Evening star., 1937-01-24

what kind Of shells the gunners were
,,sinC she said

what kind Of shells the gunners were
using, she said.
She remembers her mother saying
during one of the eerie lulls between
Q PARTICULARLY sharp engagement and
Just before her brother Norborne died:
my husband killed, one boy dying
here, two others in battle and the
rest of us in the midst of shells and
bullets. Oh God, what is to become
of us?" Their old colored servant,
Aunt Silvy. who was trying to COM
fort her, said, Its true, Miss Caroline,
desc shells is falling around heah, jes
like drippings from hell, b:t you is
sech . good woman, 1t peers to me de
Lord takes 'em and eases 'em right
over de house, even If de garden do
look like 1t been ploughed up by de
debbil's chillun. But dey amt nary
one hit us yit, when deys. taken de
end of Mass Cooper's house and done
split de old missus' grand pianny in
half"
Another time when little Anne
Bannister was playing in this same
garden with a neighbor, Agnes Dun
lop, instead of falling fiat, she ran for
her porch and Agnes for a raspberry
hedge. Fortunately the shell was
ahead Of Agnes, for when she reached
the place where the raspberry hedge
had once been, there was only long,
deep furrow.
When this story was related the
following Sunday to Gen. Lee with
great gusto and excitement by ''us
two little geese" Mrs. Pryor describes
herself and playmate of that long
ago childhood, lit was plain to be
seen that Gen. Lee did not think as
we'll Of our lark as We did. After a
conference with Agnes mother and
mine, Gen. Lee offered to send for a
group of Petersburg children, so that
in the afternoons We might play about
at headquarters little more freely
and perhaps more safely.
Simple in manner and speech as
he invariably was upon the occasion
of these visits, we children realized
that a presence was among u.s." Mrs.
Pryor emphasized. Years later, when
she was told that the distinguished
English soldier. Lord Wolsey said:
i have met many of the great men OF
my time but Lee alone impressed me
with the feeling that I was in the
presence of man who was cast in a
grander mold and made Of finer
and different metal from other men"
Mrs. Pryor felt that she was privileged
to understand what Lord Wolsey
meant.
1t is her opinion, too, that Lee and
Lincoln had in common the SIM
plicity of the truly great and were
imbued with that profouned sorrow
which is the portion of these who
must lead their fellow men against
each other in war.
Lees Sympathy for Animals.
Whenever Lee could it was his custom
to ride along beside the army wagon
which he sent to take Anne Bannister
and her playmates for their head
quarters outing. One afternoon. Mrs
Pryor said she was sitting beside the
driver. Wishing to see the mules 60
faster, she reached over to the whip
holder. drew out the whip and be-
gan cutting the mules to make them
speed up their pace. Very gently
General Lee said, Anne I would no,
do that"
Presently" she says. "I either for
| got the injunction. or the tempta.
ton to go faster was too keen, fol
even now I would like to travel a.
fast I can. Once again I gave the
mules a stinging cut with the whip
For moment thought Gen Lee
had not noticed my action. Ther
he said: Anne. you must never un-
der any circumstances do that again.
How well. ! recollect his strong