The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1897-07-17
A Slaves Devotion.
BY THORPE GREENLEhF.
ayIJELL. this is the first time j
wv ever saw man beat rock by

ing two young men, one white, the
other black. breaking rock on turn
pike. His scrutiny was returned with
compound interest from under the
lowering brows of the negro. but was
unnoticed by his companion on account
of the latters being doubly occupied
Besides breaking stone thewhite labor.
er had Latin grammar propped up In
the pile beside him and his hammer
kept time with the cadences of Latin
conjugation. When his attention was
attracted BY a strangers voice he
paused TO say:
.Were you speaking to me, sir?'
mot exactly. | rather think l was
speaking to myself. What book have
you there that seems so fascinating?'
Its Latin grammar
"Indeedl Not so very lively reading,
fhen?"
NO, you would hardly expect that
of a dead language"
mo, hardly. But you seemed so abb
sorbed. Are you learning anything
out here in this broiling sun?'
"0h, yes" the youth replied. wiping
the perspiration from his brow, you
see am getting pretty well warmed up
TO the task"
NO doubt of that" the stranger said,
evidently bent on pursuing the con-
versation. but judging from the
steady swing of your hammer should
call it a rather dark outlook for the
grammar lesson"
.Neyer got more light on the subject
all the time | was in the Pennsylvania
university"
Blinking sympathetically the horse
man exclaimed:
..Ah, so you are university man?'
There was no more lesity, but half
breathed sigh in the answer;
Il was last year, but shall not go
again till next year.
Was it pity for the countrys misfor-
tune in being thus deprived of the fine
football material he saw in the young
man that stirred the horseman's heart
and reechoed in the next remark?
1T seems like some man who admires
grit and struggling genius and who has
the cash would help you through"
"Sir!"
The speaker was attired in stow
linen but the naughty surprise with
which he addressed that "sir" to the
stranger belied his humble garb and
occupation. The horseman saw his
mistake and in hurried depreciation
stammered:
mo offense, my dear sir, no offense.
OF course you are well able TO paddle
your own canoe and will be the better
for it."
Then deftly changing the subject he
asked:
''Will you attend the one-mile foot
race at Lexington Saturday week?"
The mention of sport, as was antici-
pated, aroused all the Kentucky blood
OF the young rock-breaker, and he
eagerly inquired, though with no in
tention of committing himself again:
"Who will run?"
81 shall run against Kentucky"
'And you are"
John Hurst, the champion of Vir-
ginia. 1t takes 81 900 to enter, and will
cover five such entries. The winners,
should there be any" and Mr.. Hurst
smiled complacently, "can settle the
championship of Kentucky among
themselves. Come to the race, Mr..
-, Mr.. -"
'Rosser, sir-Lovick Rosser at your
service"
Come to the race, Mr.. Rosser."
'Thank you sir; perhaps may"
"Good-morning, Mr.. Rosser."
"Good-day, Mr.. Hurst"
The champion of Virginia ambled off
in the direction of Lexington, and for a
half hour nothing was heard but the
steady clack, clack, clack of the ham
mers as the workers toiled on. Then
the negro spoke:
Mars Lovick, you can beat de him
sights often dat Figinian a runnin'."
You never saw him run, Tom"
Il knows dat, Mars Lovick, but has
seen you run, an jist nachilly know
dat no little dried-up scuse of man
like him can ruin wild you. Now, Mars
Lovick, jist listen TO reason. Senee
George died it takes you an me year
10 keep you in school year. You jist
run dis race, an in Is minutes you'll
make 'nough to finish you up. Den in
three years you'll graduate, but eff we
so long dis here way it will take six
years; don't you see?"
"Ies, l see, and if had the money
I'd run the race, but | haven't the one
thousand dollars and that ends it." was
the impatient reply.
"You's got me, Mars Loyick. and Is
cheap at fifteen hundred dollars"
Tom, you don't think I'll sell you to
get money TO run footrace with, do
you?"
you could borrow de one thousand
dollars of Square redgood. an give him
a mortgage on me-"
"Hush, Tom, | won't listen TO sueh
talk Don't bother me any more now.
] must get this lesson"
The young fellow resolutely put the
thought of the footrace from his mind
as he bent to his book and hammer.
He was a magnificent creature. In a
region justly celebrated for large men
he stood whole inches above his neigh
bors. lie was widows son. and as his
share of his fathers estate had been
given two negro men. At the age of II
he entered school, intending TO use
the labor of his two slaves to keep
himself there. and at graduation he
was going to manumit George and
Tom But George had died the first of