UC-NRLF 
 
 B 3 3^^ hm 
 
UBRAR}- 
 
 OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF 
 
 P-^IIFORNl^ 
 
^ 
 
 % 
 

 i-j-i-i fw 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-EIRINGS 
 
 a movci 
 
 By R. M.IJOHNSTON 
 
 AUTHOR OP 
 
 MR. ABSALOM BILLINGSLEA " " DUKESBOROUGH TALES 
 " OLD MARK LANGSTON " ETC. 
 
 "■Entys'd 
 To take to Ms neio love, and leave her old despys'd " 
 
 Faerie Qckenk 
 
 ILLUSTRATED 
 
 NEW YORK 
 HARPER & BROTHERS, FRANKLIN SQUARE 
 
 1889 
 
Copyright, 1889, by Harper & Brothers. 
 AU rights reserved. 
 
J 13 
 
 T 
 
 TO THE MEMORY 
 
 OF 
 
 RIGHT REV. GEORGE FOSTER PIERCE 
 
 WHO DURING MANY YEARS WAS THE AUTHOR's CLOSE NEIGHBOR AND FRIEND 
 WHOSE LOVE OF THE HUMOROUS, BOTH AS A HEARER AND A REHEARSER 
 
 WHOSE MARVELLOUS PERSONAL BEAUTY, WHOSE DEVOUT, INNOCENT %. 
 
 LIFE, AND WHOSE UNRIVALLED ELOQUENCE MADE HIM OP ' 
 
 ALL MEN IN HIS NATIVE STATE DURING HIS TIME 
 THE ONE MOST ADMIRED, LOVED, AND REVERED 
 
 THIS STORY 
 
 10 ^ff^ctiouatelg CDebicoteir 
 
 M542491 
 
 J 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PAQB 
 
 '''And ivhen you're t/ioo\ I got another gold piece 
 
 for you '" Frontispiece 
 
 How the May plantation was farmed 7 
 
 " 'Now they may he soms hind of men that lach- 
 
 eldrin suit ' " -[9 
 
 A morning at Mrs. Ingram's 27 
 
 Mr. Bullington's wedding countenance 57 
 
 Allen Swinger and Jerry Pound 69 
 
 " ' And donH he look splendid f " 73 
 
 " ' Ilime Jyner, want to know how come I here f ' " 107 
 " ' .DonH talk to me about your lots and lotteries^ 
 
 female /' " 125 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS, 
 
 I. 
 
 The Joyiiers, besides fifty negroes, owned 
 a thousand acres of Ogeechee bottom-land, 
 extending southward to the Mays, who, with 
 as many slaves, paid taxes on over thirteen 
 hundred acres. The mansion of the former, 
 square, two-storied, with attic, was situate a 
 few rods from the pubhc thoroughfare lead- 
 ing from Augusta on the Savannah, through 
 Gateston, the county -seat, to Milledge^dlle, 
 then the capital of the state. In a similar 
 house, with a somewhat more tasteful piazza, 
 a mile below, a little removed from a neigh- 
 borhood road extending down the river-bank 
 to the Shoals, dwelt the Mays. Equidistant, 
 near the Gateston road, were the Dosters, in 
 1 
 
2 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 their story-and-a-half house, who, with a doz- 
 en slaves and about three hundi^ed acres of 
 land, roUing and much thinner than their 
 neighbors', were doing at least as well as 
 could have been expected. The Joyners and 
 Mays had been intimately friendly always, 
 and no neighbor had ever beheved himself so 
 dull a prophet as not to have foreseen, long 
 before WiUiam and Harriet May and Hiram 
 and Ellen Joyner were old enough to be 
 tliinking about sweethearts, that those two 
 families, hke their fine plantations, were des- 
 tined in time to be united, and by a double 
 bond. 
 
 The heads of both these famihes had de- 
 ceased. So had that of the Dosters, the last, 
 besides his widow, leaving Thomas, lately 
 grown to manhood, and two younger chil- 
 dren. At the period in which occurred what 
 this story is meant to tell, Hiram and Will- 
 iam were about twenty-two, and Ellen and 
 Harriet nineteen and eighteen. 
 
 But for the demise of Mr. Doster, Thomas 
 would have had a better education. This 
 event made necessary his leaving the state 
 college at the end of the junior year, in order 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 3 
 
 to conduct the family business. To the ne- 
 cessity that called liim away he yielded with 
 more reluctance because he was to leave be- 
 hind a very dear cousin, with whom the ex- 
 pectation had been to study and enter into a 
 partnership for the practice of the law. Yet 
 in this while he had learned quite as much 
 of books as either of the young men his more 
 favored neighbors, who after leaving the acad- 
 emy had been two years at the University of 
 Virginia, where they had spent money to 
 such figures that their mothers readily as- 
 sented to their proposal to return home with- 
 out academic degrees. For three years past 
 they had been managing in some sort the 
 goodly estates left by their fathers; but 
 some said that but for their negro foremen 
 the plantations would deteriorate faster. 
 Much of their tune had been spent in fox- 
 hunting, bird-hunting, and other field-sports, 
 in horseback journeyings to Milledgeville and 
 Augusta, and in other ways which they re- 
 garded their fortunes ample enough to allow. 
 Each, however, had reasonably good moral 
 character, and was fi^ank enough to admit to 
 his mother sometimes that, compared with 
 
4 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS, 
 
 that of the Dosters, their place was not kept 
 up sufficiently, and that, upon ground well 
 known to be less productive, the Doster 
 crops were better. Yet all along it had been 
 hoped that after a while, particularly when 
 they had married and settled down to steady 
 business, Hiram and WiUiam would make 
 good, energetic, prosperous citizens hke theh^ 
 fathers. 
 
 The Mays were tall, slender, and fair ; the 
 Joyners of middle height, dark hair and com- 
 plexion ; Ellen somewhat petite, her brother 
 stout and strongly set. The girls were con- 
 sidered quite pretty after their separate 
 styles, and their brothers would have been 
 slow to beheve that Tom Doster, midway 
 between them as to figure and complexion, 
 was considered by most people rather better- 
 looking than either. The education of the 
 girls was excellent for those times. It was 
 only about a year back when they had come 
 out of the female academy at Gateston, 
 wherein they had spent all their years since 
 very young girlhood. This academy, found- 
 ed and kept by Rev. Mr. Wyman, a Baptist 
 clergyman, native of Vermont, had, and most 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 5 
 
 deservedly, a very high reputation, that had 
 extended throughout the state and into sev- 
 eral adjoining. All branches taught in New- 
 England seminaries, including music, draw- 
 ing, and painting, were in the course which 
 both the girls had made, not only with satis- 
 faction, but high honors. Ellen played on 
 the piano uncommonly well, and Harriet, 
 less skilful there, was a sweeter singer. The 
 young men were quite proud of these accom- 
 plishments of their sisters, but for which it 
 was thought that they might have exerted 
 themselves more for their own development. 
 As it was, they held to their fox-hunting and 
 other amusements, each satisfied apparently 
 with the thought that when the time should 
 come for subtracting from the other's family 
 he would give in exchange a value regarded 
 equal to that which he would receive. 
 
 Thomas Doster had made it appear very 
 soon after leaving college that this move- 
 ment meant business. The vigor and econ- 
 omy with which he had managed the farm 
 were such that in three years enough had 
 been laid up to purchase two hundred more 
 acres and a family of negroes. For some 
 
6 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 considerable time people had been saying 
 what a fine young man Tom Doster was. 
 The Dosters, belonging to the same church, 
 visited with the other two famihes, but not 
 nearly so often as those with each other. 
 The young men, particularly William May, 
 who was of heartier temperament than 
 Hiram, rather liked Tom, and in their own 
 families might go so far as to admit that his 
 example, if such a thing were necessary, 
 might be worth imitating. If they felt hke 
 patronizing him, they could not do so to 
 much extent, something in his manner, ex- 
 cept when in presence of the girls, putting 
 such deportment in restraint. Every week- 
 day he was to be seen, in his plain, home- 
 made, well-fitting clothes, where either the 
 plough hands or the hoe hands were at work, 
 and the passing by of old or yoimg, male or 
 female, seemed to affect in no wise the feel- 
 ing of manhood as, thus homely clad, he kept 
 at his work. Eight often, as the girls with 
 their brothers, or one with him of the other, 
 were riding past, he would take off his broad- 
 brimmed hat, return their salutation, and, if 
 happening to be near the fence, come forward 
 
f^: > 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 9 
 
 at notice of disposition to linger for a brief 
 chat. On Sundays when there was meeting 
 at Horeb, a mile or so inland from the Joyn- 
 ers', he put on his best, and looked the equal 
 of anybody there. Occasionally, when one 
 of the girls had ridden there on horseback, 
 accompanied by her brother, he proposed to 
 escort her home, and — but not often — ac- 
 cepted the invitation to dinner which it was 
 customary in all country neighborhoods to 
 extend on such occasions. 
 
 " Tom's a stirring fellow," said Will May 
 to Harriet one day, when, after some conver- 
 sation with him as he sat upon his fence, they 
 were passing on. 
 
 "• Yes," she answered ; '' I think Tom Dos- 
 ter is a very promising young man; hand- 
 some too, even in his homespun clothes. I 
 suspect that he would have made a good 
 lawyer." 
 
 " Best as it is ; indeed lucky, in my opin- 
 ion. There's no good in a fellow trying to 
 rise too far above his raising. It's well for 
 Tom Doster that he could not go to the bar. 
 He's proud enough, hard as he has to work, 
 and he cannot, if he ever tries, conceal his 
 
10 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 aspiring nature. I like Tom very well my- 
 self as a neighbor ; but Hiram, especially of 
 late, doesn't. Hiram says tbat Tom is as 
 proud as if be owned both our plantations 
 and bis little patch of ground besides." 
 
 ''I don't see why he might not feel as 
 proud as other people, brother Will. He's 
 young, handsome, inteUigent, industrious, 
 and of as good family as any, if they do have 
 less property. I should not call pride the 
 feeling that keeps him from looking up to 
 those who are in more favored conditions. I 
 should rather name it a sense of freedom, 
 which every man who feels himself to be a 
 gentleman is bound to have." 
 
 ''Yes; and that's just the way, as Hiram 
 says, that Ellen talks, and both of you are 
 rather imprudent in the way you treat Tom 
 Doster; and I tell you now, Harriet, that 
 Hham especially doesn't hke it." 
 
 '' Oho ! He doesn't ! nor do you, I see. 
 Well, Ellen and I must amend our speech, 
 and be more circumspect in our behavior, 
 even if we cannot help our tastes and man- 
 ners." 
 
 Then she looked back with mock regret 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 11 
 
 toward Tom, who was working away as if he 
 had forgotten having seen and talked with 
 them. 
 
 " Come, Harriet, yon needn't put on airs." 
 
 "• Of course not, before my brother Will, 
 and especially before Hiram, of whose dis- 
 pleasure he warns me. But," she added, to 
 tease her brother, " they do say that Tom's 
 cousin has grown to be handsomer even than 
 him. I'll have to see for myself before I can 
 believe it." 
 
 "- Wasn't that a pretty come off? He and 
 Tom were to be two great lawyers, you know ; 
 and their grand scheme has wound up by Tom 
 being, as his father before him was, a common, 
 hard-working farmer, and his cousin a Meth- 
 odist preacher." 
 
 " It was rather strange. As for poor Tom, 
 the disappointment was unavoidable, and, 
 hke a true man always will in such cases, he 
 has borne it not only patiently, but cheerful- 
 ly. His cousin Henry, I doubt not, is follow- 
 ing what he beheves to be the line of his duty, 
 and if so, that shows him to be a true man 
 
 also." 
 
 '' Everybody to his notion. Let us get on." 
 
12 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 They urged their horses to a brisker pace, that 
 soon brought them to the Joyners', where 
 they tarried awhile before returning home. 
 
 Henry Doster was son of Tom's uncle, 
 who dwelt several miles beyond Gateston, 
 and whose estate was somewhat larger than 
 that of his deceased brother. Everybody, his 
 parents, even himself, had been expecting, 
 ever since he first entered college, and until 
 just before he was to leave, that he was to 
 become a lawyer. But about a couple of 
 months before graduation, at the head of his 
 class, during a revival meeting of the Meth- 
 odist church in Athens, the seat of the state 
 university, he, who always had been piously 
 inclined, became convinced that he had a 
 call to the sacred ministry. His parents, not 
 church members, but rather affiliating with 
 the Baptists, felt a double disappointment. 
 Yet they loved and respected him too well to 
 complain. He was as gentle as he was hand- 
 some and gifted. While in college he had 
 the good -fortune to be popular both with 
 faculty and students, because he deported 
 himself just as he ought before all. Of ohve 
 complexion, brown eyes and hair, his face on 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS, 13 
 
 occasion would light into redness as decided 
 as ever painted the fairest cheek. When he 
 was in animated declamation his form of five 
 feet ten swayed with a grace more engaging 
 because unstudied, even unconscious, and his 
 voice, at all times sweet, rang sonorous and 
 true as a clarion's. His college mates had 
 prophesied for him an eminent career at the 
 bar, and many felt regret more than surprise 
 at the course which, suddenly, as it seemed, 
 he had resolved to pursue. At Commence- 
 ment he made his modest valedictory with 
 much eclat, smilingly bade adieu to all his as- 
 sociates and acquaintance ; then returned to 
 his home, and went to preparing himself for 
 the solemn work that he was to undertake. 
 
II. 
 
 The two leading religious denominations, 
 as now, were then nearly equally divided in 
 middle Georgia, the ascendency held by the 
 Methodists in the towns and villages being 
 balanced by that of the Baptists in the rural 
 districts. Not very many of the clergy of eith- 
 er had received a college education, yet many 
 of them were very efficient preachers, and 
 some eloquent to a high degree. The Meth- 
 odists were well pleased at the accession of a 
 young man in whom was such goodly prom- 
 ise. Brief prehminaries were required for 
 the pulpit, and only a few months after the 
 time when Henry Doster had counted upon 
 applying for admission to the bar he was 
 preaching the gospel. So young, and modest 
 as young, it was thought well that for the 
 first year he should work under the guidance 
 of one of the older and more pronounced 
 preachers. Fortunate to both it seemed 
 that the Rev. Allen Swinger, a native of the 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 15 
 
 county, was holding his headquarters in 
 Gateston, and to him, as assistant in his cir- 
 cuit, Henry was assigned. This gentleman, 
 very tall and muscular, had been in his youth 
 a noted fighter, having won his wife, so the 
 tradition went, by his conquest of a formida- 
 ble rival, and he had not left behind all of his 
 native combativeness when he advanced upon 
 a higher field. He was fond of wielding what 
 he styled his sledge-hammer, not only against 
 sinners in general, but pronounced opponents 
 of his own faith, of the entu^e certitude of 
 which he never had felt a doubt since the day 
 on which he embraced it first. Yet he was, 
 or he meant to be, as pious as he was aggres- 
 sive, and he cordially beheved that his in- 
 terest in the welfare of souls, outsiders and 
 nominal insiders, was as good as the best. 
 Many and many a time, with emphasis, would 
 he talk about thus : 
 
 '' If Allen Swinger know anything at all 
 about hisself , his own self, and if lie don't, the 
 question arise who do, but if so be, I am not 
 aginst none of their souls' salvations, if they 
 would only git their consents to give up their 
 mean ways, and then git right straight up and 
 
16 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 come aright straight along where everybody 
 that ain't a actuil a bhnded with predijice is 
 obleeged to see, plain as open and shet, is the 
 way they got to f oiler so they mayn't git con- 
 swined not only to fire but brimstone sprin- 
 kled on top of that, which every sence I ben 
 converted myself, hke a bran' snatched from 
 the burnin', I ben astonished that anybody 
 could ever be such a big fool as to think he 
 could stand ary one, let alone both. Now as 
 for Henry Dawster, if he wasn't quite so thin 
 skin, and if he could get his consents to pitch 
 in four-an'-a-half^ aginst worldlyans, and be 
 more vigious on them Babtisses, which if they 
 ain't headed they goin' to take this whole 
 country, same hke the sand of Egyp', him and 
 me together could git up rewivals a'most a con- 
 stant. But I can't yit git him to make charg- 
 es on 'em. That whut I call comin' down 
 out the pulpit and marchin' right on to 
 'em, right and left. Yit he's a good religious 
 boy, same as a good Meth'dis' woman that 
 don't know how to be anything else, and I 
 love him a'most a like he were my own child, 
 and, in time, and speshual, when he git hisself 
 
 * Mr. Swinger by this phrase meant /<?re and aft. 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRIJSfGS. 17 
 
 a wife, I shall count on his spreadin' hisself 
 accordin' to his talons, which, jest betwix me 
 and you, to go no furder, he's got a plenty, 
 more than any one man's sheer, when he have 
 the expeunce to go along with 'em." 
 
 Unhke as were these two, a friendship 
 amounting to affection united them. The 
 absence of everything hke envy in Mr. Swin- 
 ger, instead the bounding pride he felt in 
 Henry's superior gifts, and his eagerness to 
 help in such employment as he beheved would 
 develop and exhibit them to best advantage ; 
 on the other side, the young man's ready per- 
 formance of every service assigned, his confi- 
 dence in the single-minded integrity with 
 which Mr. Swinger deported himself toward 
 him, bound them, in not long time, closely 
 and fondly. In spite of his general stern- 
 ness of manner and speech, Mr. Swinger 
 had much softness of spirit and considerable 
 humor. The submission of a sinner or any 
 other kind of enemy would melt his ire to 
 tenderness instantly. He could tell a joke 
 with excellent effect, and he would do so 
 even when himself was the butt of its ridi- 
 cule, and his dehght at such rehearsal was 
 2 
 
18 OGEE CHE E CROSS-FIRINGS, 
 
 equal to Ms hearers' in the laughter thus pro- 
 voked. He beheved, and he so assured the 
 young preacher often, that he could never 
 make important continued headway in his 
 profession as long as he remained single. 
 His talks upon the subject discovered some 
 romance in his being. 
 
