Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-11-18

tDS ZeSu III tnIS Snattefe0 reputation
Zerviah Hope was very much talked about
in Calhoun; so much, that the Relief Com
mittee heard, Questioned. and experienced
Official anxiety. 1t seemed mistake to lose
20 valuable man. 1t seemed a severity to
disturb SO noble career. Yet who knew
what sinister countenance the murderer
might be capable of shielding beneath his
mask of pity! The official mind was per-
1 picked. Was it humane to trust the lives of
our perishing citizens to the ministrations of
a felon who had so skillfully deceived the
most intelligent guardians of the public
veal! There was, in particular, chairman
4 of subcommittee ION the water supply
| who was burdened with uneasiness.
r SITS clear enough what brought him to
| Calhoun" said this man. "What do you
suppose the fellow does with his five dollars
| a day?" 'flF 80 atG At 9e.r
The Committee on the Water Supply
hto the Sub-Vigilance Committee Zerviah
! Hopes case was referred. The result was,
fAthat he was followed on pay day.
4 One Saturday night, just as the red-hot
turned to the Re lief Office in a state of high
official excitement, and reported to the chief
! as follows:
+ "We've done it. We've got him.. We've
found out what the fellow does with his
money. He puts it"
l. "Well:" for the sub committee hesitated.
I "Into the relief contribution. boxes on the
corners of the street."
- WhIt!'. s..... 49,
"Every dollar. We stood and watched
him count it out-his weeks wages. Every
i mortal cent that Yankees turned over to the
/ fund for the sufferers. He never kept back
a red. He poured it all in"
1 "FOllow him next week. Report again. u
They followed, and reported still again.
| They consulted, and accepted the astound-
/ ing truth. The murderer, the convict, the
miserable, the mystery, Zerviah Hope-yol-
| unteer nurse, poor, friendless, discharged
frnrV Cfnfr fHh nr-
4 dered to the public charities of Calhoun.
| every dollar which he had earned in the
service of her sick and dying.
The Committee on the Water Supply, and
i the Sub-Vigllance Committee stood, much
depressed, before their superior officer. He,
being just man, flushed red with noble
rage.
"Where is he? Where is Zerviah Hope;
The man should be sent for. He should
| receive the thanks OF the committee. He
should receive the acknowledgements of the
city. And we've set on him like detectives
hunted him down! POUNDS! The city is
disgraced. Find him for mel"
eve have already done our best" replied
the b-committee, sadly. We have
searched for the man. He can not be
found.", ,gz s
"Where is the woman -doctor"' persisted
the excited chief. "She recommended the
fellow. She'd be apt to know. Can't some
Of you find herr"
hagsardly into the Relief Office.
II am taking her cases." he said. "She
is down with the fever"
1t was the morning after his last pay day
Sunday morning, the first in October; q
dry, deadly, glittering day. Zerviah had
been to his attic to rest and safbe; he mad
been there some hours since sunrise, in the
old place by the window, and watched the
red sun kindle, and watched the deaG-carts
stink away into the color, and kpeeled and
prayed for frost. Now, being strengthed in
| mind and spirit, he was descending to his Sab
baths work, when a message met him at the
door. The messenger was negro boy, who
thrust slip OF paper into his hand, and,
seeming to be seized with supers.itiou-
fright, ran rapidly up the street and disap-
peared.
The message was a triumphal result OF the
education of the frcedmen's evening school,
and succinctly said -'
"ive Gut IT. Nobuddy wunt Nuss me-
Norr no Doctor nEther.
| "P. $. Joopitcr the Durn hee sed he'd kerr
ry This don't Serpose you'd KUN. SCIP."
The sun went down that night as red as il
had risen. There were no clouds. There
was no wind. There was no frost. The hot
dust curtllea in the shadow that coiled be-
meath the stark palmetto. That palmetto
always looked like corpse, though there
was life in it yet. Zerviah came to- he door
of Scip's howell for air, and looked ut the
thing. 1t seemed like something that ought
| TO De Dl1rlcG. 1Herc were no OlDeT trees.
The everglades were miles away. The sand
and the scant, starved grass stretched all
around. >cip's hut stood quite by itself. Nc
one passed by. Often no one passed for !
week, or even more. Zeryiah looked from
the door of the hut to the little
him and it, like II great pool. He
felt less lonely to see the town, and the smoke
now and then from chimneys. lie
thought how many people loved and cared
fl,o, for,pe ,1,.,n IL
thought how much love and care suffering
gave birth to, in human hearts. He began
tothnk little of his own suffering; then
Scip called him, sobbing wretchedly. Scir
was very sick. Hope had sent for DR.. Dare
She had not come. Scip was too sick to be
left. The nurse found his duty with the ne.
gro. Scip was growing worse.
Zeryiah thought of these things. He had
never felt so lonely before. 1t seemed HARD
place for a man to die in. Poor Scip!
Zerviah clasped his Thin hands and looked
up at the purple sky.
Lord he said, sit is my duty. came
South to do my duty. Because he told Of
me, had ought to turn against him? 1t is
lonesome M place; he's got il hard, but III
face became suddenly suffused, and flushed
TRANSPORTED, as he lifted it-"Lord Goo
Almighty! You stood by me! couldn't
have been q pleasant fellow to look after
You stood by me in my scrape! hadn'
treated You any too well. You
needn't be afraid I'il leave the creetur."
He went back into the hut. Scip called
and he hurried in. The nurse and the
plague, like two living cOmbatants, met in
the miserable place and battled for the ne.
gro.
1t was Monday, but no one came. 1t wa:
Tuesday, but the nurse and the plague still
battled alone together over the negro. Ter
viah's stock of remedies was "a ample rs hi:
skill. He had thought he should save Scip.
He worked without sleep, and the food wa
not clean. He lavished himself like lovel
over this black boatman; he leaned like
mother over this man who had BETRAYED him
But on Tuesday night, little before mid
night, Seip rose, struggling on his wretchet
bed, and held up his hands and cried out:
J "Mr. Hope! Mr.. Hope. 1 never dom
mean to harm yep
s.You have not harmed me,' said Ter
viah, sOlemnly. "NObody ever harmed III
but myself. Don't mind me, Scip."
Scip put up his feeble hand; Zerviah tool
IT: Scip spoke no more. The nurse helt
the negro's hand a long time; the lamp wen
out, they sat on in the dark. Through the
! 4. L. 1-.I -.