as seeing more than one man who had no
females or babies to look after, who sought there a refuge from the
coming attack. At daylight, one dapper young man, in fashionable array,
came stepping lightly on the gallery, carrying a neat carpet-bag in his
hand. I hardly think he expected to meet two young ladies at that hour;
I shall always believe he meant to creep away before any one was up;
for he certainly looked embarrassed when we looked up, though he
assumed an air of indifference, and passed by bravely swinging his
sack--but I think he wanted us to believe he was not ashamed. I dare
say it was some little clerk in his holiday attire; but I can't say
what contempt I felt for the creature.
Honestly, I believe the women of the South are as brave as the men who
are fighting, and certainly braver than the "Home Guard." I have not
yet been able to coax myself into being as alarmed as many I could name
are. They say it is because I do not know the danger. _Soit_. I prefer
being brave through ignorance, to being afraid in consequence of my
knowledge of coming events. Thank Heaven, my brothers are the bravest
of the brave! I would despise them if they shrunk back, though Lucifer
should dispute the path with them. Well! _All_ men are not Morgan boys!
They tell me cowards actually exist, though I hope I never met one. The
poor men that went to the Asylum for safety might not have what Lavinia
calls "a moral backbone." No wonder, then, they tumbled in there!
Besides, I am told half the town spent the night on the banks of the
river, on that occasion; and perhaps these unfortunates were subject to
colds, and preferred the shelter of a good roof. Poor little fellows!
How I longed to give them my hoops, corsets, and pretty blue organdie
in exchange for their boots and breeches! Only I thought it was
dangerous; for suppose the boots had been so used to running that they
should prance off with me, too? Why, it would ruin my reputation! Miss
Morgan in petticoats is thought to be "as brave as any other man"; but
these borrowed articles might make her fly as fast "as any other man,"
too, if panic is contagious, as the Yankees here have proved. One
consolation is, that all who could go with any propriety, and all who
were worthy of fighting, among those who believed in the South, are off
at the seat of war; it is only trash, and those who are obliged to
remain for private reasons, who still remain. Let us count those young
individuals a
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