 ''Bacheldrin, Henry Dawster, now they 
 may be some kind of men that bacheldiin 
 suit ; but they monst'ous few, and a preacher, 
 speshual Meth'dis', not among 'em. Make no 
 odds how much a young preacher in the first 
 off-start in his mad careers, so to speak, may 
 think more of hisself than other people think 
 he's hable to, and he mayn't feel hke he want 
 to bother and hamper hisseK with one single 
 female section of people, yit he'll find in time 
 that the time will come, and that mayby sud- 
 dent, when his holt will begin to loosen, and 
 it'll keep on a-loosenin' tell he'll have to let her 
 drap. And it's speshual the case when he 
 have good looks, but which I've never ben 
 oneasy about your settin' Tar Eiver afii-e on 
 them score. Yit so it is, and I have yit to 
 see the bachelder preacher that won't knock 
 under in the course of time. Because for 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 21 
 
 why? In every combunity that I've ever 
 ben anywhere they always girls, and not only 
 them, but widders and old maids of all age 
 and description, that in a case hke the pres- 
 ent they everlastin' workin' up shoe-shppers, 
 or money-pusses, or dressin'-gownds, or neck- 
 hankchers, or somethin' of some kind that no 
 nation of men of no kind ever had any use 
 for, but which in the first place that they'U 
 go to conwince him, if he don't look out, 
 that he's too good to go and preach to com- 
 mon poor people at ill-convenant places. 
 And^ at last, he'll see that sech foohshness 
 have to stop, and 'stid of sech onuseless arti- 
 cles, which nobody, much less a Meth'dis' 
 preacher, have no yearthly necessity for, he'U 
 find that what he want is a ivife^ not only for 
 company, but for makin', and mendin', and 
 keep him decent respectable. Now it ain't 
 that I would ricommend any young man to 
 go into the very market of young women, as 
 it were, like he was after a horse or a piece 
 of prop'ty. No, sir ; and if a man is any 
 account he'll wait, no matter how long time 
 it take, tell he fall dead in love with jes one 
 lone partic'lar one by herself, and feel hke, 
 
22 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 thoo every bone in Ms natur', that she's the 
 onhest pmk of perfection they is, make no 
 deffunce how much the gittin' of married 
 bound to take the aige off sech as that. No, 
 sir ; and I tell yon now, Henry Dawster, 
 'twer'n't for sech as that, that aige would be 
 took off a heap sooner and a heap more of it. 
 Yes, sir, my boy, wait tell she strike you a 
 centre shot, and you feel like the ground ain't 
 hardly good enough for her to walk on it. Of 
 course a feller bound to find out in time, and 
 when it's all over, that his wife ain't of 
 that angel kind of women love-tales tells 
 about ; and you mayn't beheve it, but often 
 I've sot up a mighty nigh all night with a 
 toller candle, and sometimes nothin' but a 
 hght'rd knot fire, a-purusin' AJonzer and Mel- 
 issy, and The Bandit's Bride, and sech, and 
 cried, and wantin' to be thar, and, jerkin' out 
 my knife, hack them villion's heads off, and 
 takin' them women off somewheres and live 
 together, jes me and them, by ourselves. Yit 
 I know, well as anybody that ain't a horned 
 fool obleeged to know, he can't expect a wife 
 who have the keer of a family to be always 
 a-settin' up in the parlor mth her best frock 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 23 
 
 on a-listenin' to him a eyerlastin' cotin' kiss 
 verses, like he used to did. And^ besides, 
 what's a heap more, if anything, for the argy- 
 ment of this p'int of the case, he have ben 
 conwinced long before now, and that without 
 her a-tellin' him, that he ain't, nor he never 
 were, nother the General Wash'n't'n nor the 
 Jul'us Caesar he want to make her beheve 
 when she took him. But^ Henry Dawster, 
 sech idees does a man good in the first off- 
 start ; and when he's done married and settled 
 down, fa'r and squar', if he'll be true, and he 
 won't be too f ault-findy, he'll yit think his own 
 wife is the best of the whole kerhoot of 'em, 
 jes as every married man had ought to think 
 of his wife ; and as for old bachelders, he'll 
 always feel sorry for any sech a cold, froggy 
 set, like I've ben sorry for 'em ever sence me 
 and Hester took up together. iVo, sir ; or, I 
 may ruther say, yes^ sir ; you should ought to 
 wait tell you find one you think is a Wenus 
 or a Juberter, or whut them po-uts calls 'em 
 in their po'try ; and when you do, then f ar'- 
 well world." 
 
 It was interesting to see the relations be- 
 tween them, one with the unstudied speech 
 
24 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 and manners of a rude pioneer, the other with 
 those of a culture needed for the work of 
 new social conditions. The younger, while 
 he could not but be amused at what must 
 soon become obsolete, yet reverenced with all 
 his heart the honest earnestness that persisted 
 in methods which he would not have known 
 how to attempt to change. The elder was as 
 courageously upright and as fondly affection- 
 ate as he was barbarous in outward appear- 
 ance and demeanor. The love he had for his 
 protege, especially his eager wish that he 
 should make an early happy marriage, led 
 him often to talk of his own young time and 
 of his conjugal hfe, in which it was easy to 
 be seen that much of true love's fruition had 
 fallen to his lot. 
 
 The new preacher boarded with the In- 
 grams, whose handsome mansion, in a grove 
 of red oak and black-jack, stood at the head 
 of a street called Maiden Lane, on the side of 
 which, where it made a bend, was Mr. Wy- 
 man's academy. Behind, extending south 
 and southwest, was their plantation of two 
 thousand acres. Here also had boarded 
 Harriet and Ellen while at school ; for in 
 
OGEE GHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 25 
 
 those times families who were at the highest 
 in property and social position, for the sake 
 of the school and the chm^ches, took board- 
 ers, and that at nominal charges, considering 
 the hying dispensed by them. Mrs. Ingram, 
 a niece of Mrs. May, had been brought up a 
 Baptist, but after her intermarriage had ac- 
 cepted the faith of her husband, a Methodist 
 class -leader. As neither of the congrega- 
 tions could afford to hold pubhc worship 
 every Sunday, the members of each common- 
 ly attended that of the other on alternate 
 meeting-days, notwithstanding the oft discus- 
 sion of denominational differences. These, 
 even sometimes when acrimonious, were ig- 
 nored in neighborly intercourse ; for indeed 
 the Rev. Mr. BuUington, a near neighbor of 
 the Ogeechee Dosters, who served both Horeb 
 and the Baptist church in Grateston, was be- 
 lieved by his brethren to know, when duly 
 roused, about as well as Mr. Swinger, how to 
 meet blows and to give. Mr. Wyman not 
 often preached there, suspecting that his 
 brother Bulhngton's feehngs were a httle 
 hurt sometimes at the praise bestowed upon 
 his more learned discourses, and when he did, 
 
26 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 recognizing the policy and the duty, as far as 
 possible, of being all things to all men, sel- 
 dom preached mere doctrinal sermons. 
 
 Our girls occasionally visited the Ingrams, 
 Ellen as freely, because she knew that she 
 was as welcome, as Haniet. Henry Doster 
 had seen them seldom, and not at all since 
 he had first gone to college. One day, when 
 he had been in the village several weeks, Mrs. 
 Ingram, happening to enter one of the stores, 
 met at the door Harriet May, who was about 
 to return home in the family gig, in which 
 her brother had brought her. 
 
 " Caught you at last," said Mrs. Ingram, 
 ''just as you were about to steal off. What 
 have I done to all you people that not one of 
 you has darkened my door in weeks on weeks ? 
 Will May, you may just go home by yourself, 
 and tell Aunt Martha I kept Harriet and car- 
 ried her home with me, that being the only 
 way that I could get her there. You young 
 folks ought to be ashamed of yourselves for not 
 calling on my boarder and showing him some 
 attention. I tell you now that he is as good 
 company as anybody, if he is a preacher." 
 
 '' Why, Cousin Emily," answered Harriet, 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS, 29 
 
 looking down at her plain gingham, ^^I 
 couldn't stay to-night. I just came to town 
 to get some things for ma, and — " 
 
 " Yon needn't say yon can't, for I say you 
 shall ; and if Will is too busy with the plan- 
 tation work, or rather with his hunting and 
 running about, to come for you in two or 
 three days, I'll get Mr. Ingram to take you, 
 or I'll send you in the carriage." 
 
 " Stay, Harriet, if you'd like," said WiU. 
 " rU come for you whenever you say. You 
 needn't be troubled about yom' dress. That's 
 good enough for kinfolks and a preacher, 
 Methodist at that." 
 
 " Methodist at that !" retorted Mrs. Ingram. 
 '' I wish you were as good as Henry Doster ; 
 and if you didn't think so much of your own 
 good looks, you'd wish you were as handsome. 
 But you are a good boy for giving up so nice- 
 ly for Harriet to stay. Now do, my dear Will, 
 you and Hiram, please make a set caU soon 
 on Mr. Doster, and tell Ellen as you go by 
 there that if she has anything against Emily 
 Ingram, that respectable lady would hke to 
 know, soon as convenient, what it is; and you 
 teU her f mother that if she does not come to 
 
30 OGEE CHE E CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 my house within less than one week from this 
 day I will see if it is possible to know the rea- 
 son why, and tell her that I said it in earnest 
 and without cracking a single smile. Hear f 
 
 '' I hear, cousin. If Ellen wants to come, 
 I'll bring her up to-morrow in our carriage. 
 Maybe I'd better be with her when she meets 
 the Doster that's so awfully good-looking." 
 
 ''I didn't so describe him, you conceited 
 fellow. I only intimated that some people 
 might dare to think him handsomer than 
 even you. Well, off with you. Good-by. 
 My love to aunty and all the Jo3rQers." 
 
III. 
 
 " How did you girls like the young preach- 
 er f Mrs. May asked of her daughter on her 
 return. 
 
 '' Oh, ma, I was glad Cousin Emily kept 
 me, although I felt not quite comfortable in 
 an every-day frock in presence of a young 
 man so well dressed and so cultivated. How- 
 ever, the next day, when Ellen brought me 
 another, I was abeady at ease." 
 
 "Yes; Ellen sent me word by Will that 
 she was going to join you at Emily's, and 
 suggested that you might hke me to send 
 you something." 
 
 " Bless Ellen's heart, and yours too ! You 
 are both so thoughtful. Henry Doster doesn't 
 look hke a preacher, ma. He's handsome too, 
 and a good talker, and a good hstener." 
 
 " What did he talk about f ' 
 
 "Oh, lots of things — society, books, mu- 
 sic — " 
 
 " And rehgion f 
 
32 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 "No, ma'am, not at all. I suppose he 
 thought that young ghis and of Baptist 
 people would not care to hear a Methodist 
 preacher discourse in private on rehgion, and 
 when they were guests in the house where 
 he hved. I thought that was very polite and 
 sensible. Yet at bedtime he made the most 
 beautiful prayer. His voice, especially when 
 it takes on a religious tone, is very impres- 
 sive. We were not long on books, I assure 
 you. I suspect he saw that Ellen ancl I were 
 not anxious he should find how few we had 
 read, and he let us drop the subject when he 
 saw that we wanted to. Pious as he is, yet 
 he is full of fun. Cousin Emily says he tells 
 her things about old Mr. Swinger that she 
 and he both, and so does the old man when 
 present, laugh at till they have to cry. But 
 he didn't talk about him to us. That, I 
 suppose, he felt would be telhng tales out of 
 school. He's devoted to music. He sang a 
 very good tenor with some of my songs, and 
 he said to me privately that Ellen played 
 better than any person he'd ever heard. He 
 evidently admkes Ellen highly." 
 
 '^IshehkeTomf 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 33 
 
 '' Not very ; but rather. Ellen thinks he's 
 handsomer than Tom. I hardly think so. 
 He's very fond of Tom, and he said that he 
 had promised to make him a visit before long. 
 Brother Will did not come to the house until 
 it was nearly time for us to start back. But 
 I was glad that he did come at last, and was 
 pohte enough to invite Henry Doster, when 
 he was in the neighborhood, to call ujoon us." 
 
 ''Wilham ought to have done that, of 
 course, and, to tell the truth, I'd like to see 
 him myself after all the talk about his being 
 so smart and such a fine preacher." 
 
 ''He'll call here, I doubt not, when he 
 comes to see Tom. I hope Hiram will call 
 upon him before that, and I hope that when 
 the young man does call, brother Will won't 
 be as condescending in manners to him as 
 he is to Tom." 
 
 '' William does seem to rather wish to pat- 
 ronize Tom. I wish in my heart he'd be as 
 attentive to business as Tom Doster. The 
 Doster property is improving and increasing 
 constantly, while, if it wasn't for Levi, ours 
 would go to rack faster than it is going al- 
 ready. If he and Ellen are ever to marry, I 
 3 
 
34 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 wish they'd do it soon, and let him settle 
 down to work. Hiram does some better than 
 he ; but there's room for improvement there 
 too." 
 
 " The difficulty with both of them, ma, is 
 that they've been so long taking some things 
 for granted that — " 
 
 '' Oh, well, well, child, let us all hope they'll 
 see in good time the need of a change, and 
 then go seriously about making it. Go to 
 your room now and change your frock. I 
 want you to help Eitter in baking some 
 cakes." 
 
 The mothers of these famihes much de- 
 sired to each have the other's daughter for 
 her daughter-in-law, though the contempla- 
 tion of the other's son in corresponding rela- 
 tionship was far from eager. The young men 
 had received many an earnest parental ad- 
 monition of the danger of losing what they 
 had been counting on always in security; 
 and for more than a year past they had been 
 growing more anxious upon the subject than 
 they would have admitted to any. Especially 
 was it thus with Hiram, who, of the two, was 
 more single-minded, of far greater persistence 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 35 
 
 in sullen purpose, and capable of deep resent- 
 ment of injury done or suspected to be in- 
 tended. Not courteous by nature, he bad 
 ever deported himself toward both the girls 
 as if neither had right to opinion as to the 
 disposition which circumstances had des- 
 tined. WiUiam May, gay, volatile, was fond 
 of teasing his Httle sweetheart in all ways 
 within the hmit of impunity. In neither 
 case had been that ardor of pursuit which is 
 always becoming, and which is almost always 
 necessary with such girls as Harriet and El- 
 len. Therefore, when courtship began to be 
 avowed, the men were surprised, and Hu'am 
 indignant, though much frightened, when 
 their proposals were checked by the girls, 
 who said, smiling, that, having been confined 
 at school so long, they must have rest of in- 
 definite duration, with as much freedom and 
 fun in it as possible. They were lovely girls. 
 None knew that fact better than Hiram and 
 Will, and, I may add, Tom Doster, who hved 
 so near, yet regarded himself as so far away. 
 No doubt from childhood they had looked 
 forward to the destiny wliich to all minds 
 seemed inevitable. Yet now, become women, 
 
36 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS, 
 
 they felt that influences of a kind hitherto 
 unknown must accrue before they could con- 
 sent to take such steps. 
 
 Although Tom Doster had never shown, 
 as he was aware of, any preference for either, 
 Hiram, particularly since his own most un- 
 expected discouragement, suspected him of 
 wishing to marry Harriet, and for some time 
 past what had been meant for condescension 
 toward him had given place to a reserve that 
 illy concealed his jealous hostihty. If Tom's 
 preference had been for Ellen, such hostihty 
 would have been as deep, though different in 
 kind. But in that case he could have given, 
 as he knew, open and effectual expression to 
 it, and this he would have done with his na- 
 tive arbitrary resoluteness, knowing well that 
 his chances of getting Harriet, uncertain, as 
 he had been startled to find them, would be 
 reduced to nothing unless Will was to have 
 Ellen in exchange. Tom was aware of this 
 suspicion, which, whether well founded or 
 not, was then known to none besides himself. 
 He had been meeting Hiram's new manners 
 as he had his former, apparently not noticing 
 that they were different from what he might 
 
OQEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 37 
 
 have been better pleased to see. His visits, 
 especially at the Joyners', continued as there- 
 tofore, infrequent and seemingly, if not really, 
 accidental. Several times, however, within 
 the last six months, when the girls, together 
 or singly, were visiting friends in town, he 
 went there, and— generally with his cousin 
 — called upon them whenever they were else- 
 where than at the Ingrams'. In this time 
 Henry Doster had become well acquainted 
 with both; but it was near the end of the 
 spring before he made his long-promised visit 
 to Tom. This occurred only a few days after 
 a call which Hiram, responding to many sug- 
 gestions from both families thereto, had made 
 upon him. 
 
 During the sojourn of a couple of days 
 the cousins paid a visit together to the Mays 
 and Joyners. The easy courteousness of the 
 preacher made a good impression on the 
 mothers. Mrs. Joyner, a much more ardent 
 partisan of Horeb than Mrs. May, said that 
 she could not but wonder and be sorry that 
 such a fine, bright young man could ever 
 have become a Methodist preacher. Will 
 and Hiram, as in their mothers' presence 
 
38 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 they niTist, behaved with decent hospitahty, 
 although Ellen thought her brother might 
 have made fewer allusions to the profession 
 of the principal visitor, and perhaps Harriet 
 would have been more pleased if Will had 
 been less punctihously gracious. 
 
 ''Two remarkably fine young women, 
 Tom," Henry said when, having parted from 
 the Joyners, they had mounted their horses 
 for the return. '' I wonder you haven't fall- 
 en in love with one of them. Indeed, I am 
 inclined to suspect you have — perhaps with 
 Miss May, as I noticed that you had rather 
 more to say to her than to the other." 
 
 Tom laughed and answered: ''Yes, they 
 are very fine girls; but I've never indulged 
 what thoughts I may have let come into my 
 mind occasionally." 
 
 "Why not f 
 
 " Oh, reasons enough, Henry, for that." 
 
 "Are they actually engaged, think you, 
 either couple f 
 
 " I can't say. If they are not, it amounts 
 to about the same. It has been understood 
 always that it is to be so some time or other, 
 and the girls, knowing that, feel, I suppose, 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 39 
 
 that they needn't be in a hurry. Those boys, 
 I think I have noticed, have been getting im- 
 patient about matters. Yon can see that by 
 their confounded over-pohteness to gentle- 
 men in their own houses, which means that 
 gentlemen may take notice that if they come 
 there for any purpose outside of paying or- 
 dinary neighborly civihties, they may as well 
 keep away. Ma says she doesn't beheve that 
 they are engaged ; and she says furthermore," 
 he added, with a not quite hearty smile, '' that 
 each of the mothers is anxious for her son's 
 marriage with the other's daughter as soon, 
 and wants her own daughter's put off as late, 
 as possible. It's a right interesting case, is it 
 not, where in the swap each has to give so 
 much boot." 
 
 They walked their horses for a while in 
 silence. 
 
 "Tom," his cousin at length said, ''if you 
 are satisfied that these girls are not engaged, 
 and if you have a feeling in that way, I can- 
 not see why you should repress it, unless you 
 are confident that its indulgence would be 
 hopeless. It is plain to me that both of them 
 hke you, and in the looks of each, when the 
 
40 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS, 
 
 name of her brother's friend was mentioned, 
 especially in the case of Miss May, there was 
 something — well, it seemed to me a sort of 
 pain, indifference— which led her to turn 
 from the subject. Now, my dear old fellow," 
 laying his hand fondly on Tom's shoulder, '' I 
 don't ask you for your confidence, though I 
 rather think that I might get what in such a 
 case I should freely give to you ; but if, as 
 I suspect, you do love one of these young 
 women, you ought to know that a man is 
 under some bonds to his own heart and its 
 honorable ambitions, and I have never known 
 one who with greater propriety than yourself 
 may feel and use all manful means to the ful- 
 filment of such obligation." 
 
