Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1860-09-13
From the Atlantic Monthly.
THE PII.OT-S STORY.


II.
All the soft, damp air was full OF delicate
perfume
From the young willows IN doom Oh either
bank of the river
Faint, delicious fragrance, tranclng the IN
dolent seuses
In a luxurious dream Of the river and land
of the lotus,
Not vet out of the west the roses OF sunset
were withered
In the deep blue above light clouds of gold
and of crimson
Floated in slumber serene, and the restless
liver beneath them
Rushed away TO the sea with vision OF
rest in its bosom.
Far On the eastern shore lay dimly the
swamps of the cypress
Dimly before US the islands grew from the
rivers expanses-
Beautiful. woodgrown isles-with the
CLEAN of the swart inundation
Seen through the swaying bouShs and
slender trunks of their willows
And on the shore beside US the cotton
trees rose in the evening,
Phantom-like, yearningly, wearily, with the
inscrutable sadness
OF the mute races of trees. While hoarsely
the steam from her 'scape- pipes
Shouted, then whispered moment, then
shouted again to the silence,
Trembling through all her frame with the
mighty pulse of her engines,
Slowly the boat ascended the swollen and
broad Mississippi.
Bank full, sweeping on, with nearing
masses OF driftwood,
Daintily breathed about with hazes OF
silvery vapor,
Where in his arrowy fight the twit.eriHg
swallow alighted,
Aud the belated blackbird paused on the
way to its NJ stlings.
III.
It was the pilots story: "They both came
aboard there, at Cairo,
From a New Orleans boat, and took passage
with US for Saint Louis.
She was beautiful woman. with just enough
blood from her mother,
Darkening her eyes and her hair, to make
her race known to a trader:
You would have thought she was white
The man that was with her-you see
such
Weakly good-natured and kind, and weakly
good-natured and vicious,
Slender of body and soul, fit neither for
loving nor hitting.
was youngster then, and only learning
the river
Not over-fond Of the wheel. used to
watch them at monte.
Down in the cabin at night, and learned to
know all OF the gamblers.
SO when | saw this weak one stalking his
money against them,
Betting upon the turn OF the cards, knew
wha. was coming:
They never left their pigeons single feather
to fly with.
Next day | saw them togcther-the stranger
and one of the gamblers
Picturesque rascal he was, with long black
hair and mustaches,
Black slouch hat drawn down to his eyes
from his villanous forehead
On together they moved, still earnestly
talking in whispers,
On toward the forecastle, Nhere sat the
woman alone by the gangway.
Reused By the fall of feet, she turned, and
beholding her master,
Greeted him with smile that was more like
awife's than another's,
Rose to meet him fondly, and then, with
the dread apprehension
Always haunting the slave, fell her eye OH
the ace OF the gambler,
Dark and lustful and fierce and full OF
merciless cunning.
Something WAS spoken so low that could
not hear what the words were;
Only the woman started, and looked from
one to the other,
With imploring eyes, bewildered hands,
and a tremor
All through her frame I saw her from
where | was standing, she shook so.
Say is it SO y she cried. On the weak
white lips of her master
Died sickly smile, and he said-'Louise,
have sold you.'
God is my Judge May ] never see such a
look of despairing,
Desolatc anguish, as that which the woman
cast on her master,
Gripping her breast with her little hands. rs
The had stabbed her,
Standing In silence a space rs fixed rs the
lnlian woman.
Carved out of, wood. on the pilot .house OF
the old Pocahontas
Then, with gurgling moan, like the sound
in the throat or the dying,
Came back her voice, that. rising, fluttercd
through Wild incohcrence.
In:o terrible shriek that stopped my heart
while she answered
sold me sold me sold - And Won
promised To give me my freedom -
Promised me, for the sake OF our little boy
in Saint Louis
What will you say To- our boy, when he
cries Tor me there in Saint Louis 7
What will You say To our God 7-Ah, you
have been Joking | see IL -
No God God . lie shall hear it--and
all of the angels IN heaven
Even the devils in hell .-and none will
believe when they hear IL.
Sold me Fell her voice with a thrilling
vail, and in silence
Down she sank on the deck, and covered
her face with her fingers"
".
In his story moment I G pilot paused,
while we listened
To the salute ofa boat, that, rt unding the
point of an island,
Flamcd toward US with fires that seemed 10
burn from the waters
Stately and vast aud swift, and borne on the
heart OF the current.
Then, with the mighty voice of gian,
challenged to battle,
Rose the responsive whistle, and oil the
echoes OF island,
Swamp tand. glade. and brake replied with
amyriad clamor,
Like Wild birds that are suddenly startled
from slumbcr at midnight:
Then were at peace one more. and We heard
the harsh cries OF the peacocks
Perched on "a tree by n cabin door. where
the wite.headed settlers
white.headed children stood 20 look at the
boat as she passed them,
Passed them 80 near that We heard their
happy talk ard their laughter.
Softly the sunset had faded, aud now on the
eastern horizon
Hung. like tear in the SKY, the beautiful
star OF the evening.
v.
Still with his hack to us standing, the pilo,
went on with his story
"lnstan,ly. all the people, with looks OF
..t A