The Battle-Ground
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The Battle−Ground Ellen Glasgow The Battle−Ground Table of Contents The Battle−Ground...................................................................................................................................................1 Ellen Glasgow................................................................................................................................................1 BOOK FIRST. GOLDEN YEARS.............................................................................................................................2 I. "DE HINE FOOT ER A HE FRAWG"......................................................................................................2 II. AT THE FULL OF THE MOON..............................................................................................................8 III. THE COMING OF THE BOY..............................................................................................................14 IV. A HOUSE WITH AN OPEN DOOR....................................................................................................21 V. THE SCHOOL FOR GENTLEMEN......................................................................................................25 VI. COLLEGE DAYS.................................................................................................................................31 BOOK SECOND. YOUNG BLOOD.......................................................................................................................39 I. THE MAJOR'S CHRISTMAS.................................................................................................................39 II. BETTY DREAMS BY THE FIRE.........................................................................................................48 III. DAN AND BETTY...............................................................................................................................50 IV. LOVE IN A MAZE...............................................................................................................................56 V. THE MAJOR LOSES HIS TEMPER.....................................................................................................63 VI. THE MEETING IN THE TURNPIKE..................................................................................................68 VII. IF THIS BE LOVE...............................................................................................................................73 VIII. BETTY'S UNBELIEF.........................................................................................................................80 IX. THE MONTJOY BLOOD.....................................................................................................................86 X. THE ROAD AT MIDNIGHT.................................................................................................................93 XI. AT MERRY OAKS TAVERN..............................................................................................................96 XII. THE NIGHT OF FEAR......................................................................................................................102 XIII. CRABBED AGE AND CALLOW YOUTH....................................................................................106 XIV. THE HUSH BEFORE THE STORM...............................................................................................113 BOOK THIRD. THE SCHOOL OF WAR.............................................................................................................119 I. HOW MERRY GENTLEMEN WENT TO WAR................................................................................119 II. THE DAY MARCH..............................................................................................................................123 III. THE REIGN OF THE BRUTE............................................................................................................127 IV. AFTER THE BATTLE........................................................................................................................131 V. THE WOMAN 'S PART.......................................................................................................................135 VI. ON THE ROAD TO ROMNEY..........................................................................................................139 VII. "I WAIT MY TIME ".........................................................................................................................143 VIII. THE ALTAR OF THE WAR GOD..................................................................................................147 IX. THE MONTJOY BLOOD AGAIN.....................................................................................................151 BOOK FOURTH. THE RETURN OF THE VANQUISHED................................................................................154 I. THE RAGGED ARMY..........................................................................................................................154 II. A STRAGGLER FROM THE RANKS................................................................................................159 III. THE CABIN IN THE WOODS...........................................................................................................164 IV. IN THE SILENCE OF THE GUNS....................................................................................................169 V. "THE PLACE THEREOF"...................................................................................................................175 VI. THE PEACEFUL SIDE OF WAR......................................................................................................177 VII. THE SILENT BATTLE.....................................................................................................................183 VIII. THE LAST STAND..........................................................................................................................188 IX. IN THE HOUR OF DEFEAT..............................................................................................................193 X. ON THE MARCH AGAIN...................................................................................................................199 XI. THE RETURN.....................................................................................................................................202 i The Battle−Ground Ellen Glasgow This page copyright © 2002 Blackmask Online. http://www.blackmask.com • BOOK FIRST. GOLDEN YEARS • I. "DE HINE FOOT ER A HE FRAWG" • II. AT THE FULL OF THE MOON • III. THE COMING OF THE BOY • IV. A HOUSE WITH AN OPEN DOOR • V. THE SCHOOL FOR GENTLEMEN • VI. COLLEGE DAYS • BOOK SECOND. YOUNG BLOOD • I. THE MAJOR'S CHRISTMAS • II. BETTY DREAMS BY THE FIRE • III. DAN AND BETTY • IV. LOVE IN A MAZE • V. THE MAJOR LOSES HIS TEMPER • VI. THE MEETING IN THE TURNPIKE • VII. IF THIS BE LOVE • VIII. BETTY'S UNBELIEF • IX. THE MONTJOY BLOOD • X. THE ROAD AT MIDNIGHT • XI. AT MERRY OAKS TAVERN • XII. THE NIGHT OF FEAR • XIII. CRABBED AGE AND CALLOW YOUTH • XIV. THE HUSH BEFORE THE STORM • BOOK THIRD. THE SCHOOL OF WAR • I. HOW MERRY GENTLEMEN WENT TO WAR • II. THE DAY MARCH • III. THE REIGN OF THE BRUTE • IV. AFTER THE BATTLE • V. THE WOMAN 'S PART • VI. ON THE ROAD TO ROMNEY • VII. "I WAIT MY TIME " • VIII. THE ALTAR OF THE WAR GOD • IX. THE MONTJOY BLOOD AGAIN • BOOK FOURTH. THE RETURN OF THE VANQUISHED • I. THE RAGGED ARMY • II. A STRAGGLER FROM THE RANKS The Battle−Ground 1 The Battle−Ground • III. THE CABIN IN THE WOODS • IV. IN THE SILENCE OF THE GUNS • V. "THE PLACE THEREOF" • VI. THE PEACEFUL SIDE OF WAR • VII. THE SILENT BATTLE • VIII. THE LAST STAND • IX. IN THE HOUR OF DEFEAT • X. ON THE MARCH AGAIN • XI. THE RETURN To The Beloved Memory of My Mother BOOK FIRST. GOLDEN YEARS I. "DE HINE FOOT ER A HE FRAWG" TOWARD the close of an early summer afternoon, a little girl came running along the turnpike to where a boy stood wriggling his feet in the dust. "Old Aunt Ailsey's done come back," she panted, "an' she's conjured the tails off Sambo's sheep. I saw 'em hanging on her door!" The boy received the news with an indifference from which it blankly rebounded. He buried one hare foot in the soft white sand and withdrew it with a jerk that powdered the blackberry vines beside the way. "Where's Virginia?" he asked shortly. The little girl sat down in the tall grass by the roadside and shook her red curls from her eyes. She gave a breathless gasp and began fanning herself with the flap of her white sunbonnet. A fine moisture shone on her bare neck and arms above her frock of sprigged chintz calico. "She can't run a bit," she declared warmly, peering into the distance of the long white turnpike. "I'm a long ways ahead of her, and I gave her the start. Zeke's with her." With a grunt the boy promptly descended from his heavy dignity. "You can't run," he retorted. "I'd like to see a girl run, anyway." He straightened his legs and thrust his hands into his breeches pockets. "You can't run," he repeated. The little girl flashed a clear defiance; from a pair of beaming hazel eyes she threw him a scornful challenge. "I bet I can beat you," she stoutly rejoined. Then as the boy's glance fell upon her hair, her defiance waned. She put on her sunbonnet and drew it down over her brow. "I reckon I can run some," she finished uneasily. The boy followed her movements with a candid stare. "You can't hide it," he taunted; "it shines right