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J ohn pressed his head against the glass, it had a cooling effect on his forehead. Deep in thought, the rain drops streaked across the pane, without distraction in a haphazard fashion. The storm was coming in from the east. This was ideal, the low murmur of the storm growing in intensity of light and sound. During storms, Betsy feared for his safety and unknown to him she kept a constant check on his ventures into the Cupola. The view from the Cupola was spectacular to the north in the direction of Vicksburg, where the cotton fields once were, the west, the Mississippi river and the dock where the pad- dlewheels could buy and load firewood. To the east the fam- ily cemetery. The 24 columns plantation faced South, built by John the elder during the time when cotton was king, no ex- pense was spared. John’s 2nd wife died giving birth to Pamela, she became the apple of his eye, John never remarried devoting all his love and financial resources, which was considerable, to her. Betsy, her Nanny and housekeeper, was in constant care of Pam. She was beautiful, intelligent and today would be called a “free spirit!” Betsy doted on her and loved to tell of the three year old asking if she Betsy, “was Betsy Ross?” “Girl how old do you think I am” “Lordy, I’d be over 150 years old” “but we can make a flag” and make a flag they did! Betsy and Pam’s re- lationship grew with John’s approval. On Pam’s sixteen birthday her aunt Ida took Pam to Eng- land to meet her relatives and tour Europe. For a year and a half John brooded and spent his time writing and waiting for mail from Pam. The paddlewheels would sound their horn and one of the servants would go down to the dock and negotiate for wood or pick up the mail. John took on that job for the time she was gone. He would sit at his desk in the Copular for hours reading and re-reading her letters. On Pamela's return voyage a storm of unusual strength rav- aged the ship and by the grace of God the ship held up. Pam was never the same and the sound of thunder would drive her to John’s arms. Betsy was of no comfort during these times. At eighteen Pam was pursued by some of the wealthiest bachelors’ in the county. Her wedding was one month away when she contracted Scarlet fever and died. Her father sent her wedding dress, shoes and pictures of her to a sculptor in New Orleans. He was commissioned to sculpt a life size statue of her in marble, on a 20 foot pedestal. It took 8 months and the statue arrived, it was so life like John could not look at her face. He would walk to the statue every morn- ing, first thing. She was constantly on his mind. John died of a broken heart, six years after the statue was erected . He is buried at the foot of the statue next to his wife. The statue of her in her wedding dress, her left hand lift- ing her dress exposing her shoe as if to step, her right hand extending out reaching. Her attention being the plantation. Betsy’s job was to ready the home for Miss Ida’s take over. She worked for two days leaving the Copular for last. Dark- ness came quickly as she worked at his desk, boxing and assorting his personal papers. A gust of wind blew out her lantern and rain came in the east window. She rushed to shut the window. As she shut the window she saw glimmers of lightning approaching from the east. She was memorized by the lightning flashes, With each strike, the graveyard lit up, and it looked as if Pamela’s statue was beckoning “come“! Epilog: This article is fiction, the inspiration for this article is from Jerry L. Skinner’s videos, “THE LEGEND OF LAURA KELLY” and “THE WINDSOR RUINS”, both can be seen on YouTube. Jerry lived for a time in Picayune, Mississippi and wrote and produced over 100 videos. It is my hope, this article will renew interest in his videos and an appreciation of his life’s work. He died February 13, 2016. Rest in peace Jerry. 4 SOUTHERN SENIOR MAGAZINE | Summer 2021 S By Ernest J. Theriot PAMELA