rely consolation; but it required all our faith in Uncle
Scipio to keep our courage alive until the great day. It drew near and
nearer, and still we saw no unusual stir in the house, and our hearts
began to sink a little. At last it wanted but one day, and I shall
never forget that Christmas eve.

Uncle Scipio was very much preoccupied, and could not be disturbed by
any means, that day; so we betook ourselves to the society of our
elders. But there matters were worse. There was little of privation
and bad news that we had not become pretty familiar with by this time,
and war, I remember, seemed to me the normal condition of things. But
it soon became clear to me that something a little worse than usual
was apprehended that day.

There were whispered conversations going on above our heads, but we
caught enough of it to know that a piece of terrible news had arrived.
A party of refugees had passed through our town in the early morning.
They were a company of fragile women and children, with a few faithful
negroes, fleeing from their homes as from a pestilence. They told us
that a large company of Yankees had made their appearance a few miles
above us, and if they followed the most direct route to the railroad,
would, in all probability, reach us that night or the following day.
Our little town being on the line of the railroad, rarely escaped the
military visitations. Besides, it was at this time the depository of a
great deal of cotton, which it was feared might be the occasion of its
being burned.

I have heard mother say that this day before Christmas there were just
three able-bodied men in the town--the hospital doctor, the miller,
and the conscript officer; not a very formidable defence against a
hostile invasion. But I suppose those two lonely women, my mother and
grandmother, must have looked for help in this extremity, towards the
everlasting hills where the twelve legions of angels lay encamped, for
they bore their anxiety like Spartans.

The day dragged through, however, and the last sun rays showed us no
blue coats on the western road towards which aching eyes had turned
through the heavy hours. Things began to look a little more hopeful.
We began to feel that reaction from anxiety which is almost sure to
come when the candles are lighted.

We sat close together in the sitting-room, and took our very frugal
supper there in quite a hysterical sort of cheerfulness.

The day had passed without disaster, an