The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-05-26
PATCHES.
A decoration Day Story.

Patches followed tho Emancipation
Proclamation into our village. lilo also
followed his father and mother and
their earthly possessions, which were
limited to allow bundles OF anondescript
character. In response to an inquiry
the tall, stately, lno.lookins specimen
OF her race said:
"Psc Mis- Princess Eugcnia Victoria
Billson," and with a contemptuous
glance over her left shoulder: "Dat's
solomon Nlelindy Cindy Caesar Angus.
tus Billso, an dat's his pap" No Ian.
guagc can convey tho idea OF tho con.
tempt which went into that last word.
A crawling worm would not have been
more despised.
"l's Joseph, Mis-"
Tho attitude was cringing, tho tone n
melodious whine. CHANGING from the
speaker to his costume, Il vision of that
other Joseph, with his coat OF many
%colors, arose. with Reuben in the tore.
ground. pleading for tho dcspised OF Ills
brethren.
Solomon Melindy Cindy had crcpt n
little closer with: "Pap's kind and awful
handy"
"llandy at doin' nothin'." The ewes
OF the princess flashed fire as the new
conner moved on.
Driving In tho outskirts u few days
later l met Solomon again. He raised
his hat, and respectfully inquired:
"Has missus any odd Jobs? l wants.
to wo'k an hep my ole nanny. Pap's
poly gain. Dis wah am restin' on his
mind; he got freedom. but he dom kno'
wha. to do wild it. Fac mis-, freedom
worries pap, and pap worries mammy;
SO Oar it is!
Solomon heaved a deep sigh, glancing
at the many patches which adorned him
in a grotesque fashion. Patches" / in.
voluntarily named him, and he ALWAYS
appeared in a style which justified the
cognomen. | had work which needed
to be done, but could this nondescript
individual he OF any real service? Will.
lngness being more than half the battle,
l agreed to hire him for one week. His
much Obliged. nam" was spoken in
such an earnest, heartfelt fashion that
my courage arose. and | really felt glad
that Solomon MGlindy Cindy Caesar Au-
gustus Biilson had straved into nv path.
Oars a heap n-goin' on now. pat.
ting the sod around q shrub he had
just been transplanting, IAN things hab
been a-happcnin'. dey hab. rs been in
two battles myself; dat Antietam battle
war awful. mis-, but oh, such a beaut-
eous spot! Right in de center OBJ dat
field l found 4 little dead drummer bow.
and SEE l,'..Solomon Melindy. wc'll'bury
dis po' chic whedder dar any mo
funerals or not l toted him to q tree
nenh 4 bridge, an dug n grave with n
broken pavonct, said Il prayer
taught me. an lay him down to sleep.
ChiIlen oughtn't 80 TO wah, mis-; deed,
dcv ough;u't!
de who'll time I WIZ a-wokin' wild
dat chile. his golden ha'r all blood
stained, l herd dat thunder in de dis
tancc cryin', Free! Free! F'rcc!" An
prayed do Lo'd to bless dc blood dab
wuz bein' split 10 us po' blacks. we
amt with It, sez I, 'bu. God Almighty
an his prophet Solomon always spoke
OF Abraham Lincoln as Gods prophet)
kno' best
Desc flowers maxi me t'ink OBJ my
young mIssus; powerful nice young
lady. too; Twin down dar by dc Ten
nessee, an n pinin', TO- her father dom
got killed in his iust battle. Ny pap
want so no count till mas dom went
away. lie jus sed, Joseph, you 60!
aud pap went. lie amt lazy; but he
jes' don want to wo'k kase mas amt
heah to tell him how. Nanny dom
under,tan' pap"
Nov, nanny wants me TO- n
preacher. 'Sho. now,' sez |, dc Lodi
amt sendin' out John, de Baptis', oberv
day. | amt got 'ligion, anil amt rot
%larnin', So SEE |, 'yo' JUS pray, on sing,
an 'xort all you want to. Mis- Princess
Eugenin Victoria Bi.lson, an I'll max
e io1k4' gardens. y rose is n rose,
mis-, aud o fig trGo don bar thistles."
Solomon. nnconsciously eloquent,
worked and talked with equal facility.
lio lost no time, and | was not an un-
willing listener to his graphic descrip-
lions. lie knew by intuition both the
philosophy OF inner aud outer things.
Religion and education might do much
for Solomon, but without either, the
true gold was still there.
The next spring ] went away. Our
preparations OF the fall before had in.
deed made al! things around nv humble
home both bright and beautiful. Tho
princess had established such n repu,a-
ton for honesty and thrift that | decid-
cd to leave Fern Cottage under hers
aud SoInn,npfu ,n,n,
Joseph was dead, and marrying again
was n subject which her majesty pre-
tended TO look upon with inetIablc
scoru.
"l'se a.rnisin' Solomon; an mo-, Is n
spectacle widdah, dat's wat ! Is! Dom
dat wants to marry, lot 'om marry;
mons Il plum triliin' lott"
Colonel T., n return crippled sol-
dier and a former lawyer, wal instruct
cd to aell my property. il, within T. Ger.
tain length OF time, | did not return. 1t
was ten years before | again saw Fern.
dHlC.
Being something OF n ph%ilanthropist
and also much Interested in tho freed.
men, Colonel B. had tal,on Solomon in
hand, but oil this | knew nothing until
my return. llo wanted to surprise inc,
and well did ho succeed. | had tolo.
graphod my arrival. and tho colonel,
Mrs. b and Solomon were ut the sta
tion. The awkward, ill-drosscd. patched
up boy OF eighteen had merged into the
respectable and delighted parsonage bc.
iurc mo He hold nlooi until the tcst
exchanged greetings. Then lio came
forward with: Wore all p"ow'ful glad
70 geo you, Miss Winilred; JUS seem
like wc couldn't whit no long"'. Colonel
hOMgh do hnMan Alman,i an'a yn, cnull