The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-08-28


clay wild, an when run of wild him inter
iewoods he hel' on ter dat handkerchief.
iidn't know what TO do wild de baby. Ifus''
thoughtId kill IL, but it looked up at me So
pretty wild It's sweet little eyes dat / couldn't.
/ wandered about wild 1t for weeks, an
stayed wild 1t long time In dis ole cabin
stole grub for 1t an mysef, too, den
black It's face AM go TO u Quaker, an tole
HIM was runaway niggcr an wild my
baby, an he TUX me By night, hidin' ebery
day till we got inter Missouri, an den he
foun' one day dat de black come of de
baby's face, an, dat 1t war white. He war
goin' to tell on me, but run away frum him
wild de chile, an trabel up de Missouri river
long way. Itried to throw the baby in de
water ter drown, but ebery time ! try IL de
little baby look In my face an smile, an /
can't.
"One day went to house way up do
river TO steal sumfln to eat for me an do
chile. Ebery body war in de field, an in de
place war an ole big wooden cradle. stole
1t and corked it up tightas boat, an tyin'
de yaller handkerchief bout de baby's head
put 1t asleep in dc cradle and pushed 1t out
in do river.n
Luke here was about to interrupt the
narrator, but Mr.. Neff said:
'No, don't do U now Let I'M 20 on"
The negro resumed: I'd GgEga lW
II was cotched by some nigger-stealors,
taken 10 st. Louis, sold at auction, den my
new massa TUX me to Lexington, Mo. AN sold
me to Mr.. Neff, who keep me till de war
heard him say dat he find de baby-he tell
de young nassa so, an when Massa Morgan
come mp in Missouri TO- y'ars ergo TO lib,
spect dey'd know me, but 'umdon't I, but Dick
Sneed did, an he nebber sec me till de war
commence. Den l say / kill him, and on de las
day OBJ dc Shiloh battle I shoot 'um wild my
own hand Heah am de yaller Handkerchief.
tuck it from de bureau de night de rebs
come TO hang Massa Luke" and he held up
the handkerchief, on the border Of which
were the words embroidered in black:
LUKE rAsoS.n
t"Whatl My Godi can this"
"Hole on, boy, hole on, this mans weak.
I'll tell him, you can't" said Mr.. Neff, dis
playing an energy Luke had never thought
he possessed.
that he had found the cradle floating, and
that the child was alive, and that his brother
had reared bim. Colonel Luke Aason was
that child The Confederats Colonel was
failing very rapidly, and while Mr.. Neff had
broken the news TO him quickly, he bad
done 90 In way not 10 excite him. The
dying father reached out his hand and
clasped that Of his new-found son.
"My boy" he whispered, 'Tve found you
at lastn Then he called 10 his daughter,
hostarted as II from astupor: "Come here,
Elsie, my child.n Placing Luke's hand In
hers he said: "Here Is your brother"
Brother and sister silently folded their
arms about each other. What was IL that
held all silent and spell-bound under that
wonderful revelationi That Luke was the
lost son of Colonel Morgan none could
doubt, yet not word was spoken, no shout
Of Joy. We're the Witnesses stunned with
the announcement, or was 1t the presence OF
deathl
Lille came TO them, and Luke, placing
one arm about her, turned 70 Elsie and said /:
''Can you love her as a sisterp
"Yes, yes,r she sobbed. r-
Colonel Morgan, without uttering another
word, turned his face toward the dark, dis
colored wall, aud peace came TO his troubled
soul. Soquiet was he, so silently did the
change come, that the prayerful watchers
knew It not until all was over.
I, Itwas Luke's regimental chaplain who
performed the burial service, and he and
his sister, whom he had only 30 recently
known. stood by the grave and watered II
with their tears. 1850 Af
Luke determined ct once TO drop the
name Of Mason and take his proper name
Morgan. But this he found almost impos-
sible while In the army, rs all his papers
were made out in the name Of Mason. II was
afterwards ascertained that Luke Mason,
the original owner Of the yellow haldker.
chief, was a mulatto, who was house serv.
ant OF Mr.. Morgan, and his handkerchief
had by some means got into tho possession
OF the nurse, possibly presented 10 her b.
the original Luke himself, who was quite q
fiirt in his way.
Colonel Mason got leave Of absence for
few days, and went with his sister, Lille,
Mr.. Eef and Albert, who had been paroled,
across the river into kentucky, where they
would be safe. He persuaded Lille 10 be
come his wife and they were quietly m6r.
ried at little country church In Kentucky
His sister kissed him on parting and told
him to care for their brother Jasper IL ht
should find him. He promised to do so, gave
her TO Albert and told him to care for botl
IL he should never return
Luke reached his regiment Just in time u
join General Halleck in the Corinth cam
paign- His regiment had meanwhile been
fully recruited and assigned TO the brigads
Of General Macarthur
Old Ar<ansaw Tom was constantly will
his beloved Colonel He seemed 70 hay,
lost much Of his jovial spirit since his thres
companions had left him. II was durinG
one OF the terrible assaults on Corinth that
the brave old veteran fell dead at Lrke'i
feet The Colonel stopped to raise the
fallen man, when he tell wounded and wal
carried to the rear, 90 that he never looked
on the wrinkled face Of his brave old friend
again.
The ColoueFs little wife came to nurs,
him back TO health, and he was able to Join
his regiment just after tho taking Of Vicks
burg. He found his brother, Major Jasper
Morgan, In the nospitaldying from q wound
HIS wife and sister were autographed for
but came too late.
1twas In the charge at Kenesaw Mount
aims that Blac<hawk, who had insisted OF
being Luke's bodyservan:, fell pierced b.
bullet In the bowels. The Colonel spr316
70 the groznd and raised the head OF thG
dying negro, and asked what he could do z
relieve or help him
ssNuthin', Inassa. Am de fight overf'
"Ror the present Il Ia