The Mockingbird's Ballad

At a big dinner for General Joe and his staff, the Jones' household treated the soldiers to a feast and festival not to be forgotten. Miss Daniella sat at her father's right. The General sat to the left and beside him sat Major Stevenson. The major's demeanor and uniform were equally proper.

"General," Mrs. Sherrod said, sitting across from the young general and getting his undivided attention. "I've seen you before. I couldn't remember when or where at first. But I knew I had. I remembered today. It was before the war in the winter of '59. Benjamin and I were on our wedding trip to New York City."

"Mrs. Sherrod, you truly have me at a loss. I certainly would remember having met you. Yes Ma'am, I surely would," he blushed, smiled with warm eyes that reached out and touched hers.

"Oh, we didn't meet. I said I saw you. It was at a play in New York. You remember. A fire broke out on stage and several of you cadets in the audience, all in your fancy uniforms, leaped up on stage and put the fire out, stamping it out, and you had the thought to grab a sand bucket in the stage wings to smother the flame. You all put it out in short order. We all clapped. You all looked back at us shocked and you were the one who stood erect and led the others in a deep bow towards us. It was most exciting and then most humorous."

"Well, well think of that. Yes, yes, Mrs. Sherrod, I do recollect. There were four of us just graduated West Pointers. We were all celebrating our first posting. Grand play till the flames. We did come to the rescue and then I fear made fools of ourselves.

Are you sure I led the bow? I don't remember that." Joseph responded with feigned innocence.

"Yes, yes, my general, it was you. I shan't ever forget that scene," Daniella Ellen Jones Sherrod protested. "Quite gallant too, Joseph," she added, breaking the formality of "Mrs." And "General".

"Oh then, I can not challenge your memory Miss Daniella," Joseph joined in the new familiarity, readily. "I plead guilty and I was awful full of starch then. Seems so very long ago," his joy turned to something else - wistfullness or longing or something else.

The host took the silence as a time and place to divert the conversation which to him was becoming uncomfortable.

"General, glad to see you all going back to some action, the sooner the Yankee's get beat, the better. Know you have my full support, sir," Colonel Jones assured.