San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-03-14

Every tub stands on its own bottom
now. They are as free as anybody, and
ought to look out for themselves. You
amt bound to support them any longer.
As to place to go, there's the poor
house, if they can't do any better. We
all pay taxes to support that, and it
would be unreasonable to expect us to
support the paupers of the community
outside too"
Mary knew that the feudal feeling,
the sense of mutual dependence, which
had been so strong tie between her
own class and their humble retainers, in
the nature of things was nonexistent in
his class, and possibly beyond his com,
prehension. She cast about in her mind
how to make him understand without
reminding him ungenerously of their
difference of caste.
"These old people are singularly des.
titute of friends among their own race
on whom they have claim for support"
she explained LAS l told you just a
moment ago, their children are dead
and their grandchildren have shaken
them off and moved away. They are
very old and much attached to their
home. They wouldn't be comfortable
at the poorhouse."
"Oh, yes, they would" he contradict
ed, understanding her to mean in the
material sense. you're nightly mis-
taken about that. The paupers are well
treated by the county; they have good
accommodations and clothing and fire
wood provided, and hardly any work to
do. rode over there myself the other
day to tell the overseer to send wagon
for old Patrick and to make arrange
ments about them. don't like niggers;
| never did But I'm not brute either;
and if | hadn't seen with my own eyes
that the darkies were comfortable and
cared for, wouldn't have moved them"
''It isn't that" said Mary impatiently;
"it's the feeling they have about it.
They would die if they were sent to the
poorhouse. 1t is their pride, the degrade
ton of being considered paupers, the
ignominy of being on the county. Can't
you understand? It's the feeling that
made Dickens old woman run away
from everybody and die on the roadside
rather than be taken to the workhouse."
But Anthony had never read line Of
Dickens in his life, and the parallel
which Mrs. Beverley had cleverly drawn
from his own class was utterly thrown
away upon him. What struck him was
the absurdity of supposing negroes capa-
BILE of feelings and aspirations other than
those relating to physical comfort, of
imagining that they cared for anything
outside of being warmed and housed and
fed without undue exertion. This idea
of hers appeared to him so humorous
that he threw back his head and laughed
uproariously.
Mary felt as though she could have
struck him.
"Well, welll" he said, as soon as he
had got the better of his mirth, "you are
verdant, if you'll excuse me for saying
SO, Mrs. Beverley. To think of the cum
ming old beggar taking you in like that,
and of your believing him! He lied like
a thief all around. What he wanted was
to stay in my house, and when he found
he couldn't do that, to spite me by not
falling in with my arrangements for
him. It's shame that you should be
the victim, though, and I'll just let my
gentleman see that he can't get ahead
of me like that. I'll have the overseer
of the poor here after him inside of a
week"
Mrs. Beverley's eyes blazed. "You
will do nothing Of the kind" she said
shortly. "You are taking very great
liberty in interfering in my affairs in
this way. Those old people were brought
here by my orders and of my own free
will, and here they shall remain. They
have lived on this plantation for upward
of eighty years, and they shall die on it.
They worked for the Beverleys in their
youth, and the Beverleys profted by
their labor; now in their age they look
to the Beverleys for protection and sup
port, and their trust shall not be be-
trayed."
Anthony stared at her, light of adj
miration beginning to glow in his eyes.
He enjoyed seeing woman "hre up,
as he expressed it, and anger had given
to Mrs. Beverleys face beauty it did
not ordinarily possess beauty of flash
ing eyes and scarlet cheeks, beauty of
light and color, such as the man oppo-
site her could keenly appreciate. Never
had she looked so attractive in his eyes
as at this moment when he was appear
ing utterly odious in hers.
He dropped his lids according to his
custom and watched her color slowly
fade. 1t was a pity it should go, it was
SO pretty. He felt suddenly certain that
he loved her, and that he wanted her
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