 Suddenly turning upon him, Tom said, 
 playfully: ''Looky here, my boy, why not 
 take some of that counsel to yourself? 
 There are two of those women and but one 
 of me." 
 
 Henry blushed shghtly, and, looking for- 
 ward, answered, with solemnity : ''My dear 
 Tom, if I should ever look for a wife, my best 
 chances, I suppose, to say nothing of con- 
 gruity, would be among the Methodists. I 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 41 
 
 doubt if I shall ever marry, bound as I am to 
 an itinerary life, wliicli perhaps no woman 
 whom I could admii^e sufficiently, especially 
 if she were not of my rehgious faith, could 
 be expected to endure without complaint. 
 But you," turning to him again— ''you, my 
 dear Tom, so upright, energetic, constantly 
 bettering your condition, with promise of a 
 career higher, far above those young men, 
 and with a manfuler appreciation than theirs 
 of these young women whom they have not 
 cultivated the manhood to deserve — ^if you 
 want one of them, and do not beheve that 
 you would be interfering with a pre-contract, 
 expressed or imphed, I repeat it, you owe it 
 to every behest of your being as a freeman to 
 enter these lists." 
 
 They had turned into the grove fronting 
 the house, when, checking their horses simul- 
 taneously, they dismounted. There was so 
 much of solemn earnestness in Henry's words 
 that when they had seated themselves upon 
 the projecting roots of one of the oak-trees, 
 Tom told him without reserve the secret that 
 hitherto had been kept within his own breast. 
 Henry, putting his arms around him, and lay- 
 
4^ OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 ing his head upon his breast, was silent for a 
 minute. Then, lifting himseK upright, he 
 said, with glowing face : 
 
 '' Oh, Tom ! my beloved, my most precious 
 old Tom ! Thankful am I, oh, so thankful ! 
 Yet I would have chosen, and I would have 
 prayed to die rather than not avoid a con- 
 flict between your heart and mine ! You un- 
 derstand now my earnest wish to look into 
 yours. Give me your hand. Hand in hand 
 we will go to meet these arrogant youths, who 
 abeady claim what they have never learned 
 how to sue for and to win. Let us commit 
 the issue to God, who, I do not doubt, will 
 order whatever is best for all." 
 
IV. 
 
 Pkomptly began a change in Tom Doster's 
 life. Not neglecting any part of his work, he 
 thenceforth went more frequently not only to 
 the Mays', but the Joyners' ; for kindred to 
 his own was the cause of the cousin who had 
 imparted to him the new courage by which 
 he was now inspired. Increased freedom of 
 speech was noticeable at both houses, par- 
 ticularly when one or both of the young men 
 were present. It looked as if he meant to 
 show that he felt himself to be any man's 
 equal in whatever a man may strive with 
 honor to achieve, regarding the risks and 
 dangers at what they were worth, no less, 
 no more. Always having ignored the con- 
 descensions of William May and Hiram 
 Joyner's supercihous reserve, he treated the 
 expression and the withholding of then- opin- 
 ions as if they were of the same importance 
 in his mind as those of any others in the 
 neighborhood. It was plain th^t he had de- 
 
U OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 cided to be necessary not only courage, but 
 timely exhibitions of it. His cousin acted 
 similarly whenever in their society. He saw 
 the girls always when they were in town, 
 and several times witliin the space of a few 
 weeks had visited them at home, sometimes 
 with Tom, more often alone. Though httle 
 used to the society of young women, the in- 
 stincts of a true lover who had been born and 
 reared a gentleman taught him at once all the 
 manners he needed. Before the summer was 
 ended it began to be talked in the village, and 
 throughout the region between it and the 
 river, that Tom Doster was courting Harriet 
 May and Henry courting Ellen Joyner, both, 
 to all appearances, with very fair prospects of 
 success. What made the rumor seem more 
 probable was that not one of them, male or 
 female, when joked upon the subject, either 
 admitted or denied. 
 
 Hiram had learned at last that his sister, 
 petite, meek, though she was, could not be 
 controlled entirely by his own imperious 
 will. Without speaking to her on the mat- 
 ter, he ruminated silently upon what course 
 he would pursue if he should be convinced 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 45 
 
 that there was any Just foundation for it. 
 But Wilham May, outspoken always, deter- 
 mined to find out if possible at least how far 
 Harriet was interested in Tom. One day, 
 after returning fi^om one of the fields, having 
 met Tom, who had just come out of the house 
 seeming in contented humor, he said to his 
 sister : 
 
 '^ Harriet, of course I don't beheve a word 
 of this talk that is going the rounds about 
 you and Tom Doster. Yet since his cousin, 
 that everybody is flattering out of his senses, 
 has been coming down here, and following 
 you and Ellen all over town when you go 
 there, Tom has gotten to be as proud as a 
 peacock with a full-spread tail, and he be- 
 haves as if he felt himself as good as any- 
 body. What the deuce does it all mean % I 
 never saw Hiram so angry in my life." 
 
 " I don't see, brother Will, why Tom Dos- 
 ter should not feel as you describe about his 
 ' goodness,' as you call it, compared with that 
 of other young men of his acquaintance," she 
 answered, very, very mildly. 
 
 '' Well, / do ; for he has neither the prop- 
 erty nor the position to warrant." 
 
46 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 " He has not indeed the property that, for 
 instance, you have, or Hiram; but as for 
 positio7i, you know very well that in this 
 county it is as good as — as anybody's, not only 
 for what depends upon his personal charac- 
 ter, but his family, which I have heard pa say 
 was as good as any in all his acquaintance." 
 
 '<■ Ay ? Well, I merely remark that Hiram 
 is getting furious about the report connect- 
 ing Ellen's name with that Methodist cox- 
 comb, and he says that it has to stop, other- 
 wise he will forbid his visiting the house. If 
 they were of the right sort of men they would 
 less often come to private houses where they 
 are obhged to know that they are not wanted." 
 
 " Brother Will, / do not abject to the visits 
 of Tom Doster — I, for whom you suppose, 
 perhaps truly, that they are intended mainly, 
 and I have good reason to beheve that Ellen 
 feels similarly about those of his cousin. Ma 
 has not forbidden, nor has Mrs. Joyner that 
 I know of, that we receive the visits of these 
 young men, and until that is done I, at least, 
 shall treat them with the same civihty with 
 which I have always treated those whom I 
 have taken to be gentlemen." 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 47 
 
 '' My !" he said, pleasantly, as if commend- 
 ing her spirit ; '' you talk as if you felt inde- 
 pendent as a wood-sawyer." 
 
 '' I know not how independent such a per- 
 son habitually feels, but I know very well 
 that / shall always be a very dependent 
 woman, and so I mean to try to be very 
 careful as to the one on whom I am to de- 
 pend mainly when — when the time comes. 
 Brother William," she went on, nerved by a 
 feehng stirred by his harsh language, ''you 
 and Hiram Joyner have always had some 
 strange notions, and neither of you has had 
 the art, perhaps because you never believed 
 it worth your while, to conceal them. You 
 have acted with me as if you had, and could 
 have had, no other expectation than for me 
 to accept Hiram in marriage whenever he 
 chooses to offer himself, and Hiram has done 
 the same and more with Ellen in her relation 
 to you, and that because such was the surest 
 if not the least troublesome means of accom- 
 phshing your own ends. Why could not both, 
 or one of you at least, sue on your own merits f 
 
 ''LikeTomDoster,ehr 
 
 " Well," she rephed, in yet more animated 
 
48 OQEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 tone, " if you so mind, I'll answer, Yes^ Tom 
 Doster ! for if lie is moving now, or if he ever 
 will be moving, in the matter of which we 
 are talking, it is or it will be on that line, 
 Just as he has been doing ever since I have 
 been old enough to form any judgment on 
 his movements compared with other men's. 
 Now, my dear brother, I am going to ask you 
 a question, which, of course, you'll answer 
 directly or not, as you choose. If you felt 
 perfectly sure that Ellen would never con- 
 sent to marry you, would you be entirely 
 wilhng for me to take Hiram f 
 
 The question embarrassed him, but it fret- 
 ted also. He answered, petulantly, looking 
 away from her, ''If you'd accept Hiram, 
 Ellen would engage herseK to me to-mor- 
 row." 
 
 "And you would take her on such terms'? 
 Yes," blushing with pain, she said, " my own 
 brother virtually admits that he would, if he 
 could, barter his sister to a man in exchange 
 for that man's sister to wife, although well 
 knowing the infirmities of that man's nat- 
 ure, which would make it impossible for any 
 woman of spirit to live with liim hajipily. 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 49 
 
 Well, my brother, I cannot be a party to 
 such a bargain, even if it were possible it 
 could be made. But, oh dear ! oh dear ! how 
 you have mistaken that sweet ghi ! She is too 
 fine a gentlewoman to talk, even with me, her 
 most intimate friend, about such things ; but 
 I am without a doubt that Hiram often and 
 often has conducted himself towards her in 
 that same way, but more offensively, accord- 
 ing as he has a domineering spirit, which you 
 have not, and little of affectionateness for his 
 sister or anybody else. Now let me tell you : 
 Hiram Joyner's interference has been the 
 worst possible for you. But for it I am in- 
 clined to believe that you might have gotten 
 Ellen in time, if you could have shown to her 
 that your hope and your wishes to win her 
 were based only upon honest endeavors to de- 
 serve her. As it is, brother Will, whatever 
 chances you may have had are now gone." 
 
 '' What f he cried. '' You mean to tell me 
 that Ellen Joyner is going to throw herself 
 away on that whining preacher ?" 
 
 '' Brother William!" She was about to 
 respond with the generous indignation pro- 
 voked by this insult to an absent friend, but 
 4 
 
50 OGEE CHE E CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 she repressed it, and said : '' I choose not to 
 betray a trust which Ellen has not given me 
 permission to reveal. I said what I did for 
 the purpose of con^dncing yon of the nseless- 
 ness of any further indulgence of whatever 
 expectation you may have had. Honorable, 
 noble girl that she is, she would not object 
 to that, but would rather desu^e it. I will not 
 say if the man to whom she has given her 
 affections is or is not Henry Doster, of whom 
 my brother, I am sure, forgot himself just 
 now when he spoke in such grossly unkind 
 and unjust words." 
 
 '' Oh, confound it all! I take that back, of 
 course. Indeed, as between Henry Doster 
 and Tom, I rather think, if I were a woman — 
 However, I ought not to say that either, to 
 you, though you haven't told me whether or 
 not there's any truth in the blamed report 
 about yourself. The fact is, Harriet, the 
 whole thing has taken me by such sm^rise 
 that — Hang it all! let it go. I'm left, it 
 seems ; and it's some satisfaction to find that 
 out so soon, and by you. All right. I shall 
 bother mth the thing no more. I can out- 
 hve it, I'm thankful to beheve. But Hiram !" 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 51 
 
 Then he laughed outright, and continued : 
 '' Harriet, that young fellow don't know Hi- 
 ram Joyner. He don't know anything at all 
 about him. You are going to hear of some 
 interesting news when Hiram finds out what 
 you tell me. By the way, Cousin Emily told 
 me this morning in town that you and Ellen 
 had promised to spend camp-meeting at her 
 tent." 
 
 " Yes, I'm going, if ma does not object. I 
 haven't asked her yet." 
 
 ''Methodist stock seems to be rising down 
 here on Ogeechee. Wonder what old man 
 BulHngton will think of that ; and Hiram— 
 I tell you, and you may tell the rest of them, 
 that when that boy finds out how things are, 
 they'll hear from him." 
 
 He rose, and, mounting his horse again, 
 galloped back to the field. Mrs. May, com- 
 ing in shortly afterward, asked what had 
 they been talking about so loud that she 
 could hear their voices from the door of the 
 kitchen, where she had been standing. When 
 Harriet had answered, she sat down, and after 
 some reflection, said : 
 
 ''Ah, well! Your father and Mr. Joyner 
 
52 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 set a great deal by the hopes they had about 
 their children. If they could have lived to 
 raise their boys so as to be fit for making the 
 right sort of husbands, things might have 
 been different. As it is, they've nobody to 
 blame but themselves, though I've always 
 tried to count on nothing else than for poor 
 Wilham to get Ellen. It would have been 
 the making of him. As for Hiram, I was al- 
 ways afraid of such as that with his rough 
 temper and his disposition to rule everybody 
 about him. But poor Will !" 
 Then she shed tears. 
 
 ''But, Harriet"— suddenly rousing herself 
 — '' if I was in yours and Ellen's place, after 
 such a — I suppose I may call it disappoint- 
 ment—I just declare I wouldn't be engaging 
 myself to the first man that offered himself. 
 I have nothing against Thomas, who is a 
 good, industrious young man ; but I've never 
 even so much as dreamed of your marrying 
 him. The whole thing has taken me by such 
 surprise that I hardly know what to say about 
 it. As for his cousin Henry, I don't know 
 that I ever met a more gentlemanly, well- 
 mannered young man, and between the two. 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS, 53 
 
 even if he is a Methodist preacher — Oh, 
 you needn't be smiling in that way, when I'm 
 in dead earnest." 
 
 '' I beg pardon, ma. I was smihng at your 
 speaking so positively just after declaring 
 that you knew not what to say. I am not 
 going to act precipitately in this matter, my 
 dear mother, and I shall hope to have your 
 approval of whatever I may conclude to do. 
 I'm not much sui^prised at your preference 
 for Henry over Tom, partly because he is 
 not in Tom's place, and partly because you 
 consider him more brilhant, perhaps ; and I 
 haven't a doubt that Mrs. Joyner has put be- 
 fore poor, dear EUen the same comparison re- 
 versed, emphasizing Tom's being such a good 
 Baptist." 
 
 ''You are right there," replied the mother, 
 her natural cheerfulness somewhat restored. 
 " I was over there a Uttle while this morning 
 when you and Ellen went to the Andersons'. 
 Hiram came in where his mother and I were, 
 and he went on terribly about Henry Doster." 
 
 ''What did Mrs. Joyner sayf 
 
 "Not one word. She knows she can't 
 stop Hiram when he begins. But I told the 
 
54: OGEE GHEE GROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 young gentleman plain that I didn't agree 
 with a word he said about him." 
 
 "' I'm glad you did. Bless your dear heart, 
 ma, it was like you to refuse to hear in silence 
 abuse of a man who in your opinion had fair- 
 ly supplanted your own son. Hiram will not 
 hurt Henry Doster by such talk, especially in 
 the estimation of Ellen, grown as she has at 
 last to ignore his imperiousness. If it hadn't 
 been for him, EUen, I do beheve, would have 
 taken brother Will. His constant, dogged 
 interference prevented. Did he say anything 
 against Tom f 
 
 '' Didn't mention Tom's name ; but his 
 mother did, and while she was praising Tom 
 to the skies he looked out the window, and 
 let on as if he were not hearing. Poor sort 
 of behavior, to my opinion. Well ! weU ! but 
 it showed that if he finds out there's anything 
 serious between Henry Doster and Ellen, he'll 
 do his very best to break it up. They are 
 the strongest kind of Baptists, you know; 
 that is, all except Hiram, who, I'm afraid, 
 has no religion of any sort; at least not 
 enough to do him any good ; but EUen and 
 her mother are, Mr. Joyner being the orig- 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS FIRINGS. 55 
 
 inal starter of Horeb ; and Hiram, if he can't 
 work it with Ellen, will bring in old Brother 
 Bulhngton and set him at his mother. I pity 
 the poor httle thing when that's the case." 
 
 Then Mrs. May laughed, this charitable 
 thought having brought that much rehef. 
 Harriet joined in heartily to enhance this 
 frame of her mother's mind. Indeed Mrs. 
 May, though a good Baptist woman, would 
 say sometimes that in her opinion there were 
 in the world people as good as those of her 
 own denomination — an admission that Mrs. 
 Joyner might have feared and Mr. Bulhngton 
 would have known to be imprudent. 
 
 This good man lived in a small house with 
 a small farm attached, about a mile north of 
 the Dosters', and about half that distance 
 fi'om Horeb. Tall like Mr. Swinger, but 
 much heavier both in body and in spirit, 
 gloomy-looking at all times, his brows grew 
 darker at any thought of harm done or med- 
 itated against either himself or the rehgious 
 faith of which for many years he had been a 
 very bold, a very loud, and a reasonably ac- 
 ceptable pubhc exponent. It was not often 
 that he laughed, although he did laugh, at 
 
56 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 least he tried to laugli sometimes when he 
 had gained some personal or denominational 
 triumph or beheved he had some well- 
 founded hope of it. The seasons of his 
 heartiest gayety, if the word could be em- 
 ployed fitly in his case, were wedding feasts, 
 the degrees of his enjoyment thereat depend- 
 ing upon contingencies. Country churches 
 in those times contributed but small stipends 
 to their pastors, some excusing themselves 
 with the authority that at its first institu- 
 tion, and admitted to have been done then 
 at its very best, preaching of the gospel was 
 furnished without money and without price. 
 Mr. Bulhngton perhaps had never said so in 
 words, yet he honestly suspected that some- 
 where or other there might be a fiaw in 
 this argument. Still he felt contented to 
 think that the sums received from his four 
 churches, with the occasional mite dropped 
 in from a fifth Sunday, were at least as much 
 as he could have earned had his powers been 
 exerted in other professional or in agricul- 
 tural endeavors. Specially consohng and 
 grateful was the supplementary help of fees, 
 ranging from one dollar to five, obtained 
 
,^.- 
 
 MR. BULLINGTON's WEDDING COUNTENANCE. 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 59 
 
 from liberal happy bridegrooms ; so much so 
 that he was a noted encourager of marriages 
 among his own flocks, not only early but 
 repeated, whenever death had made them 
 possible. At wedding feasts, notably when 
 the enclosure in the hcense was at maximum 
 or approximate to it, and when he was full up 
 to the brim of good things, his struggles to be 
 merry hke the rest were both commendable 
 and interesting. If his face on such occa- 
 sions could have corresponded with his huge 
 body, those efforts would have been entirely, 
 even immensely, satisfactory. As it was, 
 when his sides were shaking, that counte- 
 nance, as if restrained by a sense of duty be- 
 hind expression of hilarity not becoming his 
 sacred office, took on a most painful sternness 
 that seemed to fix a just equilibrium. 
 
