The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-12-22

~ can't deny you are my SON"
driving old Billy Blaze-you remem-
Der old Billy, Seth, sonny? And the
governor, he passed us with them
spanking grays Of his, and when he
saw what me and Eben was up to-you |,
was layin in white heap in my lap, |
Srong-he put his head out the side of |
the buggy, jus as friendly as friendly |
could be, sayin in that hearty voice OF |
his'n, What you goin to name him, |
Eben?' And Eben, he called back: I'VE |
amt made up our minds yet. Becky |
and me have turned over just about 500 |
| or so of good Christian names, but |
somehow nuther they don't none of
'em seem good enough for this chap.
"You see, sonny turning apologet-
ically toward Seth, 'he come right aft
er you, and he was n real handsome
laddie. We hadn't learned then that
handsome is as handsome does. And
then the governor he ughed and said,
Name him for mc y n, and he will
be sure of the prefir, :. And we all
laughed, and old D6ibear, he was hold
ing the grays in all this time. let cm
co. and the governor was out vi sight
in a liffy, and Eben he turned to me
! and said, What do you think OF 1T,
Becky? And said, What, Eben?' And
he said: About naming him after the
gov'ner. Strong Martin don't sound so
bad. And ] said: NO, it didn't.
ruther liked the sound Of it, and we
settled OH it right there and then, so
you can't say we didn't give you fair
start in life, Strong Martin, for that
led up to tho gov 'ner sendin you on
to school and givin you a better chance
than ever your brothers had And what
good has it ever done you? 1t turned
you ag'inst your home. 1t turned you
ag'inst the gov 'ner's family. 1t drove
YOU to settle down at Neck or Nothing
as surly and obstinate as could be, and
finally it's drove you into raising your
Eand aginst your own father and moth
err. Don't say word, Strong Martin,
for all your gold lace and your cringln,
crawlin, Yankee shoulders out yonder
touchin their hats like plantation mig
ger ev'ry time they come whar you are.
I'm more ashamed of you at this mint
than ] ever thought to be Of anything
that bears the name of Martin. l can
denv YOU bein my own flesh and blood,
out don't want nothin of you. You We
cast in your lot with. the enemies OF
your own people, and coulon't feel nc
, worse than / do this mint If you wa'
: lawn dead III your coffin before me
{ ,stead of standin there so brassy ant
hold in YOUR Yankee clothes. Oh, Strong
Strong!" :.
i Mamie Colyer, standing by the oil
woman. tenderly drew the grief staine'
: cheeks within her sheltering arms.
"Let us go, Mrs Martin, Let 9
d home. You will feel better after we &c
1 back to Liza. -
u No word, no look for him.
n eyes. let us 90 home, child. We ar
not wanted here any longer.
n With the superb composure OF an OF
Tended sovereign Mamie was drawn
;. the wreck of an antebellum ven owe
l. her comical hat Of plated shucks, I'll
d fingers of her white cotton mittens hoy
D erinp about her head like so many whl'
mice. 1t was necessary to pass close 2
" the desk where Strong stood, steadyln
his shaken nerves by strong physics
e. effort. He put out his hand to detai
ut her She eluded the slight touch.
"MamieI One word BY heaven, yc
+, shall hear me. ;"
g, He placed himself between her al
DO the door. Without INDIGENOUS vlolen
n she could not avoid listening to him
.sTbe time will come, it must con
n before very long, when you Will 1udl
in INV course by different standards. u
nd will feel more lenient then. just no
as YOU. my mother, none of you give
On credit for acting upon my convictio
to of what was right and what was wron
il, T renresent to you cowardly egoti'
n content TO let his nearest and deart
ed snffer SO that he secured to himself t
IL Aesb pots. When you come, by the
If that soberer Judgment whlcn u,
w;,l hiring to us all, to look at Il
,nonstrous war episode from the Q,
side. you will recognize the possipii'
rs, of n consistent southern Unionlst.
? "Goyernor Strong was one, put
he sentiment of class was too strong
TX his mowers of resistance. Countless M
hers of men, now fighting on the SIDE
on the south. stand where do, morally
IN not nhvsically. There were no CT
in prejudices for me to conserve or 70 Q
dy rage. A born pariah, the overseer's
en- xyes free to choose his side. / chose
not one which seemed to stand for lbe
an and Justice, the two consultations m
conspicuously absent from my own
OK perience. .,;u chat bo
es, "When you come to realize tnaC no
-. ing slavery as 1 did, to be black PIC.
'.l0 the face Of Gods fair creation ! wa
m~ much in duty bound to fight ior
:. abolition az Adrien Strong was Tor