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Show 110 UOEBUCK. 'Vhen she entered the house n.ncl received her visitors ~he o-reeted Colonel F:~id~n: with high-bred bnt rat h~r ant iqnnted courtesy, nlmo. t too ccrcn1onious for friends so intimnte. Bnt she ki~sccl tT nlia ·with frank, cornial, ·womanly ·wnnnth. '~ Ilo\V very g1ad I am to sec you, my dear Ju1la," she sai<l, "yon ahvnys 1n:~ke 1ne happy, and yon, colonel, are kind and tl!onghtful in visiting 1ne to-day. I regret that Ilngh IS not at hon1e to sec you, but he is absent attending to tho bu 'iness that now· engages hI.S t'1 m e. " "Yes ; his new con1pany," replied the colonel ; "I tnny wc11 cnll it his company, for he has been lllOSt energetic nnd influential in forn1ing it, ancl frmn 1n:~ny things which I heard yesterday, I rnn sure he ·will be its captnin. ~Ion begin already to rccoo·nize in hitn the qualities 'vhich they den1nnd in their leadersdeci ion, courage, ability. I congratulate you, n1y dear n1admn, upon being the 1nother of such a son." J\Irs. Fitzhugh did not reply at once. The subject itself excited feelings ·which she could not ea. ily control, and the praises besto,ved by her mo~t e .~teen1ecl fHend upon her son 1nelted her pride. Tears fillell her eyes, and in spite of her efforts to restrain them, one or t'vo trickled down her checks. But he checked then1 and she ' did not ngnin, during this interview, give 'vay to n1aternal weakness. "I trust IIngh ·will do his duty," she said at last 'vith a finn voice. "I am glad," said J ul.ia, "to see yon able to leave your room." "This is no time to ·be sick, Julia," she replied ; n1cn and women, old and young, we are all needed for the defence of Virginia." " That is trne," remarked the colonel ; " Virginia ROEBUCK. 111 will be, no doubt, the chief battlc-gronn<l of thi. \v:n·, and it may be [l. 1Yar or 111any battle~;. I hope "-e hall be able to save onr inc1cpeiHlencc, but it n1n.'L be at a terrible co t. Fr01n the superior po''rer of' the North, the South 1nust be by £1r the greater sufferer. 'V 0 must expect Virginia to be penetrntot1 by invasion and, perhap ·, C01nplctcly overrun. Onr 1nind.' , honl<l be prepared for un lin1itecl sacrifice., "I.Jet it be unlimitcJ then," aiel J\Irs. Fitzhuo·h "if the North is cruel enong·h to exnct it nncl if i; j~ necessary to secure our indcpenllcncc. I nn1 ready to begin ·wiLh the dearest sncrifice a 1nother can make." "Unfortunately," replied the colonel, "I have no son to oifcr to our country. But you and I n.nd n,ll who have property 1n u t be prepared to pnrL ,vith j t freely. Even our h01ncs 1nay be JosL for a time. Of course, if invasion renchcs n~, 1n:my of onr slaves ·will leave us or pos. ibly be enticed away. In other respects, we may hope that those 'vho bavo b een our brethren will conduct th~ \vnr no·ain ·t usn, cordino- to civiliz~c~ anc~ hunutne u. age, bu~ in res poet to sh~cs, the ong1n of the 'var leaves no probability of forbearance." "Yonr servants, colonel, \Vill noL leave you .·urcly, so well treated and so jndiciou. ly ruled have th ey been. IIow can they be better oif ?" , ''Yet many of th01n doubtless 'vill ha. ten to th _ untried pleasures of frecdo1n. They are ensily cleln~ led. If I thought the1n capable of judging wi ·ely fo1 themselves, I \Voulcl not feel justified in holdin(J' them as slaves." o "I cannot consi lc1; them so ungrateful or so unwise.'' |