SEPT 4 ? 
6 
■ 
ANDERSONVILLE VIOLETS. 
Copyrighted by the Rural New-Yorker. 
All rights reserved. 
chapter in. 
“ THE ANDERSONVTLLE VIOLETS.” 
Poor Archie talked queerly that morning 
when John brought hun out into the yard. 
Happily for him, his mind had wandered out 
of the prisou. He talked about the Maine 
home, the woods and all the old scenes till 
John felt sick at heart. Wbat a dreadful 
mockery it all was! The horrible place filled 
with these desperate men, aud this weak boy 
babbling wildly of the old scenes they both 
kuew so well. 
“And there’s Nell,” whispered Archie at 
last. Poor fellow, his voice was almost gone. 
“She’s going with us, Johu. Ain’t you glad ? 
I know you are, for I remember what you 
told me. Come on, Nell. We can eat our 
dinner down by the old rock, and we’ll make 
John pick the flowers for your wedding.” 
“What flowers shall we bring her, John ? 
Violets, I say. You go aud pick them, John, 
while 1 stay here and talk to her. I’ll tell her 
all about the war—all we have been through; 
then I’ll tell how much you love her, and she 
can’t help saying “yes,” for we have been such 
chums, you know. It will be all right, I’m 
sure, John. You go and get the flowers and 
let me talk to her alone." 
John tried to turn Archie’s mind away from 
the flowers. He had pointed them out some 
time before, little dreaming that Archie 
would insist upon his getting them. To the 
fevered mind of the little man they seemed to 
be growing in the meadow at home. Archie 
did not know when be urged John to get them 
of the fatal dead line that held the flowers 
further away than the old home could be. 
“Nevermind about it now, Archie,” John 
said. “Let’s talk about the old times a little 
first, and then I’ll get ’em. There’s no hurry, 
you know, for we have all day before us. 
Look at the suu over on the hills there.” 
Archie lay without speaking for a little 
while. He watched the sun, far away now 
over the hills. The hills were bright with 
splendor, and it seemed to Archie’s fevered 
mind like the openiug of the gates of Para¬ 
dise. The great hills seemed changed to a 
stair of gold. The opening of the gate was 
nearer to Archie than ho thought. He lay 
and watched the suu till a cloud passed over 
the golden hills and closed for the moment 
the glorious gate. Then he turned back to the 
flowers. 
“Come John, why don’t you go,” he whisyi- 
ered fretfully. “Now' is your time. You 
said you loved her once, and now’ you are not 
ready to pick her a few flowers. Run John, 
or I will never tell her what you want me to. 
You said you loved her once, now why don’t 
you go ? ” 
John never faltered for an instaut. He 
knew well that to cross that line meant death, 
yet he never thought once of holding back 
when Archie said—“you said you loved her 
once.” 
He did not mean that Archie should see him 
make the sacrifice. He bent down and 
raised the “little babe” gently from the 
ground. How light the burden was. 
“Come,” he said, “it’s getting hot here, I’ll 
carry you back iuto the shade and then I'll 
get the flowers for Nellie.” 
“All right John, but hurry up, for Nellie 
can’t stay long you know, and this will be the 
last chance for you to show* how well you love 
her. I think she will understand it John when 
you bring the flowers.” 
John carried him hack and laid him under 
the shade of the bank of earth they had 
raised. 
“Don’t be long, John,” said Archie as the 
“big babe” wntb a most babyish moisture 
about his eyes, shook the little fellow’s hand 
aud started back to go through the test. “I’ll 
talk to her about it while you are gone John— 
never fear for me—she will do anything for 
me. Good-bye. I will be telling her all the 
time," 
Aud perhaps her was “telling her” while 
John Rockwell walked deliberately back to 
the dead line. 
Jack Foster had watched the whole pro¬ 
ceeding from his place on the stockade. Men 
in possession of such an amount of imaginative 
literature as he earned, are apt to put a senti¬ 
mental rather than a business like interpreta¬ 
tion upon such actions, We judge men’s ac¬ 
tions by imagining what we would do under 
similar circumstances. The frame of mind 
in which we find ourselves, regulates our 
judgment. 
