it |
be dishonorable in Hastings to take
advantage of his position to possess
the girl he loved. but his sentence had
been merely suspended, and at word
from Griggs he could be sent to the
gallows.
The strain upon the lovers was very
great My grandfather, who was an
honorable man, treated Olivia as if
there had been nothing lover-like be,
tween them, and she, not realizing
the cause of such treatment, made it
very hard for him. During the balance
Of the war, though it was but a few
he was subject to a terrible
The more he endeavored
to treat Olivia with apparent indiffer.
ence the more difficult became his DO
sition. At last he said to her: IF
your father knew of our relationship
he would doubtless consider that |
vas acting a dishonorable part My
life is in his hands. We do not know
)ut that he would send me back to
he authorities to meet the doom of
py." .
This frightened Olivia to such an ex-
ent that she controlled herself, and no
me on the plantation suspected that {
he and Lieutenant Hastings were low 2
RS until they made the fact known t
The war closed in April, leaving =
'olonel Griggs with a wrecked plan.
alton and all the negroes freed by
lrtue of the emancipation procama- h,
lon. From a rich man he had been =
educed to poverty. Hastings went h.
orth to find that his father early I'm h
he war had bought cotton at a low F
rice and sold it at a price varying a
rom 81 to 81 a pound This had made r
i'm rich man. n
The eX-lieutenant returned to Geor.
la and made formal application for +