and Cary turned to Virgie.

"Well, little lady," her father said, resting his hand on Virgie's
shining head. "Have you been taking good care of mother--and seeing that
Uncle Billy does his plowing right?"

"Yes, sir," came the prompt response. "Susan Jemima an' me have been
lookin' after everything--but we had to eat up General Butler!"

"General Butler," cried her father, astounded.

"Yes, Daddy--our lastest calf. We named him that 'cause one day when I
was feedin' him with milk he nearly swallowed my silver spoon."

"Ha-ha," laughed the amused soldier, and swept her up in his arms. "If
we could only get rid of all their generals as easy as that we'd promise
not to eat again for a week. Everything else all right?"

"No, sir," said Virgie, dolefully. "All the niggers has runned away--all
'cept Uncle Billy and Sally Ann. Jeems Henry runned away this morning."

"The deuce he did! The young scamp!"

"He's gone to join the Yankees," Virgie continued.

"What's that?" and Cary sprang up to pace to and fro. "I wonder which
way he went?"

"I don' know," whimpered Virgie forlornly. "I only wish I was a soldier
with a big, sharp sword like yours--'cause when the blue boys came I'd