The Monitor-register., 1897-01-22
Gwine Back Home. "

|
Nashville for the train, ssme one began
crying, aud an excitement vas raj ed
among the passengers. A brief invt sti
CATION proved tbae it was an old colored
man who was giving way to his grief.
Three or four people remarked on the
straDgepess of it. but for some time no
one said anything to him. Then a depot
| policeman came forwar1 and took him
by the arm, and shook him roughly and
said:
'See here, old man, you want to quit
that! You are drunk, and if you make
any more disturbance I'll lock you upr'
Deed, but hain't drunk" replied
the old man, as he removed his tear
stained handkerchief. "I'zs losted my
ticket an money, an dat's what's the
matter"
"Bosh! You never had any money to
lose! You dry up or away you gor'
"What's the matter here?" queried a
man, as he came forward.
The old man recognized the di alect of
the Southerner in an instant, and repress
i, ing his emotions with a great effort he
| answered:
Say, Mars jack. I'ze bin robbed
my name is White"
"Well, then, Mars White, somebody
has done robbed me of ticket an money"
Where we're you going?"
"Gwine down into Kaintuck, whar
was bon an raised. ;"
"Where's thai?"
Nigh to Bowlin' Green. sab, au' when
the wah dun sot me free l cum up this
way. Hain't been home since, sah.''
FAnd you had ticket?"
eyes, sah, an ober $50 in cash. Bin
savin' up fur ten Vars. sah''
what do you want to go back for?"
ITO see de hills an de i,lds. de
tobacco an de oo'D. Mars Preston an de
good old missus. Why, Mars White,
Pze dun bin prsyin' fur it fn' twenty
Vars. Sometimes de lougin' has cum till
| couldn't hardly hold myself"
It's too bad"
DE ole woman is buried down dar,
Mars White-de ole woman au' free chill
len. l kin member the spot same as If
seed it yisterday. You go ou halfway
to de fust tobacker house, an den you
turn to de left an go down to de branch
whar de wimmen used ter wash. Dar's
fo' trees ou de cdder bank, an right
uuder 'em is har dey is all buried.
hin see ii! kin lead YOU right to de
spot!'
"a Id what will you do when you get
there ?" asked the stranger.
Go up to de big house an' az Mars
Preston to let me lib out all de rest of nv
days rgntdar I'zs ole au' all alone, an
l want to be nigh my dead Sorter oom.
pany fur me when my heart aches''
"Where were you robbed 2"
Out doahs, dar, I reckon, in de crowd.
SeeP Despocket is all cut out. Pze
dreamed an' pondered-I'ze had dis
journey in my mind fur Vars, an now
I'ze dun bin robbed an can't go!''
He fell to crying, and the policeman
cime forward in an officious manner.
Stand back, sir p commanded the
stranger. Now, gentlemen, you have
heard the story. I'm going to help the
old man back t. die on the ole plantation
and be buried alongside of bis dead"
so am l !" called twenty men in
chorus, and within five minutes we had
raised enough to buy him a ticket and
leave $50 to spare. Aud " ben he real
lied his good luck, the old snow. haired
black tell uroa his knees in that crowd
and prayed: soa.
Lord, 1'ze been 4svc sver in You all
my days, an now edn axes You to
watch ober desc yere white folks dat has
believed in me an helped me to go back
to de ole home"
And l do believe that nine tenths of
that crowd had tears in their eyes as the
gateman called out the train for Louis
vile,