, 1877-02-02
A.-, sspAy'. sl-v. Hu.SanA.
-rr,~o aTrrn ruENTT TEAEs' SPAR
.r,ox-uuAr AuxTT EEnEuuEnED.

-, IN the I niun depot. Old Aunt
s.,Ii, the .iout. ronsi-naiurel colorui
---,,n vbo sweep. ont the Cui1n depot
~ vr.its utron the female passenrcrs
= a. waiting room. vas standing up
- her han.is behind her against post
.the baggage ruom. Two cnlorp,l men
-.,c,,d. Ona vas a we'll known ex-
-. wagon driver: the other vas we'll
ri colorcd man about forty OF for
tv.ave years Of age. Police officer Han
n, followed them into the room and
noiu,ed out Aunt Sophia.
aAunt Sophy. does you know this
mani" inquired the express wagon
driver.
The we'll dressed stranger Peered curl
oBsiv beneath the old sun-bonDet and
vaited anxiously for the expected recog-
alton. But the old colored woman az
tsr hasty glance at the face of the
Granger. responded shortly and gruffly.
"NO. sar;I don't know the gem'man.
"What! Sophy, don't ye know George
Duncan what was married to We down
dar in Cole county long afore de WARP"
said the well-dressed stranger, ad-
vancing toward the old woman, who
stood defantly backed up against q
ayes" responded the old aunty gruf-
Ay 81 members dat ar George Dun
can"
"An' don't ye member how I was
sold Souf when 1 got cotehed dat timer"
"Yes, 1 remembers all bout dat ar;
members how dat same George Duncan
run off wild a worthless white woman an
left me and my baby, an dat he got
eotched afore he got to de free State out
veah in Kansas, and his master sold
him Souf Oh, yes, 1 members all bout
it."
"Ts dat AZ man; rs George Duncan,
come all de way from Orleans to find
you, Sophy, and my boy. Whar am dat
boy?"
aDat boy am a man bigger dan you;
he am a good boy, too, an 'spects his
nanny, he do. He's at wuk in de elum-
Vator.
"Is ye married again, Sophy?" queri-
ed the stranger; anxiously.
s'No; isn't, +" said the old woman; i'm
patiently, almost angrily, "and doeen't
tend to be again"
After brief pause the man asked in
o sort of broken voice:
"Whar am dat boy oh mine?"
HE am down in de elumvator at de
State line.'
"Don't We know me Sophy, no morf
Don't you member when 1 come coort-
in We down at Massa Shelby Martins
place, down dar in Cole county? Don't
We members how we got married, an
an, OH Sophy, don't ye know yer hus-
band, George Duncan?"
Tears began to gather in the old depot
woman's eyes, but she held them back @
moment, when nature gave way, and she
gave her old slave husband her hand and
bade him ego see dat ar boy"
After the old slave had left the bag
gage-room a Times reporter took old
Aunt Sophy in hand, and from hel
learned the following interesting factI
in the case:
About twenty years ago she was {
slave, belonging to Col. Shelby Mar
tin, wealthy farmer of Cole county
not far from Jefferson City. Not fal
from her old home there resided fami
ly by the name Of Duncan, who owned
eolored boy named George. After
brief courtship George and Sophia wert
married. But George, in his visits b
Jefferson City, got acquainted with
worthless, degraded woman, and witt
her started off on the underground
railroad" for Kansas. Sophia lived witt
her master till the war set her free. He
husband was recaptured, brought bacl
to Jefferson, and sold by his master, ant
was sent to the cotton fields of tn,
South. ~
George Duncan says he has alway
regretted bitterly his runaway scrap
with the worthless white woman, bu
when he was betrayed by her when nea
the Kansas line, and was taken back ant
sold South, he gave up all hope o
ever seeing his wife and child again
He was taken to the cotton fields o
Mississippi, and finally transferred +
Louisiana, where he has lived for tn
past eleven years. He says he has beel
saving money all the time with a vieN
Of coming North to seek his family, AM
this year he says he raised several bale
Of cotton, the proceeds Of which hav
enabled him to prosecute his search TO
his long lost wife and child. he wen
nrst TO Jefferson City, but found tina
the war.
He searched every town along III
nne Of the Missouri river from Kansa
Vity to Jefferson City, and felt confden
ne would find his family somewhere
de got track Of his wife accidentally /
conversation with q colored expires
ariver, who took him 10 tho depot an
brought the long separated pair u
gether. II Is not definitely settled !
the mind Of tho long deserted vii
whether she will take back her truAE
husband again. She expressed her min
IN these words: