He had invested all his funds as well as those of his
niece in Confederate bonds, and he had annually contributed a large
portion of the product of his lands to the support of the army.
Living remote from the scenes of actual strife, he had been able to
maintain his illusions and hopes to a far greater extent than many
others of like mind with himself; but as the war drew toward its
close, even the few newspapers he read were compelled to justify
their name in some degree by giving very unpalatable information. As
none are so blind as those who will not see, the old man had testily
pooh-poohed at what he termed "temporary reverses," and his immunity
from disturbance had confirmed his belief that the old order of
things could not materially change. True, some of his slaves had
disappeared, but he had given one who had been caught such a lesson
that the rest had remained quiet if not contented.
The news brought by his overseer became therefore more disturbing
than the strange and preposterous conduct of his niece, and he had
demanded excitedly, "What on earth's the matter, Perkins?"
"Well, sir, fur's I kin mek out, this very plantation's been p'luted
by Yankee soldiers this very evenin'.
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