Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1895-01-03
Saint Maru's Beacon


one Talteu neF manu- itsticSshys
"That suppose is Georgia, next
Alabama, and over there the Blue
Ridge Mountains Of North CARROLL
ma"
"Dat's it, dat's dem," ne inter-
rupted her to say excitedly, and
leaning forward, he gazed devour-
ingly st the misty range in the dis
lance. ooh. man, is yeu sartain
sho dat dem is de Blue Ridge in
Mort Calliny:' His voice rang
ont sharp and querulous.
Yes, l am quite sure.' she said
kindly. and passed on to leaf en-
powered cottage near by.
He stood motionless, absorbed,
and muttering to himself: "Taint
fur, faint fur when a breeze
came mp the mountain side, freight
ed with the odor of burning pine.
When it touched him, his nostrils
expanded--his chest heaved, and
falling on his knees, with his arms
outstretched, he shouted I; sI'se
mos thar, Use mos home /
smells de rosum oh de piney woods p
Tears-.-.he first he had shed
for years-filled his bleared eyes
and rolled down his furrowed
cheeks. In his old, tattered, trav-
el-stained clothes, he looked like
some bronze statue Of supplicating
misery, silhouetted against the soft
pink flush of the western sky. The
next day he resumed his journey.
'Er cloud by day, an er piller
OBJ fire by night he murmured,
reverently, with his eyes fixed on
the far-off mountain peaks.
But what he thought SO short a
distance took him many long weary
days to traverse. Finally, on
Christmas Eve, he found himself
at the foot of the mountain on
whose side his old master lived.
His strength was almost spent,
deep sores were on his shoulders
and back, from the constant rub
bling of the heavy bag of gold, but
he pressed bravely forward. Every
foot of the ground was now famil-
lar to him. Many night he and
his Marse Alex had hunted pos
sums and coons over it when they
were boys. Gazing up, he caught
glimpses OF lighted pine-knots,
aaring from cabin to Goblin, like
shooting stars. 'Gittin' r'ady fur
de Chris ball. he mutiered,
and FASTENED his steps.
Now he could see the dwelling
house, with the white smoke curl
ing from its chimneys. and there
fell on his ear the tinkling notes of
a banjo, rendering the once famil-
lar air Of ooh, Dat Quiltin' Party
He stopped, spellbound and remi-
niscent.
De berry same chune whut USE
ter dance he soliloquized under
his breath, me an Calline. How
US laid ali de urrer niggers in de
shade, an whit er sassy way dat
gal did hab OBJ flingin' her eye ober
her shoulder at de boys er settin'
'roun' lax crows wild dey mouf open,
watchin' her. Lawd, Lawd, but
didn't us knock it off =
A bright light was burning in
the library, he crept to the window
and peeped in.
'Lawd, Lawd, / wonder eff Marse
Alex, an ole Marster, an Nanny,
an Calline gwinter know me.
speck ole Marster III want ter hit
me or hund'er fur runnin' off,
and he chuckled softly. The room
had changed but little since he last
saw it. A man sat near q table,
his face buried in his hands, i'm
mersed in deep thought.
Dat look too young fur ole Mars
ter, but at de same time it's too ole
fur Marse Alex-must be a visitor.
The man raised his head.
Cord Ermighty! OATS sho huff
Marse Alex, but amt he growed ?
He useter be slim ez er gal, an
look ut dem whiskers. / amt
terhed errszesy @sing hisgnsff--l
ed fingers over his hairy face, mot
sence us two boys useter shave ev'y
day do Lawd SEN, ter mex our
boards grow. Oars his sweetheart,
sho,' he broke off excitedly, as a
young girl came in stole her arms