Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

ImCY HART, THE HEROINE. As all who live in this County may not |be acquainted with the story of Nancy I Hart and the tories, we publish it, think l ing too that it might he of interest to some of our patrons outside of the County. Hart County, as it is known, took its name from this illustrious heroine : “In filbert County is a stream, formerly known as * War-woman's Creek.’ Its name was derived from the character of an individual who lived near the entrance of the stream into the river. This person was Nancy Hart, a woman ignorant of letters and the civilities of life, but a zealous lover of liberty and the ‘liberty boys,’ as she called the Whigs. She had a husband, whom she denominated ‘ a poor stick,’ be cause he did not take a decided and active part with the defenders of his country, although she could not conscientiously charge him with the least partiality towards the Tories. This vulgar and illiterate, but hospitable and valorous female patriot, could boast no share of beauty—a fact she herself would have readily acknowledged had she ever enjoyed an opportunity of looking in a mirror. She was cross-eyed, with a broad angular mouth, ungainly in figure, rude in speech, and awkward in manners, but having a woman's heart for her friends, though that of a Catrinc Mon tour for the enemies of her country. She was well known to the Tories, who stood in fear of her revenge for any grievance or aggressive act, though they let pass no op portunity of worrying and annoying her when they could do so with impunity. On 1 the occasion of an excurson from the British camp at Augusta, a party of To ries penetrated into the interior, and hav ing savagely murdered Colonel Dooly in bed, in his own house, they proceeded up the country for the purpose of perpetra ting further atrocities. On their way, a detachment of five of the patty diverged to the east, and crossed Broad river, to make discoveries about the neighberhood, and pay a visit to their old acquaintance, Nancy Hart. On reaching her cabin, they entered it unceremoniously receiving from her no welcome but a scowl; and informed her they had come to know the truth of a story current respecting her, that she had secreted a noted rebel from a company of king’s men who were pursuing him, and who, but for her aid, would have caught and hung him. Nancy undauntedly avow ed her' agency in tiie fugitive's escape. She told them she had at first heard the tramp of a horse rapidly approaching, and had then seen a horseman coming towards her j cabin. As he came nearer, she knew him to be a Whig, and flying from pursuit. She let down the bars a few steps from her cabin, and motioned him to enter, to pass through both doors, front and rear, of her single-roomed house; to take the swamp, and secure himself as well as he could. She then put up the bars, entered her cabin, closed the doors, and went about lier business. Presently some Tories rode up to the bars, and called out boisterously to her. She muffled her head and face, and opening the door, inquired why they dis turbed a sick, lone woman. They said they had traced a man they wanted to catch, near her house, and asked if any one on horseback had passed that way. She answered no, but she saw somebody on a sorrel horse turn out of the path into the woods some two or three hundred yards back. * That must be the fellow,’ said the Tories ; and asking her direction as to the way he took, they turned about and went off, ‘ Well fooledsaid Nancy, “ in an op posite course to that of my Whig boy; when, if they had not been so lofty-minded, but had looked on the ground inside the bars, they would have seen his horse’s tracks up to that door, as plain as you can see the tracks on this here floor, and out of ’tother door down the path to the swamp.’ This bold story did not much please the Tory party, but they could not wreak their revenge upon the woman who thus unscru pulously avowed her daring aid to a rebel, and the cheat she had put upon his pur suers, otherwise than by ordering her to aid and comfort them by giving them some thing to eat. She replied : ‘ I never feed king's men if I can help it; the villains have put it out of my power to feed even rav own family and friends, by stealing and killing all my poultry and pigs, except that one old gobbler you see in the yard.’ ‘Well, and that you shall cook for us,’ said one, who appeared the head of the party; and raising his musket, he shot down the turkey, which another of the men brought into the house, and handed to Mrs. Hart, to clean and cook without de lay. She stormed and swore a while—for Nancy occasionally swore—but seeming, at last, resolved to make a merit of neces sity, began with alacrity the arrangements for cooking, assisted by her daughter, a little girl some ten or twelve years old, and sometimes by one of the soldiers, with whom she seemed iu a tolerably good hu- 51.50 A TEAR. mor, exchanging rude jests with him. The Tories, pleased with her freedom, invited her to partake of the liquor they had brought with them, an invitation which was accepted with witty thanks. The spring, of which every settlement has one near at hand, was just at the edge ; of the swamp, and a short distance within the swamp was a high snag-topped stump, \ on which was placed a conch-shell. This