 For two or three years last past he had 
 been counting upon being called to the Mays' 
 and the Joyners' on some fine evenings at 
 candle-hght, where he would feel sure — they 
 being the richest and most hberal among all 
 his people — that handsome things would be 
 done for him who should tie the knots as 
 fond as indissoluble. Only once had he en- 
 
60 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 countered face to face his rival, Mr. Swinger, 
 and the latter admitted afterwards that he had 
 had the worst of it. Now that Mr. Swinger, 
 or any other Methodist preacher, would come 
 within the verge of Horeb on a mission which, 
 next to his public ministrations, it had ever 
 been his fondest pleasure to serve, had not 
 entered his mind, hable as it was to gloomy 
 apprehensions. Therefore, when the report 
 arose about Ellen Joyner and Henry Doster, 
 a sprout, as it were, from the trunk of Mr. 
 Swinger, he tried to scout it as an evil, mali- 
 cious, idle tale. Yet he could not but be anx- 
 ious, and, while meditating on his own most 
 prudent hne of action, news came that both 
 the girls were going to the camp-meeting, now 
 at hand. 
 
 ^' Thar, now !" he exclaimed to his wife ; 
 for of these occasions he ever had a dread, 
 not unmingled with horror. ''However, 
 mighty nigh everybody, special young peo- 
 ple, will go to that whirlypool. A body must 
 try and hope for the best." 
 
 But a deep groan told that this reflection 
 had brought no rehef . 
 
To an old-time Greorgian it is very pleasing 
 now to recall the camp-meetings of the long 
 ago, particularly those in the county wherein 
 the scenes recorded in this story are laid. 
 Four miles south of Grateston, and nearly 
 one mile distant from the pubhc thorough- 
 fare, ground of about ten acres, parallelogram 
 in shape, had been selected by the Methodists 
 for this purpose shortly after the first settle- 
 ment of that region. Here the level land on 
 three sides ended, and at a few rods' distance 
 in their front dechned several feet, becoming 
 somewhat precipitous shortly after leaving 
 the camp at a spot where was a spring of 
 abundant cool water. A large wooden shed, 
 called '' The Stand," without floor or weather- 
 boarding, capable of covering, say, four thou- 
 sand persons, stood near the centre. Eudely 
 constructed tents of unplaned boards, also 
 without floors, were on three sides, and on 
 the only rising ground of the last was one 
 
62 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS, 
 
 floored and otherwise more elaborate, kno^vn 
 as "The Preachers' Tent;" for the clergy, 
 married and single, during the camp, which 
 lasted f onr days, not often longer, were domi- 
 ciled together, but took their meals promiscu- 
 ously among the tent-holders. 
 
 Observing the wagons and ox-carts during 
 a couple of days before, laden with household 
 goods of every kind, moving in one direction, 
 a stranger might be led to suspect that a 
 large number of the population were emi- 
 grating to foreign parts. By Friday night, 
 where three days ago naught of animate nat- 
 ure was to be seen except the bu^ds and gray 
 squirrels in the surrounding forest, was a vil- 
 lage of several hundreds of inhabitants ready 
 for the entertainment of relatives, friends, ac- 
 quaintances, and strangers of almost every 
 degree. On either side of the passage, ex- 
 tending from the front to the eating-place in 
 the rear of each tent, were the sleeping-cham- 
 bers. In front was a shed to defend from the 
 sun's rays the men who sat there and smoked 
 cigars and chatted, while the women, except 
 in the evenings, remained within. Behind 
 the tent was another shed for the cook and 
 
OGEE CHE E CROSS-FIRINGS. 63 
 
 her utensils. If she slept anywhere, I sus- 
 pect it must have been under the dining- 
 table. Further yet in the rear were rail pens 
 holding pigs, lambs, and domestic fowls. Ve- 
 hicles of burden travelled back and forth con- 
 tinually for supphes for the ever-threatening 
 void. Hundi^eds of wagon-loads of wheat and 
 oat straw were brought daily to be spread 
 afresh upon the ground inside. Beyond the 
 carriageways, some near the edge, some deeper 
 within the woods, were booths whereat one 
 could purchase cigars, confections of various 
 kinds, and perhaps, in a quiet way, a bottle or 
 a flask with something which could not be 
 Ucensed, but which claimed to be excellently 
 good, considering everything. At night the 
 groimds were ht with bonfires kindled from 
 pine knots upon wood scaffolds thickly cov- 
 ered with earth. Pubhc services were held 
 four times a day, at eight and eleven in the 
 forenoon, three in the afternoon, and candle- 
 hght. All were expected to rise from bed for 
 morning prayers, which were offered by one of 
 the preachers or other pious person, and to 
 retire at bedtime, the signal for which occa- 
 sions being announced by a long tin trumpet. 
 
64 OGEE CHE E CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 After the services for the whites were over, 
 reasonable time was allowed to the negroes 
 beneath the trees in the rear of the stand, 
 who, then as now, preferred to do their own 
 worship among themselves. 
 
 The numbers eating at any one of these 
 tables in many rounds of seatings were very 
 large. People from all parts of the county, 
 from several adjoining — cotton factors and 
 merchants from Augusta and Savannah, from 
 Milledgeville and Macon, some with pious, the 
 greater number with other intents — resorted 
 there. Housewives vied among one another 
 in putting forth abundance and variety of 
 hospitable entertainment. As for Gateston, 
 particularly on Saturday and Sunday, not a 
 fourth of its population would be left at 
 home, those not having tents, and many of 
 other religious denominations, unwilhng to 
 endure the sohtude, repairing, some with their 
 wives and young children, to the general ren- 
 dezvous. 
 
 On the east side — called by humbler folk 
 '' Quahty Row," because taken by the lead- 
 ing families — were the Ingrams, whereat the 
 Mays and Joyners sojourned, not only the 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. ' 65 
 
 girls, but the young men also. Tom Doster, 
 although invited there, was busy with saving 
 his crop of fodder, and did not appear until 
 Sunday, and that with expectation of return- 
 ing home in the afternoon. 
 
 Among the clergy were several possessed 
 of a high order of eloquence, and others less 
 gifted in this regard, but hoping to make up 
 by abundant strength of lungs habituated to 
 sounding on loftiest keys platitudes of warn- 
 ing, mainly upon the conditions of the infer- 
 nal world. With four sermons a day, most 
 persons, except the notably devout, as well 
 inside as outside the denomination, the young 
 especially, elected which they would attend. 
 It was in vain that, in order to prevent such 
 discrimination, announcements were withheld, 
 and it could not be known who was to preach 
 at any particular hour until after the first 
 prayer and the second hymn, for from nearly 
 every tent door the pulpit could be observed, 
 or, when not, the speaker could be guessed 
 from the numbers seen hurrying to the stand. 
 Mr. Swinger, devoted with all his heart to 
 his caUing, always feehng prepared with a 
 sermon of any length requisite upon any text 
 5 
 
66 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS, 
 
 of Scripture, yet, with becoming considera- 
 tion for visiting brethren, had requested that 
 he be not called upon during the meeting, 
 proposing, however, to ''do the ex'ortin'," as 
 he styled it, after the sermon of Henry Dos- 
 ter, which had been appointed for Sunday 
 night. 
 
 '' Young man hke Henry, you know, bro th- 
 in, it'll mayby sorter encourage him up in the 
 back to know his old father, as I calls myself, 
 is behind thar a-ready and a-waitin' to prize 
 him out if he git stuck in his first camp- 
 meetin' splurgin'. He's a powerful modest 
 boy, but if he can keep his head clear before 
 so many people, I sha'n't be oneasy ; for the 
 tiling's in him, if he can fetch her out. Let 
 me back him up in his first off -start. He 
 know, Henry Dawster do, he can 'pend on 
 old Allen Swinger till everything turn blue." 
 
 I should remark here that although he had 
 not sought from his young friend the confi- 
 dence which he doubted not his having good 
 reasons for withholding, yet he had been in- 
 tensely interested in the rumor connecting 
 him with Ellen Joyner, and he had been as 
 deeply resentful as so pious a man could be 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 67 
 
 at what he had heard of Hiram's fierce hos- 
 tihty, as evinced by utterances not only most 
 disrespectful, but threatening, towards Henry. 
 Other things had contributed to put him 
 rather out of his accustomed humor by this 
 time. A much smaller number of mourners 
 than with some confidence he had counted on 
 had responded to most persuasive and m^gent 
 appeals to come up to the altar. Never be- 
 fore, it seemed to him, had sinners been more 
 obdurately unconcerned about theh^ spiritual 
 condition. More talk than usual, he felt sure 
 in his mind, had been about politics, crops, 
 money-making in general, county and neigh- 
 borhood news, than at any camp-meeting in 
 he would not hke to say how long. Lastly, 
 there was a matter of family trouble on his 
 mind. Jerry Pound, son of his own dear, 
 widowed sister, a great, lubberly, careless fel- 
 low, his mother had besought her brother to 
 try yet again to do something with, as it did 
 seem to her that he cared no more for his 
 soul's salvation than if he never had a soul to 
 be saved. Mr. Swinger during the two past 
 days had held some talk with the youngster 
 what times he had been able, in spite of his 
 
68 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS, 
 
 dodging, to catch liim witMn hearing, and had 
 become sufficiently disgusted with the httle 
 impression made by his remonstrances. That 
 very evening he had said to Jerry, loud enough 
 to be overheard by several young persons of 
 both sexes who were sitting or standing near : 
 '' Jerry Pound, your hide's as tough as the jog- 
 raphy books tells about them rhinoserouses 
 that it ain't worth a man's while to shoot a 
 rifle at 'em ; and your back is hard same as a 
 logger-head turkle that you has to put a coal 
 of fire on him before he'll move when he don't 
 want to. But never you mind." 
 
 It was not that Jerry was not a hard-work- 
 ing youth ; but, ever since he had grown too 
 big to be whipped for doing such things slyly, 
 he was in the habit of playing marbles openly 
 on Sundays, and going with others to the 
 creek a-swimming, and by his mother was 
 suspected even of occasional swearing. 
 
 On the whole, therefore, the state of mind 
 in which Mr. Swinger found himself all that 
 afternoon was far from confident or cheerful. 
 Yet he was not a man to be put back by such 
 considerations from the prosecution of his 
 duty. Indeed, they conspired to make him 
 
ALLEN SWINGER AND JERRY POUND. 
 
OGEE CHE E CROSS-FIRINGS. 71 
 
 more eager to put forth his word of exhorta- 
 tion. He said afterward : 
 
 ^' Fact of the business, I were sorter mad, 
 and I had to let out. Then, spite of it all, I 
 couldn't be conwinced in my very bones but 
 what so much good preachin' and ex'ortin', and 
 so much hard wrasthn' in praar, wasn't a-goin' 
 to be let frazzle out jes so to the httle end o' 
 nothin'. I had heerd older people than me 
 say the darkest time o' night is jes before day, 
 and I determ'ed to govern myself accordin'." 
 
 Thus far Henry Doster had seen little of 
 the Ogeechee girls, except when in the great 
 congregation, or at the Ingram tent doorway 
 when happening to be walking past. People 
 said that it looked well that at such a solemn 
 time he postponed for a more exalted society 
 that of Ellen Joyner, whom they were sm^e 
 that, preacher as he was, he was dying to be 
 with. Once — Saturday afternoon it was — he 
 did stop in for a few minutes only, but even 
 then he talked more with Harriet than her. 
 At the time of this visit Will May was not 
 present, being at the tent near by, where Miss 
 Mary Anderson, whose family dwelt across 
 the river, was staying. Hiram was on hand, 
 
72 OGEE CHE E CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 and sticky as a leech, some said. He barely 
 nodded to the visitor on his entrance, and, 
 when the latter left, was so absorbed in the 
 Milledgeville Recorder^ a weekly newspaper 
 then four days old, that he did not notice 
 him. 
 
 As soon as Tom reached the camp on Sun- 
 day, leaving his horse at the pubhc lot, he 
 repaired to the Ingrams', where he expressed 
 himself sorry to dechne the invitation to din- 
 ner, being under promise to one of his neigh- 
 bors, a humble man on the opposite row. 
 Mrs. Ingram declared that she was just as 
 mad as she could be ; but she was appeased 
 when he said that, having decided to remain 
 until after the night service, he would sup 
 there. 
 
 ''And don't he look splendid?" she said to 
 Harriet, when he had gone out to sit with the 
 men under the front shed. " I declare, when 
 a man hke Tom Doster, who has been work- 
 ing hard all the week, comes out on a Sun- 
 day in his nice broadcloth and the other nice 
 things he's got to put on, I — But bless your 
 heart ! child, I've got too much business on my 
 hands to be running on about Tom Doster; 
 
AKD DOj^T he look SPLENDID ?' 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 75 
 
 and indeed, handsome as he is, I think Hen- 
 I'y — However, many birds of many kinds, 
 and I've got to miss Brother Duncan's ser- 
 mon, and look after Simon and that pig in 
 the pit. Mr. Ingram will have a duck-fit if 
 it isn't barbecued just right." 
 
 Merrily she kissed her beautiful cousin, and 
 retreated to those regions in the rear, out of 
 which to this day it remains a mystery to me, 
 and to aU except such housewives as she was, 
 what breakfasts and dinners and suppers, and 
 handings round on waiters between times, 
 were evolved. When a man far away from 
 such scenes, both in space and in years, be- 
 gins to talk about them, he is prone to in- 
 dulge too fondly. He cannot at least but 
 love to muse, amid other recollections, on 
 those long, so long ago camp-meeting days, 
 and more on those camp -meeting nights. 
 Eehgiously inclined, earnestly so, indeed, but 
 not taking part in the exciting scenes which 
 so many with varying purposes gathered 
 there to witness, when the bugle would sound 
 the call for silence and repose, when even all 
 mourners' waihngs would be hushed, it was 
 a pleasant thing to take a rustic chair, and, 
 
76 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 leaning against a post of the tent, sit and 
 listen to the night music then rising in the 
 woods, and dream and dream and dream of 
 hopes and destinies for this Ufe and the life 
 eternal. 
 
VI. 
 
 Tom had never heard his cousin preach, 
 and, having found out somehow that he was 
 to do so that night, remained, intending to 
 return after the sermon, although he was to 
 ride more than a dozen miles. He supped at 
 the Ingrams', accepting, as if both were the 
 same to him, the superfluous pohteness of 
 Will and the stiff reserve of Hiram. When 
 it was time to go to the stand, he offered his 
 arm to the hostess, who, taking it, said : 
 
 " You all see what a genuinely pohte man 
 can do. Tom, these boys, not since here have 
 they been, has either of them proposed to 
 take me to the stand." 
 
 '' Why, Cousin Emily," said Will, '' you have 
 been so busy with culinary and other domes- 
 tic affairs that I hardly beheve you've been 
 to the stand since the meeting began." 
 
 " Makes no odds, sir ; you should have 
 offered your services the same. But come 
 on : they are already singing the first hymn. 
 
78 GEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS, 
 
 I wouldn't go now, but Mr. Ingram told me 
 this evening as a great secret, which I hope 
 it is no harm to reveal now, that Henry was 
 to preach to-night. Viney will have to at- 
 tend to the next table, as I've got to hear 
 Henry, no matter how the supper goes." 
 
 As she moved off with her escort, Hn^am, 
 almost loud enough for Tom to hear, said to 
 Ellen, '' I'U bet my ears he don't go home to- 
 night." 
 
 '' Why, brother Hiram !" exclaimed Ellen. 
 
 '' Come ; let us be going," said Harriet, tak- 
 ing Will's arm. 
 
 This movement in punishment of his rude 
 speech angered Hiram painfully. He spoke 
 not, however, but, giving his arm to Ellen, 
 followed the rest. Tom and Mrs. Ingram got 
 seats about midway. The others seated them- 
 selves several benches behind them. The lad 
 Jerry Pound, as if he would be seen in fine 
 company, put himseK immediately behind the 
 two couples. 
 
 "- Hello ! Jerry," whispered Will, during the 
 singing of the second hymn ; " you here f 
 
 " Oh, yes, Mr. May. Ma and Unk Allen, 
 spite of us being pressed with fodder puUin', 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 79 
 
 wanted me to come, and I thought I'd as 
 well come and see the crowd and what's goin' 
 on." 
 
 '' Things haven't been as stuTing and lively 
 as usnal this camp-meeting, have they f 
 
 '' No — no, sir, Unk Allen say the very old 
 scratch is to pay in this congregation ; but he 
 say he mean to see if he can't head him before 
 the meetin's over." 
 
 "" Haven't got religion yourseK yet, Jerry, 
 it seems f 
 
 "Not quite, sir," he answered, giggling. 
 " Unk Allen been talkin' to me straight up 
 and down when he could come up with me. 
 I been dodgin' him because he talk so brash. 
 He say I'm so fur gone, he's afeared salt 
 couldn't save me." 
 
 " How would it do to try a httle saltpetre, 
 Jerry f 
 
 " Oh, brother WiU, do hush !" whispered 
 Harriet. " You see Mr. Doster has risen." 
 
 Will at once subsided. 
 
 Henry Doster already had gotten some 
 reputation as a speaker, although his efforts 
 had been expended mainly among the hmn- 
 bler churches of the circuit. These not his 
 
80 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 cultured tastes nor his love and courtship 
 had availed to make him neglect, even when, 
 more than once, in order to fill an appoint- 
 ment, he had to swim his horse over a creek 
 swollen by rains. 
 
 " He have the right sperrit about him," said 
 one day good old Mr. Hood, who for thirty- 
 five years and more had been fighting his 
 way among '' them Baptisses that jes swarms 
 about and around Long's Bridge and Buff'ler 
 Creek. He behave like he don't set hisself 
 above the poorest and the iginantest of us all, 
 and my opinions is, if his life's spar'd, he's 
 goin' to weed a wide row in the pulpit." 
 
 That night, when he rose and looked out 
 upon the vast audience before him, it was 
 apparent that, besides the sense of solemn 
 responsibility, he labored with much embar- 
 rassment. His face, handsome always, now 
 had a beauty almost marvellous. The tinge 
 upon his cheek, destined soon to deepen, al- 
 ready appeared, as, with some trembhng of 
 voice, he began. Pious as he was, man-like 
 in all his instincts, he was not conscious of 
 any reference to himself in the meditation 
 that led to his text : " A rich man shall hardly 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 81 
 
 enter into the kingdom of heaven." Yet, on 
 its announcement, Will May mischievously 
 winked at Hiram, and whispered, '' He's aim- 
 ing at us, Hiram." 
 
 '' Please be silent !" whispered Harriet again, 
 in pained remonstrance. Hiram answered 
 not, but his grim visage as he looked at the 
 preacher showed that he regarded himself as 
 defied, if not abeady insulted. 
 
