The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-07-05
YAKOB.

1t was q saying in the family that
"Sue was the poet, Joe the financier,
and Charley-had discovered Yakob."
It needs very little wit to give say
ing long life in a lonely farm house, and
Yakob was as remarkable novelty
among us as poem or good deal of
money would have been.
He was very short, very stumpy,
very white-headed Dutch boy of II.
whom Charley found on the Battery one
winters day. Charley went to New
York every winter to buy groceries for
the plantation, and clothes for the
slaves, and he had found Yakob on his
last visit, in 1859, just before the war
began. ..- -.... ..,.. ... ..,,r.
Yakob had landed from an Antwerp
schooner, and had fallen among thieves,
who left him in rags and penniless, when
Charley came, like the good Samaritan,
to his rescue. r. vEU 7sisEi 1t
&c But what can you do with him p
my father demanded, when the queer
looking creature stood before him, his
big eyes staring straight at him.
Ion, there will be some place open
for linn on the plantation, SIR" said
Charley. !" He'll be of use somewhere. t"
"You could make more use OF a sea-
horse, said Sue pertly, and my mother
nodded. Mother said she had an in
stinctive dislike to Yakob. But what
ever Charley did was right in our good
mothers eyes, and beside, she would
have been gentle and polite to Yakob
even if he had been a sea-horse.
So Charley, taking me by the hand,
led Yakob around to the tobacco-house,
and set him to work there. He stared
dismayed for q minute at the black
faces (for he had seen but two negroes.
and had never been brought in contact
with black man), and then went to
work intelligently enough, and never
raised his eyes to them again.
Charley and went back to the house.
L was boy of 8 then, and the torment
and pet of my big brothers. We found
my father on the portico, reading the
Richmond Examiner.
81 have brought you first. rate ma.
chine, sir" Charley said. "as steady.
and sure, and dumb as if it was made OF
wood and steel.
''It's your property" said father, with
a shrug.
Now nobody but Charley understood
German, and Yakob could not speak q
word of English 1t followed, therefore,
that Charley had to take entire charge
of his property" He gave him lit
tie wooden shanty, which had been 6
Toulouse, on the edge OF the woods, il
which to sleep.
The German whitewashed and re-
paired his dwelling, and in the spring
planted vines and flowers about it, In
stead of being longer an eye-sore it be-
came the most picturesque spot in The
plantation. But "the creature him
SELF" Sue declared, twas an animal.
Such mountains of pork and rivers o.
beer disappeared down his throat
He showed no sign of interest in any
living thing excepting Charley, whom
he followed about like dog whenever
he could, never speaking, however, un
less forced to do so.
The war came, of which / wish to SAY
little. Our family, like many others OF
the border, was divided. Joe went into
one army, Charley into the other. M,
father held to the old flag. My mothei
and Sue presented banners and arms {.
Southern companies.
The negroes caught the excitement
some of the hou, g servants following
their young masters. Yakob alone wa
unmoved as O stone. Either Joe o