Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-09-14

III ANblI 4dhts t4lEN uNu HidNkNN orange Trees
They had cleared acres Of the scrub palmetto,
and any that has ever seen what it is to clear up
an acre of scrub palmetto will hest appreciate
the meaning OF that toll. Only those black men,
with snews Of steel and nerves OF wire, men who
1row stronger and more vigorous under those
bnruiug suns that withcr the white men, arc
competent TO the task.
But old Guido had at last brought his land
from the wild embrace OF the snal5y scrub pal
metto to the point of bearing a bale of cotton
ike the one on the wharf. He had subdued the
savage earth, brought her under aud made her
tributary TO his viii, and demonstrated what the
soil of East Florida might, could and would do,
the cotton worm to the contrary notwithstand-
inc.
And yet this morning he stood by his cotton
dropping and dispossessed. The white man
that had engaged TO take up land for these col
onistS had done his work in such slovenly
imperfect manner, that another settler, for
elguer, bad taken up q tract which passed right
through old Cudio's farm, and taken the land
on which he had spent four years of hard work;
taken his log cabin, aud barn, and young trees
and the very piece that he had Just brought to
bearing that bale of cotton. And there he stood
by, mOurntul and patient. Ii was only a con-
tinuatOn Of what he had always eXpereuced-
always oppressed, always robbed and cheated
Old Guido was making the best Of it in trying
10 ship his bale OF cotton, which was all that
was left OF four years toi
What said the professor 10 him, care you
tA'S blN iiAstt Has DcNu utu bul ny mat
| lorcignerP
Eyes, sab, )" he said, his little black eyes kin
| ding with excitement He take ebryt'ing-
| ebryting; my house / built myself, my fences,
and more'n tree Pousand rails / split myself
he take EN- all
There is always some bitter spot in a great
| loss that is .sorer than the rest. Those rails
evidently cut Guido 10 the heart. "T"ree t'ous-
ard rails kept coming in his narrative as
the utter and unbearable aggrayaton of in-
justice.
81 split en- myself sab; eJry one, free t'ous
and rails and he take en- ALL
''And won't he allow you anythingp
NO sahl He won't low me noting He
say, Get along wild you'll Don't know noting
bout you! Dis yer land mine tell him,
you don't know old Guido, but the Lord know
him; and by'm by when de angel Gabriel come
and put one foot on dc sea and fodder on de
land and blow de trumpet, be blow once for old
| Guido! You mind now!
This was not merely spoken, but acted. The
| old black kindled, and stepped off in panto-
mime He put us it were one foot on the sea
and the other on the land; he raised his cane
trumpet-wise TO his mouth. 1t was all as vivid
as reality 10 him.
None of the images of the Bible are more
frequent, favorite, and operative among the
black race than this. You hear it over ana over
in every pray-meeting Ii is sung in wild chorus
in many Spiritual" The great angel Gabriel
the trumpet, the mighty pOmp of a last judg-
ment-has been the appeal OF thousands OF
wronged, crushed, desparing hearts through
ages of oppression. Faith in Gods Justice, faith
in a final triumph Of right over wrong, practi-
cal laith-Such had been the attainment of this
| poor old delormed black. That and his bale of
cotton was all he had to show for lile's labor.
| He had learnedttwO things in his world lesson;
work and faith. He had learned the power of
practical industry in things possible to man.
He had learned the sublimer power of faith in
COD for things impossible.
Well, of course we were indignant enough
about poor old Guido, but we feared that the
distant appeal of the angel and the last trump
was all that remained to him; and to our lesser
faith, that seemed long way to look for JUS
| tice.
But redress was nearer than we imagined
| Old CudjO's patient industry and honest work
| had wrought favor among his white neighbors.
| He had lived down the prejudice with which the
| settlement had first been regarded; for among
| quiet honest people like the Foridians it is
| quite possible to live down prejudice A neigh
boring justice of the peace happened to have an
acquaintance in WASHINGTON from this very
| district, acquainted with all the land and land
| titles. He wrote to this man an account of the
case, aud he interested ,ehimSglf for old Cu,liO.
| He went to the land office to investigate the
matter. He found that in both cases certain
| tOmalites necessary to constitute legal en-
| trance had been omitted, and he fulfilled for old
| CudlO these lOrmaitics, thus settling his title,
| and moreover he sent legal papers by which the
| sheriff of the county was enabled to do him
justice; and so old Guido was reinstated in his
| rights.
| l7rhe professor met him, sparkling and jubi-
| liant, on the wharf once more.
swell, Guido, de anger blew for you quicker
| than you expected"
He laughed all over. ''Yel haw! hawl Yes,
massa." Then with his usual hiStrionic vigor
he acted over the scene. "De sheriff, he come
down dere. He tell dat man, you 90 right off
he'yr. Don't you touch none dem rails. Don't
you take one chip, not one chip. Don't you
take Haw! haw haw!" Then he added:
"He come to me, sab; he says, Guido, what
you take for your land? He say he glib me
two hunder dollars. l Iell him dat TOO cheap,
you taller say, q take ten roHsand million
dollars! OATS what take Haw! haw! hawp
-JirS Sto1ge ia Christian Union