New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-03-24

OF wealth or fancy is the possession of
boat little larger than ordinary,
may well deserve the respect they have
earned from Nordenskjold and his
party, and prove fitting subjects for
further chronological study. -Tokto
fJapa,s) Cor. ~ Y. Herald.
ssPENTATEUCH.~
The first time that we saw Penta,
teuch he was about as unprepossessing
and unpromising q spectacle as could
well be imagined.
Father and I, coming down the lane
one day from the grove, where we had
been for autumn leaves, found him
standing at the parsonage gate waiting
for us to come up-a bare-headed, bare
footed, ragged young negro, who looked
just then entirely out of season and out
Of place.
He took one of his hands from his
pocket, long enough to give q pull at a
lock Of his woolly hair as we drew near.
Good-mornin', folks" he said with
. tone of assurance, II wos long dis
way, an I jes' dropt in ter take dinner
wifi yer"
stopped in astonishment, while my
father stood looking down at him with
an amused smile. I think that father
was never provoked or surprised at any
thing or anybody.
1--WE are all of us Just as God made
us, after ALL" he used to say. "He
only knows the whole story, and per-
haps we had better let him do the iudg-
ing"
"And who are you, prayP'' he asked
the boy.
"Pm Pentychuke."
Pentateuch! How in the world did
you come by such name as that2''
Yaas, sah," was the rapid answer.
"My Of man, yer see his name wos
Moses, an he christianed me Penty-
chuke.'
Father laughed heartily at this expla-
nation.
"Well, Pentateuch," said he, "you
shall have some dinner for your names
sake, if for nothing else. It will never
do to have it said that minister of the
Gospel turned the law from his door.
Beside, for all know you may be an
angel unawares.'"
0OaA OAu AnUucI: Al Ills AluUlys Cl0r.
ical way he always made joke of his
good deeds; but not one of Gods naked
or hungry ever went uncared for from
the parsonage gate.
He little thought now how true it was
what he last had said, that Pentateuch
might prove an angel unawares." /
shudder even now when I think how
different it would be with all of us had
not God sent the negro lad to our gate
that day. -.-.
So Pentateuch followed us into the
house; and he liked his dinner so well
that he remained about the place all the
afternoon and got his supper.
Then, almost as matter of course.
he was permitted to remain over night,
and at breakfast the next morning; and
then, somehow, Pentateuch liked us so
well, and we became 50 interested in
him, that It was decided he should re-
main at the parsonage for the present,
doing what chores and errands we
could find for him, in return for his
board.
That was the way Pentateuch became
member of our family.
I have not time to tell you very much
about Pentateuch, save Of the one thing
that he did, not long after we first knew
MIN, and on account of which we have
always been SO thankful that we knew
him at all.
Perhaps it is enough to say that he
was very much like great many other
young negroes of whom you have read,
who have come to live with families
here at the North, full of carelessness
and Incidence and mischief, and yet at
times devoted, and generous. and kind
hearted.
> He certainly had one trait which is,
am sorry to say, quite common among
youngsters of his race-he did not seem
to have the remotest idea of any such
thing as moral obligation.
He would do all sorts Of things, and
tell all sorts of stories, without any re-
gard whatever to what was right or
true; and it was quite impossible to
make him regret his misdoings, save by
Furnishing him in some way.
We all were more or less troubled
about this moral obliquity of Penta-
teuch's, and my father felt particularly
anxious about it.
But mother once said, hopefully,
There must be some good in him
somewhere. He is always willing to
put himself out, and to do what he can
to please us. It was only this morning
that he searched for more than an hour
to find the Ratchet for me.''
Yes" father answered bitterly, and
then laughed in spite Of himself; .and
he knew where it was all the time. I
saw him hide it under the wood-pile
last night, to get rid Of cutting the
kindlings, I suppose. .
But let me come at once to my story.
One evening just after tea-it was
late in November, and the nights were
cold-we were sitting about the old
fashioned fireplace, variously occupied,
when father, who was looking over the
evening paper, and was reading aloud
now and then any items Of interest that
caught his eye, suddenly uttered an ex-
clalnation Of surprise. 81
.omstsia( s9e 3 a1p5issss; &c Z 3 ef E.
manned silent. ss.s 50
= y hat 10 isf'' / pEessntly asked.
Oh, nothing, = 41fikler a8sNef9d. md
then looked q6its confd "a, knowinaS
he Was not telling tho ruth. :. That
s., nothing of my oonseonenc4. s So
added. hesitatingly. = Young Ellis g.
capped from the Btate prison. yesterday.
morning. And that reminds me I Wae
. 80 doYn to Mn. ELI, tonight,
Katae, 4Qp't you fetch my cosf'