 It appeared soon that the speaker was com- 
 petent to take all the benefit which the Ro- 
 man master of eloquence had taught may be 
 gathered from embarrassment by an orator, 
 honorable, gifted, and duly inspired with a 
 sense of the importance of his theme. His 
 hair, worn long as was the habit then, trem- 
 bled as he spoke with tenderness of the es- 
 tate of poverty, the seeming mysteriousness 
 of its ever-dming existence in all communi- 
 ties, notwithstanding our Lord's tender com- 
 miseration, the necessity of that continued 
 existence in accordance with the economy of 
 Him who, instead of chiding, had dignified 
 it, lauded, hved in it while in the form of 
 humanity, blessed it in word and work, and 
 warned mankind against its maltreatment, 
 6 
 
82 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS, 
 
 even its neglect. He had been speaking but 
 a few minutes when it was felt by all that 
 a great hght had risen newly in the Church. 
 When he had gotten fairly to the discussion 
 of his subject he poured forth an unbroken 
 stream of eloquence to the end. Not dis- 
 praising riches, instead he highly commended 
 efforts to obtain them by industry, frugahty, 
 and all fair methods, and for purposes recon- 
 cilable with the claims of charity and religion. 
 He held up to scorn the miser, but the spend- 
 thrift he denounced with greater severity. 
 Among many things, he said : 
 
 '' We cannot but feel some compassion for 
 the imhappy miser who, in his insane dread 
 of want, denies to himself even the necessa- 
 ries of his being. Yet at last is there not 
 something of the remains of lost manhood 
 in thus looking with apprehension, vain as 
 it is, of becoming dependent in old age upon 
 the charity of mankind? Indeed yea. In- 
 stead of him, even him, it is the spendthrift 
 who, rioting in the inheritance devolved upon 
 him from the industry of his forefathers, is 
 of all most to be despised. The miser, as if 
 he expected to live forever, works and saves, 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS, 83 
 
 saves and works, in terror of dependence at 
 some period remote, when his lovers and 
 friends, few as they may be, will have de- 
 parted and left him alone. In the case of 
 such a man, along with what is less contempt 
 than pity, we must mingle some respect for 
 the rehc of a nobleness that his own hands 
 cannot wholly destroy. But the spendthrift ! 
 Counting not upon immortahty in his earth- 
 ly being, and not even upon the entire inde- 
 structibihty of what others have gathered for 
 his enjoyment, which he sees wasting con- 
 tinually in his profligate hands, he compla- 
 cently expects its loss to be supplemented by 
 earnings from the sweating labors of others, 
 living or dead, and such a one, of all men, 
 seems to me the least of a man." 
 
 Fine was the peroration in which he com- 
 pared the love of money, even when fairly 
 obtained and neither meanly hoarded nor 
 recklessly squandered, with other loves, as 
 social, domestic, above all, the love of God, 
 in which all true loves meet and by which 
 they are regulated. During this splendid 
 declamation, to some, perhaps to but one, yet 
 certainly to her, his face seemed radiant as 
 
84 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 a seraph's. When it was ended he looked 
 around for a moment appeahngly, then, bow- 
 ing low, sat down, and, immediately after his 
 successor had risen, left the pulpit and dis- 
 appeared. Simultaneously Tom, taking leave 
 of Mrs. Ingram, retired, and, getting his horse, 
 left for home. 
 
 The effect of the sermon all through its 
 dehvery was signal. Inter jectional expres- 
 sions, first few and constrained, became more 
 frequent and audible in and around the pul- 
 pit and the enclosed space in front called the 
 altar. Mr. Swinger's deportment throughout 
 was interesting. At first his face indicated 
 apprehension extremely painful. Soon he 
 hfted his bowed head and looked with beam- 
 ing face upon the audience, as the youthful 
 orator went every moment higher beyond his 
 most eager hopes. Fearing he might embar- 
 rass him by too hearty manifestations of de- 
 light, now he would bow his face low, cover- 
 ing it tightly with his hands, and now hft it 
 on high and sternly contemplate the rafters 
 above, or endeavor to peer through the dark- 
 ness into the forest behind, as if not cogni- 
 zant of what was going on before him or in- 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 85 
 
 difeerent to it. Often he crossed Ms legs and 
 I'ecrossed them, or pressing his knees together 
 held them fast in his arms clasped beneath, 
 as if without such precautionary restraint 
 they would kick, in front or back, the board- 
 ing from the pulpit. When the sermon was 
 ended, with a voice heard in the stilly night 
 more than a mile away, he shouted, " Glory 
 be to God !" and it was echoed by hundreds 
 of tongues. 
 Ellen and Harriet both rose in tears. 
 '' Let's quit this place," said Hiram, rising, 
 
 low, but his face livid with anger. 
 
 "Not yet," answered Ellen, wiping her 
 
 eyes. " Go if you wish, brother, and Will 
 
 also, if he's tired. Harriet and I can get 
 
 back to the tent by ourselves." 
 
 ''Oh, no," said Will; '^let us stay, Hiram, 
 
 and see them through. Old man Swinger is 
 
 on his high horse, and we'll have some tall 
 
 riding." 
 
 Hu^am resumed his seat and, leaning back, 
 looked with disdain at Mr. Swinger as he rose 
 with both arms wide extended: "Brothin 
 and sisters," he began, 'Hhe fact of the busi- 
 ness is, I don't feel like ex'ortin' this here 
 
86 GEE CHE E CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 congregation, away up here in this here pul- 
 pit. We've been a-invitin' o' these people 
 two days, and this make three nights, and 
 we been pohte as if we been a-askin' 'em to 
 a weddin' or a candy-pulhn', and up tell now 
 and down tell now they been a monst'ous few 
 that they have seem to keer no more for 
 keepin' theirselves out of fire and brimstone 
 nor not as much as when they tryin' to prize 
 out one o' their waggins that's been stallded 
 in a mud-hole. And the long and short of 
 it is, I'm a-goin' to git out o' here and go to 
 char gin' on 'em ; and " (sUghtly turning his 
 face rearward), '' I want Henry Dawster — 
 Grodamighty bless his soul and body! — I 
 want him when he rest awhile, and he see 
 me a-wantin' o' help — I want him to f oiler 
 me and charge on. Time he was a-beginnin' 
 to learn how to charge, well as ockepy the 
 pulpit." 
 
 Descending and slowly advancing, in lan- 
 guage and tones mingled of disgust, admoni- 
 tion, command, threatening, he roared : " All 
 you everlastin' sinners and worldlyans, them 
 among you that they feel that if you ain't 
 anxious, you some ruther keep out of hell 
 
OGEE CHE E CROSS-FIRINGS. 87 
 
 than go thar, I want yon to come into this 
 here altar here, and drap down on your mar- 
 rer-bones and acknowledge to Godamighty 
 ef not quite all,, some of the biggest o' your 
 meanness, and beg him if he can't be kind 
 enough and condescendin' enough to spar' 
 you. Come on," he thundered, as they be- 
 gan to pour in, '' come a right along. It ain't 
 yit quite too late, but it's a been a-gittin' late 
 on you, and that rapid. O you money-git- 
 ters and you money-lovers, with your broad- 
 cloth and your high -heel boots, and them 
 that's too stingy to buy 'em ! you that 
 has land and niggers and horses and mules 
 and cattle and sheep and hogs, and all the 
 'purtenances to them a-belongin', and a-ex- 
 pectin' all them to foller you to the grave, 
 and wait on you and pomper you thar, and 
 some of you the more you've got, the meaner 
 and stingier you've got, and it's come to that 
 that whut you've got does you no more good 
 than the fift' wheel of a waggin, and so the 
 good-f or-nothiner you've got, all of you come 
 along: that's a right: come a right along! 
 It may be a hard p'ints for the old ship o' 
 Zion to take you aU aboard with all your 
 
88 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 ongodly baggages of sin and wickedness she 
 have to k'yar for some of the torndownishest 
 among you. But come along ; she'll take yon 
 on, even if yon sink her. And them that 
 mayn't feel hke a-comin' plum in to the al- 
 tar, let them knuckle down whar they sets, 
 and we'll try to do somethin' for 'em even 
 thar." 
 
 By this time he had advanced quite near 
 where our party was seated. The girls, fol- 
 lowing Mrs. Ingram, who, at Tom Doster's 
 departure, had moved and taken a seat by 
 them, knelt upon the straw, and William 
 May, half rechning, leaned his head upon the 
 bench in front of him. But Hh-am rose, and, 
 standing erect, conspicuous among hundreds, 
 confronted the preacher with menacing look. 
 The latter, as he admitted afterwards, felt 
 violently aroused all the native combative 
 temper of his being before this enemy of all 
 goodness, especially of his beloved Henry. 
 He paused a moment, as if revolving how 
 best to meet such audacious defiance of one 
 of whose personal malignant hostility he was 
 well convinced; then, regarding him with 
 scorn, bui'st forth thus ; 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 89 
 
 " Yes : and you conceited, extravagant, im- 
 pident young chaps, that I am't shore but 
 whut you're the triflin'est of the whole lot, 
 that you do nothin' but run about and spend 
 the money your daddies worked for, and died 
 and left you, and a-spendin' it on nobody and 
 on nothin' but your own k'yarcasses, and then 
 mayby a-expectin' to marry them that got 
 prop'ty when whut you got is done squan- 
 dered and gone — I pass sech as you by as 
 them that's made up their mind to go to the 
 devil whut not ; and if so be, why, go ! and 
 Godamighty, if He can, have mercy on your 
 mean, ornary, good-f or-nothin' souls !" 
 
 Waving his hand with contempt, he took 
 another stride, when an object of nearer in- 
 terest was presented before him. For several 
 minutes Jerry Pound, not able to back him- 
 self through the pressing throngs, had been 
 crawling, or so endeavoring, beneath the 
 benches, and at this moment had risen, per- 
 haps to get more air, climbing by one of the 
 pillars of the arbor, behind which he tried 
 to dodge from his uncle. When the latter 
 espied him he laughed aloud, and with the 
 fiercest glee shouted: 
 
90 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 '' Oh, yon needn't be a-tryin' to dodge be- 
 hind that thar post, Jerry Ponnd. Ye're hke 
 a rabbit that's ben rnnned into his holler, 
 and you got to twist him out with a forked 
 stick. To think, my own sister's son, that's 
 made her peace with the good Lord a long 
 ago, and with the egzample of sech a mother, 
 and at sech a time when he see this people's 
 hearts a-workin' up, and him a-tryin' to dodge 
 the onhest uncle he's got, and hide behind 
 the arbor post ruther'n he'll have saved his 
 everlastin' no-'count soul ! — I declar' it's jest 
 too bad for a body to put up with for any 
 use under the sun. Ih hi ! you dodger ! You 
 find you can't dodge to the extent you been 
 a-countin' on. Once't or twice't before I didn't 
 know but whut I had you; but you that 
 slick and shckery that a body, same as a 
 eel, they got to put sand in then' hand to 
 git a hvin' holt on you. Come along here, 
 sir." 
 
 Fastening his teeth together as if to re- 
 strain intemperate wrath and objurgation, he 
 caught the fugitive by the arm and dragged 
 him with such force that when he reached 
 the aisle, partially cleared by the people, he 
 
OQEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 91 
 
 fell prone upon his knees. Then Mr. Swinger, 
 seizing his coat collar with one hand, and with 
 the other the trousers around his middle, and 
 crying, '' Cler the way thar for this waggin- 
 load of ini-quitty !" made for the altar. Ar- 
 rived there, he released Jerry's collar, and let 
 his head come down quick but unhurt upon 
 the abundant oat straw, saying, "- Thar! any- 
 how you shall go through the motions !" 
 
 Then high above the cries of mourners 
 and shouters rose the jubilant wail of Mrs. 
 Pound, as, pushing her way within, she lifted 
 her great turkey -tail and fanned her son, 
 wedged among the kneeling multitudes. Mr. 
 Swinger, panting, turned towards the pulpit 
 and cried : 
 
 "And now, Henry, my boy, I ain't agzact- 
 ly broke down, but I'm a tired a-haulin' and 
 a-totin' o' that mess. And yit," softening to 
 the prostrate boy, " there is many a heavier 
 load in this congregation than whut that 
 poor orphan boy is, which he's hard-workin' 
 as the days is long, and 'twer'n' for his play- 
 in' marbles of a Sunday and sich, ef he had 
 grace he'd be the ekal of many that think 
 theirselves far above him. But come along, 
 
92 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 Henry, and go to chargin' awhile tell my 
 wind come f a'rly back. Whar's Henry f 
 
 One of the preachers whispered that Henry 
 had left the pulpit and the stand immediate- 
 ly after his sermon. The words of disappoint- 
 ment, if any were uttered, were silenced by 
 the lifting of a hymn, during the singing of 
 which many, in answer to Mr. Swinger's 
 charge, and many more in spite of it, came 
 and knelt within and around the altar. 
 
 Such was the beginning of a revival long 
 remembered, in which many were added to 
 the Church, among whom, I hardly need 
 mention, was that reprobate Sabbath-breaker, 
 Jerry Pound. 
 
VII. 
 
 DuKiNG the sermon of Henry Doster the 
 attention of all persons, even those of mod- 
 erate culture, had been fixed by the power 
 which an eloquence unrivalled in their expe- 
 rience must exert. He had transcended aU 
 expectation, showing at the same time that 
 he had kept a reserve of strength yet greater. 
 Many times during its delivery the girls most 
 interested in his endeavor shed tears, Harriet 
 as freely as Ellen. Even WiUiam May was 
 touched with something like a generous en- 
 thusiasm, under the impulse of which, at the 
 close, he said to Harriet : 
 
 " I didn't dream that he had such powers. 
 It beat anything I ever heard." 
 
 When the charge of Mr. Swinger was over, 
 smihngly he looked at Hiram, whose face was 
 red-hot with resentment. 
 
 " Will," said the latter, " if EUen wants to 
 stay longer in this cursed place, you can see 
 
94 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS, 
 
 her to the tent. I want to speak to a person 
 outside." 
 
 He left at once, and, passing out, made for 
 the preachers' tent, and inquired for Henry 
 Doster. He was answered that Henry on 
 his return from the stand had thrown on 
 his overcoat and walked out, sa}dng that he 
 would stroll for a while in the woods at the 
 rear. Hiram walked back and forth for some 
 time ; then returned to the tent. The girls 
 had retired. Never had he felt so ^n?athful. 
 He beheved fully that it had been precon- 
 certed between Henry Doster and Mr. Swing- 
 er that this movement, covert in one, auda- 
 ciously open in the other, was to be made 
 upon him. In vain Will May, who said he 
 suspected nothing of the kind, advised him 
 to let the matter drop. 
 
 '' Hiram," he said, '' I'm afraid you are go- 
 ing to do something imprudent. Henry Dos- 
 ter alluded no more to you than to me, or to 
 any other young man of our habits. He is 
 too much of a gentleman to have meant any- 
 thing personal of any individual in a pulpit 
 discourse. As for old man Swinger, you 
 worried him by rising when you did, and 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 95 
 
 getting as it were in his path with threat- 
 ening look. He can't stand a dare, being 
 plucky to the backbone. Let's drop it and 
 go to bed." 
 
 But Hiram sat before the tent for hours 
 and brooded. 
 
 On the next morning Henry Doster came 
 there to hold prayers and to breakfast. All 
 met his courteous salutation with heartiness 
 except Hiram, who, not appearing at prayers 
 and coming to the breakfast-table after the 
 blessing was asked, did not notice the rev- 
 erend guest. 
 
 '' Mr. Swinger came down heavy on sin- 
 ners in general last night, Mr. Ingram," said 
 a young man who sat near the host. 
 
 '' Oh, yes," answered Mr. Ingram ; '* the 
 old gentleman has his ways ; but if there 
 are any better men, I don't know where to 
 go to find them." 
 
 ^' Some of his remarks," said Hiram, '' were 
 grossly insulting to me, at whom they were 
 openly pointed. But he has not the educa- 
 tion nor the breeding to behave otherwise. 
 In this case I have no doubt he was put up 
 to it by some one else." 
 
96 OGEE CHE E CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 Mr. Ingram frowned. Henry paused in his 
 eating, his face pale and his eyes dilating. 
 Ellen hastily retired from the table. Har- 
 riet, her cheeks shghtly reddening, glanced 
 momentarily at Hiram ; then, having canght 
 Henry Doster's eye, put her finger to her 
 hps. Instantly he smiled, and addressed a 
 remark to Mr. Ingram upon a subject so re- 
 mote fi^om Mr. Swinger that Hiram, anguish- 
 ing from the contempt thus put upon his 
 words, rose also before his breakfast was 
 finished, and, as Henry was in the act of 
 leaving the tent, said to him, abruptly, 
 
 " I wish to have a few words with you in 
 private, sir." 
 
 " Certainly, Mr. Joyner. They told me at 
 our tent last night that you had called for 
 me, and it was partly for that I came here 
 this morning. Shall we take a walk f 
 
 " Yes, sir, wherever you say." 
 
 " We will go to yonder woods, then," he 
 said, pointing beyond the preachers' tent. 
 
 When they had gone, Ellen said to her 
 friend : '' Oh, Han4et ! Harriet ! brother is 
 beside himself. After that insult at the 
 breakfast-table, there's no telling what he'U 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 97 
 
 say or do when he gets Henry off to him- 
 seK. I'm almost sorry I didn't tell him ev- 
 erything." 
 
 '' It would have made matters worse, my 
 dear. Be sure that Tom's counsel is the 
 best, and don't be afraid but that Henry wiU 
 take care of himself." 
 
 '' Poor brother has started the issue, as I 
 knew he would ; but I did not expect it to 
 come in that way." 
 
 '' Nor I ; yet it is the very best in which 
 it could have come. It's just a piece of 
 splendid luck ; that's what it is. Oh, I'm 
 so glad that Tom went home last night ! 
 Cheer up, little one. It will all come right, 
 and the sooner for that very walk that Hi- 
 ram is taking with Henry." 
 
 Then she put her arms around EUen, and 
 almost bore her to their chamber. 
 
 " Come straight with me and finish that 
 breakfast, miss," said Mrs. Ingram, entering 
 the room. Ellen obeyed, and neither re- 
 ferred to the occasion of her having left the 
 table. Yet the hostess could not forbear say- 
 ing to Harriet afterwards : " Somebody will 
 have to put a strait- jacket on Hiram if his 
 7 
 
98 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 foolishness is not stopped. I've never seen 
 Mr. Ingram so angry. He declares that but 
 for Ellen and his mother he would have or- 
 dered him from the table and the tent. But 
 did ever a man show the gentleman more 
 beautifully than Henry Doster? I don't 
 blame Ellen for being so in love with him ; 
 she just couldn't help it." 
 
 " He did indeed. Hiram is either worse 
 or he has less sense than I thought. But 
 he'U see that his conduct will have expedited 
 what he hopes to prevent." 
 
 ''Howf 
 
 ^' Never mind now. You'll see before long." 
 
 ''I wish I hadn't invited him to this 
 tent." 
 
 "I am glad you did, and thankful that he 
 came." 
 
 The woods in the rear of the preachers' tent, 
 to the extent of twenty acres or so, by imme- 
 morial usage were regarded as not to be en- 
 tered during the camp except by the clergy or 
 others accompanied by one or more of them. 
 Hither these were wont to resort, sometimes 
 in twos and threes, sometimes singly, in the 
 intervals of their service at the stand, for the 
 
OQEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 99 
 
 sake of exercise and meditation. Thither 
 these young men wended. 
 