rude trumpet was used by the family to give information, by means of a variation of notes to Mr. Hart, or his neighbors who ; might be at work in a held or clearing just beyond the swamp, that the ‘ Britishers ’ or Tories were about; that the master was wanted at the cabin, or that he was to 4 keep close,' or 4 make tracks ’ for another swamp. Pending the operations of cook ing, Mrs. Hart had sent her daughter Sukey to the spring for water, with direc tions to blow the conch in such a way as would inform him there were Tories in the cabin, and that he 4 keep close ' with his three neighbors who were with him, till he should bear the conch again. The party had become merry over their jug, and sat down to feast upon the slaugh- ! tered gobbler. They had cautiously stacked their arms where they were in view and within reach; and Mrs. Hart, assidu ous in her attentions upon the table and to her guests, occasionally passed between them and their muskets. Water was call ed for, and there was none in the cabin— Mrs. Hart having so contrived that Sukey was again sent to the spring, instructed by her mother to blow the conch so as to call up Mr. Hart and his neighbors immediate ly. Meanwhile, Mrs. Hart had slipped out one of the pieces of pine which constitutes a ‘chinking’ between the logs of a cabin, and had dexterously put out of the house, through that space, two of the five guns. She was detected in the act of putting out the third. The party sprang to their feet. Quick as thought Mrs. Hart brought the piece she held to her shoulder, and de clared she would kill the first man who approached her. All were terror-struck, for Nancy’s obliquity of sight caused each one to imagine her aim was at him. At length one of them made a motion to ad vance upon her. True to her threat, she fired. He fell dead upon the floor ! In stantly seizing another musket, she brought it to the position in readiness to fire again. By this time Sukey had returned from the spring, and taking up the remaining gun. carried it out of the house, saying to her mother, 4 Daddy and them will soon be here.’ This information increased the alarm of the Tories, who understood the necessity of recovering their arms imme diately. But each hesitated, in the confi dent belief that Mrs. Hart had one eye at least upon him for a mark. They pro posed a general rush. No time was to be lost by the bold woman ; she fired again, and brought down another Tory. Sukey had another musket in readiness, which her mother took ; and posting herself in the j doorway, called upon the party to 4 sur | render their and and Tory carcasses to a Whig woman.’ They agreed to surrender, and proposed to 4 shake hands upon the j strength of it;’ but the conqueror kept them in their places for a few moments, till her husband and his neighbors came up to the door. They were about to shoot down the Tories, but Mrs. Hart stopped them, say ing they had surrendered to her, and, her j spirit being up to the boiling heat, she ; swore that 4 shooting was too good for j them.’ This hint was enough. The dead man was dragged out of the house ; the wounded Tory and the others were bound, taken out beyond the bars, and hung ! The tree upon which they were swung was pointed out in 1838, by one who lived in those bloody times, and who also showed the spot once occupied by Mrs. Hart’s cabin, accompanying the designation with this emphatic remark : 4 Poor Nancy ! she was a honey of a patriot, but the devil of a wife !’ ” Thus did Nancy avenge her country of the murder of Colonel Dooly, and herself for the loss of her favorite gobbler. Hart County was at that time a part of Elbert. What a pity that some of the Democrat men of the present day are not Whig women ! ■<-. Rome is to have a hanging—the 30th day of March is the day fixed, and the unhappy actor in the tragedy will be Joseph Mon critf. HARTWELL, GA., WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7. 1877. Thr DiiKlKh I.iiiik Mine Cot! Mine Cot! vot language dat! I cannot English spraken ; For shust so sure I speak him right, So sure I bees mistaken. For when T says 1 want my beer, I mean the lager tixen : Bier means dem things folks ride on When dey goes dead as blixen. Dev say dey raise a building, t)en raise it down so aline ; Rays means dem tings de sun trow out Yen it gets up to shine. Meat means dem tings dat’s good to eat; Meet also means tings proper : ’Tis only mete to measure dese tings : Yen steamboats meets they stopper. Shust the same word mean every ting, It makes no business whether You spell him dis or t'other way— Yon sounds almost like t’other. Mine Cot ! Mine Cot! vot language dat 1 I cannot English spraken ; For ven I nose I speak him right, Py tam ! 1 gets mistaken. “ Old Bone*.” Detroit Free Press. That’s what the boys call him, probably because he drives an old horse which is a mere collection of shoulder-blades, hip bones, hoofs and ribs, and probably be cause the old man drives about buying or gathering bones, bottles, etc. The other day “ Old Bones ” got too big a load on his wagon, and in driving up Napoleon street his poor old nag got stalled. The driver didn’t get down and put his shoulder to the wheel as a humane man would have done, but seized his cudgel and belabored the 44 crowbait ” until front doors were opened. One of the spectators was a boy about twelve years old, and he didn't wait a great while before calling out: 4 ‘ You want to stop that, mister inan !’ 