The times., 1897-05-09
XIV.
THE LITTLE MASTER SAYS GOOD
NIGHT


did not add TO his good humor. Hehad his
Fathers suriy temper, and, with il, vim
dictive spirit that was entirely lacking in
the elder Gossett. Moreover, age had not
moderated nor impaired his energies, as
it had his fathers,
The fact that he had failed 10 capture
Aaron struck him as personal affrcnt.
He was stang byit He feltthat he and his
father had been wronged by some one, he
couldn't say who, but not by the runaway,
for what was a "nigger, anyhow? After
while the idea was borne III upon him
that he nd his Family had somehow been
'.insulted' by the Abercrombies. lie ar
rived at this conclusion by a very circuitous
route The Abercrombies we've harboriDg
a Yankee in their house, and IL they had the
stomach To do that, why wasn't it Just
as easy for them 30 barber ''paps" run
away nigger, especially when they We're so
keen TO buy him?
A mother thing that stung him, thoughhe
never mentioned it, was the sudden and UNI
explainable attitude of his father toward
Aaron Houng gGossetthado observed thathis
father appeared TO have lost interest," in the
~
catch him, but the fact was not impressed
upon the young man smind until the day he
told the elder Gossett about the queer sight
he saw n Ahercrombie' S pasture
''Were you hunting the runaway his
father asked with some impauence.
"why, no, pap. We weren't doing a
thing in the world but crossing the pasture
on our way to the Turner old fields
n I do. Lat nj
MIN alone IL you don't you'll get hurt.
I know what I'm talking about"
This fairly took Georges breath away.
why. pap" he cried, amt he your
niger? Didn't you buy him and pay your
money down for him? Don't you want
him out OF the woods? And who s going
to hurt me, pap?"
You ndud what 1 tell you snapped
the elder Gossett. I'm older than you,
and when 1 know a thing / know it. Let
the runaway alone
ST I'm going to be hurt responded
George Goggedly, I'd like to know who ii
do it,
1t would have been better for both if
tIr Gossett had told his son of his eXpe-
rience with Aaron. AS it was, George
was in danger of losing the little respect
he ehadror his father. When he was warned
that he would be hurt if ne kept on trying
to capture Aaron, he suspected at once
that tile warning related to Mr.. Abercrom-
bic. Who else would dare to hurt him,
or even threaten to hurt him? Certainly
not the runaway. Who, then. but Aber-
srombie?
The suggestion was enough. 1t made
George Gossett so furious that he never
thought 10 reflect that he himself had in
vented It, Once invented, however, every
circumstance seemed to fit it. His father
had suddenly lost interest in the runaway,
though he had paid out money for him,
and had hardly received 81 weeks work
in return. Why? Because Mr.. Aber-
croInbic had overawed his father in a
crowd, Just as he did the day Aaron was
sold from the block. Tie young uan had
not forgotten that episode, and his re
sentiment was rekindled and grew hotter
than ever, for it was now REINFORCED by
inward shame and disgust at the way his
father had allowed himself to be overcome
md that too, in regard to his own prop
erty
The first result of George CioSSett's re-
sentiment was his nearly successful effort
to make the Teacher, Richard II udspeth, the
victim of the violent and natural prejudice
that xisted at that time against Abolition
lists san event that has been related in THE
StOryof Aaron" The rescue of the Teacher
by Mr.. Abercrombie an the fact that George
tiossett was knock ell flat by the Black Stal-
lion, caused his resentment to rise to a
white heat. He brooded over the matter,
until at last desire to injure Mr.. Aber-
anne al MAJ
andit went so far that one night, inflamcd
by whisky, he set fire to the dwelling
house of the man he believed to be his
fathers enemy.
Then it was that Aaron rescued Little
Crotchetu and Free Polly, and fell faintin z
to the ground. And then it was that Mr..
Gossett seized the first plausible opportu-
nifty that had presented itself to sell Aaron
to Mr.. Abercrombic. 1t is true, he drove a
sharp bargain, suspecting that the runa-
way had seriously injured himself; but he
would have sold Aaron in any event, being
anxious to get rid of him.
George Gossett disappeared that night,
and was seen no more in that region. Years
afterward a homesick Georgian, returning
from Texas. brought word that George Cos
sett had made a name for himself in that
State, being known as tough and aterror.
It's an i'll wind that blow no good to any
one. George Gossett little knew when he
applied the torch Co the Abercrombie dwell
ing that the light Of it would call Aaron
from the wild woods and show him the
wayto a home where he was to live, happy
in the love Of Little Crotchett and OF chill
dren as yet unborn, and happyin the respect
and confidence of those whose interest he
served.
Perhaps f George Gossett could have look
ed into the future, the blaze that produced
these results would never have been kin
died, and in that event the story of Aaron
in the Wild Woods could have been spun
out at greater length, but the conclusion
would not have been different.
Richard Hudspeth remained long enough
to see Aaron duly installed in his new
home, for the Abercrombie mansion was
at once rebuilt on larger scale than ever,
and to see him serve as the major tlomo
OF the establishment. But the departure
of the Teach was not delayed for many
months after his experience with the reck-
less and irresponsible young men who lad
placed themselves under the leadership of
George Gossett. Duties more pressing and
more important than those he had assumed
in eorgia called him to his Northern home
where larger career awaited him-a ca
rcer that made him famous
He became the most intimate adviser ef
Abraham Lincoln, and that great man
found in him what at the outset he found
In few New England men, the deepestsym.
pathy and highest appreciation
Itwas characteristic of Richard Hudspeth
a..