 " The fall mil soon be upon us, you notice, 
 Mr. Joyner," said the preacher, pointing to 
 the browning and yellowing of the forest 
 leaves, as they were entering. 
 
 " My object," answered the other, '' was not 
 to discuss the seasons with you, sii^, but—" 
 
 " I did not so understand yom^ request for 
 an interview," was the quick reply; ''but I 
 suggest that we postpone reference to the 
 matter you have on your mind until we reach 
 a spot where we may consider it without in- 
 curring risk of being observed." 
 
 "As you please, sir." 
 
 Nothing more was said by either until they 
 had proceeded a distance of a couple of hun- 
 dred yards, to a spot where was a dense growth 
 of dogwood and crab-apple. Here Henry halt- 
 ed, and seating himself upon the trunk of a 
 tree that had fallen, he looked up mildly and 
 said: 
 
 " Well, sir, as your business seems urgent, 
 too much so to be put off until I can get 
 through with some rather pressing engage- 
 ments, I am now at your service." 
 
100 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 His calmness, so different from what he 
 had expected, irritated Hiram yet more. He 
 said, bluntly, as he well knew how : 
 
 " I've been intending for some time to tell 
 you, sh^, that I wanted you to stop your visits 
 to my house and your attentions to my sister." 
 
 '' Why have you not done so, Mr. Joyner, 
 before now, when you find me so preoccu- 
 pied f 
 
 '' Because I have not had a suitable oppor- 
 tunity, sir. I intended to wait until the camp- 
 meeting was over, and would have done so 
 but for your thrusting forward last night that 
 old ruflftan to insult and outrage me, and I 
 determined then to wait no longer. I sought 
 you last night, but was not able to find you." 
 
 " So they informed me at our tent on my 
 retm-n from a walk. To whom do you allude 
 in yoiu' use of the word ^ ruffian ' ?" 
 
 '^ I allude, as in spite of your pretended 
 ignorance you know very well, to old Mr. 
 Swinger." 
 
 '' I did indeed suspect that you were refer- 
 ring to that gentleman, startled as I was that 
 a man young as you would speak thus of one 
 so much your elder, whom you must know to 
 
OGEE CHE E CROSS-FIRINGS. 101 
 
 be held in much respect, indeed in much rev- 
 erence, wherever he is known." 
 
 At that moment a shght noise among the 
 leaves was heard, and a gray squirrel came 
 tripping along and made for a large poplar- 
 tree near by, in a fork of which was a nest. 
 Arrived there, the pretty thing turned sud- 
 denly, ran up an adjacent oak, and, halting 
 on one of the lower branches, commenced 
 chattering earnestly, as if in admonition to 
 the two men below. Henry Doster looked 
 up as, brandishing its full-spread tail, it con- 
 tinued to pour forth. 
 
 '' Your attention, sir !" said Hiram, in com- 
 manding tone. 
 
 ''I crave pardon, sir," Henry answered, 
 pleasantly bowing. '' It was doubtless a mere 
 vagary of my thoughts to imagine for a mo- 
 ment if that httle beast were trying to express 
 its regret for the words with which you just 
 now characterized so excellent a man as the 
 Eeverend Mr. Swinger. As a matter of fact 
 I aver most positively that I did not know be- 
 forehand a word that he was going to say in 
 his exhortation last night, if that was the oc- 
 casion of his fancied offence to yourself ; in- 
 
102 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 deed," he added, smiling, " I doubt if lie knew, 
 as he usually speaks on such occasions ac- 
 cording to the inspiration that he feels prompt- 
 ed by. However, passing that by for the time, 
 and referring to your first remark, wherein 
 you notify me of your wishes regarding your 
 house, as you style it, and some attentions 
 that I have had the honor to pay to your sis- 
 ter, I will answer that my impression all along 
 has been that the mansion in which you re- 
 side along with your mother and her belonged 
 to them jointly with yourself, and having been 
 treated by them, on the few occasions when 
 I have been there, with much courteousness, 
 I am not quite sure that I shall observe that 
 portion of your demand ; but I think — yes, I 
 rather think that, at least for some time, I 
 will." 
 
 '' / rather think you will, sir." 
 
 ''Perhaps you do. It concerns me little 
 whether you do or not. As to the other por- 
 tion, I must say to you frankly that I shall 
 pay no sort of attention to it whenever I may 
 happen to meet Miss Joyner, unless I find 
 that her will in that behalf coincides with 
 yours." 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 103 
 
 ''In the name of Godr said Hiram, labor- 
 ing hard to repress the loudness of his voice, 
 '' what is a man to do in such a case f 
 
 After meditating a moment Henry an- 
 swered: ''What would you do, pray, sir, if 
 the object of your present ire, instead of my- 
 self, were my relative, Mr. Thomas Dosterf 
 Then he again looked up at the squirrel, which 
 had run up to a higher Ihnb, and was contin- 
 uing its warnings. 
 
 With deep scorn Hiram replied: ''But for 
 Mr. Thomas Doster's leaving the camp after 
 your Fourth of July oration I should have 
 made through him the demand just put to you 
 in person. It is not relevant to consider what 
 I might do were he in your case, notwith- 
 standing I will say that his vicarious visits 
 and attentions to my family are disgusting 
 to me ; infinitely less so, however, if for his 
 own personal ends, would they be than his 
 cousin's. No one could regret more than I 
 do, on all accounts, that I have not to deal 
 with that gentleman, who, as I have always 
 beheved, has some sense of honor and respon- 
 sibility, instead of his preaching cousin, who 
 seeks to thrust himself into my family, and 
 
104 OGEE CHE E CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 that, as I verily believe, by maligning a man 
 whom everybody who knows my sister, and 
 whom she herself until lately, have been ex- 
 pecting that she would marry. If you were 
 not a preacher — even as it is I can hardly 
 refrain from putting on the black cloth you 
 wear to screen your person from violence 
 such marks as would disgrace you in her eyes 
 and all others'. And I now warn you, sir, 
 that unless you cease your — " 
 
 " Hold, sir — hold for a brief moment, I pray 
 you," interrupted Henry, still sitting, as Hi- 
 ram stood writhing with passion. '' Mr. Hi- 
 ram Joyner, I do not know how much I ought 
 to feel gratified by your words in praise of 
 my cousin. If they had been more cordial 
 they would have approximated nearer his de- 
 serts. But, sir, it is not true that I have ever 
 sought, and I claim to be a man incapable of 
 seeking, to win the hand of any woman, or 
 any other object that I may deem necessary 
 to my well-being, by the employment of such 
 arts as you mention. Having answered this 
 much to the insulting charge which your 
 manhness, it seems, was not enough to with- 
 hold you from bringing without proof, I have 
 
OGEEGHEE GROSS-FIRINGS. 105 
 
 now to add that my profession, or, the better 
 to suit your taste, the sort of clothes I wear, 
 will help, I trust, to defend me against many 
 a real danger, but I assure you that I neither 
 rely upon them as much as a jot now, nor 
 shall I hereafter in any possible conflict with 
 you. For the sake of others of your family I 
 restrain the words that would rise to my hps 
 in further answer to your charges and your 
 threatenings, except to say that I brand the 
 former as grossly false, and that I despise the 
 latter as vain menaces of a childish bragga- 
 docio." 
 
 He then rose and looked with calm defi- 
 ance upon his adversary. 
 
 ^' Grod !" exclaimed Hiram, overpowered by 
 rage. Taking a step backward, and closing 
 his fingers tightly, he raised his hand on high. 
 Henry sprang forward and seized his arm. 
 At that moment, hke the bull of Marathon 
 or him of Bashan, Mr. Swinger rushed from 
 behind the poplar, and as he put himself be- 
 tween the combatants, elbowing them apart, 
 said, in merry tones : 
 
 '' No, you won't ; not quite you won't ; not 
 if old Allen Swinger know hisself." 
 
VIII. 
 
 No man could have foreseen wliat would 
 have been the issue of the contest. At least 
 so could not Mr. Swinger ; otherwise his de- 
 portment, as they were presently assured, 
 would have been different. The young men 
 could not but separate under the repulsion 
 of those stalwart arms. He looked at Hiram 
 with angry disdain, as the latter recoiled with 
 some sense of shame for having given way 
 to his passion so far beyond what he had in- 
 tended. 
 
 " Hime Jyner "—flattening his hps against 
 his teeth— ''want to know how come I here'? 
 Well, I tell you. I see you and Henry Daws- 
 ter a-movin' to these woods, and I knowed 
 from some o' your talk in the neighborhood 
 I heered about you was up to some sort o' 
 deYil-ment, and so I circled around, I did, and 
 I took my stand behind that poplar thar. Oh, 
 you can come down now, you little varmint" 
 —looking up at the squirrel, that had not yet 
 
mME JTNER, "WANT TO KNOW HOW COME I HERE ?' 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 109 
 
 ceased its complainings ; '' you like to told on 
 me, though I weren't after your young 'uns. 
 Gro 'long home !" 
 
 The squirrel took him at his word, descend- 
 ed, tripped joyously to the poplar, and was 
 soon hidden within its nest. 
 
 ''And now," Mr. Smnger resumed, ''you 
 want to know how come I to part you two % 
 Well, I'll up and tell you that, too. It were 
 jes because I were 'spicioned Henry Dawster 
 a bein' ruther hght weight, and not used to 
 sech, you might of ben too much for him. 
 Understand? If I hadn't ben jubous on 
 them p'ints in my mind I'd a stood back and 
 a let him lam you till you hollered and out 
 with some o' your meanness. The good Lord 
 know I ain't for fightin' when it can be holp; 
 but when it can't, then I'm for pitchin' in; 
 and when I mn in, I'm for fannin' out the 
 concern, even if I does have a rewivle on my 
 hands. And let me tell you, Hime Jyner, if 
 it have ben me, 'stid o' this yearlin' of a boy, 
 no sooner'n you out with your oudacious sass, 
 I'd a whirled in on you and I'd a frazzled you 
 out to that you'd a ben thankful to be let take 
 it all back. I'm not a-denyin' I were meanin' 
 
110 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 some o' my words last night for you along o' 
 t'other ongodly chaps, that you special got 
 right in the path o' my chargin' and looked 
 that impident that I were jes ableeged to give 
 you a passin' wipe ; but when you say I were 
 put up by this boy here — when you say iliat^ 
 you tell a — " 
 
 ^' There, there, Brother Swinger!" exclaimed 
 Henry, ^' do not — I beg you do not utter the 
 word. Mr. Joyner doubtless beheved to be 
 true what he said." 
 
 "Well" — reluctantly lowering the arm he 
 had raised — '' I'll do as you say, Henry. May- 
 by he did. But it go to show whut fool no- 
 tions some people have, that they think so 
 much more o' theirself than t'other people 
 know they're worth that they'll go off half- 
 cocked, and nothin' but a flash in the pan at 
 that. Now, Hime Jyner, your father, Zekil 
 Jyner, were a man I thought a heap of, 'spite 
 o' his bein' sech a streenious Babtis'. But 
 yit he were a man o' them kind that he'd a 
 never denied a bein' o' that, nor whatsonever 
 else he might think it were his juty ; and he 
 were not a man to jes find fau't and make a 
 huUaballoo with people that he have no more 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. m 
 
 occasion than you lias with me or Henry 
 Dawster, ary one, without you jes natchuilly 
 thinks people belongs to you to order 'em 
 about as you please — hanh f 
 
 '' If he is through, sir," said Hiram, sullen- 
 ly, still looking only at Henry, ^'I withdraw 
 the charge which Mr. Swinger— though with 
 his usual extreme rudeness — has convinced 
 me to have been without just foundation. 
 It is possible that I was overhasty in refer- 
 ring in such terms to your profession ; but 
 the demand I made regarding your deport- 
 ment towards my family I repeat, and I shall 
 trust to be able to enforce it. As for Mr. 
 Swinger, he is too old a man for me even to 
 think of resenting his coarse insults." 
 
 He then turned and walked rapidly away. 
 "Old or young," answered Mr. Swinger, 
 loud enough to be heard but for the sway- 
 ing shrubbery and the sound of the trampled 
 leaves, " he could fan you out so bad you'd 
 have to be took up and took home in pieces. 
 In my day I wanted no better fun than to 
 handle sech as you, two at a time. Sher, 
 boy! sher!" 
 Henry had sat down again and covered 
 
112 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 his face with his hands. Looking fondly 
 upon him, the old man said : 
 
 ''Come, my son, take down them hands 
 and liven up. Thar's nothin' to cry about, 
 nor not even to be sorry about, exceptin' it's 
 for not hckin' that bar into some sort o' shape; 
 which, I hadn't been af eered you was too light 
 weight for the above, I'd a let you a done it. 
 It ain't of'n a Meth'dis' preacher liave to fight; 
 but when he do it's a positive needcessity for 
 him to whup the fight, or he'll git that cowed 
 that he can't preach the blessed gospel effec- 
 uil like it got to be preached to make head- 
 way with the gen'ration o' sinners we has to 
 deal with in this gen'ration o' people. The 
 good Lord don't want them he have choosed 
 for to preach his word to go about a-makin' 
 2i practice o' fightin', and pickin' up fights with 
 Tom, Dick, and Harry; but nother do he 
 want 'em to be a-backin' down when people 
 tries to run over 'em. So git up and look 
 peert. You got to preach agin to-night." 
 
 The young man looked up with imploring 
 remonstrance. 
 
 " Yes, sir .'" the elder answered, unrelent- 
 ingly. '' It's done fixed, same as the law o' 
 
OQEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS, 113 
 
 the Mede and Persian. This very night of 
 our Lord some more o' your sweat and whut 
 else stuff you got in you got to come out. 
 Another reason I some ruther you wouldn't 
 hitch with Hime Jyner, and look all tousled 
 and bunged up when you ris in the pulpit. 
 Come, git up, and march back, and don't you 
 open your mouth nary one time about whut 
 have took place here this mornin'. It'll do 
 you more good than harm, and in more ways 
 than one. But I hain't got time to talk about 
 that now." 
 
 Taking him by the arm, he raised him up, 
 and they repaired to their tent. They were 
 not surprised to hear during the day that 
 Hiram and Ellen had left the camp and gone 
 home. With what httle reflection he had 
 time to give to the matter, Henry rather 
 thought he would have thus advised. With 
 every successive effort he rose higher in men's 
 opinions. The camp was continued only two 
 days longer than the usual time, when, owing 
 to the great strain on tent-holders, it was 
 broken up, and the services carried on for 
 another week in town. In this while Henry 
 saw Ellen not at aU, though after the return 
 8 
 
114 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 to town he met Harriet daily at the Ingrams'. 
 The rencontre in the woods became known 
 only to those immediately interested in it, 
 and its extent to not all of them until some 
 time afterwards. Second only to that he felt 
 in the great revival was Mr. Swinger's inter- 
 est in the fortunes of his dear protege^ and in 
 their private interviews he spoke of them in 
 cheerful hope. 
 
 '' Go on, my boy, with your juties, and at- 
 tend to them the best you know how. Not 
 only the good Lord, but everybody else, have 
 respects of a man that stand up to his juty. 
 When this meetin' is over, then we can see 
 how it suit to move. Hime Jyner settin' at 
 you ain't goin' to do you any harm, special 
 when it's found out how you stood up to 
 him. That part got to come out certain if 
 the rest do. Whatever you do, don't let 
 Tom know yit how it all were. Tom's fiery 
 hisself. It's best for him not to know all 
 about it, so he can keep goin' thar, and keep 
 you posted how the land lays. You better 
 not go anigh the Jyners' yit awhile. They 
 ain't no doubt Hime's told his people all 
 about it — bull-headed feller that he is — and 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 115 
 
 your a goin' to the Mays' and not thar, it'll 
 show Missis Jyner that you has respects of 
 her feehn's, and it'U make Ellen madder 
 with Hime and more determ'ed to lean on 
 you, and it'll fetch things to a head quicker. 
 The old lady come of fightin' stock, Babtis' 
 as they was, and she ain't gom' to think less 
 o' you for standin' squar' up to Hime, her 
 own son if he do be; and as for the young 
 'un, it'll sagashuate her stronger. Wim- 
 ming, Henry Dawster, is a kind 0' creeters, I 
 don't keer how skeery they make out they- 
 selves, they want them they goin' to take up 
 with to be feared o' nothin', special them that 
 has two legs. A man got to study -wdmming 
 to find out all about 'em, Hke I had to do 
 when I were a-courtin' Hester, and they had 
 me up a tree. Why, sir, in them times a fel- 
 ler, and he were Hester's cousin, and he have 
 prop'ty, and he were a big feUer and a fight- 
 in' feller, and he wanted Hester for his own 
 self, he did— for she were pretty as a pink— 
 and he made all kind 0' game o' me. And I 
 took it, because I were afeard o' mispleasin' 
 any her relation and kinfolks, and a leetle 
 more and he'd a got her. At last, when I 
 
116 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS/ 
 
 see how things was a gwine, I got desper't', 
 and so one day I meets him in town, and he 
 hadn't hardly more'n said the word leans to 
 me before I ht on him, I did, and I wore him 
 out. Now whut yon think were the upshot 
 o' sech as that ? Well, sir, the very next time 
 I see Hester she were comin' out o' meetin' ; 
 for I darsn't not come anigh her ma's house ; 
 and when she see me she bowed, she did, and 
 she smile; and the next day, when I went 
 thar all a-trimbhn' — for she were a beauty, 
 I tell you, boy, and she hold her own now 
 along with any of 'em yit, as people can see 
 for theyself — liit^ when I got thar, ef she 
 didn't rise, and, as I understood the motion, 
 she hilt her arms open. She always say she 
 didn't. All the same to me. Info them arms 
 I flewed, same as a sparrer from a hawk, and 
 thar I ben ever sence, blessed be God ! And 
 whut's more, her ma, that feller's own blessed 
 aunt on his father's side, she got riconciled to 
 the match, which up to then she ben horstile, 
 same ef I come of Tory people. iVo, sir; 
 that's wimming the world over; and main 
 reason I parted you and Hime, I were feared 
 o' your hght weight. But you showed the 
 
OQEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. II7 
 
 sperrit, and, as the feller said, that are suffi- 
 cient. No, sir; that skrimmage will go to 
 fetch the business to a compermise quicker 
 than if it hadn't happened. It would of done 
 it quicker if it have ben the Mays, which they 
 ain't that awful streenious about Babtis' as 
 the Jyners. Yit, my son, you done right in 
 f oUerin' your instink o' love. I beheve in her 
 strong as pizen, same as I did thirty year ago. 
 A man got no business a-wantin' to marry 
 any female girl without she seem to him at 
 the very top o' creation, so to speak, and he 
 feel the instink o' love breakin' out all over 
 him in spots big as a sheepskin. No, sir .'" 
 
