was her especial, both self-elected and chosen, knight from the
General's cohorts.

"Yes'm," answered Stonie. "Come on now, Rose Mamie! Put your hand on
me, Aunt Amandy, and I'll go slow with you," and presenting his sturdy
little shoulder to Miss Amanda on one side and drawing Rose Mary
along with him on the other, Stonewall Jackson hurried them both away
to the house.

"Well," remarked Uncle Tucker to himself as he took up a measure of
grain from a bin in the corner of the feed-room and scattered some in
front of a row of half-barrel nests upon which brooded a dozen
complacent setting hens, "well, if the Lord has to pester with the
affairs of Sweetbriar to the extent Stonie and the sisters, Rose Mary,
too, are a-giving Him the credit of doing looks like we might be
a-getting more'n our share of His attentions. I reckon by the time He
gets all the women and children doings settled up for the day He finds
some of the men have slipped the bridle and gone. That would account
for some of these here wild covortings around in the world we hear
about by the newspapers. But He'll git 'em some day sure as--"

"Am I interrupting any confidence between you and the Mrs. Biddies,
Mr. Alloway?" asked Everett, as he stood in the barn door with a pan
in one hand and a bucket in the other.

"No, oh, no," answered Uncle Tucker with a laugh. "I was jest
remarking how the Almighty had the lasso of His love around the neck
of all the wild young asses a-galloping over the world and would throw
'em in His own time. Well, I hear you're a-going to get a sochul
baptism into Sweetbriar along about a hour before sundown. Better part