History
Lesson
Text ?003 Roger E. Moore
(roger70129@aol.com)
Daria and associated
characters are ?003 MTV Networks
Feedback (good, bad, indifferent,
just want to bother me, whatever) is appreciated. Please write to:
roger70129@aol.com
Synopsis: The Morgendorffers
discover a new member of their family tree.
Author抯
Notes: This
tale grew out of a chat on PPMB, late in 2002, about a certain historical
figure, General Barksdale (CSA) who took part in the Battle of Fredericksburg.
In response to the discussion, I wrote this ficlet. It is assumed that the
reader is familiar with the characters of the 揇aria?TV show, so details on
who is who are not needed.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to The Historian
for bringing up General Barksdale in the first place and making the obvious
connection.
牋牋牋牋牋?揟haks for briggig duh liberry book ober, Back,?Daria said, her nose completely stuffed up from her head cold. 揑 abbreciade id.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揘o problem,?said Mack. 揑 was in the neighborhood anyway.?He looked past Daria at the activity in the Morgendorffers?living room. 揥hat抯 up? Family gathering??o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揙h,?said Daria, pulling another
tissue out of her bathrobe pocket, 揑dz dothig, juz棓
牋牋牋牋牋?Quinn interrupted, pushing a box of Kleenex in Daria抯 face. 揌i, Mack!?Quinn said cheerily. 揗y mom just found a picture of one of our ancestors in our grandmother抯 belongings! We had them in storage, and this afternoon we found this really cool picture of my great-great-something-grandfather, who was a梠h, what is it, Daria??Quinn snapped. 揋et a grip! You抮e spazzing out!?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揇oh!?Daria gasped in panic,
frantically waving her hands in Quinn抯 face to cut her off. 揇ohd zay id! Dohd
zay棓
牋牋牋牋牋?It was too late, however. Mack
looked past Quinn and caught sight of the old painting that Helen held aloft
for her husband Jake to see. Startled and wide-eyed, he raised an index finger
to point. 揑s that棓 he began.
牋牋牋牋牋?揟hat抯 General Barksdale!?Quinn cried happily. 揌e was in some old war, I can抰 tell any of them apart, but he was a general! Isn抰 that wild? Of course, I can抰 say much for their taste in fashions, that old military stuff is like, oh, so Gone with the Wind, and that suit just makes him look like a hotel doorman, but who cares? I just found out about him today! Isn抰 that great??o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?Daria covered her face with her
hands. 揃ack,?she groaned, 揃ack, blease beleeb be, I diddit doh thad棓
牋牋牋牋牋?Helen抯 smiling face turned in Mack抯 direction梐nd she froze in horror. She immediately put the picture down, turning it so the back of the picture faced the front door. 揙h, Mack!?she said, thinking fast. 揥e found a pile of old junk in my mother抯 things today. It抯 only good for a rummage sale, nothing important!?/p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揟he hell it抯 not!?shouted Jake. 揌elen, he抯 your direct ancestor! A real soldier, a real war hero, a Confederate gener?i>ouch! Helen, you broke my foot!?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?Mack quietly pushed the door open and came inside. Daria stood by the doorway, slowly banging her head against the wall. Quinn led Mack to the living room and took the portrait out of her mother抯 trembling hands, turning it around. 揝ee, Mack!?she said. 揂 general! That means he didn抰 have to do any work, I think, and just told people to bring him ice tea and that sort of thing. I could do that kind of work.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?Mack stared down at the old portrait
of the clean-shaven general in the fancy gray uniform. His dark brown face
radiated amazement.
牋牋牋牋牋?揃rigadier-General William
Barksdale,?whispered Mack. 揌ometown, Columbus, Mississippi. Fought at
Fredericksburg, December 1862. Killed at Gettysburg, 1863. And here you are,
right in front of me. I never thought I抎 see the day.?Mack shook his head
slowly and stroked his broad chin.
牋牋牋牋牋?Helen nervously cleared her throat. 揧ou, um, know a lot of history, Mack??o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?He shrugged. 揊amily history,?he said quietly, staring at the picture. 揥e抮e from Columbus, Mississippi, originally. Both sides of my family.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?Helen closed her eyes and rocked
back on her feet. The color ran out of her face. 揙h, no,?she said.
牋牋牋牋牋?揙h, by God,?Daria groaned, and she banged her head all the harder against the wall. 揙h, by God.?/p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揥hat??said Jake. 揟here抯 a
Columbus in Mississippi, too? I thought only Ohio had棓
牋牋牋牋牋?揓ake!?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揝orry.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揝o, your family is from the same town as Mom抯 family??cried Quinn happily. 揌ey, that抯 great! Did your family know General Barksdale??o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?Mack looked down at the painting and nodded. 揧eah,?he said slowly. 揟hey knew him. They worked for him and his family, sunup to sundown, seven days a week, three hundred and sixty-five days a year, until the Civil War ended and slavery was abolished.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?A fragile silence reigned梕xcept for
the loud thumping of Daria抯 head against the wall by the front door. Quinn抯
smile melted. She seemed to grow smaller where she stood. Helen swallowed and
hung her head, mortified.
牋牋牋牋牋?Jake looked from Mack to the
painting to Helen and back to Mack. 揧ou know what??he said. 揑 left something
out in the garage. I抎 better go棓
牋牋牋牋牋?揘o, you didn抰,?muttered Helen.
牋牋牋牋牋?揧ou抮e right,?said Jake, looking
depressed.
牋牋牋牋牋?In a few moments, everyone was
looking at Mack梕veryone but Daria, who was still banging her head into the
wall.
牋牋牋牋牋?揝o, he抯 your direct ancestor??Mack asked, glancing at Helen.
牋牋牋牋牋?Looking at her feet, Helen nodded.
She was bright red with embarrassment.
牋牋牋牋牋?揥ell,?said Mack, studying the picture, 搃n that case, it抯 good to meet you棓 He looked up at Mrs. Morgendorffer with a smile on his dark brown face 摋Cousin Helen.?o:p>
Original:
2/19/03
FINIS