4 44 What business is it to you !’’ shouted 44 Old Bones,” plying the cudgel again. ‘•Lots of business, v replied the boy, sending a handful of inud against the old man's ear. 44 Old Bones ’* jumped down and chased him into a yard, but the boy climbed a fence and from thence to the roof of ashed. 44 1 just want to get hold of you !” howl ed the old man. “ It looks that way, but you can't do it,” calmly replied the lad. “I can't stand by and see an old horse pounded around that way. Father’s dead, and how do I know but that he turned into an old horse, and that some old wretch is pounding him ?” “ I'll sec you again,” said “ Old Bones,” as he left the yard. “ And I’ll tell you what I’ll do,” replied the boy ; “ I've been exposed to the small pox, and I expect I’ll die. If I do, I’ll try to turn into an old horse, and I’ll come along by your house and neigh for you to pick me up. You’ll hawk on me like chain lightning. and you'll hitch me up to that old caravan and begin to whack me with a piece of hoop-iron. The first thing I’ll do will be to kick the top of your head off, and then I'll pick you up in my teeth, carry you down to the coroner’s office, and he’ll summon a two-cent jury and call it : ‘ Served the old hyena right 1’ That’s my programme, Mr. Bones !” ** Old Bones ” lifted on the wheel, the horse seemed encouraged, and the wagon moved on in fine style. A Baby’s Soliloquy. lam here. And if this is what they call the w’orld, I don’t think much of it. It’s a very flannelly world, and smells of pare goric awfully. It’s a dreadful light world, too, and makes me blink, I tell you. And I don’t know what to do with my hands ; I’ll scrabble at the corner of my blanket and chew it up. and then i’ll holler; what ever happens, I'll holler. And the more paregoric they give me the louder I’ll yell. That old nurse puts the spoon in the cor ner of my mouth in a very uneasy way, and keeps tasting my milk herself all the while. She spilled snufl' in it last night, and when I hollered, she trotted me. That comes of being a two days’ old baby. Never mind, when I’m a man, I’ll pay her back good. There’s a pin sticking in me now. and if I say a word about it I’ll be trotted and fed. and I would rather have catnip tea. I’ll tell you who I am. I found out to-day. I heard folks say, “ Hush, don’t wake up Emmeline’s baby. That’s me. I'm “ Emmeline's baby,” and I sup pose that pretty, white faced woman over on the pillows is Emmeline. No, I was mistaken, for a chap was in here just now and wanted to see Bob’s baby, and looked at me, and said I 44 was a funny little toad, and looked just like Bob.” He smelt of cigars, and I’m not used to them. 1 wonder who else l belong to. Yes. there’s another one—that's 44 Gau ma.” Emmeline told me, and then she took me up and held me against her soft cheek and said, “ It was Ganma'a baby, so it was.” 1 declare 1 do not know who 1 belong to ; but I’ll find out. There comes Snuffy with catnip tea. The idea of giving babies catnip tea when they are crying for information ! I’m going to sleep. 1 wonder if 1 don’t look pretty red in the face? 1 wonder why my hands won’t go where I want them to. Wh y lie Wept. They were at the theatre. He left her and stepped out to see a friend between acts. “ Why. Edward,” said she. when ho re turned, “ there are tears in your eyes.” 44 Yes, pet,” replied he solemnly. “I suppose there arc—l saw such a sad sight when I was out.” 44 You did—what was it?” inquired she. “Such a sad sight”—continued ho. keeping his face away that she might not smell his breath— * 4 I discovered a young man whom I have knowii for years drink ing whisky.” 44 You did?” 44 Yes, standing right in plain sight be fore me, partaking deeply and carelessly of the dreadful intoxicating glass.” There was a little pause, when the young lady suddenly said : 44 Edward, was he standing right in front of you ” 44 Yes, pet.” There was another pause when the young lady asked again : “ Edward, don’t most of the fashionable saloon counters have great nice mirrors right on the watts behind them !’ Edward flushed a little and looked quiz zical as he replied that he 44 believed ” they did. And there he permitted the subject to drop. • ■ “ A Romance.” Chapter lit. She stood before the altar with a wreath of orange buds upon her lo ad—upon her back the richest kind of duds. Her lover stood beside her with white kids and dicky clean; the last was twenty-one years old, and the first was seventeen. The parson's job was over, every one had kissed the bride, and wished the young pair happiness, and laughed and danced and cried. The festive scene was ended, the last words had been said, the happy maid had simmered down, the last gay guest had fled. Chapter 3 d. She stood beside the wash-tub, with her red hands in the suds, while at her slip shod feet there lay a pile of dirty duds. Her husband stood beside her, the crossest man alive ; and he was twenty-five. The heavy wash was over, and the clothes hung up to dry; and Tom had stuck his finger in the dirty baby’s eye. Tom has been spanked, and supper made upon a crust of bread; and the happy wife and the happy husband have gone grumbling off to bed. Kiilp* of Etiquette. Before you bow to a