 Henry smiled, as well at the speculations 
 of Mr. Swinger on his own romantic experi- 
 ences as at the intimation thus given unin- 
 tentionally of his partial regret that his young 
 friend's affections had not found a lodgment 
 somewhat further down the river. 
 
IX. 
 
 Whethek or not Mr. Swinger understood 
 human nature as well as lie claimed, results 
 justified Ms predictions. Ellen prudently re- 
 frained from expressions of much feehng at 
 home. She managed to see Tom Doster on 
 the day of her return from the camp-ground, 
 and in the interview both gave and received 
 some salutary advice. Two weeks after- 
 wards, when Mrs. Joyner found out that 
 Henry had been in the neighborhood and 
 had called only at the Mays', she said to Hi- 
 ram: 
 
 " You've made matters worse by your fool- 
 ish interference. Ellen has seen that Henry 
 Doster is quite able to take care of himself 
 against violent young men like you, and 
 though she don't say so in those words, it's 
 plain to me that, just as I'd be in her place, 
 she thinks more of him than she did before ; 
 and it would have looked much more decent, 
 besides being better every way, if the young 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 119 
 
 man, when he was down here, could have 
 come right on to the house, instead of having 
 to meet the child at the Mays'. The respect 
 he showed for himself as well as us all by- 
 keeping away proves to me that he's a gen- 
 tleman, and if he wasn't a Methodist preacher 
 I don't know that I should feel so much op- 
 posed to, it. As it is, you've put it where it's 
 worth nobody's while to say anything about 
 it, one way or another." 
 
 ''I've done my duty," answered Hiram, 
 bluntly. "' Ellen, as she always has done in 
 spite of my advice, will do as she pleases, 
 especially when you don't try to hinder her ; 
 but such things are very far different from 
 anything pa ever anticipated." 
 
 Then he went out, in order to let this 
 remark, as he knew it would, rankle in his 
 mother's mind. 
 
 Mrs. May also had her words of indigna- 
 tion for Hiram's conduct and admiration for 
 that of Henry. 
 
 " Why, Wilham," she said to her son, " Sal- 
 ly Joyner ought to be proud of such a young 
 man for Ellen's beau, and if she wasn't such 
 a Baptist, and so proud of Horeb because 
 
120 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS, 
 
 Mr. Joyner started it, she would. Upon my 
 word, when I heard how he had behaved to 
 Hiram in what was the most imcalled-for 
 attack I ever heard of, to say nothing of 
 camp-meeting going on at the time, I de- 
 clare, Methodist preacher as he is, I couldn't 
 but wish — However, I won't say that ; but 
 you two boys, William May and Hir^am Joy- 
 ner — how have you two boys abused your op- 
 portunities ! I've no patience with either of 
 you !" 
 
 Will laughed as he turned away, for al- 
 ready Mary Anderson, whose father's land 
 and negroes were just across the river, was 
 beginning to seem in his eyes about the equal 
 of anybody. 
 
 In all this while the mind of the pastor 
 of Horeb had been anxiously exercised, in 
 spite of several quite unexpected immer- 
 sions, which there was no denying were ow- 
 ing to the late Methodist revival. He tried 
 to be reasonably thankful that some httle 
 good had come out of such a whirlypool, as 
 he was wont to characterize the camp-meet- 
 ings, but he must brood over the possible loss 
 of at least one favorite lamb. Outside of his 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 121 
 
 own home, except when in the pulpit or when 
 engaged otherwheres in rehgious (particularly 
 denominational) discussion, he was far from 
 being a wordy person, and he seldom med- 
 dled, except when appeal was made to him, 
 in family matters among his congregations. 
 One evenirig Hiram Joyner came over to his 
 house, and after merely saluting Mrs. Bull- 
 ington, asked her husband for a private con- 
 versation. After the visitor had gone, the 
 groans and other inter jectional things from 
 Mr. Bulhngton, being more than common, 
 awakened some curiosity in his wife. 
 
 '' Whut in the world Hiom Jyner want 'ith 
 you, Mr. BulPn'ton, make you look so ser'ous ? 
 I don't know when that boy ben to this house 
 before." 
 
 '' I ought to look ser'ous, 'oman, if I don't. 
 Hiom Jyner ser'ous too, and well he mout be. 
 I didn't know tell now the intrust he take in 
 Horub, which Zekol Jyner thought and be- 
 heved he were foundin' on a rock when he 
 built her, and him nor nobody else ever ex- 
 pected sech a thing in this whole ontimely 
 world as to see a Meth'dis' comin' down here 
 and breakin' of her up by marryin' in^o a f am- 
 
122 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 bly that nother wants him nor hisn Them 
 reports about them girls was jes the fact- 
 truth, and Hiom Jyner say that if somethin' 
 ain't done, and that soon, both them f ambhes 
 is broke off from Horub. For you know well 
 enough, to my sorrer, that them Mays they 
 hain't never been the good, ginuine Babtis' 
 like the Jyners, and when that preacher, that 
 he's Tom Dorrister's cousin, and Tom a-help- 
 in' him — 7mj Lord ! And when he have took 
 Ellen away, Hiom say they cert'n to git Tom 
 and Harriet in time, and I can't tell the time 
 I felt like I ben a-feehn' for this last hour. 
 When I ben a-countin' on Tom Dorrister for 
 one o' the very acuil deacons when he got a 
 little more age and expeunce on his shoul- 
 ders, and as for the helpin' support the pars- 
 tor accordin' to his prop'ty, he ben the one 
 most 'pennance was to be put of all of 'em. 
 I wouldn't of heUeved it of Tom Dorrister. 
 And not only so, but I always, tell this news, 
 counted on the jindin' o' ther banns when- 
 sonever they got married that everybody 
 never had ary sech a thought but Ellen and 
 Willom May, and Hiom Jyner and Har'i't. 
 And I'll jes tell you how it'll be. The old 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 123 
 
 man Swinger'U be the one to do the marr'in' 
 o' that Dorrister preacher and Ellen, and then 
 heHl hop lip and put Tom and Har'i't through, 
 a bein' of Tom's cousin, and in course a want- 
 in' back his fee he paid ole Br'er Swinger, 
 and I sha'n't be even invited to nary one o' 
 their weddin's. Ain't I got cause to feel 
 ser'ous, 'omanf 
 
 " Oh, Mr. Bull'n'ton," began his affection- 
 ate wife, with comforting intent, '4f it's the 
 lots and lotteries of them young people — " 
 
 " Don't talk to me about your lots and lot- 
 teries, female !" he bawled. " Your lots and 
 your lotteries don't do any good to my mind, 
 the fix my mind's in." 
 
 The good wife subsided, and could sym- 
 pathize only in silence with the multitudi- 
 nous complainings of her lord before sleep 
 that night came, imparting temporary rehef. 
 
 The next morning, after awakening, the 
 first words that Mrs. BuUington overheard, 
 sounding as if they came up from the bottom 
 of an extremely deep grave, were, '' Woices : 
 the time have come when woices got to be 
 raised and let out in sech a quan — daroiis — 
 come off !" 
 
124 OQEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS, 
 
 About an hour after his breakfast Mr. 
 Bulhngton rode to the Joyners'. Dismount- 
 ing solemnly, solemnly hitching his horse, 
 he walked as if his legs barely were able to 
 take his gigantic form into the piazza. 
 
 "Brother Bulhngton," quickly said Mrs. 
 Joyner, even before taking his heavy hand, 
 "you are not well. I saw it the minute I 
 laid eyes on you. Take that rocking-chair, 
 unless you are afraid to sit out in the open 
 air, and I'll have Nancy bring a dipper of 
 cool water from the well." 
 
 He let himself down upon the rocker, and 
 waved his hand with some defiance to the 
 open air, as if the harm it could do, added 
 to that ah'eady poured from other sources, 
 was merely contemptible. And when able 
 to speak, though in much feebleness, he an- 
 swered : " How do you do. Sister Jyner ^ No, 
 Sister Jyner, I ain't afeared o' the ar. The 
 ar can't hurt me. You said somethin' about 
 water, if I heerd you correct, Sister Jyner, 
 and I'll acknowledge my mind were a-runnin' 
 on water the minute you spoke. No, no — oh 
 no !" And he raised a hand in mournful, firm 
 deprecation as the lady started into the house 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 127 
 
 to call for the beverage. '' My mind, I say, 
 have been a-runnin' on water more here late- 
 ly than I 'member it have run thar, special 
 sence I were old enough to be conwicted o' 
 the value, not so much for the drinkin' of it, 
 leastways for the present. Fact is, I never 
 doubted nor wished to deny the good Lord 
 made water for man and beast to drink ; ojie 
 thing. But the mainest thing, if I understand 
 the Scriptur', water, when it were made, it 
 were made for people to git down mto it, and 
 have theirselves dipped in^o it, or ruther, as 
 the Scriptur' say, 'baptized into it, by them 
 He have app'inted the authority to wash 
 away their sins. And I well 'members how 
 that used to be the idees that Br'er Zekol 
 Jyner had on them same subjects, and I 
 couldn't begin to tell the times, me and him, 
 that we always went together in our mind, 
 same ef we been two black-eye peas. But, 
 a-last ! him a bein' now dead and goned, and 
 me left here and a-tryin' to peg away best I 
 can by myself — no, no. Sister Jyner, I don't 
 want no water to drink^ a yit, a not a-denyin' 
 I won't take a gourd after a while. Whar's 
 EUenf 
 
128 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS, 
 
 " Harriet came by here a little while ago 
 and got Ellen, and they rode together over to 
 Sister Doster's." 
 
 ''Rode to Sister Dorrister's! TJie good 
 Lord send it were to stay thar!" he said, 
 with solemn heartiness. " That is, of course, 
 I mean when the child git ready to leave the 
 parenchal rnff. But it give me, her bein' 
 away, a some better chance o' empt'in' my 
 mind of some o' the load that look like I can't 
 sleep o' nights a-thinkin' on poor Br'er Zekol 
 Jyner, and a leetle more and I'd a lost my ap- 
 petites for my ^actuals." 
 
 They had a long talk. Eather Mr. Buil- 
 ington dwelt at great length upon the awful 
 consequences of bringing into that neigh- 
 borhood, and into houses which delicacy 
 forbade him to particularize, such doctrines 
 as sprinkhng, falhng from grace, and in all 
 dreadful human probability infant baptism. 
 The truth of the whole business, in Mr. BuU- 
 ington's opinion, was that such as that ought 
 to come as nigh as anything in this whole 
 world could come to make the deceased, to 
 whom respectful, affectionate allusion had 
 just been made, turn over in his cofdn if he 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 129 
 
 could do nothing else. At length he ended, 
 and after taking the promised gourd, bade his 
 hostess a mournful adieu, and moved away as 
 solemnly as he had come. 
 
 Mrs. Joyner, although much more cultivat- 
 ed than her pastor, and less narrowed in opin- 
 ions, yet reverenced him much ; doubtless the 
 more for the sake of the affectionate relations 
 that had existed between him and her late 
 husband. Therefore she was much affected 
 by his words, and when Ellen returned she 
 said: 
 
 " Ellen, I know, of course, that I have no 
 right to your confidence or any influence 
 upon you, although you are my own and 
 only daughter, and I used to have both. I 
 forgot to ask you how is Sister Doster." 
 
 '-'' She's well, ma," answered Ellen, lowly, 
 holding her bonnet strings and looking as if 
 she feared her mother was losing her reason. 
 
 ^'Ah! glad to hear it; but if you have 
 made up your mind to marry that Methodist 
 preacher, I think you owe it to me and to 
 the memory of your father to say nothing 
 of poor dear old Brother Bullington, who, if 
 anything, is worse off about it than I've been 
 9 
 
130 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 until now — I think yon owe it to ns all to 
 have some sort of understanding that you. 
 are not to be interfered with in your rehgion ; 
 that is, if you haven't already determined in 
 your own mind to give it up." 
 
 Ellen removed her bonnet at leisure; re- 
 adjusted the combs in her hair ; then, sitting 
 down, answered : 
 
 '' Ma, Henry Doster has never mentioned 
 Methodism to me a single time that I can 
 remember. Mr. Bulhngton has been here, I 
 see. I thought they were his horse's tracks 
 I noticed at the gate. And he has set you 
 more against Henry. Did he have to say 
 anything about Tom f 
 '' Some ; not very much." 
 ''What (^Z^VZhe say, ma T 
 '' He only said — that is, he only intimated 
 that — perhaps it wouldn't have been so 
 bad if Tom— What are you laughing at, 
 Ellen f 
 
 '' Beg pardon, ma ; but, seeing what you 
 were going to say, I was comparing it with 
 what Harriet told me of her mother saying, 
 no longer ago than yesterday, about Henry 
 Doster, and of her preference for him over 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 131 
 
 Tom. It is right curious. You agreed with 
 Mr. Bulhngton ; now didn't you, ma f 
 
 " Well, if you must know, I did ; and I wish 
 in my heart, if you must have a Doster, that 
 it was Tom, and that to-morrow." 
 
 '' Well, ma," rephed the daughter, after a 
 httle sigh, ^^IVe heard you say many and 
 many a time that you married the man of 
 your own choice, although he was not that of 
 your parents, and that you never had cause 
 to repent of it, and now you talk to me as 
 if I had no right to govern myself according 
 to my own feehngs. Yet, ma, you know that 
 if Tom Doster and I, no further back than 
 six months ago, had taken a fancy for each 
 other, you would have been against it, and 
 so would Mrs. May have been as between 
 Henry Doster and Harriet, whom now she 
 declares she would receive as a son-in-law 
 readily — yes, thankfully. What are two 
 poor, inexperienced girls to do in such a 
 case f 
 
 Ellen, notwithstanding her inexperience, 
 looked at her mother as if she had the argu- 
 ment on her. But the latter confidently re- 
 sponded : "No, because neither of us had 
 
132 OGEE CHE E CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 ever had a thought of your marrying Dosters 
 of any kind. Martha May knows not what 
 she's talking about when she talks that way ; 
 but she's no strong Baptist any way and 
 never was, and she's carried away with what 
 people talk about what a great orator that 
 Henry Doster is, and going to be a bishop or 
 some great somebody, when there's Tom Dos- 
 ter joining land right next to her, and the 
 industriousest young man in this whole sec- 
 tion of country, and would make that plan- 
 tation look another sort to what it's been 
 brought, and he's always been a good Bap- 
 tist, and he's as good-looking any day as 
 Henry Doster, and to my taste better. And 
 then what is to become of me when my only 
 daughter is following a Methodist preacher 
 wherever they've a mind to send him when 
 people get tired of him in one place and an- 
 other, and my only son no more managing 
 than Will May, and so little company or com- 
 fort to his mother otherwise "l But I suppose 
 I'll have to trust that the good Lord will take 
 care of me somehow in my old age." 
 
 Then she wept freely, though without bit- 
 terness. 
 
GEE CHE E CROSS-FIRIXGS. 133 
 
 '' Ma," said Ellen, in manner as concilia- 
 tory as her affectionate spirit could employ, 
 ''I am glad you spoke to me so freely and 
 candidly. I have never asked Henry Doster 
 about what are to be my rehgious privileges, 
 nor as to the relations I am to be allowed to 
 hold with you, the more dear to me because 
 you are a vridow, and because brother is not 
 as considerate of you as he ought to be. He, 
 as you well know, would no more have ap- 
 proved Tom Doster's than he now approves 
 Henry's suit of me, although he would have 
 swapped me to anybody who could have 
 given to him Harriet in exchange. Let that 
 go. But I tell you now, and you may tell 
 Mr. BulUngton if you choose, that I have 
 no idea, at least for the present, of quitting 
 yours and my father's church. Somehow, 
 ma, my parents have seemed to become the 
 dearer, if possible, to my heart since— since I 
 have been indulging another feehng." She 
 blushed deeply, and covered her face. '' Of 
 course," recovering, she continued, '' nobody 
 can foresee what changes are to come over 
 their hves; but now my expectation is to 
 continue a Baptist, praying always to be as 
 
134 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 good a one as pa was and as you are. Can 
 you be satisfied with that, ma ?" 
 
 '^ ril have to be, I suppose." 
 
 '' Still you'd feel safer if it was Tom ;" and 
 she playfully patted her mother's cheek. 
 
 Removing the hand, yet not rudely, "You 
 know I cannot tell a falsehood, Ellen." 
 
 " Ah me !" sighed the sweet girl, and went 
 up to her chamber. 
 
X. 
 
 Me. Bullington's call was on a Wednesday. 
 On the following Friday evening our two girls 
 went in the Joyner carriage to spend the rest 
 of the week at the Ingrams'. Tom had busi- 
 ness in town on the following day, and as 
 that was the stated Conference Saturday for 
 Mr. BuUington's congregation in town, it oc- 
 curred to Tom to do his pastor a httle favor. 
 So riding up to his gate toward sunset, he 
 called him out, and said : 
 
 " Brother BuUington, I have to go to town 
 early in the morning on some business, and 
 knowing your horse was busy helping to put 
 in wheat, I thought I'd propose to take you 
 in my gig, if it will suit you and you can 
 make it convenient to start unmediately after 
 breakfast." 
 
 '' Why, Tommy — why, yes, my son," he an- 
 swered. " It suit me exact. I am mightly 
 pushed to git in my wheat before the dark 
 
136 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 nights gives out. I'll be over to your ma's 
 time you git your breakfast, and — " 
 
 " Ob, no, I wouldn't have you take all that 
 trouble. I'll ride over here." 
 
 " All right, Tommy. 'Light, and tell me 
 the news." 
 
 "- Sorry I can't stay, Brother BuUington ; 
 no special news that I know of. I am glad I 
 can accommodate you. Good-evening." 
 
 " Evenin', Tommy." 
 
 And Mr. BuUington thought that he felt a 
 Httle better ; for this was the first visit, brief 
 as it was, that Tom had made him since the 
 beginning of the rumors concerning him and 
 Harriet May. Next morning he had just 
 risen from an early breakfast, when, going to 
 the door, he saw Tom's gig coming briskly 
 toward his gate. 
 
 '' My ! my ! You are bright and yearly this 
 mornin'," was his salutation, as he advanced 
 to meet him. 
 
 Considering his prominence as a public 
 man, Mr. BuUington had to a degree remark- 
 able, even in his profession, a faculty of atten- 
 tion, at times of intense listening. Serious, 
 indeed saturnine, in disposition, in the pres- 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 137 
 
 ence of one or more interlocutors he had a 
 habit of compressing his hps, swelUng his 
 jaws, and contracting his brows while re- 
 garding with solemnest attention a speaker, 
 whether the latter's remarks were meant to 
 be taken as earnest or sportive. Afterward 
 he would reflect most respectfully, even se- 
 verely, before giving the answer which subse- 
 quent silence might lead him to beheve was 
 expected. Joy or grief seemed to make no 
 separate impression upon that countenance, 
 except that the former perhaps was rather 
 more agonizing. He never wept, at least 
 with his eyes, except on occasions of much 
 hilarity, when, as it appeared, he was suffering 
 quick remorse for having been momentarily 
 seduced from his habitually solemn port by 
 manifestations of interest in the frivolities of 
 such a wicked world. On such occasions the 
 corners of his mouth would let down, his 
 lower hp shrink and hide behind its superior, 
 all making it appear that in him, among the 
 various emotions of the human heart, that 
 excited by humor was the most sorrowful. 
 
