Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1920-12-30
CHAPTER XIV
AEAion> DAYS ii Trial. and Molly,
Heroic Hsecd


looking n life as sGeh. Was heeon-
Ing old enough "a feel hi s9rro,ss %
those ! loved, anl my passionate At.
lachs,ent 10 EVELYN. and warm love
for Mary, made me feel al acuteness
4 lar beyond hy years the sutferil4s
axa les ana paisa;ioas y Which III. I
ere subjected.
II was 4 time q priyati0n and saf-
fering for the entire South but these
lsll with edded force on all those near
tho tracks OF The large armies. No one
man, woman or child sca9ed the
pinch; but The hardest LOT fell 10 the
women Of gentle birth ana delicate
raining. accustomed to a superflous
4 luxury from The cradle A the foun-
iations or the structure on which their
lives were based Mere erunibiing 10
ruin Mita the dying confederacy. ac-
tual van, Tor food and clothing WAS
tdded 10 the heavy load OF anguish al
ready borne for dear ones lost, and
anxiety for the few that still remained.
! What they suffered they and their
Greater alone may know; With what
sublime fortitude and courage they
3ore their burden, is known of all men,
and Is the proudest boast OF our race,
4 The case OF MY two sisters was one
Of peculiar hardship; and except for
/ the good woman with whom We had
found asylum. | know not how they
would have come through the trial
without actual starvation
My mother had scarcely been
put beneath the sod we laid her to
rest in wood near the little farm
! house. until, quieter time would per-
! nit Of her removal To Oak Hill when
4 section of the invading army occu-
pied the surrounding country and
practically cut us OF from further
light and communication with the
world
This isolation, with scanty means
nd an uncertain future, was in itself
sufficiently dreadful; bat their anxiety
as increased thousand fold by the
/ expectation of seeing ms father arrive
.ft any time. and carried OF a prisoner
before their eyes. For when NY mo-
hers condition had become 50 seli-
Gus. and the country was still unoc-
upied BY the enemy. Mary had writ
IN for him; and since the country
.Saa been occupied, they had been I'M
side 20 got any word through TO warn
aim Besides. they knew If the first
letter had reSel ed him, no warming of
II he presence OF the enemy from an
outside source woald pseNen; MIN
from making The attemR 70 gei
lreugh the lines. unless inc wafnins
va accompanied ay the informs tiua
hat ae had come too late 10 find my
neither alive.
So ;iay affer day fles spent tAe II
me IN 4 terror Of helpless waiting
nd watching.
Nc knew tina; should lie succeed h
yaching our neigAhorhood without
aptlre, he must arrive by road
oming from the cast, nat crossed tbs
raekahoosie river rs a ferry about Z
ale ANA half 10 the cast 81 the farm
house Molly Who had followed us
litcr ;lla burning Ol lIaK hliIs anu has
srriyed the day after ms mothers
lea had made some explorations
aid reported that there did llot seem
0 he any Yankees on the otaer side q
he river, and that she rarely s.tH any
about he road Oh our side. 50 MARY
nd Eyeirn, Drawing their dread q tht
oldisrs, with Molly and would sir
through the. woods TO a 1hlcke; JUS
hove the ford; and, eonceailng our
selves in lis dense foliage. kcps anxi
ous watch OH the river day By day, il
he faint hope OF warning my fathel
back and preventing his crossing.
jus. below the Landing. on the Other
side u the road, was an old shed tia
we thought empty, bal We nayer i.9l Z.
cross the road to make sure for TEA
of betrayipg ourselves.
We had kept this anxious watch 70
about week, when one morning, witt
he Wind blowing strong and fresl
from the opposite shore, We saw ID.
; father ride down TO the landing, &C