The Battle Ground

e of the Major's cronies. His face wore an expression in which there was more resentment than resignation; for, though he took blows doggedly, he bore the me

to his servants, though, as a matter of fact, he had never been known to order one. His anger was sometimes of the kind that appalls, but it usually vented itself in a heightened redness of face or a single thundering oath; and a woman's sob wou

which was Jane Lightfoot's own, the Major had choked in his wrath, and, a moment later, flung the whip aside. "I'll be damned,-I b

stubbornly shook his head. "I can't shake hands yet because I am hating you just now," he ans

ice, I reckon?" he

eplied the boy, "I

Mr. Blake and Dr. Crump, two hale and jolly gentlem

the steps, the Major stood in th

y as regularly responded, "We could never come too early for our pleasure, my

it was the custom of Mrs. Lightfoot to send in a fluttering maid to ask if Mrs. Blake had done her the honour to accompany her husband. As Mrs. Blake was neve

d reverential faces which they put on like a veil in church and took off when the service was over. That it was not a prayer, but a pleasantry of which he was about to deliver himself, they quite understood; but he

little widow Mrs. Crump?" he threw out at last, with a laugh that shook

e doctor blushed and stammered, as he always did, at the rector's mild matrimonial jokes. It was twenty years since M

ady for a week," protested the do

ared Mr. Blake. "A

le," returned the doctor, indignantly. The l

ghed until the

om its folds, "and no wonder-no wonder! We'll be having an epidemic of heart trouble next." Then, as he saw the doctor

ry forcible remarks with: "A minister knows nothing of politics, and I am but

them all. "I am a Whig, not from principle, but from prejudice, sir," he declared.

tely protested the doctor,

ajor

o, is the broadcloth party-the cloth stamps it; and besides

prompting, as, "I was reading the Spectator until eleven last night, sir," or "I have been trying

from the window seat, was regarding him with the triumphant eye with which the young behold the downfall of a b

Tossing back his long white hair, and fixing his eagle glance on his friends,

angel by di

empests shake

e o'er pale Bri

e he drives th

e Almighty's or

irlwind and dir

and the Governor entered-a little hurri

istress-set fire to your woodpile this afternoon, and that your grandson was punished for her mischief. My dear boy," he laid his hand on Dan's shoulder

mpe staring from the window seat. The Governor's voice was like salve to his hurt; the upright

and then his smothered injury burst forth; "but she

e; then he turned to the others. "Major

Dan's head in a racial benediction. "'I'd know you were a Lightf

week for advice about the education of her son. 'Shall I send him to the school of learning at Cambridge, papa?' she asked; and I answere

doctor, delightedly. "It is a prouder

irginia; if you want chivalry, come to Virginia. When I see these two things

a man as a few years spent with the influences that moulded Washington. Why, some foreigners are perfected by them, sir. When I met General Lafayette in Richmond upon his secon

the rector's fat body and the Major's lean one, he knew that there beat hearts as chivalrous as their words. He had seen the Major doff his hat to a beggar in the road, and the rector ride forty miles in a snowstorm to read a pr

kle which I must write out and send to her." And, as the Governor rose to go, she stood up and beg

less for me to try," gallantly responded

ay, Major," he added, turning at the door, "what do you think of the scheme to let the Governmen

Nonsense! nonsense! Why, you are striking at the very foundation

ll keep them a while longer, I expect. Good night, madam, good ni

I always expect him to want to do away with marriage next-" he checked himself and coloured, as if an improper speech had s

ial training to ignore children before visitors,-but when he went upstai

grandson, every inch of you, and you shall have the

e, sir," returned Dan. "I think Big Abe

y, if you like. I'll give you every darky on the place, if you want them-and the ho

grandpa," he added gravely; but before the Major left that night he had won not only

ng the slaves and arguing with the overseer, was sufficient delight unto the Major's day. "Nonsense, Molly," he would reply half angrily to his wife's remonstrances. "The child can't be spoiled. I tell you he's too fine a boy. I couldn't spoil him if I tried," and once out of his grandmothe

n," complained the boy, "and he said he wouldn't, and be

. "Why, where could I get another, Dan

gwine min' de han's?" cr

espect. "It's because he's not free, grandpa," he had once explained at the Major's jealous questioning. "I wouldn't

said gravely, "Then he shall stay, grandpa-and I'm sorry I cursed you, Harris," he added before he left th

the Governor, sadly, as Dan tore by on his little pony,

adore him-but-but do you think it well for Betty to be thrown so much with him? He is very

tty, herself, I am sorry to say-but this morning I saw him give his month's pocket money to that poor free negro, Levi. I can't say, I really do

hero-worship. She followed closer than a shadow on his footsteps; no tortures could wring his secrets from her lips. Once, when he hid himself in the m

said triumphantly, wh

tell," he fran

a secret," she

ned, and added, "I tell you what, I like you better t

then her face darkened. "Not better th

ied, "because he belongs to me, you know-you

nd, smiling or grave, she always looked as if she were standing i

, I reckon Big Abel and the pony are as much as I can man

ay with her fingers in her ears, because

and, though the boys found him unduly weighed down by responsibility for the souls of his fellows, they soon loved him in a light-hearted fashion. In a society where even the rector harvested alike the true grain a

so far as to knock at Rainy-day Jones's door and hand him a pamphlet entitled "The Duties of the Slaveholder." Old Rainy-day, who was the biggest bully in t

ot keep his eyes away from Mitty when she was in the room; and at the old lady's, "Mitty, my girl, find me my glasses," he felt like jumping from his seat and calling upon her to halt. It seemed a survival of the dark ages tha

erpowered by the reasons which Mr. Bennett carried at every finger tip. He not only believed things, he knew why he believed them; and to the M

not read; but the Governor's first smile had melted his rese

sense, yet her sympathy, from the hourly appeals to it, had grown as fine as intellect. She was hopelessly ignorant of ancient history and the Italian Renaissance; but she had a genius for the affections, and where a greater mind would

ies for Betty's manners and the Governor's health, and her timid wonder that the Bible "countenanced" slavery. She was rare and elegant like a pi

rginia, a pretty prim little girl, already carried her prayer book in her hands when she drove to church, and wore Swiss musli

nce, when she had gone to a party in town and seen Virginia dancing while s

despise them; but they oughtn't to have let me sit against

Mrs. Ambler, in dismay. "What on earth does it m

"but you wouldn't like to

six years hence, daughter," sug

anything to do with me then,"

er to her feet, and, in doing so, he proved

t up and stop crying, I'll give you fifty cents. I

and looked up

-h-t," she gasped, and caug

ou a dollar. There ain't many boy

t one hand as she wiped

a boy again," she declar

irteen, and a year later