as I packed, again. About four, finding Miriam did not
come to Mr. Elder's as she promised, I started over to General Carter's
with her clothes, and found her just getting into the buggy to ride
over, as I arrived warm, tired, hardly able to stand. After taking her
over, the General sent the buggy back for Mrs. Carter and myself, and
soon we were all assembled waiting for the cars. At last, determining
to wait for them near the track, we started off again, General Carter
driving me in his buggy. I love General Carter. Again, after so many
kind invitations, he told me he was sorry we would not remain with him;
if we were content, he would be only too happy to have us with him; and
spoke so kindly that I felt as though I had a Yankee ball in my throat.
I was disposed to be melancholy anyway; I could not say many words
without choking. I was going from the kindest of friends to a country
where I had none at all; so could not feel very gay. As we reached the
track, the cars came shrieking along. There was a pause, a scuffle,
during which the General placed me and my bird in a seat, while Lilly,
Charlie, Miriam, mother, five children, and two servants, with all the
baggage, were thrown aboard some way, when with a shriek and a jerk we
were off again, without a chance of saying good-bye, even.

I enjoyed that ride. It had but one fault; and that was, that it came
to an end. I would have wished it to spin along until the war was over,
or we in a settled home. But it ended at last, to Jimmy's great relief,
for he was too frightened to move even, and only ventured a timid chirp
if the car stopped, as if to ask, "Is it over?" Nothing occurred of any
interest except once a little boy sent us slightly off the track, by
meddling with the brakes.

Landed at sunset, it is hard to fancy a more forlorn crew, while
waiting at the depot to get the baggage off before coming to the house.
We burst out laughing as we looked at each lengthened face. Such a
procession through the straggling village has hardly been seen before.
How we laughed at our forlorn plight as we trudged through the hilly
streets,--they have no pavements here,--looking like emigrants from the
Ould Counthry, as we have watched them in New Orleans!

At the house we found Tiche laid up. The loaded wagon, with its
baggage, four mules, three grown servants, and four children, was
precipitated from a bridge twenty-five feet high, by the breaking of
the before-mentioned cause