"No you won't" was her ab- cow that you've lost; can you rupt reply. "I raised my right identify it?" hand once to a whole army of ye, but I'll never give it willingly to any one on you."

"I've come here to git back my crap critter that some 'er your men has stole from me," was her abrupt address to the official who sat in state in the room so lately vacated by Governor Vance.

"Lord sakes, who but a Yankee ever heard tell o' tending of a crap with a cow; It's a mule, man that I'm arter, not a cow."

She did not escape the fate of most dwellers in the track of the The Provost Marshal, who was 66 great destroyer," and lost her quite equal to Aunt Abby, and "crap critter" which was "pick- told of his interview with her ed up" by Sherman's bummers. afterward asking if there were As fearlessly as she had hereto- "many more sich" in the State, fore sought General Lee and directed her to the proper officer, President Davis, she now march- and told her if she could not find ed into the office of the Provost her own crap critter " she Marshal and demanded the sur- might take her choice of any of render of her property. those in the yard where the stolen animals were kept." "I expected," he said afterward, "that she would be at least a little mollified by my polite deportment, and even ventured to hope when I added, that if she liked to do so, she could take two mules in the place of her " crap critter," " that she'd think I was "No, I'm not gwine to set not, in spite of my blue coat, undown in this here office till them worthy to sit in the seat of the as oughter be here, is back whar departed Zebulon. Instead of they belongs," said she contempt- which, she turned on me with, uously pushing the chair aside. 'Ah! easy comes and easy goes; "I've sot here many a time but you need'nt think to make up with Governor Vance and your for stealing from one by giving to betters, and had many a talk with 'em, but I wants nothing from you but my crap critter that was stole Thursday's a week ago by your thievish soldiers."

"And pray, Madam, what is a crap critter?" said he, politely offering her a chair.

"Well, Madam, if you will tell me what a crap critter is, and where I am to look for it, I will do my best to have it restored to you whatever it may be."

another, I'll have nothing from ye but my own crap critter.'"

Her own crap critter, however, could not be found among the stolen mules, and after much persuasion she was induced, on the representation of the Provost Marshal, that she could return it when it was called for, to pick out another mule. He pointed out "Where are you to look for it? one that he thought the best in Why look in your own cattle pens the lot, but she rejected it, and where you won't find much that finally selected one of the worst, hai'nt been stole." and replied, when asked, why she "Ah I understand now, its a did not take a better one

"I'm not gwine to be beholden when they come home, to what Yankee they was in camp, but if they

to no hatched-faced

among ye for nothing. Some 'on ye tuck my crap critter, and if ye can't give hit back to me, I'll take one as nigh hit's vally as I can git, and that's this here one.” "All right, old lady, take the one that suits you best, Jeff. Davis himself could'nt say more if he was President of the United States."

"And that he'll never be-mean hisself to be," she replied indignantly, "for he never had an ongentlemanly thought, or did an ongentlemanly act in his life, and being President of the United States ai'nt no gentlemanly calling now, since rail-splitters and tailors is tuck it up."

Just before she got up to leave me a gentleman who had frequently seen her in the trenches at Petersburg, came in, and recognizing her, spoke to her, but he had to recall to her memory the time and place where he had last seen her, before she could recollect him.

"O yes, I riccolecks you now," she said at length, but you see, you men all looks so different in your store close' from what you did in your dirty old grey jackets in them trenches, that I don't know none on ye at first."

did'nt look better, they felt a long sight better than they does now, or ever will as long as these blue coats is a swarming over the country like the plague of hoppergrasses in the scripter. But I've got to see lawyer Rogers 'afore night and its 'bout time I was gwine down town. You jest do what I tells you 'bout writing to Governor Vance, and axing him 'bout that letter he 'gin me to Gin'ral Lee, and told me not to let nobody laugh at. He read it to me, but I disremember what was in it: I only knows that Gin'ral Lee said it was a mighty smart letter, and seemed powerful sorry he could'nt let Marcellus stay at home that time cause he was afeard of the example."

I did write to Gov. Vance, and his reply was so characteristic of him, General Lee, and Aunt Abby, that I will close her story with the following extract from his letter.

"On one occasion Aunt Abby came to me and said her nephew Marcellus was in the hospital at Richmond, and 'was gwine to die sure ef he did'nt git away from thar to whar somebody could nuss him;' and promised me solemnly that if I would get him a sick furlough for thirty days, that she would return him at the end of the time, dead or alive! Upon this I applied for the furlough, and gave my personal "I don't know about that, pledge that he should promptly honey, some on 'em was monstrous return. She set off to Richmond smoky and ragged, I can tell you; with my letter, and soon Aunt you never seed 'em at their worst Abby and Marcellus came home as I did, they spruced up a sight rejoicing. It had all passed out

"Don't you think, Aunt Abby," said I, "that they looked a great deal better in their grey uniforms than they do in their store clothes?"

of my mind, when lo! at the end "coff." I have not graduated in of sixty days into my office popped medicine, nor have I seen this Aunt Abby. She took a seat and stuck her feet up on the fender without a word being spoken.

"Well," said I, "you took Marcellus back did'nt you?"

"No I did'nt " said she, "that child's got the wust coff ever you seed, and I am come to git you to write 'em that he aint able to go back."

