Various　operations　were　now　undertaken　by　the　Federal　fleet　at
  points　along　the　coast；　and　several　important　positions　were　taken
  and　occupied；　it　being　impossible　for　the　Confederates　to　defend
  so　long　a　line　of　sea…coast。　　The　South　had　lost　rather　than　gained
  ground　in　consequence　of　their　victory　at　Bull　Bun。　　For　a　time
  they　had　been　unduly　elated；　and　were　disposed　altogether　to
  underrate　their　enemies　and　to　believe　that　the　struggle　was　as
  good　as　over。　　Thus；　then；　they　made　no　effort　at　ail　corresponding
  to　that　of　the　North；　but　as　time　went　on；　and　they　saw　the　vastness
  of　the　preparations　made　for　their　conquest；　the　people　of　the
  Southern　States　again　bestirred　themselves。
  Owing　to　the　North　having　the　command　of　the　sea；　and　shutting
  up　all　the　principal　ports；　they　had　to　rely　upon　themselves　for
  everything；　while　the　North　could　draw　arms　and　ammunition　and
  all　the　requisites　of　war　from　the　markets　of　Europe。　　Foundries
  were　accordingly　established　for　the　manufacture　of　artillery；　and
  factories　for　muskets；　ammunition；　and　percussion　caps。　　The
  South　had；　in　fact；　to　manufacture　everything　down　to　the　cloth　for
  her　soldiers　uniforms　and　the　leather　for　their　shoes；　and；　as　in　the
  past　she　had　relied　wholly　upon　the　North　for　such　goods；　it　was
  for　a　time　impossible　to　supply　the　troops　with　even　the　most
  necessary　articles。
  The　women　throughout　the　States　were　set　to　work；　spinning　and
  weaving　rough　cloth；　and　making　uniforms　from　it。　　Leather；
  however；　cannot　be　produced　all　at　once；　and　indeed　with　all　their
  efforts　the　Confederate　authorities　were　never　throughout　the　war
  able　to　provide　a　sufficient　supply　of　boots　for　the　troops；　and
  many　a　battle　was　won　by　soldiers　who　fought　almost　barefooted
  and　who　reshod　themselves　for　the　most　part　by　stripping　the　boots
  from　their　dead　foes。　　Many　other　articles　could　not　be　produced　in
  the　Southern　States；　and　the　Confederates　suffered　much　from　the
  want　of　proper　medicines　and　surgical　appliances。
  For　these　and　many　other　necessaries　they　had　to　depend　solely
  upon　the　ships　which　succeeded　in　making　their　way　through　the
  enemy's　cruisers　and　running　the　blockade　of　the　ports。　　Wine；　tea；
  coffee；　and　other　imported　articles　soon　became　luxuries　beyond
  the　means　of　all；　even　the　very　wealthy。　　All　sorts　of　substitutes
  were　used；　grain　roasted　and　ground　being　chiefly　used　as　a
  substitute　for　coffee。　　Hitherto　the　South　bad　been　principally
  occupied　in　raising　cotton　and　tobacco；　depending　chiefly　upon　the
  North　for　food；　and　it　was　necessary　now　to　abandon　the
  cultivation　of　products　for　which　they　had　no　sale；　and　to　devote
  the　land　to　the　growth　of　maize　and　other　crops　for　food。
  By　the　time　that　the　long　period　of　inaction　came　to　a　close；
  Vincent　had　completely　recovered　his　strength；　and　was　ready　to
  rejoin　the　ranks　as　soon　as　the　order　came　from　Colonel　Stuart；
  who　had　promised　to　send　for　him　directly　there　was　a　prospect　of
  active　service。
  One　of　Vincent's　first　questions　as　soon　as　he　became
  convalescent　was　whether　a　letter　had　been　received　from　Tony。
  It　had　come；　he　was　told；　among　the　last　batch　of　letters　that
  crossed　the　frontier　before　the　outbreak　of　hostilities；　and　Mrs。
  Wingfleld；　had；　as　be　had　requested；　opened　it。　　As　had　been
  arranged；　it　had　merely　contained　Tony's　address　at　a　village　near
  Montreal；　for　Vincent　had　warned　him　to　say　nothing　in　the　letter；
  for　there　was　no　saying；　in　the　troubled　times　which　were
  approaching　when　Tony　left；　into　whose　hands　it　might　fall。
  Vincent　had　before　starting　told　his　mother　of　the　share　he　had
  taken　in　getting　the　negro　safely　away；　and　Mrs。　Wingfield；
  brought　up　as　she　had　been　to　regard　those　who　assisted　runaway
  slaves　to　escape　in　the　same　light　as　those　who　assisted　to　steal　any
  other　kind　of　property；　was　at　first　greatly　shocked　when　she　heard
  that　her　son　had　taken　part　in　such　an　enterprise；　however　worthy
  of　compassion　the　slave　might　be；　and　however　brutal　the　master
  from　whose　hands　he　had　fled。　　However；　as　Vincent　was　on　the
  point　of　starting　for　the　war　to　meet　danger；　and　possibly　death；　in
  the　defense　of　Virginia；　she　had　said　little；　and　that　little　was　in
  reference　rather　to　the　imprudence　of　the　course　he　had　taken　than
  to　what　she　regarded　in　her　own　mind　as　its　folly；　and　indeed　its
  criminality。
  She　had；　however；　promised　that　as　soon　as　Tony's　letter　arrived
