Old Times in Dixie Land

a high-minded officer as the following incident proves. A letter from Laura Ellen to her brother David, da

t live twenty-four hours without an operation. Mother, heart-broken and in tears, begged the doctor to tell her to what means she could resort to save so faithful a servant. The doctor said they had everything needful on the Federal gunboats. Mother instantly determined to go to Re

ere received on the deck of the big warship. Captain Grafton said he feared that any surgeon or officer might be captured, and that he must have a written guarantee against that possibility before he could run such a risk. Mother told him that Captain Collins and his scouts were thirty miles distant; she could only assure him that none who came to her aid would be molested. Dr. Archer supported her opinion; but the captain declined the adventure; whereupon mother burst into tears. 'Captain Grafton,' she said, 'I did not come here to teach you your duty; but I came to perform mine. N

indow. The doctor went to the 'Quarters' to see Stephen, and mother flew to the kitchen and dining-room to put forth her rare culinary skill in compensation for our negligence. After dinner we had music, and Dr. Mitchell sang us many new songs, and proved to be very intelligent, entertaining and agreeable. I treated him well

r so kindly extended later, during the bitter reconstruction days, was a solid satisfaction and comfort, for his cultured and experienced mind comprehended both sides of the situation. Devoted to the Union, he yet expressed no inordinate desire to exterminate the South, and never said he would be glad to hang Jefferson

ng, one of them took baby Edwin in his arms and kissed him. After they had gone I scolded him for kissing a Yankee, and said I was going to tell his 'Marse Dadles!' He began to cry and sobbed out, 'O Sissy, he was a good Yankee!' They rob the corn-cribs, so it is well they carry off the negroes too. Ours, however, will not go; they

en, their household effects, tools and other "belongings" which could not be carried on the march (to say nothing of the hogs-head of sugar nearly all of them had in their cabins), their poultry, dogs, cows and horses. If it were candidly explained to them that their freedom was to be a certainty, and that they might be hired to work by their old owners, doubtless many would be convinced of the wisdom of re

ed having said: "Mrs. Merrick has more sense abou

employ of the family. It was considered by some persons to be treason to the Confederacy to speak of the freedom o

secluded places into which the news of freedom percolated slowly, and where slavery existed for some time uninterrupted. In following the army parents often abandoned young children. These were given to anybo

r our boys at the front. We varied the labor of managing plantations with every species of bazaar, supper, candy-pulling and tableaux that would raise a dollar for the army. Then we got all the entertainment we could out of our daily domestic round, as I did out of Becky Coleman, one of my old servants who occasionally relieved the monotony of her "daily round" by coming "to 'nquire 'bout de white folks." It was October when she made one of these visi

," said I to Becky. "Why are you

one got me convinced. Lemme tell you how 'twas. One Sunday ebenin' I heard tell dar wurs gwine to be er sort er 'sperien

er animosity, plum till dey riz up to sing de very las' hime. De prea

grace how s

eleever

nothin' happ'nin', when heah cum Hester Whitfiel'-coming catter-corner 'cross from de yuther side er de house, wid her han' h'isted up in de aar, en I 'clar fo' de Lawd, she hit me er clip rite in my lef' eye, en mo

sake don' go en make 'ten' like yo happy, en bus' my eye open dis heah way.' Says I, ''Ligion ain't got nuthin' ter do wid no sich 'havoir; I don' see no Holy Sperit 'bout it,' says I. ''Twas jes' de nac

all tu'ned in en baig me ter look over it, bein' es how it happen in meetin'-time; but I tell yo, ma-am, I never look nowhars wid dat eye fer mor'n free weeks. Why, it wus so swole up en sore, I jes' had ter bandage it

let yo know frum dis out yo don't go ter no mo' praar-meetin's, 'zaminashuns er what-cher-callums; dat's de long en short uv it!' says he. 'Ef you ain' got sense nuff ter stay away frum dar,' says he, 'I'll insense yo wid my fis'.' I

ent common at your praye

ared she'd brek loose en go inter a reg'lar hard fit, so I jes' grabbed good holt er de 'oman, 'roun' de wais', es she wus er hollerin', en er jumpin'; en when she felt de grip I fotch on her, she tu'n 'roun', she did, en gethered my sleeve in 'tween her fingers (en she is jes' es strong es enny mule), en shore's yore settin' dar in dat air big cheer, en I'm er stannin' heah, talkin' ter y

er de nex' time she got ter shoutin' 'roun' me she mout bre'k her neck-I wan't gwine hole her, I wan't gwine te

v my close tore dan to hev my eye busted out. But dey ain't no need er airy one bein' done; en I tole her so, I did dat. 'Sholey Christians,' say I, 'kin 'joy dersef widout hurtin' nobody, neither tarin' der close!' I up en axed her ef she eber knowed de wh

Calline, yo' ma uster tell me ef I 'haved mysef, en kep' mysef clean, en never tole no lies, ner 'sturb yuther folks' th

down smack inter de gully. Den she hollered so de men fishin' unner de river bank cum er runnin'. She had don' sprain her wris', en ef her arm had been broke she cudn't

war and Yankee raids, and I reckon I'll have

vin', en pa'ch dis heah coffee fer my ole mammy's supper, fer she's gittin'