The “ little babe” pointing to the violets 
made Jack somehow think of the times when 
Lucy and he had placed such a value upon just 
guch little flowers. In fact, he carried, iu one 
of his letters, two dried violets that seemed of 
more value to him than all the remaining 
vegetation of the country. Jack could not 
help imagining some of the feelings of the 
“ little babe.” 
Here was a little fellow shut up in this 
dreadful place, d> ing, it may be, longing for 
the sweet breath of these simple little flowers 
so near him. Perhaps he had a sweetheart of 
his own somewhere far away in that cold Yan¬ 
kee country. No doubt lie loved her in his 
queer Yankee fashion almost as well as he 
loved his little girl. 
Jack ran it all over in his mind as he glacced 
at the two meu iu the yard. What would h® 
do in such a case? It seemed to him from the 
way the “ big babe” looked when he picked 
the little one from the ground that, he was 
desperate enough to dash over the line. Some¬ 
how Jack rather expected him to do it. He 
knew well that he would have gone himself. 
What could he do if the attempt was made? 
Could he shoot this man for proving himself 
a hero? Could he disobey orders and risk the 
penalty? He was in a place of trust. Let the 
prisoners once rush over that line, and the 
small guard could never keep them back. He 
must obey orders and shoot the “ big babe" 
if he should make a dash for the violets as 
Jack seemed to know he would do. 
John Rockwell left Archie in the shade and 
then walked slowly and grimly ba"k to the 
place where they had been sitting. He did 
not pause here, but. walked savagely on to the 
line. He looked desperate indeed, as Jack 
glanced down at him. 
Thin and gaunt, with famine-eaten flesh and 
thin, bony hands held out before him, he 
walked savagely on looking directly at Jack. 
His face told by the long deep lines pinched 
into it, of the two lives he had supported so 
long. His eyes peered out from two deep 
caverns under the broken visor of his army 
cap, which hung down over his forehead, 
His long hair fell about his face in wild dis¬ 
order, and an unkempt beard thrust itself 
fiercely out from about his mouth. It was a 
face that Jack Foster never could drive from 
his mind. The blue uniform was torn and 
huug in tatters about the gaunt prisoner. One 
sleeve was gone, the wasted muscles of the 
arm showing through the rent. One bony 
knee was brought into view at every stride. 
A desperate man the Yaukee stood before the 
Rebel to show, by giving his life if necessary, 
that, not eveu the fevered imagination of a 
dying man should question his love. The 
other prisoners in the yard, watched him. 
They crowded behind, at a short distance, to 
see what he would do. No one seemed to 
know his mission. All waited in silence. 
Desperately, like a man who has fought to 
loug with death to fear it, the “big babe” 
walked up to the line. Jack paced slowly on. 
He brought his musket iuto position as the 
man advanced. No one saw it but himself, 
but as he raised his gun, he saw, as it seemed, 
the figure of his little girl—Lucy standing be¬ 
fore the desperate Yankee. She put up her 
hand as if to motion him back. Her lip was 
trembling just as it did when he bade her 
good-bye and her eyes were beaming on him 
as they never had done before. The sentence 
iu the letter he had been reading flashed 
through his mind. “No matter what may 
happen, if you will only be true, I will love 
you forever." 
This was what she meaut then. He must 
be true to himself. He dropped the point of 
his musket, and stopped for a moment in his 
walk. He fully realized w hat he was doing, 
but that face and figure were too dear to him. 
Johu Rockwell came to the dead line aud 
stood looking at Jack. “Rebel,” he said in a 
thick, hoarse voice, “ I must get them 
flowers.” 
No one but “Houest John” would ever have 
thought of speaking at all. The guards had 
orders to shoot down all prisoners that spoke 
to them. It was here that Jack raised his 
musket while the guard below him stopped to 
watch. 
“I want them flowers. There’s a young boy 
here dyin’. Let me get ’em for him Rebel.” 
He saw the musket lower, aud with one 
wild spring he dashed over the line and 
dropped on his knees beside the violets. 
Jack never raised his musket, but the guard 
below him, brought up his guu as John spraug 
back over the liue with the flowers in bis 
baud. The guard fired aud John fell over the 
line with a bullet scratch on his leg. The 
prisoners, at the report, hurried for shelter 
into the holes or behind the banks. Some of 
them peered out through the openings to see 
what would be done. Jack brought his mus¬ 
ket mechanically to his shoulder aud started 
back along his beat. He well knew wbat 
would follow. 