lady in the street permit her to decide whether you may do 1 so or not by at least a look of recognition. “ Excuse my gloves ” is an unnecessary apology, for the gloves should not be with drawn to shake hands, and then it will be discovered that you have gloves without calling attention to the fact. When your companion bows to a lady you should do so also. When a gentleman bows to a lady in your company, always bow to him in return. A letter must be answered, unless you wish to intimate to the writer that he or his subject is beneath your notice. A visit must be returned in like manner, even though no intimacy is intended. A smiling countenance is pleasant, but excessive laughter should be avoided, es pecially when it is possible for any one to suppose himself derided by it. Whisper- i ing in company is always offensive, and for the reason that persons present suspect j that they are the subject of it. PARAGRAPHS OF THE PERIOD. Not lost or strayed, but stolen —the Presidency for the next four years. The Presidency, when in possession df Hayes, shouldfbe marked “Stolen Goods.” False hair is now made to imitate real lour so closely that it is hardly possible to tell which is switch. Old Ben Franklin sometimes said a good thing for example,— “If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it from him.” Some time ago. in Emanuel county, six girl babies were born in one house during one night, and all were the grand children of one man. Many years ago, Oliver Wendell Holmes (and he is a physician as well as a poet) called attention to the fact that Cain was the only original baby. Give a portion to seven and also to eight, for thou knoweat not what evii shal be upon the earth—{Kcclea., xi, 1.) Amended hy tiie latest commentators so as to give the whole to eight. Newspapers pasted together and laid over a bed are said to be warmer than a blanket. It should he remembered, how ever. that this is only so when they aro paid for in advance.” A lady in London got the idea into her head that the devil was in her, and hung herself. If women go to hanging them selves for a little thing like that they are going to be scarce. Some time ago a pupil in a deaf and dumb asylum in New England read a portion of the hook of Job ; when asked to write out his understanding of .Job’s sufferings, he wrote as follows : “The Lord boiled Job seven days.” A gentleman saw an advertisement that a recipe for the cure of dyspepsia might be had by sending a postage-stamp to tho advertisers. He sent the stamp, and tho answer was. “ Dig in.your garden and let whiskey alone.” “ Yes,” remarked a tramp as hcstretch lumself out to sleep on a seat in the Senate gallery, “ the glorious palladium of our liberties must be preserved. We cau’t watch these politicians too closely ; in fact, I think I shall stay here all night.” Arabella is young, beautiful, frank and modest. She met one of her gentleman acquaTiiiittucen recently at a Hall aoa said he, 44 1 see but very little of you—.” Tho blushing damsel broke in, 44 1 know it, but mother wouldn't let me wear a low neck dress, to-night the weather is so cold A Yankee was walking with an Irishman on the road to New York, and thinking to roast his companion, said to him : 44 Where would you be now, Paddy, if the devil bad lliisdue?” “Faith,” replied Paddy, “,I’d be walking by myself to New York.” “Sir, said ho, “it’s easy for a man to make money nowadays. Times is different from what they wus. Then there was solid work about it. Now all you have to do is to take your surplus and buy things when they are low and sell when they are high; there it is in a nutshell. A child can do it Could you lend me half a dollar for a day?” Her father has been away from the city on business for two weeks, and the mother has taught the little one to conclude her evening prayers with “and please watch over my papa.” Last evening the little lady solemnly clapped her hands and said, 44 Please watch over my papa, and you’d better keep an eye on mama, too I”—Ro chester Democrat. The New York Tribune, in January, looking with prophetic eyes into the future, said : 44 When all is done, what have we i gained ? We have set aside the Constitu tion of the United .States, which requires that the votes of such electors as the States may appoint “shall be counted,” and not such votes as a United States returning board may accept.” There is something refreshing in the ab ; solute astonishment that visitors to a print ing office sometimes display at the common est things. 44 What is that black looking thing standing up in the corner?” is some times asked by an unsophisticated obser ver, and the neatest typo answers, 44 That is the printing office towel. We always stand up in the corner.” He sat alone in her father’s parlor, wait ing for the fair one’s appearance, the other evening, when her little brother came cau tiously into the room, and gliding up to the young man’s side, held out a handful of something, and earnestly inquired : “ I say mister, what’s them?” “Those,” re plied the young man, solemnly, taking up one in his lingers, “those are beans.” “ There !” shouted the boy, turning to his sister, who was just coming in, 44 1 knew you lied. Y r ou said he didn’t know beans, and he does too 1” The young man’s stay was not what you may call a prolonged one that evening. NUMBER 28.