New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-30

Their luxurious repOse of mind and body is cOnta-
gious and hurts the lower grades Of whites about
them as their bad English nfects the speech of the
whites Their children, "irOn- ointed, supple
sinewed" dive in the sedgy streams and play in the
forests where for ages the gorgeous shapes and pei
fumes of the flowers have been for the sole delight
of insects, and the voices of their oxuberant elee
are scattered the waste of air hitherto undls-
turbed by such sounds
Paths there nre many.
Wind.12 through ramy fern ari rnshc@ fennv,"
for these black children in the woods of Indiana.
They find much comfort in our devices autumn.
when the harvest and the hunters moon are
hung in glowing twilights that 60 on burning with
orange, dahOdil and azure long after the planets
are lighted up. In autumn, when the days are like
mighty enchantment and the air is a warm amber
haze without dampness and you through the
dimmed sunshine the phantom trees and vines
tinged with and purple then the cXoduStcrs'
rejoice in the endless prouSiOn of forest nutsbcech,
hazel hickory walnut, huttcrnut and chestnut trees
theirs to harvest. With the October smoklncSs
crowds OF the exiles Icappcarcd temporarily IN
indianapolis. They came with the filings and
drunmngs OF the days when Hancock had his eye
on the Presidential chair. Women, babies and
all. they rode in the professions among the sallow
towering HOLSTERS, alongside of the gray bankers
and business men, and among the dear old fellows
whom We SUlll call " ne boys III DUO lH'H
lark they troopcd to their woodland sheds. hints
and cabins, where they are living in way that
suits them well. They trap rabbits coons chip
munks. and other vcrmin for their evening fcaSts
and their children gather dry faSgots to blaze up
their mud and stick chimnCys. They 90 visiting
among themselves; they bake the hOccake, Try the
chicken tune the fiddle, and sit about bcamng l'rrS
talking loud politics and enjoying religion All"
like all low races. their whole life 10 the minuicSt
particular is religions with species OF fetish wJr
ship Their main talk is telling what great men
their old masters were. Strange unexpected facts!
They like to work for Democrats, preicrring a per-
emptory employers; they blame the Republicans tor
their Ills. and they have prepostcI0us anectloh
for theil old masters. When the winter night
comes down over then roofs doors and windows
are fast closed. safe locked and they 90 to sleep III
a transport OF comfort though perhaps upon
"strown bed" with the straw sticking into their
ears and with carpets and sacks for covcrlidN, for
their wood fire sings on the hearth all night, like
n grasshoppcr in the heat and silence of a summer
noon"
Prosperity is always CIoWin" moro prosperous.
Let these people have u start and they will 90 ON.
They have enough advice to begin with; If they
could take it all they would he greater tIan their
advisers. On Christmas Eve, when the streets OF
indianapolis were ahaIe with light and throngcd
with buyers till midnight. ana wien III" Sulip'u"uS
book and picture and ewrlry stores looked like
magic Visions aud under the flaming torches on the
corners the apples shining the peanuts roast
ing and clcstnuts boiling. the cOlorcd folks were
out with the st. each with money in his purse.
They came West for the same reason that llcsiod's
family left lola three thousand years ago: TO
better their condition and they have right To do
50. Some walked hithcI all the way from North
Carolina; all they had to do when they departed
was to put then hrcs AMI call their children to-
gethcr. May they live in peace and comfort and
surround themselves with prosperity herc-and p?y
taxes.