The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-12-15
AMBER GLASS.
A CHRISTMAS STORY.
Copyrighted. 1895. by American Press As
ISOLATION.

/ ISOLATION.
In Louisville j met old Capt HahNn,
+ and he urged me 10 go home with him.
4 my people are all of on a visit, and you
Z know what it is for a sociable old fellow
Z TO be left alone" said he And. by the
! way, YOU may not know it, but have one
I of the most attractive places in Kentucky,
rambling old house. built by my grand
father. and all that sort OF thing. Wait
now before declining. for / must mention
! stronger inducement: one that gentle
man can hardly withstand-rnint under
amber colored glass. Don't quite catch
/ that, do you2 I'll explain, and you must
pardog me If I appear to ramble a little.
In Kentucky during the latter part OF the
spring, all OF the summer and the first
half OF the fall. a clodhopper can live al
most as well as one OF the bloods And
why? Because he can go along the spring
branch and gather mint, can hang about a
stillhouse until somebody gives him
quart OF liquor TO get rid of him. and then
all he has to do is to grab handful OF
sugar, go away somewhere and live. But
during the time off, when the sharp teeth
OF the frost has raked the earth, he can't
get the mint. and therefore can't live
completely. Now, I have suffered from
this ineompleteness of living, and have at
last provided against IL. / have a mint
dollhouse. and, more than that. the sun
rays are mellowed through amber glass,
and The old gentleman snatched out
a red bandanna handkerchief and wiped
his mouth. Have you no handkerchief"
he asked, noticing that / had not wiped
my mouth. What sort of man are you
getting TO be? But what do You say?
Going with me?"
II am"
Upon my shoulder he afect,onately laid
his hand. unsteady with emotion, and
looking straight into my eyes, he said:
This world is going to the devil as fast
as II can, and when / meet a man who is
wiling to turn aside and take an interest
In me, why,"I CAD. it move me, sir. Now.
I'll tell you what well do he added,
taking my arm and turning me about.
Wen go out there and have an cd
fashioned Southern Christmas. On my
place are a number of negroes that were
born there, and to them the revival of
an old holiday memory vii be-well, I
hardly know what to call it, but you
shall see for yourself
We went straightway to the railway
station, the Old man talking necessarily
OF his disappointment at the weakness
OF Christmas in the North. 1 let him
talk. II was like the babbling of an old
and dearly remembered stream whose
channel is worn deep and which holds
many tender recollection, may a rem
iniscent gurgle. l had known him dur
ing many years. Once he was in the
correspondent had reported his speeches.
/ liked him. took the kirk out OF his sem
fences, made him say things to please
his people, and he warmed toward me.
on the train / sat and watched him,
| living in the past with him. An old mans
charm is TO live in the past. To be Who'll
~ of the present makes him too worldly,
lover of money, and greedy old man
| is a blight upon the face of the earth. I
| sat and looked at this old man, and 1
4 thought Of the days when his life was
I lordly; when dusky hands clapped in
welcome at his return from school; when
the music of his hounds aroused at dawn
| his sleepy neighbors; when proudly he
| led to the altar the belle of the neighbor-
hood IL was easy to review his life. In
society forever gone his place had been
! secure.
| 1t was dusk when we got off at a sta
ton. A negro who had just lighted a
! lantern adjusted it as he came toward
us. The colonel asked him is he had
| brought the buggy or the carriage. DE
| carriage, sah,' the negro answered. I'VE
| lowed dat you wan gwine come all de
way home by y1se'f. er, he. her!
The colonel laughed. The old scoundrel
! knows me-" he said. And you knew that
! I'd come back sober, eh?"
'Oh, vas, sab. O. cose I knowd dat
| knowd dat you wan gwine drink dat on
| sartin stuff up yander when you'se got de
btSl dl Holile dluiisSluS . HlIfN tdl uc sun >
| shined on through yaller glass, er, he.
| he"'
The scoundrers working me for a
! drink" said the colonel
/ We had now quilted the platform and
were walking toward the carriage which
We could see dimly outlined in the deep
| enng dusk. The negro was in advance
! OF Us. lie turned at the coloners remark,
aud l saw his white teeth cleaning. Ain
no use'n er man tryin' ter hide his mind
frum Mars Lep." he said joltng himself
with a laugh. Not er bit er Use. Gaze he
gwne read er mans mind ike one deZe
yere books wild er luther kiver on st.
Go on, you scoundrel!" the colonel re-
pied.
Vas. sab; dats whut fze dom"
Anything been going on since / left?"
NO, sab. not much. Sam Purdy an jim
Bates got inter er squahble. an Sam
stabbed him, an de doctor say he ain
gwne Id"
That sou
"Yas. sab. an Miles Parker wuz flung
be or colt day 5efo y.stidy. an ia say dat
one o his Lays got ter come Of
You don't tell me-
Vas, sab, an ole Miss Nancy Lee trod
on er round stick an fen an broke her
hip. an da low she amt gw.ne sit well
Gaze she 50 Old"
What"
Vas. sab an Capn Bowles sont word
ter Mr. Hicks dat he WIZ or barface lar,
an erbout shutdown l seed Mr Hicks
/ r.dln' toward de Cap'n's house. an Oars
/ no te3ln' whuJ has happened by DIS time
We'll you've all lad a iine time since l
/ left Hop ~ there now and drive Us
home