with lee in virginia-第71部分

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〃Your　plan　has　succeeded　admirably。　　One　or　two　of　the　hands

went　to　Richmond　next　day；　but　returned　a　day　or　two　afterward

and　begged　so　hard　to　be　taken　on　again　that　I　forgave　them。　　Since

then　everything　has　been　going　on　as　quietly　and　regularly　as

usual；　while　there　is　scarcely　a　man　left　on　any　of　the　estates　near。〃



〃And　now；　mother；　that　I　find　things　are　quiet　and　settled　here；　I

shall　go　down　to　Georgia　and　fetch　Lucy　home。　　I　shall　be　of　age　in

a　few　months；　and　the　house　on　the　estate　that　comes　to　me　then

can　be　enlarged　a　bit；　and　will　do　very　well。〃



〃Not　at　all；　Vincent。　　Annie　will　be　married　next　month。　　Herbert

Rowsell　was　here　two　days　ago；　and　it's　all　settled。　　So　I　shall　be

alone　here。　　It　will　be　very　lonely　and　dull　for　me；　Vincent；　and　I

would　rather　give　up　the　reins　of　government　to　Lucy　and　live　here

with　you；　if　you　like　the　plan。〃



〃Certainly；　I　should　like　it；　mother；　and　so；　I　am　sure；　would　Lucy。〃



〃Well；　at　any　rate；　Vincent；　we　will　try　the　experiment；　and　if　it

does　not　work　well　I　will　take　possession　of　the　other　house。〃



〃There　is　no　fear　of　that；　mother；　none　whatever。〃



〃And　when　are　you　thinking　of　getting　married；　Vincent？〃



〃At　once；　mother。　　I　wrote　to　her　the　day　we　were　disbanded　saying

that　I　should　come　in　a　week；　and　would　allow　another　week　and

no　longer　for　her　to　get　ready。〃



〃Then；　in　that　case；　Vincent；　Annie　and　I　will　go　down　with　you。　

Annie　will　not　have　much　to　do　to　get　ready　for　her　own　wedding。　

It　must；　of　course；　be　a　very　quiet　one；　and　there　will　be　no　array　of

dresses　to　get；　for　I　suppose　it　will　be　some　time　yet　before　the

railways　are　open　again　and　things　begin　to　come　down　from　the

North。〃



Happily　Antioch　had　escaped　the　ravages　of　war；　and　there　was

nothing　to　mar　the　happiness　of　the　wedding。　Lucy's　father　had

returned；　having　lost　a　leg　in　one　of　the　battles　of　the　Wilderness　a

year　before；　and　her　brother　had　also　escaped。　　After　the　wedding

they　returned　to　their　farm　in　Tennessee；　and　Mrs。　Wingfield；

Annie；　Vincent；　and　Lucy　went　back　to　the　Orangery。



For　the　next　three　or　four　years　times　were　very　bard　in　Virginia；

and　Mrs。　Wingfleld　had　to　draw　upon　her　savings　to　keep　up　the

house　in　its　former　state；　while　the　great　majority　of　the　planters

were　utterly　ruined。



The　negroes；　however；　for　the　most　part　remained　steadily　working

en　the　estate。　　A　few　wandered　away；　but　their　places　were　easily

filled；　for　the　majority　of　the　freed　slaves　very　soon　discovered

that　their　lot　was　a　far　harder　one　than　it　had　been　before；　and　that

freedom　so　suddenly　given　was　a　curse　rather　than　a　blessing　to

them。



Thus；　while　so　many　went　down；　the　Wingfields　weathered　the

storm；　and　the　step　that　had　been　taken　in　preparing　their　hands　for

the　general　abolition　of　slavery　was　a　complete　success。



With　the　gradual　return　of　prosperity　to　the　South　the　prices　of

produce　improved；　and　ten　years　after　the　conclusion　of　the

rebellion　the　income　of　the　Orangery。was　nearly　as　large　as　it　had

been　previous　to　its　outbreak。　Vincent；　two　years　after　the

conclusion　of　the　struggle；　took　his　wife　over　to　visit　his　relations

in　England；　and；　since　the　death　of　his　mother　in　1879；　has　every

year　spent　three　or　four　months　at　home；　and　will　not　improbably

ere　long　sell　his　estates　in　Virginia　and　settle　in　England

altogether。











End