with lee in virginia-第79节

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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