St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-08-30
"Gwine Back Home.

As we waited IN inc IL. " ~. uop"' @'
Nashville for the train, some one began
CRYING. says the New York Sun, and an
excitement was raised among the passen-
gers. A brief investigation proved that IL
was an old colored man who was glvlng
way to his grief. Three or four people
remarked on the strangeness OF 1t, but 1or
some time no one said anything TO MIN:
Then depot policeman came forward ana
took him by the arm, and shook MIN
roughly and said
"See here, old man, you want TO q'lt
that. You are drunk, and If you make
any more disturbance I'll lock you up:
"'Deed, but haint drunk, replied the
old man, as he removed his tear stained
handkerchief "l'ze losted my ticket an
money, an OATS what's de matter"
"Bosh You never had any money to
losel You dry up, or away you CO.
whats the matter yere! querleo
man as he came forward.
The old man recognized the dialect OF
the Southerner n an instant, and, repress-
| ing his emotions with a great effort, he
| answered
uSsy. Mars Jack, Tze bin robbed"
my name is White
"Wen. den, Mars White, somebody has
"Where were you going.
"Gsine down into kaintuck, where
was bon an raised"
"Where's that?"
"Nigh to Bowlin' Green, sab, an wher
de wah dun sot me free | cum up dis way
Hain't bin home sence, sab.
| "And you had ticketT'
eyes sab, and ober $40 in cash. Bin
savin' up for ten vars, sab"
what do you want to go back for r
"To see de hills an de fields, de to-
hacker, an de con, Mars Preston an az
good ole missus. Why, Mars White, lze
dun been prayin' fur it TO twenty vars
Sometimes de longin' has cum till
couldn's hardly hold myself"
sIt's too bad"
"De ole woman is buried down dar
| Mars White-de ole woman an free chill
len. kin member de spot rs If seed
Yesterday. You go out half way to de Jus
tobacker house, an den you turn to de LEI
an 90 down 10 de branch where de vim
men used to wash. Oars TO trees on d
odder bank, an right under EN- is wher
dew is all buried. | kin see it! kin lea
you right to de spot.
"And what will you do when you &c
there" asked the stranger.
Go up to de big house an ak Mar
Preston to let me lib out all de rest OF m
DAYS right dar. Tze old an all alone, al
| want to be nigh my dead. sorter com
pany fur me when my heart aches"
"Where was you robbed
.Out doahs, OAR, l reckon, in de crowd
Seer De pocket is all cut out. lz
dreamed and pondered- Ize had dis jour
, new in nv mind for vars an vars, al
r vars an now Ize dun been bin robbed al
can't gov
, He fell to crying, and the policema
: came forward in an officious manner.
, "Stand ba k, SIR commanded tn
; stranger. 'If you lay hand ON that mig
ger, III kill you Now, gentlemen, ",
y have heard the story. I'm going to hel
+ the old man back to die in the old planta
+ ton and be buried alongside of his dead
$50 am p called twenty men IN enc
, rus, and within five minutes we hs
raised enough to buy him ticket ar
leave fifty dollars to spare. And when L
. realized his good luck, the old w-halre
q black fell upon his knees in that CROW
. and prayed b.
! Lord, I'ze been believer in you
+ nv days, and now dun axes you to Watt
$ ober desc yere white folks dat has believe
g IN me an helped me to 60 back to de o
home"
And I do believe that nine tenths
q that crowd had tears in their eyes as u
a gateman called out the train for LOUISVILLE