The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-04-11

oaiee 4 No.. % I'd = Foa1tesasd slleet.
fGABB

e GABE
Even yet in the quiet evenings car
! fancy the roll Of that grand, deep voice
soaring out over the waters Of the Gulf in
liquid melody, or quavering in mournful
Improvisation among the orange trees ii
front Of his cabin door, where Gabe was
wont to sit in the warm nights with his
wondering eyes ixed on the stars, singing
for an hour at a time, with only Aunt
Dlnah near to him.
Big, black, grave and kind thatis how
the memory Of Gabe comes before me to.
night, with his simple, earnest way, the
most ungainly and yet the trncst:hearted
otaii God'siiying creatures. He had been
in our family for years. He seldom laugh.
ed-was always sad and thoughtful-had
been oirom childhood, IL was said.
On any question Of dispute that occurred
among the other negroes Gabe was refer.
red 10 as authority TO settle the matter,
and, strange to say, he was seldom wrong!
.Whyido you love to sing So ~ I asked
him one night, after ! had listened to ono
Of hisrich, pathetic chantsor hymns:
Helooked at me in q startled way, for
he had not noticed my approach, and said:
~ dunno myself, hardly. psits here
kaseI loves 10 look up yonder at de stars
and think. Bimeby dere comes wond'.
full song, like as Il de angels WINS q. singin'
in q jubilee; den 1 sings, too, till Tee tied
or clean gone to sleep, wild de angels
Iaihoyin' round me-
My little sister leila, then golden
haired fairy Of six, was q great favorite Of
Gabe's. With her he would talk as with
no others, and was always with her when
circumstances permitted. She, too, was
fond of him, and many a little treat found
itsway to him and old Aunt Dinah through
her favor.
One night remember it well-it was
In warm March, that most beautiful Of all
months in Florida, when the magnolias
Iput forth their bloom and the land is
sweet in theirincense-I had retired early,
for Twas weary with hard days ride
from Tampa, up the Gulf.
It might have been about Q o'clock in
tho morning, then1 was awakened by a
deaiening crash Of thunder. that died
away In reyerberating echoes oyer the
water.
Usually would roll of to slumber
again, but this time / could not doso. /
lay there instead watching the play OF
the'lightning and waiting for therain to
ta!l;
Inc atmosphere was close, almost
sitting, the air permeated with electricity.
suddenly l iencied I heard the front
aoor open and close again: was 1t only
fancy caused by! the excited STATE ! was
mn sonnet lllng urged me 20 arise and l did
so: stepping 10 the front window, which
commanded q view Of me piazza, looked
out ali was hlacs est Aig I, with mlt tertng
thunder overhead:
As y stood there The earth was illumined
byamost vivid fash, everything appear
Ing as clear a5 day. Directly before me,
hall way down the carriage drive leading
70 tasroad along the pintf, rapidly gllded
q smali sienaes Ilsp1e ~ wllite, with
golden mar hymg IN theVind. -.
Only moment dld tne light sast, but IN
that moment lsaw and Knew 1t was leila
-Tella, and going straight toward the
chalk bluff that rose sheer one handFed
feet from Tue s saS bslST 81.
hettre that the child was given 70 walk
ing. IN her sleep though ner sonambulism
had hitherto ns s !, s9n.lned N eoors; 10
nlghtsome freak mad sent her tofth, pit
along path that must lead her to. 4
terrible fate unless 1 could reach her in
time. as
Out Of the room, oyer,the piazza, down
the drive went quicker than | had ever
gone before. Tie night was otinky dark
less ; J could I, not see an Inch before me,
and the lightning, so VIVID before, mad
ceased. Every moment seemed an age.
U the child mad turned aside gu mightibe
Well u !notz7heayen hetp her, Tor wen \
Knew ile what mnst pe her iate:
on rnsned, nalis mao WIN snspense.
anotnsr nAst,, ana ! ssw ner not zen yards
from the edge otthe ..1l
leila a, . caiiea :, e " W., ,a,, ~,
N ny esstfa y lgss reM Aeasy' mE
Knees quassea aotrisIe gnsnaFe S
apon tne, sNs ooseq
every pore !,
anolnef nasn sne was on .ne .ptlhk,
ana ! n9t Ihlfty stehs away was powerisss
y save neE.t ny tnese ~ the aylng
!lg9t gseae nlseS n9ay:spEsnS tefWsEq
anu " seems 70 Mins1e WIN Iae n " .llte.
mere COMES y stattt IVY yty u aa.i tnuu
NY =. ~ y ssllI save w us y Iae
that, nag now lAlaelH!eea' " iait IN WE
rents.
a momen q more anu ! was penuing over
niue Whlte nguIe, lying moaning On Tue
ann, WIN lalr Oh goiu peuIagglea over
taee ana heek. =. . NM, . l, 4. . =. J,
ina.S S'ea y @a Y. lesia uh.,attaea any
sale sne cfiea pltliaily ~ Y tooS he q; N
my. arms, sseiaiaet Stee pc liaefea 70
spec <. ~.
But who was II that so PROMINENTLY