The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-12-23
ICONTINUED ]

Win AuTlCHs
----.Eassa'--
\ CONTINUED
Given the acknowledged slowness
of a good woman's moral revolutions,
plus her prejudices, how long would il
take to convert him from a traitor into
a respectable member of society, &C.
cording to Mamie Colyer's mental pro-
cess?
The solution to this problem had not
been satisfactorily reached when soft,
slow voice foeted toward him from the
grass plot beneath his feet in hesitat.
ing question.
"Mars majuh! Is that you, sittin "
thar smokin, Mars Majuh Strong?'
Strong flung his half smoked 4 -
over the balustrade and leaned q,ro.l
eagerly in search of the speakeY t.
voice was strangely familiar
'Isn't that Dolbear, old Dolbear trc..
Sans Souci?"
at sho' is, suh."
"And they have sent you to me with
message?"
"Who, boss?''
"My mother, Mrs. Strong, my sister,
Miss Colyer-some of them" with hun.
cry volubility
"No, sub, nobody didn' send me.
jes' come Of my own cord. wanted
to hear eff the tale were true. ~
A heavy sigh, almost sob, escaped
the officers lips, but he chung eagerly
to this one clumsy link in the chain
that must eventually be welded afrcsb
and bind him and his beloved together
once more.
"There are steps there at the end of
the old balcony. Sit down, old man,
and tell me about the old place. Did
you ride or walk"
81 walked, sub. Thar amt but two
beases lef' on that place, and by the
time they got home today from fetchin
your nanny and your bro Seth back
'erds and foerds they was plum give
out. You see, they don get none too
much CON these days. But l was 'bleeSed
to come. seq, 'Lucindy, l carn't sleep
wink tonight less II verifies it. y
Verify what, old MANI"
He was conscious Of his own dupllci-
ty. He knew quite we'll what it was
old Dolbear wanted to make sure of.
Verify the blessed insurance Of free
dom, sub. Mex sho' eff the story that's
goin the rounds of the folks as how old
Eben Martins second boy, Strong-him
as was named after ole mars-is ben
made head of Mars Lincoln's soldiers
and sent here to fetch we all the free
dom and the sartain promise of the land
that flows with milk and honey? Eff it's
true, / wants to dus' out the ole meetin
house and hol pra'r meetin thar tonight
to bless de Lawd, oh, my soul, and for
git not none of his beneficks.
Strong Martin found the old mans
grandiloquence singularly irritating.
Was it really impossible to get away
from the narrow personal bearings OF
this stupendous crisis in the history OF
the world? Must he, whose only balm
was found in moments of exaltatlon
that lifted him above the universal con-
domination of his course into brief
sense of well doing, in striking his fee
bic blows at gigantic wrong, be drag
ged earthward by the driveling OF an
old dotard who in the days Of his PAM
pered bondage had quite looked Gown
upon the overseer's boys2 Was the rev.
erential homage of this poor freedman
all the substitute destiny had to proffer
him in exchange for the love and conf
dence of his best beloved ones?
Old Dolbear's rhapsodies reduced the
abstract principle for which he had
been contending to the pitiably narrow
limitations of q personal obligation.
Liberty for the human race was grand
Idea, we'll worth a human holocaust,
but the thing liberated was poor,
mean groveler, with whom personal
contact was distinctly disagreeable. IL
was not easy to maintain footing on
the aerial heights of sublime theory
when the mire of its practical illustra-
tion clogged ones feet heavily. After
all, was the game worth the candle?
He preferred taking DolDear from
different point of view. AS citizen ne
had his limitations. AS link between
him and those he loved he would be al
together acceptable. He made haste to
bring his visitor down from his forensic
perch.
individually you have nothing 10
thank me for, old man. Accident has
located me hero with handful OF men
TO keep in order. Yes, you are free.
You are no mans slave any longer. You
are free to come and go when you please.
You are free to leave Sans Souci forev-
er tomorrow morning II you have
mind to. You are free to care for your
self and your family and TO select your