Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1893-11-25

cOCtOn lanu III MlSSlSSlppi DclOW Nlcks'
burg. plant every acre of it: and I
raise sugar in Louisiana"
81 hope you're not a Shareholder,
sir" said my mother.
20, I've a few niggers-hardly a
hundred. I've had to hire some the
last season."
At the Mortified looks of my mother
and the painful silence of my father
Mr.. Bostock wiped his mouth and
laughed.
'T'd like to have you come down and
see how some of those lazy cattle i'm
pose upon me. But. dash it all, Amos,
haven't time to discuss the institu-
ton. and it wouldn't do. either-we
should quarrel. Of course you're an
abolitionist. remember you in the
old days; you were cut out for one.
Let's talk about something else"
.'You have a family. of course,
Pierce?"
my wife died few years ago. I've
one child, Coralie. little witch OF
seven. I've great house. which is
run by the servants. know all about
the plantation, but | haven't much
control inside. Everything is lavish,
and it's wonder to me. sometimes,
that I'm not poor man. But come
down. and you'll find hospitality
enough"
For more than an hour he talked, in
terrupted only by an occasional ques-
ton or exclamation. did not observe
then-long afterward | had occasion
to recall the fact-that he parried sew
eral attempts of my parents to draw
him out about his deceased wife and
his daughter. lie talked interesting
ly. almost eloquently. about the Guilt
walton of cotton. the scenes in the i'm
mense fields when the picking time ar
rived. the ginning, the baling and the
shooting down the long incline to
steamboat. TO me it was all new
revelation; listened with all my
senses.
lie turned to me briskly with the
question::
We'll. my lad, how would You like
to 90 down and see all this for your
self?"
Above all things. SIR"
II say, Amos, why not send him
down to me. after a few years? I'll
put him in the way to be rich"
sat with clasped hands eagerly
looking from one to the other OF my
parents. Their hearts were touched
by the thought of parting with me.
and by the generous interest OF MIR.
Bostock.
IL mean it. Amos. I've taken no
ton to the boy. and Id like to have
him with me. To be sure, I'm slave
holder, but there's lots Of more dan
gerous animals in the woods than the
unfortunate man who has to feed and
clothe parcel of lazy niggers. You
needn't hurry; keep him few years
yet; send him to school: and by and by
send him down TO me. via Cincinnati.
Cairo and Vicksburg IN take care OF
him, and give him such start III the
world as he'd never get up this way
won't forget what I'm saying. Amos.
neither. What do you say''
Your kindness quite overpowers
me, Pierce. II think seriously OF 1t.
and talk It over with the boy and his
mother"
"All right. my old friend; the thing
is as good as done. Now my time is
about up Don't get crazy over politics,
Amos. and don't take Dorr to your
abolition meetings. Let me have a
pen and ink and III put down my adj
dress for you."
He took from his pocket narrow
blank book. wrote rapidly upon leaf
of it, tore out the leaf. thrust 1t into
my fathers hand. and had said his fare
, well and was out of the house with q
celebrity that was really bewildering.
My father looked at the paper. II
shook in his hand; he turned pale. He
could not speak. but held the paper
toward u.s. My mother took and read
it, while ! looked over her shoulder.
The leaf was from a blank check book.
On the stub he had written his address;
the body was check on a Boston
bank, payable to the order of Amos
Jewett for one thousand dollars!
81 can't take it, really must not"
said my father "Dorr. go and tell him
So"
ran out of the house. Mr.. Bostock
was already one hundred yrrds off lay
ing the lash ON the horse lshonted TO