The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-01-22

q WINE BACK HOME

| at Nashville for the train, some one
began crying, and an excitement was
raised among the passengers. A brlei
investigation proved that it was an
old colored man who was giving way
to his grief Three or four people
remark d on the strangeness of it but
for some time no one said anthing to
him. Then depot policeman came
forward and took him by the arm, and
shook him roughly and said:
''See here, old man, you want to quit
that. You ale drunk, and if You
make any moe disturbance I'll lock
you up.
"'Deed, but | hain't drunk re-
piled the old man, as he removed his
tear-stained handkerchief. 81 re lost
ed my ticket an money an dat's what S
the matter. -
"Bosh. You never had any money
to loose. You dry up or way you
CO.
"What's the matter yere:" quered a
mau, as he came forw ard.
The old man recognized the dialect
of the Southerner in an instant, and
representing his emotions with agreat
effort he answt red:
Say, Marse Jack, I'ze bin robbed"
"My name is White
"Well, then, Mars White, somebody
has done robbed me of ticket an
money
"Where were YOU g. in ?
"Gwlne down into kaintuck, whar
| was bon an raised"
"Where's that
"Nigh to Bowlin' sab, an when the
wah dun sot me free l cum up this
way. Hain't bin home since, sah.'
'.And you had a ticket"
eyes, sab, an ober $40 in cash. Bin
savin' up fur ten Vars, sah.'
"What do you want to 90 back
for?'
'To see de hill an de fields, de to-
bacco an de con Mars Preston an de
good old missus. Why, Mars White
I'ze dun bin prayin' fur it TO twenty
vars. Sometimes de longin, has cum
till | couldn't hardly hold my
self"
'.It's too bad"
''De ole woman is buried down dar,
Mars White-de ole woman an free
chillen. | kin member the srot same
as if seed it Yesterday You go out
halfway to de fust tobacker hou e, an
den YOU turn to de left an 90 down
to de branch whar de wimmen used
to wash. Oars 70 trees on de odder
bank, an right under em is whar dey
is all buried. l kin see it. l kin lead
you right to de spot.'
"And what will you do when you
get there:?' asked the stranger.
''Go up to de big house an ak Mars
Preston to let me lib out all de rest of
my days right dar. I'ze ole ar all
alone, an want to be nigh my dead.
Sorter company fur me when my heart
aches
"Where were you robbed?"
''Out doahs, dar, | reckon, in de
crowd. See? De pocket is all cut
out. lie dreamed an pondered-l'ze
bad dis journey IN my mind fur y'ras,
now ! re dun bin robbed an can't
60"
he fell to crying, and tn" police
man came forward liz an ttficious
manner.
"Stand back, sir" commanded the
stranger. Snow, gentlemen, you have
heard the story. I'm going to help
the old man back to die on the old
plantation and be buried alongside of
his dead
$50 am ~ called twenty men in
chorus, and within five minutes we
had raised enough to buy him ticket
and leave $50 to spare. And when
he realized his good luck, the old
snow-haired black fell upon his knees
in that crowd and prayed:
'Lord, I'ze been a believer in You
all my days, an now l dun axes You
to watch ODER desc yere white folks
dat has believed in me an helped me
to to go back to de ole home"
And do believe that nine-tenths
of that crowd had tears in their eyes
as the gateman called out the train tor
Louisville.