"The mischief you have! How do I know that?"

patient, but judging from the symptoms as detailed by Mrs. House, I venture the opinion that Marcellus, like his great namesake, has his thoughts "bent on peace." I fear that the air here is too far South for his lungs, and earnestly recommend that more salubrious atmosphere of the Rappahannock; and that when comfortably established there, he be made to take for his "koff" a

"Why I tell ye so; do you dare compound of sulphur, saltpetre

to 'spute my word?"

"Well but I don't know it; I've not seen him, and I can't certify to anything which is not within my own knowledge. And besides, I'm not a doctor."

"But they'll believe anything you tell 'em."

and charcoal, to be copiously administered by inhalation.

I should be happy to learn the result of this prescription, and have the honor to be General, Your ob't. serv't.

Z. B. VANCE.''' "I read this letter over to her

66 Yes, but I can't tell them a in a loud and pompous tone. She lie."

"It taint no lie I tell ye! If you could see that boy coff it would make you sick! Shut up with your foolishness and jest write to 'em as I tell ye; tell 'em I say he aint fitten for to go back."

"Well, well" said I in despair, "who shall I write to?"

"Write to Gin'ral Lee, I don't want no botherment with none of them officers."

"I seized a pen and wrote about as follows:""

was delighted with it, and slapped me on the shoulder saying, "Lord bless ye, honey, that's it, why could'nt you a done that at fust without all this foolishness?"

As I folded and addressed the letter, I said to her, that there were many people in the army who did'nt like me, and perhaps some of them would make fun of my letter, and if so, she must let me know..

"Just let 'em dar to laugh at it" said she, and with many thanks she left me. In a couple of weeks she came into my office again with a very long face, indeed.

"GENERAL: The ubiquitous, indefatigable and inevitable Mrs. House will hand you this. She asks me to say, that she says, that her nephew Marcellus of regi- "What luck, Aunt Abby?" said ment, N. C. T's. now at home, I, "did you get Marcellus exthirty days over his leave, is still cused?"

unable to return to duty. She "Lord bless you, honey, it never

says he has a most distressing done a grain o'good; I carried

your letter to Gin'ral Lee, who "No" said she, "he begun to read it, but they tuck him, Lord laugh wonst, but I told him 'to bless your heart, they took that dry that up,' and he read it child back jist the same as if you through very solemn, and said it had'nt 'er writ that letter!" was a mighty smart letter." (CONCLUDED.)

I expressed my concern, of course, and added, "I hope Gen. Lee did'nt make fun of my letter, did he?"

SONNET.

DEDICATED TO JAMES BARRON HOPE.

Poets are priests whose teachings never die;
Empurpled Kings who sit on ivory thrones,
With laurels crowned and sweeping harps, whose tones
Are grand as thunders in the storm-rent sky.
Their souls are fed with beauty as were Jews
With manna; their thoughts sad as Æolian

Strains in midnight bowers; sweet as nectared dews
By roses wept or blooms Magnolian.
Their works like to Cathedrals dim and old,

Where music swells and dies in tones divine,

Rich in Mosaics of most rare design,

With pictured oriels, and lamps of gold

Which, from their frescoed domes, like great stars shine Through clouds of incense from high altars rolled! NORFOLK, VA.

TWELVE MONTHS IN SPAIN*

A RAMBLE ABOUT SEVILLE.
EXTRACT FROM MY JOURNAL.

herd, going from street to street, over the whole city, supplying the "April 25, 185-. Up early- inhabitants with milk, which, they before the dappled dawn. Found say, a Spaniard is fond of drinkthe streets already thronged and ing the first thing in the morning, noisy with the busy hum of men. unstrained fresh and warm from While London and Paris are yet the udder. Goat's milk is comburied in sleep, Seville is wide monly used. Cow milk is rare in awake and all astir. But people Seville, though quite plentiful in don't move here, even in the fresh, Madrid. But this method of furbreezy air of morning, with a nishing the supply of milk to the rush, as if life or fortune were in customers, one hardly knows every step, like they do in our own whether to be more pleased with cities. The face is quiet and reg- than annoyed at-pleased with ular, more like curiosity seekers the pastoral aspect it gives the than men of business. The Ci- city-annoyed at having to make garreras, hastening to the Fabrica your way through flocks of goats de Tabacos from an over-revel, and clouds of goatish odors.

were the briskest walkers I saw. Stepped into many of the stores The Churches all open, inviting and shops, which had their doors the devout to matins. Noticed opened and their wares displayed that almost everybody went into early. Was struck here, as elsea church, were it but for a few where, with the apparent indiffermoments-a salutary preparation ence of this class to selling their for the day's work. All religious goods. They are polite enough— service more impressive at this in fact it is an excess of politeness early hour, than after you have which keeps them back from presslooked into the garish eye of day, ing solicitations upon you-they and got though never so lightly must exchange long and formal soiled with the world's dust. Met salutations with you-they must a great many herds of goats in the streets. The manner of proce- if the business of buying or selling pass a great many enquiries-as dure is curious: they pause be- were altogether secondary to that fore a door, when a man or wo- of talking. They show you artiman will come out with a cup or cles with an air that seems to say other vessel, which the goatherd they don't care whether you like takes, seizes one of the goats, and them or not-shrug their shouldhaving filled the vessel with milk; ers and then go on chatting again. at a given signal the herd takes They preserve here the eastern up the line of march in regular habit of having the different trades order to the next customer. So in streets appropriated to themyou may see them, herd after selves. Noticed another thing.Many of the shops are kept by

* Contined from page 53.