afoot and travel-stained, a demigod showing
signs of service in the trenches, Edward Cary, in short, beautiful
still, but gaunt as any wolf. The two embraced; they had always been
comrades. "Edward, Edward--"

"Eleven months," said Edward. "Judith, Judith, if you knew how good home
looks--"

"How thin you are, and brown! And walking!--Where is Prince John--and
Jeames?"

"Didn't I tell you in my last letter? Prince John was killed in a fight
we had on the Warwick River.... Jeames is in Richmond down with fever.
He cried to come, but the doctor said he mustn't. I've only three days
myself. Furloughs are hard to get, but just now the government will do
anything for anybody who was on the Merrimac--You're worn yourself,
Judith, and your eyes are so big and dark!--Is it Maury Stafford or
Richard Cleave?"

Amid the leaping of the dogs they reached the gravelled space before the
house. Miss Lucy folded her nephew in her arms. "God bless you,
Edward--" She held him off and looked at him. "I never saw it
before--but you're like your grandfather, my dear; you're like my dear
father!--O child, how thin you are!"

Unity and Molly hung upon him. "The papers told us that you were on the
Merrimac--though we don't know how you got there! Did you come from
Richmond? Have you seen father?"

"Yes, for a few moments. He has come up from the south with General Lee.
General Lee is to be commander of all the forces of the Confederacy.
Father is well. He sent his dear love to you all. I saw Fauquier, too--"

Mammy met him at the top of the steps. "Oh, my lamb! O glory hallelujah!
What you doin' wid dem worn-out close? An' yo' sh'ut tohn dat-er-way?
What dey been doin' ter you--dat's what I wants ter know? My po'
lamb!--Marse Edward, don' you laugh kaze mammy done fergit you ain' er
baby still--"

Edward hugged her. "One night in the trenches, not long ago, I swear I
heard you singing, mammy! I couldn't sleep. And at last I said, 'I'll
put my head in mammy's lap, and she'll sing me

The Buzzards and the Butterflies--

and I'll go to sleep.' I did it, and I went off like a baby--Well,
Julius, and how are you?"

Within the parlour there were explanations, ejaculations, questions, and
answers. "So short a furlough--when we have not seen you for almost a
year! Never mind--of course, you must get back. We'll have a little
party for you to-morrow night. Oh, how brown you are, and your uniform's
so ragged! Never mind--w