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Various　operations　were　now　undertaken　by　the　Federal　fleet　at

points　along　the　coast；　and　several　important　positions　were　taken

and　occupied；　it　being　impossible　for　the　Confederates　to　defend

so　long　a　line　of　sea…coast。　　The　South　had　lost　rather　than　gained

ground　in　consequence　of　their　victory　at　Bull　Bun。　　For　a　time

they　had　been　unduly　elated；　and　were　disposed　altogether　to

underrate　their　enemies　and　to　believe　that　the　struggle　was　as

good　as　over。　　Thus；　then；　they　made　no　effort　at　ail　corresponding

to　that　of　the　North；　but　as　time　went　on；　and　they　saw　the　vastness

of　the　preparations　made　for　their　conquest；　the　people　of　the

Southern　States　again　bestirred　themselves。



Owing　to　the　North　having　the　command　of　the　sea；　and　shutting

up　all　the　principal　ports；　they　had　to　rely　upon　themselves　for

everything；　while　the　North　could　draw　arms　and　ammunition　and

all　the　requisites　of　war　from　the　markets　of　Europe。　　Foundries

were　accordingly　established　for　the　manufacture　of　artillery；　and

factories　for　muskets；　ammunition；　and　percussion　caps。　　The

South　had；　in　fact；　to　manufacture　everything　down　to　the　cloth　for

her　soldiers　uniforms　and　the　leather　for　their　shoes；　and；　as　in　the

past　she　had　relied　wholly　upon　the　North　for　such　goods；　it　was

for　a　time　impossible　to　supply　the　troops　with　even　the　most

necessary　articles。



The　women　throughout　the　States　were　set　to　work；　spinning　and

weaving　rough　cloth；　and　making　uniforms　from　it。　　Leather；

however；　cannot　be　produced　all　at　once；　and　indeed　with　all　their

efforts　the　Confederate　authorities　were　never　throughout　the　war

able　to　provide　a　sufficient　supply　of　boots　for　the　troops；　and

many　a　battle　was　won　by　soldiers　who　fought　almost　barefooted

and　who　reshod　themselves　for　the　most　part　by　stripping　the　boots

from　their　dead　foes。　　Many　other　articles　could　not　be　produced　in

the　Southern　States；　and　the　Confederates　suffered　much　from　the

want　of　proper　medicines　and　surgical　appliances。



For　these　and　many　other　necessaries　they　had　to　depend　solely

upon　the　ships　which　succeeded　in　making　their　way　through　the

enemy's　cruisers　and　running　the　blockade　of　the　ports。　　Wine；　tea；

coffee；　and　other　imported　articles　soon　became　luxuries　beyond

the　means　of　all；　even　the　very　wealthy。　　All　sorts　of　substitutes

were　used；　grain　roasted　and　ground　being　chiefly　used　as　a

substitute　for　coffee。　　Hitherto　the　South　bad　been　principally

occupied　in　raising　cotton　and　tobacco；　depending　chiefly　upon　the

North　for　food；　and　it　was　necessary　now　to　abandon　the

cultivation　of　products　for　which　they　had　no　sale；　and　to　devote

the　land　to　the　growth　of　maize　and　other　crops　for　food。



By　the　time　that　the　long　period　of　inaction　came　to　a　close；

Vincent　had　completely　recovered　his　strength；　and　was　ready　to

rejoin　the　ranks　as　soon　as　the　order　came　from　Colonel　Stuart；

who　had　promised　to　send　for　him　directly　there　was　a　prospect　of

active　service。



One　of　Vincent's　first　questions　as　soon　as　he　became

convalescent　was　whether　a　letter　had　been　received　from　Tony。　

It　had　come；　he　was　told；　among　the　last　batch　of　letters　that

crossed　the　frontier　before　the　outbreak　of　hostilities；　and　Mrs。

Wingfleld；　had；　as　be　had　requested；　opened　it。　　As　had　been

arranged；　it　had　merely　contained　Tony's　address　at　a　village　near

Montreal；　for　Vincent　had　warned　him　to　say　nothing　in　the　letter；

for　there　was　no　saying；　in　the　troubled　times　which　were

approaching　when　Tony　left；　into　whose　hands　it　might　fall。



Vincent　had　before　starting　told　his　mother　of　the　share　he　had

taken　in　getting　the　negro　safely　away；　and　Mrs。　Wingfield；

brought　up　as　she　had　been　to　regard　those　who　assisted　runaway

slaves　to　escape　in　the　same　light　as　those　who　assisted　to　steal　any

other　kind　of　property；　was　at　first　greatly　shocked　when　she　heard

that　her　son　had　taken　part　in　such　an　enterprise；　however　worthy

of　compassion　the　slave　might　be；　and　however　brutal　the　master

from　whose　hands　he　had　fled。　　However；　as　Vincent　was　on　the

point　of　starting　for　the　war　to　meet　danger；　and　possibly　death；　in

the　defense　of　Virginia；　she　had　said　little；　and　that　little　was　in

reference　rather　to　the　imprudence　of　the　course　he　had　taken　than

to　what　she　regarded　in　her　own　mind　as　its　folly；　and　indeed　its

criminality。



She　had；　however；　promised　that　as　soon　as　Tony's　letter　arrived

