The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-10-06
THE coLoNEL's CONVERSION
.opie P. Read, in New York Mercury


 .opie P. Read, in New York Mercury
 Up in the Ozark mountains is cor. munlty whose crude customs have no, yielded to the influence of "recons.r1r. tion.' A, one time the people knew. or a, least had heard, that a var was be.uF waged somewhere. but they did no, take the trouble to ascertain its locality or ,h4 causes which led to its institution Af,er the war the few slaves who had been owned by the inhabitants of this remote district, with an intelligence which ,her masters had never exhibited, asserted their freedom. One old man, who all O; his life had toiled for corn-bread and bacon, left the neighborhood, and. re- turning after an absence of several weeks. informed all the negroes that they were free. and only accountable to the law foi their future actions. This was glorious piece of.nfoTmation, bu; when the negroes began 10 show an inclination to act in accordance with its provisions the white people arose and demanded the cause oi such an outrage. Old Gabe. the leader. removed with a respectful bow wool hat that had been worn since the days oi Andrew Jackson, stepped forward and said:
 "Genenmans, ii am my duty ter te, yer dat ,lie hab been T, an dat de niggers no longer IS owned by de white fokes. In de white mans mn dis may seem ter be outrage. bu, t strikes de rigger wid mighty joyful slap. F-f years wese been workin fur yer iokes. an hab got nuthin' but some mighty DO meat an mighty sorry bread an clothes dat wouldn hold straw. De capn ob de Nuniied States says dat ar,er dis we'se lowed ter work fur ourselves. Oh, l knows wha, yers g~ine' ter say. Yer's gwine ter say dat we kant make libin', an let me tell yer dat ef we doan make >po better libin den we has been maxim we'll be mighty wiilin' Ter quit an run wild wid de annals
 Colonel Bullsby, the representative man oi the neighborhood, who inherited his military title from his grandfather. who shot an Indian with fiint-lock, and after wards killed foreigner with a hand spike, looked in amazemen; al ole Gabe and exclaimed:
 The devil you say.'
 " las, sah," Gabe replied, de debil say"
 Now, look here" said the colonel in that serenity of tone which had always commanded respect among his rude followefs, Il want you niggers to quit your foolishness and go abou, your work if you don't you'll hear somethin' drap. Do you hear:''
 We hears" Gabe answered. !" but we doan' harken ter de voice darof We'se gwine away from heah Good day. sab. Wish yer mighty well, bu, we'se bleeged ter leab yer"
 The colonel drew pistol and was att tempting to draw q bead on the slowly reeeding head Of old Gabe, when his wife rushed forward, drew his arm aside and said
 Don't shoo; him. colonel. If you don't believe what he has said, go down to the town, wherever II is, and find out. If il Is true. we can't do no,hin', an if ain't, you can ind the nisgers an bring 'em back.
 Every one agreed ;ha; the woman's idea was correct. Men crowded around and urged the colonel ,o set oe, im- mediately on his journey.
 About a week after the colonel lief. home stranger came into the neighbor- hood and reported that the great leader had qui, drinking. joined he church and become a preacher. The exci,emen, became intense. No one thought cf the negroes now. Something of greater im- por,ance had come up for consideration. If the colonel had stopped drinking. the entire country was failure His pro- longed absence added strength to the re- port. Men gathered in serious groups and discussed the grea, change that had taken place. One afternoon, while al- moS the entire male population of the Community sat around on logs and chunks, presenting scene solemn and disconsolate, some one suddenly ex- claimed:
 Wonder he comes.'
 Every one arose. The colonel came riding slowly. His face had indeed un- dergone change. He dismoun,ed and shook hands with a gravity no one had ever before seen him assume.
 What about"
 The niggers ?" interrupted the col onel.
 No, d. the niggers. What abou, the tale they have been tellin' on you?-
 What tale:' and the colonel's face grew serious.
 Why, we've hearn that you've quit drinkin', jined the church an air a preacher
 The colonel did no, reply. He un- strung jug, which, hitherto unobserved, hung from the horn of his saddle, turned i, up. drank and passed it around. Fin ally he said: "Thar's only one way to correct lie,' while ringing shou, from the crowd told with wha, favor the piece of logic was received. No further notice was ever taken of the negroes, and with GU, change inciden, upon recons1uc- ,ion' the neighborhood still remains.