The “big babe” lay for a moment on the 
sand. He tried to rise to his feet, but his leg 
seemed numb and gave way beneath him. 
After a little he crawled slowly aud painfully 
back to the bank where Archie was waiting. 
He carried the flowers in his mouth. 
He crawled slowly up to Archie’s side and 
gently placed the flowers on the boy’s breast. 
A shout, fierce and exulting went up from the 
hiding places as he passed into the shelter. 
The prisoners came creeping out of their holes 
to admire this brave man. 
In a few' moments the steady tramp of 
marching feet was heard outside the stockade. 
The company baited at Jack’s beat, and a new 
sentinel appeared A new sentinel who glanced 
savagely down upon the prisoners and seemed 
to dare any of them to make another dash. 
Between the files of soldiers Jack was marched 
back to the guard-house iu disgrace. The 
musket he had carried so well was taken from 
him. Terrible war that allows no seutiment, 
no love to soften one of its harsh features ! 
“It was treason ! ” they muttered as they 
marched him back to the guard-house. 
“Death ! ” they whispered sadly as the doors 
closed on him. But Jack smiled in spite of it 
all. It w r as Lucy that stood before the 
Yaukee; it was her hand that bade him lower 
his musket aud he was satisfied. He had been 
true to himself. 
CHAPTER IV. 
A PLAN FOR ESCAPE. 
Archie looked up with a feeble smile as 
Johu came crawling back with the flowers. 
The fever had left tho “ little babe” at last, 
and he knew now that ho was in the prison, 
As John placed the flowers on Archie’s breast, 
the little fellow' took the gnuut hand in both 
his feeble ones and raised it to his lips. Tho 
men understood each other. There was no 
need of speaking. When men are placed in 
such situations, the womanly qualities which 
they take from tho companionship of their 
mothers aud sisters, will always show. Under 
ordinary circumstances, both men would 
have laughed at such u demonstration of af¬ 
fection, but here, where a horrible death was 
grinuing in their very faces, the time manhood 
came to the surface. It is the truly brave 
man, he who can look without flinching iuto 
the eyes of death, that is the tenderest when 
the danger is over. 
“ I am very sorry I made you go, Johu,” 
said Archie, feebly, still holding the gaunt 
hand. “ Did they break your leg?" 
“I guess not," answered John. It’s only a 
flesh wound, I guess. It bleeds a little, but I 
cau stop that.” 
Johu tore away tho hanging sleeve of his 
coat, and prepared a bandage, with which he 
bound up liis leg. There was nothing dan¬ 
gerous about the wound, and John felt dis¬ 
posed to make light of it. 
“They can’t bit nothin’,” ho said, gleefully. 
“ They can’t hit a barn door. That Reb. 
there where I jumped might have shot me 
easy. I saw the gun drop and then I jumped. 
What do you ’spose made him drop his gun?” 
John knew nothing of the little woman who 
stood in front of him and turned Jack’s mus¬ 
ket aside. 
Archie smiled wearily as John told the 
story of the flower limiting. A num¬ 
ber of the prisoners came from their 
hiding places and gathered in a group 
to listen to John’s story. Short, 
“thick-set” Maiue men they were, all “home 
folks,” with all that term implies. Most of 
them had marched with John and Archie out 
of old Breezetown. They seemed like a great 
family as they gathered in the sand to offer 
congratulations aud sympathy. Stout, hearty 
fellows they were when the the old elms bent 
down as if to whisper “good bye.” They 
were fresh from home then. Now they were 
sadlj T changed. Worn by suffering, with 
ragged clothing hanging about their wasted 
bodies, they crouched iu the sand. 
There were no “play day” soldiers in this 
group. The old New Englaud patriotism is 
too strongly planted in her sons for uny cruel 
treatment to tear it. away. It is planted as 
firmly iu the hearts of her sons aud daughters 
as her gray old mountains are fastened to her 
breast. There wus not a mau iu the whole 
company who would have turned his back 
upon the loathsome prison to shoulder a mus¬ 
ket iu the guard outside. They had suffered 
as not one man in ten thousand over suffers, 
or dreams of suffering. None but old soldiers 
can ever understand what these men endured 
under the glare of the burning Southern sun. 