she　would；　if　it　was　still　possible；　forward　Dinah　and　the　child　to

him；　supplying　her　with　money　for　the　journey；　and　giving　her　the

papers　freeing　her　from　slavery　which　Vincent　had　duly　signed　in

the　presence　of　a　justice。　When　the　letter　came；　however；　it　was

already　too　late。　Fighting　was　on　the　point　of　commencing；　all

intercourse　across　the　border　was　stopped；　the　trains　were　all　taken

up　for　the　conveyance　of　troops；　and　even　a　man　would　have　had

great　difficulty　in　passing　northward；　while　for　an　unprotected

negress　with　a　baby　such　a　journey　would　have　been　impossible。



Mrs。　Wingfield　had　therefore　written　four　times　at　fort…nightly

intervals　to　Tony；　saying　that　it　was　impossible　to　send　Dinah　off

at　present；　but　that　she　should　be　despatched　as　soon　as　the

troubles　were　over；　upon　receipt　of　another　letter　from　him　saying

that　his　address　was　unchanged；　or　giving　a　new　one。　　These　letters

were　duly　posted；　and　it　was　probable　that　one　or　other　of　them

would　in　time　reach　Tony；　as　mails　were　sent　off　to　Europe

whenever　an　opportunity　offered　for　them　to　be　taken　by　a　steamer

running　the　blockade　from　a　Southern　port。　Dinah；　therefore；　still

remained　at　the　Orangery。　　She　was　well　and　happy；　for　her　life

there　was　a　delightful　one　indeed　after　her　toil　and　hardship　at　the

Jackson's；　and　although　she　was　anxious　to　join　her　husband；　the

knowledge　that　he　was　well　and　safe　from　all　pursuit；　and　that

sooner　or　later　she　would　join　him　with　her　child；　was　sufficient　to

make　her　perfectly　contented。



During　Vincent's　illness　she　had　been　his　most　constant　attendant；

for　her　child　now　no　longer　required　her　care；　and　passed　much　of

its　time　down　at　the　nursery；　where　the　young　children　of　the

slaves　were　looked　after　by　two　or　three　aged　negresses　past　active

work。　　She　had　therefore　begged　Mrs。　Wingfield　to　be　allowed　to

take　her　place　by　the　bedside　of　her　young　master；　and；　after　giving

her　a　trial；　Mrs。　Wingfleld　found　her　so　quiet；　gentle；　and　patient

that　she　installed　her　there；　and　was　able　to　obtain　the　rest　she

needed；　with　a　feeling　of　confidence　that　Vincent　would　be　well

attended　to　in　her　absence。



When　Vincent　was　well　enough　to　be　about　again；　his　sisters　were

surprised　at　the　change　that　had　taken　place　in　him　since　he　had

started　a　few　months　before　for　the　war。　　It　was　not　so　much　that

he　had　grown；　though　he　had　done　so　considerably；　but　that　he　was

much　older　in　manner　and　appearance。　　He　had　been　doing　man's

work：　work　requiring　vigilance；　activity；　and　courage；　and　they

could　no　longer　treat　him　as　a　boy。　　As　he　became　stronger　he　took

to　riding　about　the　plantation；　but　not　upon　Wildfire；　for　his　horse

was　still　with　the　troop；　Colonel　Stuart　having　promised　to　see　that

the　animal　was　well　cared　for；　and　that　no　one　should　ride　upon　it

but　himself。



〃I　hope　you　like　Jonas　Pearson　better　than　you　used　to　do；

Vincent；〃　Mrs。　Wingfield　said　a　day　or　two　before　he　started　to

rejoin　his　troop。



〃I　can't　say　I　do；　mother；〃　he　replied　shortly。　　〃The　man　is　very

civil　to　me　now…too　civil；　in　fact；　but　I　don't　like　him；　and　I　don't

believe　he　is　honest。　　I　don't　mean　that　he　would　cheat　you；　though

he　may　do　so　for　anything　I　know；　but　he　pretends　to　be　a　violent

Secessionist；　which　as　he　comes　from　Vermont　is　not　natural；　and

I　imagine　he　would　sing　a　different　tune　if　the　blue　coats　ever　get

to　Richmond。　　Still　I　have　nothing　particular　to　say　against　him；

except　that　I　don't　like　him　and　I　don't　trust　him。　　So　long　as

everything　goes　on　well　for　the　Confederacy　I　don't　suppose　it

matters；　but　if　we　should　ever　get　the　worst　of　it　you　will　see　that

fellow　will　be　mischievous。



〃however；　I　hear　that　he　has　obeyed　your　orders；　and　that　there　has

been　no　flogging　on　the　estate　since　I　went　away。　　In　fact；　as　far　as

I　can　see；　he　does　not　keep　anything　like　such　a　sharp　hand　over

the　slaves　as　he　used　to　do；　and　in　some　of　the　fields　the　work

seems　to　be　done　in　a　very　slovenly　way。　　What　his　game　is　I　don't

know；　but　I　have　no　doubt　whatever　that　he　has　some　game　in　his

mind。〃



〃You　are　a　most　prejudiced　boy；〃　Mrs。　Wingfield　said；　laughing。　

〃First　of　all　the　man　is　too　strict；　and　you　were　furious　about　it；

now　you　think　he's　too　lenient；　and　you　at　once　suspect　he　has

what　you　call　a　game　of　some　sort　or　other　on。　　You　are　hard　to

please　indeed。〃



Vincent　smiled。　　〃Well；　as　I　told　you　once　before；　we　shall　see。　　I

hope　I　am　wrong；　and