The Taylor-Trotwood Magazine, Vol. IV, No. 6, March 1907Various
History
The Taylor-Trotwood Magazine, Vol. IV, No. 6, March 1907
Various
American literature -- 20th century -- Periodicals; Southern States -- Periodicals
The Livingston mansion, the most fashionable home in the city, had been
lighted with many candles when Juliette arrived. From its wide-pillared
portico a negro butler ushered her in where a hum of feminine voices
greeted her and a beautiful sight met her eyes. Besides herself, a dozen
of the most beautiful society women of New Orleans had been asked to help
receive the noted Indian fighter.
“Oh, what does he look like?” cried one, as soon as she saw Juliette
and greeted her, “and how shall we do to please him? I am told you know
him well, _ma chérie_—does he wear coon caps, and, O, what do you call
it?—furs?”
Mrs. Livingston came up, smiling: “Now, my dear, you must act as my
aide-de-camp. You must introduce me and all these girls to the General
and his staff, and do taste the punch and see if I have put enough
whiskey in, for they say he drinks it straight out of a dipper!”
There were sounds of footsteps on the portico and the clatter of swords
against spurs. The bevy of pretty women fell back in line behind their
hostess, with:
“There they are, now!”
Juliette fell back with the others, her face pale, for just as they came
into the door her quick eye had seen them, Major Livingston ushering them
in—and Trevellian among them.
Then her heart began to thump so loudly—her breath to come so quickly
that she felt as if she should faint.
She had heard of his deeds and his rapid promotion. Mrs. Jackson
herself had written her over a month ago—how he had led the troops into
Pensacola, taking a battery which was threatening them with a squad of
men. How he had helped at Ft. Bowser, driving the British out and (for
Mrs. Jackson would not omit this, since she had written the letter for
no other purpose)—he had been promoted to the colonelcy of the Tennessee
regiment in place of Bristow, captured by the British and taken off in
their man-of-war as it ran out of Pensacola: “And Mr. Jackson says,” she
wrote, “that he had met them secretly and was acting without authority at
a critical time.”
All this had gone through her mind as she saw them advancing. She smiled
when she saw General Jackson’s magnificent bow to Mrs. Livingston, and
that lady’s look of surprise, as with courtly grace, he turned and
introduced to her each of his officers. In turn she introduced him to the
ladies and when he reached Juliette he stopped, raised and kissed her
hand, saying:
“I am delighted to see you so soon after my arrival, my dear, for I was
just going to look you up,” and then with a wonderful memory for French
and American names, he turned and introduced each of his officers to the
younger hostess and the younger ladies, pronouncing their names as if he
had been familiar with them always. Taking Mrs. Livingston by the hand he
conducted her to a sofa and seated her amid the hum and hubbub of younger
voices mingling. Juliette turned. It was a pretty girl whispering in her
ear.
“Is this your backwoodsman? He is a prince.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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