Year: 1868

| / was serving as quartermas


ter of the ID New York Stat'


Volunteers, in the Shenandoah


in the spring of 1862, and was up


ON the day to which my story re


lates out with a foraging party OF


my own men.


| am a West Virginian by birth


and was consequently at home or


the ground over which we were
travelling. Our column was ad


vancing, and | rarely allowed il
to go out of sight. We did not dc
our foraging on the usual plan Of
seizing everything on which we
could lay our hands whether it be.
longed to friend or foe, and appro-
priating it by force of arms; but
went out with a sizeable roll of
greenbacks, and paid asking prices
for every bit of provender we
brought back to camp.


Many times on these excursions
| was tempted to renew some of
my friendships of years gone by,
and drop in upon the wayside man
sions rather as guest than buy
er of pigs and poultry, but l resist
ed the inclination, for the reason
that it was hard tell where might
find friends, and where foes, who,
though they might be only passive
ones, had iti their power to make
my call a very unpleasant one.


l had been especially attentive to
my errand, hardly allowing myself
to look up from my bargaining
with some sable aunty or uncle,
when l knew that q pair of bright
eyes were looking down from the
piazza, or female ears were list
ening, curiously, to catch any little
matter erconnected with the "dicker,"
that might be of interest. With
this virtuous resolve strongly up
on me, l was slightly taken aback
in the midst of my acquisition of a
dozen of ducks and a few score of
eggs, the lawful perquisites of a
stout wench, by silvery voice
that struck something of memory
calling "Captain


| raised my eyes to see above
me, on the balcony, Mrs. Grant
Wetherbee, once Miss Kate Cor
nell, and once my acme of perfec-
ton and 'Virginian beauty. Five
years had gone past since | had
submitted to have my heart torn
into minute shreds by being pres
ent at the wedding. where the beau
tiful Kate was transformed into
Mrs. Grant Wetherbee, and yet
upon the first glance that same
heart bounded with something
very like the old love-bodnded
so forcibly, indeed, that it sen.
me springing from my horse and
up to the verandah without fur
Their notice.


1t is hardly necessary for me to
tell exactly how glad we were to
meet. / say "we," because can
speak confidently of myself, and l
am sure, if 1 can believe in eyes,
quite as confidently tor my fair
friend. Nothing would do but |
must enter, and the names of the
fair ones who would greet me in
side were rehearsed. A more de-
nying disposition than mine would
have yielded when | heard the
promise of finding in the parlors
two of the most elegant women in
Virginia, firm friends of mine in
the past.


believe that they were really
glad to see me, and will not offer an
apology for yielding tothe cordial
invitation, pressed upon me, that
/ should spend an hour or two
with them, and share, what a sol
dier has so seldom offered to him,
a bounteous and refined tea-table.


accepted-how could l help
it?-after stepping out upon the
verandah, and sending my men
about two miles across the country
to mill, where they were to obtain
some sacks of corn, with orders af-
ter that to join the regiment, and
report me absent till dark. The
tea was dispatched, and we return
ed to the parlor, but my fair host.
ess would not hear me speak of
departure yet. l must play a
rarne ot chess and drink some of