West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-08-23

under the water; he saved their shell. -
''But what is this shell. Father Sassal |
inquired; "and what was the meaning OF
all the sorcerics of Zombi Ga negro feiSh).
which YOU told us yesterday evening under
the cocoa trees ~
''Sec!' said the Carib, pointing with his
finger 10 the fragment of shells heaped up
around his hut, ''See what remains of Sas-
Saggari, my father, who was the first in
these lands 10 walk securely beneath the
deep"
We observed that the shells were Of the
same kind as ours.
The white strangers chased our fathers
from their home. We are not negroes. To
escape from slavery the old SaSsagg,l en-
barked his family i'm his canoe; hut he
would not leave behind him the shells
which bring luck to the fisherman and keep
afar the witchcrafts of the water The
whites suspected some mystery. They
broke the shells against the rocks. Furious
at finding nothing but the white CLEAN of
the shells, they persued us--wc rowcd in
vain. They shot all except me, who saved
myself 10y swimming under the water
have caught since then far more than they
have snapped Rp, the blood suckers. The
rock only, besides Sassaggari, knows the
nest where they sumbcr But keep the
shell Of yesterday, little whites, when il
speaks, Sassaggari will reply. He who
sings i'm the shells the plants of the sea,
and who paints the sunrise on their faces,
will make the stars of heaven sink into
their heart So the Carib spoke He was
motionless, his glance sweeping afar to the
verge of the horizon.
We silently left hm and gained our
cool hall before the burning noon made il
intolerabe without.
But these early happy days were coming
To an end. We were about TO quit this
pleasant paradise for new scenes.
We grew up Our parents spoke of
sending Francis and me to France. When
Julie heard this she sighcd-was agitatcd.
One evening my father came home from
the town and said that passage had been
taken for us on board "A vessel which would
sail i'm two weeks.
My poor sister, the news was terrible to
her. think | can see her now during these
days She would sit for hours under a
palm tree, looking at the deep blue sea
Once when Francis stole up TO her, TAX
ing her hand, he said in the tcndcrest tones
My lily, what is it you see there at the
bottom of the scar
81 see, she replied, the white sail of "A
sup Niil'@i bthlS Nou ldl away away.
The Count COnsOled them both, and
passing his hands over the golden curls Of
his boy said:
y on love Julia very much, then.
''Gos, papa; and were / never To see her
again, ! would drown myself
The day Of departure came. We bade
adieu. Julia, pale as "a sheet, came To us
with her shells.
Ehe erava tho 0ragt J., l,,-...,;. - ..t.
ing me by the hand, said:
Jules, ! give you this horrible old shell ::
don't forget that found Il that evening
when Francis saved my life. Keep il in
memory of your sister and OF her love for
Francis
Six years later, during the winter Of
l747-S, young man completed highly
successful course Of studies at the Univer-
sity Of Paris and entered aristocratc life
II was the Nicompte dc St. Croix
We made our preparations TO return to
Martinique. Between our departure and
the wedding there came an obstacle This
obstacle was revolution.
The freedom of the blacks was pro
claimed The Count de St Croix was
ruined. He hoped to save his crop by
borrowing. The money was obtained and
wasted in vain efforts
Francis rose in dignity and energy dur
ing this trial. 81 viii overcome this dis
aster, he said. 81 will not be crushed. |
will go to America few years of labor,
and we shall be reunited, and Julie shall
be mine
lie left soon for Havrc and for New
York. Not long after his departure his
father, the old Count, arrived In Paris. He
hoped TO obtain from the Government some
indemnity for his lost estate. Every effort
was in vain. One morning the poor old
Count tOttercd into my room, and, casting
himself on the sofa, exclaimed:
CAN is LOST"
In sudden alarm ] started up 10 relieve
him, and 50 suddenly as TO overthrow a
heavy tab e. Owing 10 it's conclusion, the
portraits Of Julie, which hung on the wall,
fell 10 the ground and with IL the shell,
which rested upon the portion of the frame.
As the shell fell il separated into two por-
tions, from which rolled three white balls
They were the three stars Of night-threc
extremely large, immensely valuable pearls
That very day the first ieweler in Paris
gave us $50, 900 for the three pearls.
We met again i'm Martinique. The mar
riage was solemnized We sought the old
Indian, and cast ourselves, shedding tears
Of gratitude, into his arms.
FEATHER Sassa said Francis "You told
us the truth. We found the stars Of heaven
/ in the shells of the sea
| The eyes Of the chief shonc with strange
| light "Who were kind TO The poor Indian z
/ Who gave him wood for his canoe a knife
for fishing Who were good 10 him for
oil that children, follow me,'
/ Tie placed his hand on q great smooth
/ stone, OF rather rock, which seemed cast
where It was by tho fury Of the waves
''Sassaggah goes 20 the south lie goes
20 the hidden land 90 join his fathcr
/ There they live in the city, where an is
/ gold, where The race Of the Iucas of tho
south and the Aztecs Of the north talk the
/ old sacred language of the serpent and OF
I the sun. There the voice of the white was
never heard Children, adicu,"
Hc rolled away the stone n covered
the entrance Of the cave, in which we saw
piled high hundreds Of shells, containing
pearls. We stood bewildcred at tho sight
Of such enormous wealth, and then turned
/ 90 embrace the Carib Hc had disappeared
But far Of m the last rays Of the setting
sun, vanishing in its purple mist, we Jaw p
canoe padded by one dusky form, which
waved us an adicu
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