 Tom was in high spirits. Any healthy 
 young man with no uncommon load upon 
 
138 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 his conscience ought to have been hght of 
 heart driving along the road on such a morn- 
 ing in the fall of the year, the sun, the air, 
 the forest leaves, seeming as if they had been 
 created purposely to gladden mankind. Tom 
 rattled on gayly on this theme and on that. 
 He believed that he said some good things, 
 some excellent tilings, in fact, for one used 
 to more serious work than merely making 
 merry. Some of them must have been ex- 
 tremely funny, judged by the excruciating 
 grief of his companion. When they had got- 
 ten as far as what town people called the 
 Two-mile Branch, and the horse had taken a 
 drink and set out again, Tom said : 
 
 '' Brother BuUington, I want you to do me 
 a favor. It won't take much time or trouble. 
 Get up there, BiU." 
 
 Mr. BuUington turned, and for a while 
 looked savagely into Tom's face, at length 
 answering: "You ought to know. Tommy, if 
 you don't, that I'll do what lay in my power 
 for you, or any of your people." 
 
 '^I thought so, or I wouldn't have taken 
 the liberty of asking you. Brother BuUing- 
 ton, I want you to marry me." 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 139 
 
 "' The goodness gracious, Tommy !" in due 
 time came the response. "Why, I'll do it. 
 In course I'U do it. When f 
 
 " I'll let you know before long. I thought 
 you'd do me that favor. The truth is, I 
 wouldn't feel exactly right in giving the wed- 
 ding-fee I've laid up to anybody else than 
 you, whom ma and I and all of us think so 
 much of." 
 
 Mr. BuUington would surely have cried 
 now if he had known how. Concentrating 
 his gaze more and more fiercely upon Tom, 
 he writhed and writhed, as Tom, waving his 
 whip now and then, enlarged upon the pleas- 
 ure it would be to him always hereafter to 
 remember that his own pastor, and his wife's 
 pastor, and the pastor of his parents, and the 
 pastor of his wife's parents, and the pastor 
 of — But here they reached the Gateston 
 Hotel. After alighting, Tom turned the horse 
 over to the hostler, and said : 
 
 " Let us go into the hotel parlor for a little 
 while. Brother BuUington. I want to see a 
 couple of gentlemen there for a few minutes, 
 after which you and I can continue our con- 
 versation." 
 
UO OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 Entering, Mr. Bnllington looked in slow, 
 menacing astonishment, first at Mr. Swinger, 
 then at Henry Doster. 
 
 '' Well met," said the former, rising, taking 
 Mr. BulUngton's hand, hfting it up, and shak- 
 ing it cordially. '' How do, Br'er Bnirn't'n 'F 
 Mornin', Tom. Little 'head o' time, but better 
 too soon than too late, special on the arrant 
 you come on this mornin'. Take a seat, Br'er 
 BuU'n't'n, and tell me all about yourself and 
 fambly. Hain't see you, not to shake hands 
 'long with you, sense that day at the Shoals." 
 
 After salutings and seatings all around, Mr. 
 BuUington regarded Mr. Swinger sternly, as if 
 to ward against assault. But the latter soon 
 put him at as much ease as it was possible 
 for him to feel in the company of dangerous 
 heretics, who, plausible without, within were 
 possessed of malignity and subtlety. After 
 declaring over and over again how glad he 
 was to see his brother BuUington, and to 
 notice how well he held his own, and if any- 
 thing how gladder to be told that Mrs. BuU- 
 ington and the children were well as com- 
 mon, and after getting from Tom Doster such 
 a promise as there would be no going back on 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 141 
 
 to help Mr. BiiUington in getting in his wheat 
 during the dark nights, he said : 
 
 " Henry, I don't think I ever told you how 
 bad Br'er BuU'n't'n got me one day at the 
 Shoals. I no doubt Tom's heerd it." 
 
 '' Now, now, Br'er Swinger, said Mr. Bull- 
 ington, '' you goin' to tell on your own self 
 that a way V But they knew that, in spite 
 of such remonstrance, he was quite willing 
 for the story to go on. 
 
 " Oh, yes ; a good thing's a good thing, 
 Br'er BuU'n't'n, and when they on me, I'm 
 bound to let t'other people git the good of it, 
 even if / can't. Well, you see, Henry, it were 
 a one Sadday evenin', I reck'n it ben about, 
 or mighty nigh about, three year ago ; ain't 
 it, Br'er BuU'n't'n f 
 
 ''Be three year Sadday before the fourt' 
 Sunday o' next mont'." 
 
 '' That's it. You see he ain't forgot. Well, 
 sir, after preachin' that mornin' to about a 
 handful o' people at our poor httle Hopewell 
 meetin'- house t'other side of Iggeechee, as I 
 rid by the stow at the Shoals on my way back 
 home, I see Br'er BuU'n't'n and a whole lot 
 o' men thar in the peazer, and I thought I'd 
 
142 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 'light and stop and liowdy, and swap a few 
 words with 'em all ; for Br'er BuU'n't'n know 
 I always liked him, if he is sech a rambunc- 
 tious Babtis'. Him nor none of 'em notice 
 me till they see me comin' up the peazer 
 steps, because for why at that very minute 
 he were firin' away at a ter'ble rate agin we 
 Meth'disses, and his words, jes as I come up, 
 wuz to the effect that if John the Harbiniger 
 had ben a Meth'dis', the Scriptur' would 'a 
 named him that stid o' John the Babtis'; 
 and he up, he did, and as he howdied along 
 with me he say, ' And here's Br'er Swinger, 
 as good a man as they've got, and he can't 
 deny my words.' Well, sir, you better believe ! 
 It were a Babtis' crowd, as you know they're 
 awful strong, up and down, on both sides o' 
 the Iggeechee. Yit, I thought, never do not 
 take up the old man's channelge, though I 
 weren't in whut a body might call flghtin' 
 fix, a not a expectin' no sech. And then it 
 were somehows, for the onhest time in my 
 life, my idees, and my thoughts, and my ar- 
 gyments, and my words, and my speeches, 
 everiji\\mg I had, they all got that jumbled 
 together, and they got that piled up on top 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 143 
 
 o' one 'notlier that I jes had to stop, and to 
 set down, and see if I couldn't ontangle 'em 
 and gether 'em in hand. And then, right thar, 
 at the very minute I begin to think I see 
 dayhght, ' Br'er Swinger !'— you might a heerd 
 him a mile— he bawled out, he did, and he 
 hollered, and say: ' Ah, Br'er Swinger, it were 
 John the Babtis'. No Meth'disses in them 
 days— leastways o' them names. No wonder 
 you speechless ; but if you wuz able to talk, 
 and could stand up and talk all day long, 
 I'd jes take a cheer and set down calm, and 
 'casion'ly fling in a primmary few remarks, 
 and ask you to p'int out the chapter and the 
 veerse whar they tells about the Meth'disses 
 in the Grood Book.' And then he shook his 
 big sides, and the t'others they all broke out 
 in^o a gener'l haw-haw. Well, sir, bless youi- 
 soul ! All of a suddent I got so mad that for 
 jes about a second if I didn't feel hke hauhn' 
 off and lettin' old Br'er BuU'n't'n have it right 
 in the mouth, for flingin' sech a laugh on me, 
 onprepar'd for it as I were. But I know sech 
 as that won't begin to do, because I know 
 Br'er BuU'n't'n have big a fist as me, and it 
 wouldn't do nohow." 
 
144 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 Here all broke into heartiest laughter ex- 
 cept Mr. BuUington, who, what time he was 
 not wiping his overflowing eyes, sat heaving 
 his vast frame and glaring npon the narrator 
 with a ferocity whose wretchedness was ap- 
 palling. 
 
 "And so finuil," resumed the historian of 
 Ogeechee border warfare, " what you reck'n 
 I done ? Why, sir, I whirled in, I did, and I 
 thought I'd try laughin' myself too. But 
 you all know what sort o' laughin' that 
 is when you know people see you feel 
 more like cryin' than anything else ; and 
 so the more I tried to laugh, the more 
 the whole kerhoot of 'em laughed shore 
 enough ; and at last I got up, and got away, 
 and got on my horse, and banished off from 
 thar." 
 
 It looked as if the agony of Mr. BuUington 
 would soon become unendurable ; but at this 
 moment the hght tread of ladies' feet was 
 heard in the hall, and presently the landlady 
 of the hotel and Mrs. Ingram entered, fol- 
 lowed by Ellen and Harriet. The last two 
 were bonneted and beaming red. After shak- 
 ing hands with her pastor, EUen said : '' Mr. 
 
OQEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS, 145 
 
 Biillington, Tom told you, I suppose, that we 
 couldn't think of anybody else marrying us 
 but you." 
 
 "Why, Ell'n— why, my child— why, yes; 
 but I thought— why, whar's— You goin' to 
 marry Tom ? and that not under the paren- 
 chalrufff 
 
 " We'll explain all that afterwards, Brother 
 Bulhngton," said Tom, as he put into his 
 hands the marriage license, out of which, as 
 he opened it with fumbling hands, dropped 
 two twenty -dollar gold pieces. With diffi- 
 culty the preacher found his spectacles, and 
 when the coins, so far beyond what he had 
 ever received for such a service, were lodged, 
 one in one pocket of his trousers and the other 
 in another, he performed the rite as well as he 
 could. Then sitting, and putting his hands 
 in his pockets, he looked around in abject 
 despair. Then Mr. Swinger rose, and, as 
 Henry and Harriet took their places, said: 
 " Here come another batch, Br'er Bull'n't'n. 
 Marryin', hke everything else, ketchin', you 
 know. Be ready." 
 
 When all was spoken except the final 
 prayer, Mr. Swinger turned and said : " Bre'r 
 10 
 
146 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 Buirn't'n, this couple is Meth'dis' and Babtis' 
 both, you know, and it take two of us to 
 hitch tliem to the traces ; so you got to make 
 the praar." 
 
 Mr. Bulhngton, huge as he was, jumped as 
 one roused from a dreaming sleep. Not hav- 
 ing kept up at all with current events, his 
 dazed eyes wandered around the room while 
 he remained seated. 
 
 '' You hear me ?" said Mr. Swinger, in com- 
 manding tone. "Take them hands out o' 
 them pockets, and git up out o' that cheer, 
 and ask the good Lord to send His whole 
 rattermie of angels down here on this young 
 man and this young 'oman that's jes ben 
 jinded in the banes. Out with 'em, and up 
 with you, and when you're thoo I got an- 
 other gold piece for you." 
 
 That day was remembered by Mr. Bulling- 
 ton as the most eventful in all his experi- 
 ence. About six months afterward, while 
 telling of it to the family of liis brother Cum- 
 mins, near Fenn's Bridge, among other things 
 he said : 
 
 "Hadn't ben I were a pubhc man, I'd a 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 147 
 
 ben that nonpluslied and pulled to pieces I'd 
 a forgot how to talk and how to pray up to 
 the 'casion. You see, when it first got out 
 about them young people a keepin' comp'ny, 
 people put it that Tom were after Sister 
 May's daughter, and his cousin for Sister 
 Jyner's. And they not disputed it, so they 
 could git the mothers, and special the broth- 
 ers, to firin' away at the wi^ong feller, a hopin' 
 that way they'd other take some sort o' shine 
 to the right'n, or leastways git riconciled to 
 him. And bless your soul ! it done it ; that 
 is, with the mothers, which they was the 
 mainest ones. Then it were they concluded 
 to strike while the iron were hot, to keep 
 down any more fussin' when it were found 
 out how the land lay shore enough. They 
 wanted Emerly Ingram to let 'em have the 
 thing over at her house ; but Emerly were 
 afeard o' hurtin' feehn's, and so they immer- 
 grated to the tavern. And I tell you I were 
 nonplushed ; but old Br'er Swinger, with aU 
 his predijice, say I come out splendid, and he 
 never knowed till that mornin' no more'n 
 t'other people which was which among 'em. 
 And when Hemy Dorrister hand me that 
 
148 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. 
 
 twenty - dollar gold piece, and I tuck it, a 
 seein' his feelin's would be hurted, and old 
 Br'er Swinger's too, if I didn't take half the 
 fee, I say to myself, here's a Meth'dis' that if 
 he's nothin' else he's liber'l. And if you be- 
 lieve me. Sister Cummins, them female moth- 
 ers actuil laughed, and as for Sister Jyner, 
 she actuil cried, and both for joy, when they 
 heerd the news. And them boys — well, they 
 see, matter o' course, it were too late to call 
 off and open on another trail. Willom May, 
 he laughed too ; for he were already prom- 
 ised to Mary Anderson, that she's now his 
 lawful wife. As for Hiom, he looked mon- 
 st'ous cowed ; and he do yit. Look like he 
 don't feel like puttin' into young wimming's 
 society, nor young men's nuther, but he ruth- 
 er, when he go about at all — he ruther take it 
 out in roamin' in a flock by hisself. Har'i't, 
 jes as I expected, have took up with the 
 Meth'dis'. Two kind o' wimming I've no- 
 tussed in my expeunce o' people. One of 
 'em draws, and the tother lets other people 
 drag them. You, for instance. Sister Cum- 
 mins, you drawed Br'er Cummins from 'mong 
 the Meth'dis', because he see you wuz right, 
 
OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS, 149 
 
 while Har'i't, like her cousin Emerly, were 
 drug off. But it some consolation that it 
 were by a young man that if he's nothin' 
 else he's liber'l." 
 
 THE END. 
 
BY R. M. JOHNSTON. 
 
 OGEECHEE CROSS-FIRINGS. Illustrated. 8vo, Taper 
 {Just published.) ^, idpti. 
 
 ^\^^^\'^\^}^}^'^^Gfih-EP.,mry OTHER GEORGIA 
 i)OLK. Illustrated. 16mo, Cloth, $1 25. 
 
 OLD MARK LANGSTON. A Tale of Duke's Creek 
 16mo, Cloth, $1 00. v-ietK. 
 
 DUKESBOROUGH TALES. Ill'd. 4to, Paper, 25 cent.s. 
 As examples of sound and wholesome fiction, or as studies of hunrn, 
 
 The narrative quality is nothing short of the best pirrvmo- r.,.^ i 
 .■res,stibly to the end, which alwa^es too''so™!l-cSL°I;^!S;: 
 
 American literature can fully care for itself when it contains «,„.l, , M 
 
 novel as th,s^ . . The plot is no't the usual one, nor Tre ts d ail ' wo td M 
 
 ing'i';^L1rp;tXn':!.'g;r jt:.'"-"^™ "'^'^^ p'^-- ->^ — 
 
 In our opinion, there is nothing in contemporary fiction to nntfh thp 
 portrayal of human character to b'e found in this bo^ok. l" is vh'd keen 
 and unerring.— ^^^an^a Constitution ' '^^^°' 
 
 The story is full of quiet humor, with touches of deep pathos and will 
 well repay the reader for the time spent upon it.-CAn>/a,f «n'%;^; n Y 
 
 fh.'^.^r"'^"''''-n'°"°^ Tales "of Colonel Johnston have already rendered 
 that Georg,a_ village real and typical to us. The homelv wit -md sim 
 plic.ty of Its inhabitants have won our ready sympathy^l; " Ltf ^4 
 
 Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York 
 
 The above ^ork..e>Uhy ,nail po.fag. prepaid, to any part of the United 'states 
 tanada, or Mexico, on receipt of the price. oi«t6», 
 
H. RIDER HAGGARD'S STORIES. 
 
 There are color, splendor, and passion everywhere ; action in abundance ; con- 
 stant variety and absorbing interest. Mr. Haggard does not err on the side of nig- 
 gardliness; he is only too affluent in description and ornament. There is a large- 
 ness, a freshness, and a strength about him which are full of promise and encour- 
 agement. He is one of the foremost modern romance writers.— iV. Y. World. 
 
 Mr. Haggard has a genius, not to say a great talent, for story-telling. . . . That 
 he should have a large circle of readers in England and this country, where so 
 many are trying to tell stories with no stories to tell, is a healthy sign, in that it 
 shows that the love of fiction, pure and simple, is as strong as it was in the days 
 of Dickens and Thackeray and Scott, the older days of Smollett and Fielding, and 
 the old, old days of Le Sage and Cervantes.— xV. Y. Mail and Express. 
 
 There is a charm in tracing the ingenuity of the author, and a sense of satisfac- 
 tion in his firm grasp of his subject. One vivid scene follows another, until the 
 reader says to himself, " Here, at last, is a novelist who is not attempting to spread 
 out one dramatic situation ^o hin that it can be made to do duty for an entire 
 volume ; a man of resource, imagination, and mweniion,— Chicago Herald. 
 
 CLEOPATRA. Illustrated. 16mo, Half Cloth, 75 cents ; Paper, 
 25 cents. 
 
 COLONEL QUARITCH, V.C. A Tale of Country Life. 16mo, 
 Half Cloth, 75 cents; Paper, 25 cents. 
 
 SHE. Illustrated. 16mo, Half Cloth, 75 cents ; Paper, 25 cents ; 
 4to, Paper, 25 cents. 
 
 KING SOLOMON'S MINES. 16mo, Half Cloth, 75 cents; 4to, 
 Paper, 20 cents. 
 
 MAIWA'S REVENGE. Illustrated. 16mo, Paper, 25 cents ; Half 
 
 Cloth, 75 cents. 
 
 MR. MEESON'S WILL. 16mo, Half Cloth, 75 cents; Paper, 25 
 cents. 
 
 JESS. 16mo, Half Cloth, 75 cents ; 4to, Paper, 15 cents. 
 
 DAWN. With One Illustration. 16mo, Half Cloth, 75 cents. 
 
 THE WITCH'S HEAD. 16mo, Half Cloth, 75 cents. 
 
 ALLAN QUATERMAIN. Illustrated. 16mo, Half Cloth, 75 cents i 
 Paper, 25 cents. 
 
 Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York. 
 
 1^ * Harpkr & Bbotiikrs will send any of the above works by mail, postage pro-. 
 paid, to any part of the United tStatw or Canada, on receipt of the price. 
 
Jvi^^^ci-yj 
 
 J73 
 
 Johnston, R 
 
 . K. 
 
 ^to 
 
 Ogeechee 
 
 cross-firing 
 
 s 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 M542491 
 
 
lpii.ll