Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-04-25
TObe,s Monument.

to Washington.
1t was CATER taps,"- sultry, southern sum
mer night. On the extreme edge OF the en-
campment, on the site nearest the enemy, sen
tinel paused in his walk and peered cautiously
out in the darkness. "PShaw!p he said, "it'S
nothing but a dog" He was reSuming his walk,
when the supposed quadruped rose suddenly,
and walked along on two feet, in a manner so
Enthusiastically human, that the sentinel lowered
his musket once more, and shouted, Halt! Adj
vance and give the countersignH faint, child
like voice said, Amt got none, Massa."
"Well, there now,' said the sentinel, eff it
ain just little darkey, and guess I've fright
| ened him half to DEATH Come here, SNOWFALL"
The child crept up, and said, tremblingly,
"'Deed Massa, | amt got muffin ter Glib yer"
''Well, who asked you to give me anythingp
oyer done AK me fer glib yer sutiin jeS' now;
and | amt got muffin ,cep' my clo'es what got
on"
"Well, you needn't fret; don't want em.
CORPORAL of the guard Post two.'
The corporal FASTENED to post two" and
found the sentinel with his hand on the Shout
der of little black boy, who, between fear,
fatigue and hunger, was unable TO give any ac-
count of himself "PlI take him to Captain
Leigh" the corporal said; "he's officer of the
day. Maybe he'll be able to get something out
of him."
The captain stood in front of his tent, looking
out into the night, when the corporal and his
charge approached
Captain" said he, "here's boy just come
into the lines"
every well, you can leave him here"
At the first sound of the captains voice the
boy drew nearer to him, as knowing instructive
ly that he had found friend.
"You can go into that tent, said the captain
and 90 to sleep till morning"
"What is your name" was Capt. Leighs first
question the next morning.
Name Tobe."
''ls that ALI"
Oats all, Mass Capn"
GLOW old are you|
Dunno, Mass Cap'n. Nobody nebber done
| tole me dat ar"
"Where have you come from2"
"Come FUN de back O Richmon' Mass
Cap'n."
"What did you come here for?"
IAN de res OBJ IN ruined away; an ole Mass
he wor so mad, | wor Jest feared o nv life
Sides, fought mought fin my nanny eff |
got 'mong der unions"
"Where is your motherp
Dunno, Mass Cap'n. Ole Mass done sol her
down in Georgia las corn-shuckin', an amt
nebber heerd OBJ her sence. But fought meb-
by she mought ha' ruined way, too an I'd fin
her wild der unions"
"Well, now what are you going to doP
"Dunno, Mass Cap'n. I'd like ter stay long
wild you"
"What can you dor
| "Kiu wait on yer, Mass Cap'n; kin shine up
| boots; an "-brightening up as his ewes, wan
| dering round, caught sight Of the horses-"kin
clean de bosses right smart"
You are not big enough to take care of
| horse"
"'Deed is, Mass Cap'n; and amt feared o.
no boss. Old Mass ans sent me ter tend ter de
| bosses dat nobody else couldn't manage. Dey
alus lets me handle 'em eff dey's ebber so deb
blesome. Jes' yer try me, Mass Cap'n, an see if
! telled yer de trOof"
''lf keep you with me YOU must be a GOOD
boy, and do rs tell you"
" Deed | will, Mass Cap'n. Pse do cherry
work yer say, sho's yer'S bohn."
So when the troops left Harrison's Landing
lobe went too, in charge of the captains horse
and baggage; and when the steamer was fairly
under way he frightened into a new creature
as every evolution of the wheel placed a greater
distance between himself and cole Massa."
Mass Cap'n," he asked one day, "where is
we gwine atP'
Either to Washington or Alexandria, Idon't
know exactly which,"
"Will dar be one sto' up dar, Mass Cap'u?'
Yes, there are plenty of stores; what do you
want from oneW
"Please, Mass Cap'n, please jess, and he
stammered and caught his breath, apparently
overwhelmed with the magnitude of his de-
sires.
"Well, out with it; what wonderful thing do
you wantY
please, Mass Cap'n, jess buy me one banio?n
"a banjo! what on earth do you want of
that?"
"Kin play the banjo right smart; an dance,
too Kin! Mass Cap'n, | plays for yer all de
"There'd be rather toe much of a good thing
about that"
us yer gwine to Git it for me, Mass Cap'nP'
Il don't know. III see when we get there"
Payday came. Everybody got fixed mp; and
lobe fell heir to an old cavalry uniform II
n no ba
to his shoulders, and were rolled up in great
punches around his ankles. The Jacket came
down to his knees, and the sleeves hung like
yawning cayerns, into which his hands disap-
peared so far that it seemed doubtful if he
would ever find them again. But there were
the gilt buttons and cavalry stripes, and Tohe's
Utmost soul reloiced over them.
lie was so absorbed in his clothes that he
seemed to have forgotten the banjo; when, one
day, the captain suddenly held one up before
him. His eyes dilated till they seemed % cover
half the face; and he gasped out, oyer gwipe to
gr me dat ar, massa eapn."
- on said you wanted banjo, didn't Won ?"
u knows axed yer for to buy me one; but
fought meb6e yer wouldn't gP me de clos and
de banjo too"
"Well, which will you have, the clothes or
the banjo?"
lobe answered never a word but pulled off
| his Jacket, and laid it at the captains feet.
CAPTAIN Leigh laughed. "Well," he said. tiif
| You want banjo as bad as that, you shall
| have it, Here, take it,"
"Whar mus put de clos at, massa cap'n?p
You needn't put them anywhere Keen
| them on" 10y
Does yer mean 10 gil me de clos and dc ban
| 10 tooP And understanding at last that il
was really so, lobe gave vent to his feelings in
prolonged Xxi yi!D then stood on his head
kicking hs heels in the air, till his YOluminous
| garments proving too much for him, he lost his
balance and rolled over. This sobered him. He
| picked himself up and walked off, carving the
| banjo as if il were baby.
After that there was no lack of music. lobe
| played all day, and only stopped at night when
| the captain sent him TO bed.
IL proved that lobe had told the truth about
| his skill in taking care Of horses. Captain
| Leigh's horse had never looked so well as now.
and the captain was delighted. lobe turned
out, moreover, to be very good boy. But the
| army is not q very good place for BOYS So one
| day Captain Leigh said, "Iobe, how would you
like to go north@
"Whars it at, Mass Cap'n?"
81 mean my home at the north"
"When is yer gwine, Mass Cap'nP
am not going at all now"
Does yer mean ter SEN me away from yer,
Mass Cap'nP
Captain Leigh was touched, and answered him
| very gently:
| eyes, want to send you away from me now,
because IL will be better for yOu. But when the
war Is over shall go home, and then you can
| stay with me always If you are "A GOOD how
=, u allus does jes' de things yer tell me, Mass
| Cap'n."
~ know you do. And just because you do
what tell you 50 well, want to send YOU TO
iny home, 70 run errands for my wife, and do
what work she viii give you 10 the house And
have three little children-two little Girls and
oaoy boy. want you to 20 with them when
,9ey 20 out TO play, and take care of them
MY nome Is Il very pleasant place in The
country. Don't you think Won yonid liz w ~
20 therep 'u ''0 "
LEI yer goes too, Mass Capn"
But, my boy, can't possibly 90 nowO
Use do jes de Ting yer say, Mass Cam. m
yer tells me 10 go, Pse 60 An Use lest do cherry
word the missus say, an | look afr dc chillens
| ip bpgf LuOWg initial var anfnaa .lan ~, .Is.,.