Penny Dreadfuls, 1916 · page 79 of 400
Tom Anderson, Dare-Devil: A Young Virginian in the Revolution — page 79: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Analysis This is a page of running prose (page 63) from a Victorian sensation novel titled *Pot aux Roses*. The text depicts dialogue revealing how the narrator's grandmother contracted smallpox: she received a letter from a soldier at a campfire near Charlottesville, noticed he appeared ill with smallpox, and deliberately burned the letter to prevent contagion—sacrificing news from her son. The page continues with lighter conversation among characters including Dare, Mimi, Tom, and Peachy Lewis, who arrives on horseback with gossip about a dispute between the Governor and General Washington, and mentions supplies sent from Monticello for the grandmother's recovery.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Pot aux RosEs 63 When I could be moved, four of the hands carried the stretcher on which | lay into this room.” “Ah, that was what I heard last night. The tramp of heavy feet on this floor — and the stairs. How could you have been exposed to smallpox, grandmother?”’ “The last time I went to Charlottesville, I passed a soldier sitting by a campfire on the roadside. He asked if Oxheart Plantation were nigh about. I told him I was the mistress of Oxheart, and he held out a letter. ‘Hit’s fum the Major,’ said he. With a grateful heart I took the letter from him. Then I noticed how sick the man looked. He stared stupidly and muttered, “Done ketched the smallpox, I reckin.’ I opened my hand, and let my son’s letter drop into the campfire.” “Papa’s letter! All the precious tidings?” “All. And still I took the pestilence, you see.” “Indeed, madam, you are the bravest woman I ever knew.” That night when Dare whispered Mimi, “ How is Colonel Tarleton?”’ the little Frenchwoman answered with a bright smile that when a man begins to ask for more raisins in his broth —‘‘ Pouf! but yes, he is well.” “Hello, Tom? How’s Grandma Anderson? Hey, Dare! How d’ you like my pony — eh?” Peachy Lewis came clat- tering up to'the door in the morning sunshine; he was riding Picayune. There was a constrained silence. ‘Why, Dare, your eyes look big as a heifer’s. Didn’t know I’d bought Pic—eh? They had him in harness! To old McNab’s beef cyart— haulin’ ‘kyarkisses.’ Say, Tom, did you know the Governor and General Washington have had a row? The Governor wrote the General-in-Chief a scorcher!” “Saw it.” “Yes; they sent a lot of marmalades and things from ~ Monticello for grandmother. The letter — first draft — was tied over a glass of calves’-foot jelly. Meant to keep it to myself, but — +e GOmiGcsoo SS (EO) im