Anonymous - The memoirs of Dolly Morton

He laughed. All right, he said, but first you must shake hands with us, bid us goodbye and give us each a nice kiss on the lips.

So I had to kiss each of the ruffians in turn, bidding him goodbye. As I did so, each man put his hands up my clothes and felt the spot.

Jackson then left the shanty, and I followed him. He evidently wished to confuse me as to the exact position of the place, so he led me by devious paths through the woods for at least a couple of miles before bringing me out onto the road. After pointing to the direction in which Richmond lay and telling me that I could not miss my way, he disappeared in the bushes.

There was not a person in sight, and I sat down on a log at the side of the road, uncertain whether to go back to Woodlands or on to Richmond. But I did not quite see how I was to get to either place, as I could not possibly have walked the distance. Under ordinary circumstances I was a good walker and would have thought very little of a walk of sixteen miles, but at that moment I was weak and faint, sore and stiff, and every movement of my legs caused me pain. Not knowing what to do, I began to cry in sheer helplessness, thinking what a dreadfully unfortunate woman I was in every way.

But a bit of luck came to me. I had been sitting by the roadside for about ten minutes when I saw in the distance a farm wagon coming along the road. When it had drawn close to me, I saw that it was driven by a respectable-looking middle-aged man. Rising from my seat on the log, I tearfully asked him if he would kindly give me a lift towards Richmond.

He pulled up his horse at once and said that he would. Then, giving me his hand, he helped me into the wagon and made me as comfortable as he could, looking rather curiously at me but asking no questions. I gave him a short account of how I had been stopped on my journey and robbed by bushwhackers, but I was silent as to the other things which had been done to me.

The stranger was full of sympathy for me and anger against the bushwhackers in general, who, he said ought all to be lynched. Then he added: I reckoned that there was suthin’ wrong when I seen a lady like you a sittin’ by the roadside cryin’. Dern this war! There’s no law or order now in the whole state of Virginny. I wish I was out of it and back in Connecticut, whar I come from.

I was glad to hear that he was a Northerner. The fact seemed to give me greater confidence in the man. (I had grown frightened and suspicious of all Southerners.) I told him that I also came from the North, and that I heartily wished to be back there. On hearing that, he insisted upon shaking hands. Then he informed me that he would take me all the way to Richmond and that we could expect to get there in about three hours.

The wagon was heavily laden, so we jogged along the road slowly and almost in silence. He was a taciturn man, while I, as you may suppose, was not inclined to talk at that moment. In fact, it was as much as I could do to prevent myself from crying.

When at length we reached the outskirts of the city, the man said most kindly that, if I would give him my address, he would drive me to it. I thanked him gratefully, telling him where to go, and, in about half an hour, we reached the house which Randolph had taken. It was a comfortable looking, three-storied building standing in a garden and situated in one of the best parts of Richmond.

The kind man got out of the wagon and helped me down. I asked him to come into the house and see my husband, who would like to thank him and also reward him for the service which he had rendered me. But the good fellow said that he wanted no reward and that he was glad that he had been able to help a Northern lady in distress. Then he bade me goodbye, and drove off.

I knocked at the door, which was opened by a good-looking, smartly-dressed, white servant-girl. I asked her if Mr. Randolph was at home. She looked curiously at me for a moment, then asked civilly if I was the lady Mr. Randolph had expected to arrive the previous night? I said that I was, and she at once asked me to come in.

She ushered me into a handsomely furnished room where I found Randolph seated at lunch.

He did not rise from his chair, but sat staring at me in surprise, noticing my pale face, red eyes and generally draggled appearance. After a moment, he said in an aggrieved tone, Why, Dolly, what an object you are! Where on earth have you been? What has happened to you? I expected you at eight o’clock last night. Where is Jim and the buggy?

I had not expected to be received with much show of affection, but his cold manner annoyed me very much. I was in need of sympathy and kindness at that moment. Oh, don’t bother me with questions, I said sharply. I have had hardly anything to eat for twenty-four hours and I am faint with hunger, so I mean to have something to eat and drink before I tell you what happened.

He looked quite surprised at my unwonted display of spirit, but he drew a chair to the table for me, poured a glass of wine and helped me to a cutlet. I really was famished, so I made a good meal, drank a couple of glasses of wine and had a cup of black coffee. Then, feeling much better, I sat in a comfortable easy chair and told him how Jim and I had been stopped the previous night by bushwhackers who had taken the horses, broken open my trunks and robbed me of everything I had in my possession. But I could not bring myself to tell him that I had been outraged by the three men.

He listened attentively to all I told him and, when I had finished, he asked: Where did you pass the night and how did you get here this morning?

I had expected the questions and was ready with the answers. I stayed in the woods all night-so I had, in the shanty-and this morning I met a man going by with a wagon. He brought me on to the city.

I do not know whether Randolph thought I was keeping back something or not, but he did not ask me a single awkward question. He was very much vexed at the loss of his two valuable horses, but he was rather amused at my description of the way the bushwhackers had kicked my clothes about in disgust.

Damn the thing, he said, I would not have sold those horses for less than eight-hundred dollars. But we can easily replace your finery, Dolly. It was lucky you left your jewelry behind. I will go to the police and give them the information, but I am pretty sure that nothing can be done. The whole country is in such a disturbed state. When you want to go to your room, ring the bell and Clara, the girl who let you in, will attend to you.

He went away, and I remained reclining in the easy chair for a short time. Then I rang the bell, and, when Clara came, I told her that I wished to go to my room. She showed me upstairs to a long, airy, prettily-furnished bedroom with an adjoining bath, and, as soon as she had gone away, I stripped myself and had a most refreshing bath, scrubbing myself all over with scented soap till at last I felt that my body was thoroughly cleansed from all outward impurities. When I had dressed myself, the girl came back and brushed my hair, and, though she was quite aware that I was not Randolph’s wife, her manner was respectful.

I put a few questions to her, and, since she was by no means reticent, I soon found that Randolph had been in the habit of poking her whenever he felt inclined. However, the knowledge of that fact neither surprised nor annoyed me. It was just what I had expected to hear from the moment I had seen the girl’s pretty face and neat figure.

After Clara had finished brushing my hair and had left the room, I lay down upon the bed and fell into a profound sleep. When I woke, I saw by the clock on the mantelpiece that it was seven o’clock. I had slept for four hours and I felt quite fresh. The color had come back to my cheeks, my eyes had lost their heavy look and the ill-treated spot was feeling fairly easy.