How they longed for the cool woods and pure 
breezes of old Maiue. How grimly they 
waited aud watched the life oozing away 
from them—the life that meaut so much for 
“the folks" at home. In spite of all the 
agony they never dreamed of changing their 
faith. 
There was one great, gray-bearded man in 
the group who seemed to he a natural leader. 
He was Archie’s Uncle Nathan—they are all 
uncles or cousins in the old Maine towns. 
They all turned to him for counsel. A gruff 
old fellow he was—sun-burued aud grizzled, 
with a hatred for his foes that triumphed 
over all his privations, The old fellow had 
reason for his hatred Three strong sons had 
marched behind him out of old Breezetown. 
They could not stay at home when volunteers 
were called for. Three strong boys—they 
were now lying back on the battle fields—and 
he alone was left to tell tho story to their 
mother. 
He had made a small Union flag out of cast¬ 
off garments that he hail been able to pick up. 
The blue parts had been cut from an old army 
coat. The white came from a cast-off shirt, 
and the red was utilized from a pair of torn 
stockings. He bad stitched and pinned this cu¬ 
rious mixture of colors together, doing his 
work when the guards could not see him. It 
represented the dear old banner under which 
they had fought. Uncle Nathan was proud 
of his flag- It was his dearest treasure. Once, 
when some of the company, w ild with hun¬ 
ger, had vaguely hinted at going over, he had 
pulled out his flag and waveo it defiantly in 
their faces. Not another word had ever been 
heard of surrender. There was too much 
hatred sewed into that flag. 
(To be continued.) 
That Tired Feeling 
The warm weather has a debilitating effect, 
especially npcm those who aro within doors most 
of the time. Tho peculiar, yet common, com¬ 
plaint known as “ th.it tired feeling," is the 
result. Tills feeling can be entirely overcome by 
taking Hood's Sarsaparilla, which, gives new life 
and strength to all the functions of the body. 
"I could not sleep; had no appetite. 1 took 
Hood’s Sarsaparilla and soon began to sleep 
soundly; could get up without that tired and 
languid feeling; and my appetite improved.” 
R. A. Sanford, Kent, Ohio. 
Hood’s Sarsaparilla 
Sold by all druggists. $1; six for $5. Made 
only by C. I. HOOD & CO., Lowell, Mas*. 
IOO Doses One Dollar 
FALL PLANTINC. 
We offer the Urges! and most com¬ 
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sent to nil regular cimtomers.t'ree. 
Toothers: No. 1. Fruits.Ilk:.; No 2, 
Ornamental Trees, etc., illustrated, 
15c.; No. 3. Strawberries; No. 4, 
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ROSES 
GRAPE VINES 
ELLWANGER & BARRY 
MT. HOPE NFBSEKIES, KOCHKSTKU.Tiew York. 
J. M. TH0RBU3N & CO., 
15 JOHN ST., 
NEW YORK. 
BEG TO ANNOUNCE THAT THEIR DESCRIPTIVE PRICED 
CATALOGUE OF 
BULBS 
for autumn planting Is ready for mail! ng to applicants. 
LILY OF THE VALLEY PIPS 
and BERMUDA EASTER LILIES 
FOR FLORISTS, A SPEC ALTY. 
FREE! 
A TRIAL PACKET OF THE 
Celebrated Everett High Grade Wheat 
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lug me the address of 10 Fanners. LARGE OJROWliRS 
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600 ACRES. 13 CREENHOUSES. 
TREESMPLANTS 
We offer for tile Fall trade a large and flue stock 
of every description of FRUIT and Ornu mental 
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old Strawl.errie*, Erie UlueUberry. All the 
beet |{u*l»herrie*. Plante by mail a specialty. Cato. 
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trw. JOLL llOltMilt A 8V V McruLunlvUlc,N. J. 
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SAMPLE PACKAGE -Thro- choice HOSES, 
three CONCORD or one KOUKKS Cl RAPE, with Cafa 
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seed Valley, Finley, Velvet Chaff. 
»l-3t> per bushel: DEITZ SfA.5« 
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MUftiT! I FARM DEPARTMENT, 
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SEEDS! 
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'j. M. MCCULLOUGH'S SONS, Cincinnati, 0. 
i 