  she　would；　if　it　was　still　possible；　forward　Dinah　and　the　child　to
  him；　supplying　her　with　money　for　the　journey；　and　giving　her　the
  papers　freeing　her　from　slavery　which　Vincent　had　duly　signed　in
  the　presence　of　a　justice。　When　the　letter　came；　however；　it　was
  already　too　late。　Fighting　was　on　the　point　of　commencing；　all
  intercourse　across　the　border　was　stopped；　the　trains　were　all　taken
  up　for　the　conveyance　of　troops；　and　even　a　man　would　have　had
  great　difficulty　in　passing　northward；　while　for　an　unprotected
  negress　with　a　baby　such　a　journey　would　have　been　impossible。
  Mrs。　Wingfield　had　therefore　written　four　times　at　fort…nightly
  intervals　to　Tony；　saying　that　it　was　impossible　to　send　Dinah　off
  at　present；　but　that　she　should　be　despatched　as　soon　as　the
  troubles　were　over；　upon　receipt　of　another　letter　from　him　saying
  that　his　address　was　unchanged；　or　giving　a　new　one。　　These　letters
  were　duly　posted；　and　it　was　probable　that　one　or　other　of　them
  would　in　time　reach　Tony；　as　mails　were　sent　off　to　Europe
  whenever　an　opportunity　offered　for　them　to　be　taken　by　a　steamer
  running　the　blockade　from　a　Southern　port。　Dinah；　therefore；　still
  remained　at　the　Orangery。　　She　was　well　and　happy；　for　her　life
  there　was　a　delightful　one　indeed　after　her　toil　and　hardship　at　the
  Jackson's；　and　although　she　was　anxious　to　join　her　husband；　the
  knowledge　that　he　was　well　and　safe　from　all　pursuit；　and　that
  sooner　or　later　she　would　join　him　with　her　child；　was　sufficient　to
  make　her　perfectly　contented。
  During　Vincent's　illness　she　had　been　his　most　constant　attendant；
  for　her　child　now　no　longer　required　her　care；　and　passed　much　of
  its　time　down　at　the　nursery；　where　the　young　children　of　the
  slaves　were　looked　after　by　two　or　three　aged　negresses　past　active
  work。　　She　had　therefore　begged　Mrs。　Wingfield　to　be　allowed　to
  take　her　place　by　the　bedside　of　her　young　master；　and；　after　giving
  her　a　trial；　Mrs。　Wingfleld　found　her　so　quiet；　gentle；　and　patient
  that　she　installed　her　there；　and　was　able　to　obtain　the　rest　she
  needed；　with　a　feeling　of　confidence　that　Vincent　would　be　well
  attended　to　in　her　absence。
  When　Vincent　was　well　enough　to　be　about　again；　his　sisters　were
  surprised　at　the　change　that　had　taken　place　in　him　since　he　had
  started　a　few　months　before　for　the　war。　　It　was　not　so　much　that
  he　had　grown；　though　he　had　done　so　considerably；　but　that　he　was
  much　older　in　manner　and　appearance。　　He　had　been　doing　man's
  work：　work　requiring　vigilance；　activity；　and　courage；　and　they
  could　no　longer　treat　him　as　a　boy。　　As　he　became　stronger　he　took
  to　riding　about　the　plantation；　but　not　upon　Wildfire；　for　his　horse
  was　still　with　the　troop；　Colonel　Stuart　having　promised　to　see　that
  the　animal　was　well　cared　for；　and　that　no　one　should　ride　upon　it
  but　himself。
  〃I　hope　you　like　Jonas　Pearson　better　than　you　used　to　do；
  Vincent；〃　Mrs。　Wingfield　said　a　day　or　two　before　he　started　to
  rejoin　his　troop。
  〃I　can't　say　I　do；　mother；〃　he　replied　shortly。　　〃The　man　is　very
  civil　to　me　now…too　civil；　in　fact；　but　I　don't　like　him；　and　I　don't
  believe　he　is　honest。　　I　don't　mean　that　he　would　cheat　you；　though
  he　may　do　so　for　anything　I　know；　but　he　pretends　to　be　a　violent
  Secessionist；　which　as　he　comes　from　Vermont　is　not　natural；　and
  I　imagine　he　would　sing　a　different　tune　if　the　blue　coats　ever　get
  to　Richmond。　　Still　I　have　nothing　particular　to　say　against　him；
  except　that　I　don't　like　him　and　I　don't　trust　him。　　So　long　as
  everything　goes　on　well　for　the　Confederacy　I　don't　suppose　it
  matters；　but　if　we　should　ever　get　the　worst　of　it　you　will　see　that
  fellow　will　be　mischievous。
  〃however；　I　hear　that　he　has　obeyed　your　orders；　and　that　there　has
  been　no　flogging　on　the　estate　since　I　went　away。　　In　fact；　as　far　as
  I　can　see；　he　does　not　keep　anything　like　such　a　sharp　hand　over
  the　slaves　as　he　used　to　do；　and　in　some　of　the　fields　the　work
  seems　to　be　done　in　a　very　slovenly　way。　　What　his　game　is　I　don't
  know；　but　I　have　no　doubt　whatever　that　he　has　some　game　in　his
  mind。〃
  〃You　are　a　most　prejudiced　boy；〃　Mrs。　Wingfield　said；　laughing。
  〃First　of　all　the　man　is　too　strict；　and　you　were　furious　about　it；
  now　you　think　he's　too　lenient；　and　you　at　once　suspect　he　has
  what　you　call　a　game　of　some　sort　or　other　on。　　You　are　hard　to
  please　indeed。〃
  Vincent　smiled。　　〃Well；　as　I　told　you　once　before；　we　shall　see。　　I
  hope　I　am　wrong；　and