The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-04-04
cringed aud bowed to tim

1 II
Your fadar's got hundreds an iheu
sands ob slaves a-workin' for him. s.
I've hearn. What'd be think ob yon
sab. a nakia' c9mpan1o an Old pie
man -
Pack. took Leon byhbe shoulder
and shook him. Conc along wha
dye miad the old fools gabblc for 2
be said.
Da Costa drew q long hseaih al.
went away bat be vas pale. ans
quiet all day, He was moody liz
lie chap, With all his no and cspers
The very next day rack thinking {.
please hin, began torntnling ,Gumb,
the minute he hove IN, sight, pgshin,
bis barrow up the wsIk.
4Hyah's de old pis-man, Comi
right along, young gesnrlems. I. Bris.
your pennies
The old fellow lad been sick al
winter. but be would drag himself i.
the school every day. lie turned BIZ
rrizzled head from side 10 side al
he came up, and Pack. seeiag that b.
tottered, pst out bis fool IN front o
hin. Gumbo tripped and fell ant
away went cakes andspies into ths
siush. The fellows shonted ane
thought it mighty good trick, al
but Da Costa, who spfang right W
at Pack 5 face and ssruek him be.
tween the eyes. Wang il ranl
out all over the ward, "Take thai
you coward !" be yelled
@De Lord be good 70 us..p old Gum
bo cried. @Dr Beebe will drive me
or de grounds, YouM be de ruin oh
me, Mr., Da Costa, Il sou don't care
for yourself"
With that Leon baag his head and
walked away,
We boys would haze cut Ia Costa
dead, it was so shabby Ia him to take
a nigger's part agaiast Pack. But
Old Markle made Paek. iosite him
home next Sunday Leon didn't 20;
but Pack. made a sortot lion of him
all that time. and was never done
talking Of how plantegs lived ia ia
maica, Ike princes and all that.
Da Costa that term begun tostudy
as be never had before. The poor
little cub could make nothing OF
aritbmeiic; but be went np. in other
classes, over both me aud Pack. He
stood treat as often as before, but
bis fun was all gone There mas o
story that be had bad news from ia
maies. although sonle, said that be
was only homesick. having nobody
to go to on Sundays or holidays. Ike
the rest Of us. Thenit was whisper
ed about that be was actually trying
fer prizes at the spring examination,
bat that was SO absurd that none OF US
bothered ourselves about il 2
Well. TO cut my story short, the
miserable little tad took prizes over
Pack ; head aud mine. sirl DR.. Beebe
was delighted. and went about mea-
tloaiag Aila 20 1 sshs~visssars as aaa oi
the Da Costas of the West Iedies.
sir Our establishment has a wide
spread reputation, sir.n
You may bet We boys we're mad.
However. the story leaked out that
Leon was going 10 the next day for
the prize for originsl Grafton. and we
knew se'd get so thrashed there bed
remember ! al the days of his life.
Pack had always had such dead
sure ~ ing Oh that.
Sure enough, when the programmes
were out, there wGs Human Rights, =
by Master Leon Ds Costa.
What does that little rat know
about human rights % said Pack, so
loud that old Beech heard him
"Master Da Costa belongs to mosl
aud cultured family. and
has had every opportunity of knowing
what rights belong to him" be said
Well, sir, the ball was crowded on
exhibition day. 1t really was eaIy
the big school-ro0m, but when the
platform for the speakers was Up and
the windows trimmed with pine. SIC
called it the hall All the trustees
were there, aud every body from the
tewn- The Markles came io their
carriage, With bouquets ready to throw
to Psck when be should win Bur
none of Us thogghs what kidd Of q
vietory he was going to have.
The o.her exercises lasted for an
hour or two, and then the Doctor
called:
Competition Tor original Grafton
Messrs. Markle aud Da Costa"
There was q buzz all about, and
then the band played while Pack
walked mp to the platform He bad
that oratioI on "Chiyalry ia 1875"
II was very 6ne indeed-aii about
the American gentleman, and bis
bravery aud his courtesy and al that
We boys stamped Whenever be stop
ped to draw breath
After be bad done, little D4 Costa
went up | never sa. him look 5
ii.tle or skinny or yellow; bas his
big black eyes were burning He
wss excited to that degree. sir, that
his bands shooS as if be bad the
palsy; but be kept bis voiee s.esdy
There wasn't much ia bis Grafton.
could understand IL II
was that every nsn bad a right 10
education. and oil tnas That If
God gave him brain, nen had no
rignl 10 hinder Lim from using it.
But when be talked of poor children,
who can not be taught or fed q
have any chance, the fellow wss II
such deadly earnes. that somehow il
made ron shiFer, and some Of the Ia
dies cried. My own opinion is, thai
such children haze q very good time;
aothiDg ba, losfag all day long.
However, the audience took Ieoa's
view of II, | suppose Tor they clap
ped tremendously aud called bin ap
.hree times, asd every body whi-p-r-
ed: aWest Indian E-aDFmously
-ich.i
Nobody was surprised. wben the
irs. prize was called, 70 bear -sIas-
Ter Da Costa
As soon as it was presented 10
him with q little speech from the
Doctor, the performances we're over,
snd every boiy crowded Gp 20 lie