The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-02-20
OF SUCH Is THE KINGDOM OF
HEAVEN,

The virtues Of fidelity and gratitude are
the brightest adornments of human charac-
ter in the highest walks of life. But when
these virtues are manifested by an humble
freedman toward the family of his old master
in the manner we are permitted to chronicle,
the act is worthy to be emblazoned upon a
tablet of brass.
| Jim Wilson, drayman in the employment
of Mr.. J.. c. Morris. on Tchoupitoulas street,
was before the war slave belonging to Geo.
H. Lewis, Of Franklin, St. Mary's parish.
His master died in 1861, leaving but one
child, little boy of tender age Mr. Lewis
was kind and indulgent master and Jim was
faith I'll slave A real friendship existed be-
tween the two. jim watched by the death
bed OF his master like guardian angel, and
the only solace he could offer him before clos
ing his eyes in death, was to assure him that
he would in all time to come look after his
infant son and minister to his welfare through
life.
The master was laid in the ground. This
slave soon after became free, and by the vicis-
STUDIES of the war was separated from his old
home, and, like thousands of others of his
race, drifted to this city, where, by industry,
sobriety and frugality he has at length accu-
mulated competency. In the meantime he
had lost sight of the lad toward whom he had
pledged his fidelity to his old master on his
death-bed.
Yesterday they met by accident after
separation of fourteen years, the lad verging
the meeting was mutually joyous. Jims
memory of his old master came back to him
as the memory of an indulgent benefactor
and he saw before him his young master just
entering upon the struggle of life under
adverse circumstances that make success
doubtful. With considerate generosity, and
as an earnest of his love for his old master,
and as a partial tulflment of his pledge
fidelity to the fatherless boy, Jim wilson
presented the youag man one hundred dollars IN
cash, further offering to give him start in
business whenever he was willing to accept
the boom
Tell us, ye mock philanthropists, who fancy
that the former relations between master and
slave were not those OF love and friendship,
tell us, upon what theory do you explain this
instance of sympathy and fraternity manifest
ed by a former slave toward the son of his
late master? Tell us, We venerable hypo-
critics, how do you reconcile this display of
generous friendship on the part of al. freed
man toward his young master, whose child
hood he had watched with fatherly or frater-
nal care with your ideas of the enmity that
ought to have existed between master and
slave
Jim wilson, the noble freedman, can teach
you a lesson of humanity that is rot embraced
in your Pharisaical philosophy. He can
teach you that real friendship which links
heart to heart, without reference to the acct j..
dental or conventional relations of life. He
can teach you that the kind master was a
patriarch among his slaves, and that their
natural love survives the animcsities stirred
up by fanatics and knaves, descending from
generation to generation, as a bond of fellow
ship. God bless you, Jim, for your fidelity
to the son of your old master.