The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1867-07-03
Anew Letter by Artemus ward. !.

MI was sitting in the bar, quietly smo
kin . frugal pipo, when two middle aged
staIh'looking females and q young and
pretty female suddenly entered the room.
They were accompanied by two umbrellas
and q negro gentleman. @Do you feel fol
the down trodden n said one Of the 70,
males, a thin.faced and sharp voiced per.
son'in green spectacles. ado / feeffor
it y answered the lan'lord, in puzzled
voice. "Do feel for itt' eyes; for
the oppressed, the benighted p Ipas-
much to which 2" said the lan'lord. "You
see this man 7" said the female, pintin
her umbreller at the negro gentleman -
eyes, marm, | see him." Yes p..said the
female, raisin' her voice to extreme
high pitch, "you see him, and he's your
brother p ono, l be darned if he is |"
said the lan'lord, hastily retreatipg to his
beer casks. "And yours p shouted the
excited female, addressin' me, "He is
also your brother" "No, / think not,
marm," I pleasantly replied. "The near
est we come to that colorin our family was
in the case Of my brother John. He had
the janders sev'ral years, but they finally
left him. 1 am happy to state that, at
tho present time, he hasn't q solitary
lander" "Look at this man |" screamed
the female. ! looked at him. He vas
an able.bodied, well dressed, comfortable
looking negro. He looked as though he
might heaye three or four good meals a
day into him without murmur. "Look
at that down.trodden man !" cried the fe.
male. "Who trod on him p l inquired.
"Villins! despotsl' "Well," said the
landlord, why don't you go to the willins
about itH Why do you come here tellin'
us niggers is our brothers, and brandish-
in your umbrellers round like a lot of
lunytics? You're wuss than the sperit
rapport" "Havc you," said middls.aged
female No 2, shave you no sentiment :
no poetry in your soul--no love for the
beautiful Dost never 60 into the green
fields to Gull the beautiful flowers :" II
not only never dost," said the lan'lord,
in an angry voice, "but III bet you Eve
pound you can't bring man as dares
say dnr<t, ~, iiisss ssssst ,,hdnfin.
ued the female, "doest not love to gaze
onto them 7" IT would 1 were bird,
that 7 might ay to thou p 1 humorously
sung, casting sweet glance at the pretty
young woman. "Dou't you look in that
way at my dawter," said female No. in
violent voice /; "you're old enough to be
her father" "Twas an innocent look,
dear madam I softly said. "You be-.
held in me an emblem Of innocence and
purity. In fack, start for Rome by the
first train to.morror, to sit as q model to
the celebrated artist, who is about to sculp
statute, to be called Sweet Innocence.
Do you suppose sculptor would send for
me for that purpose onless he knowd l
was overaowin' with iunocencyf Don't
make an error about me-" "lt Is my
opinyn," said the leadin' female "that
you're scoffer and a wretch Your
mind is in q wusser beclouded state than
the poor negroes we are seeking to aid.
You are . groper in the dark cellar Of
sin. o, sinful man
There is sparkling fsuat,
Come, o come and drink,
No, you will not come and drink" dyes
he WILL" said the lan'lord, "if you'll
treat. Jest try him." "As for you"
said the enraged female to tho lau'lord,
"you are a degraded beiu', too low an
vulgar to talk to-" "Tbis is the sparklin'
fount for me, dear sis p cried the lam.
lord, drawing and drinking . mug Of
beer. Having uttered which COAX, he
gave a low rumbliu' larf, aud relaxed in.
to silence. "My colored fren'," ! said to
the negro kindly, "wbat is it all about p
Ho said they was tryin' to raise money to
send missionaries to the Southern States
in America to preach to the vast number
Of negroes recently made free there. He
said they were without the gospel. They
were without tracts. I said, "my iren'
this 4 seris matter. ! admire you for
trSin' to help the race to which you be.
long, and far be it from mo to say any.
think agin carryin' the gospel among the
blacks Of the South. Let the gospel 20
to them by all means But l happen to
Individually know that there are some
thousands Of liberated blacks in the
South who are starvin'. I don't blame
anybody for this, but 1t Is a very sad fact
Some are really too Ill to work, some
cant get work to do, qnd others are too
foolish to see any necessity for workin'
was down there last winter, and OBJ.
served that this class bad plenty Of
preachin' for their souls, but skurce any
vittles for their stummux. Now, IL Il L
proposed to send -four and bacon along
with the gospel, the idea isa good ous.
II, on the t'other, is is proposed TO send
preachin' alone, all l can soy Is that IFS
hard case for the niggers. If you ex.
peot colored person to get interested In
tract when bis stummuck is empty, you
expect too much" l gave tho negro as
much as could afford, and the kind.
hearted lanlord did the same. 1 said,
nFarewell, my colored fren'. I wish you
well certainly, Yon are now as free as
the eagle. Be like him and soar. But
Jontk alkn,r ~ % ,,o.v,S.l a Ekbsnxs.,, xa.