Miss Ravenel's conversion from secession to loyaltyDe Forest, John William
History
Miss Ravenel's conversion from secession to loyalty
De Forest, John William
Historical fiction; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Fiction; War stories; Women -- United States -- Fiction
In his present temper and with his present intentions he was sincerely
delighted to obtain the generous loot of the governorship. In order to
save up money for his approaching married life, he tried to be
economical, and actually thought that he was so, although he regularly
spent the monthly two hundred and twenty-two dollars of his colonelcy.
But the position of governor would give him several thousands a year,
and these thousands he could and would put aside to comfort and adorn
his future wife. Now-a-days there was no private and unwarrantable
attachment to his housekeeping establishment; the pure love that was in
his heart overthrew and drove out all the unclean spirits who were its
enemies. Moreover, he rapidly cut down his drinking habits, first
pruning off his cocktails before breakfast, then his absinthe before
dinner, then his afternoon whiskeys straight, then his convivial evening
punches, and in short everything but the hot night-cap with which he
prepared himself for slumber.
"That may have to go, too," he said to himself, "when I am married."
He spent every spare moment with Lillie and her father. He was quite
happy in his love-born sanctification of spirit, and showed it in his
air, countenance and conversation. Man of the world as he was, or
thought he was, _roué_ as he had been, it never occurred to him to
wonder at the change which had come over him, nor to laugh at himself
because of it. To a nature so simply passionate as his, the present hour
of passion was the only hour that he could realize. He shortly came to
feel as if he had never lived any other life than this which he was
living now.
The Doctor soon lost his keen distrust of Carter; he began to respect
him, and consequently to like him. Indeed he could not help being
pleased with any tolerable person who pleased his daughter; although he
sometimes exhibited a petulant jealousy of such persons which was droll
enough, considering that he was only her father.
"Papa, I believe you would be severe on St. Cecilia, or St. Ursula, if I
should get intimate with them," Lillie had once said. "I never had a
particular friend since I was a baby, but what you picked her to
pieces."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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