Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-05-07
Continuation

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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 vas up to-you
was layin in a white heap in my lap,
Strong-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 u minds yet. Becky
and me have turned over just about 800
or 10 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, she come right aft
Ell you, and he was a real handsome
laddie. We hadn't learned then that
handsome is as handsome does. And
then the governor he laughed and said,
Name him for me, Eben, and he will
be sure Of the presidency And we all
laughed, and old Dolbear, he was hold
ing the grays in all this time, let 'em
go, and the governor was out of sight
in a jiffy, and Eben he turned to me
and said, What do you think Of it,
Becky?' And I said, What, Eben?' And
he said: About naming him after the
gov'ner. Strong Martin don't sound so
bad. And l said: mo, it didn't. !
ruther liked the sound Of it,, and we
settled On it right there and then, SO
you can't say we didn't give you a fair
start in life, Strong Martin, for that
led up to the gov'ner sendin you of
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. It turned you
ag'inst the g~ov'ner's family. It drove
you to settle down at Neck or Nothing
as surly and obstinate al could be, and
finally it's drove you into raising your
hand ag'inst your own father and moth
er. Don't say a word, Strong Martin,
for all your gold lace and your cringin,
crawlin, Yankee shoulders out yonder
touchin their hats like a plantation mig
ger ev'ry time they come whar you are.
I'm ashamed of you at this mint
than I ever thought to be Of anything
that bears the name of Martin. / can't
deny you bein my own flesh and blood,
but l don't want nothin Of you. You've
cast in your lot with the enemies Of
your own people, and | couldn't feel nc
worse than l do this mint if you was
layin dead in your coffin before me,
stead of standin there so brassy and
bold in your Yankee clothes. Oh, Strong,
Strong!"
Mamie Colyer, standing by the old
woman, tenderly drew the grief stained
cheeks within her sheltering arms.
"Let us go, Mrs. Martin. Let us &c
home. You will feel better after we gel
back to Liza.
No word, no look for him.
eyes, let US go home, child. We are
not wanted here any longer"
With the superb composure Of an Of
Tended sovereign Mamie was drawing
the wreck of an antebellum veil ovel
her comical hat of plated shucks, the
fingers of her white cotton mittens hov'
ering about her head like SO many white
mice. 1t was necessary to pass close by
the desk where Strong stood, steadyine
his shaken nerves by a strong physica,
effort. He put out his hand to detair
her. She eluded the slight touch.
Mamie! One world By heaven, yor
shall hear me-"
He placed himself between her and
the door. Without INDIGENOUS violence
she could not avoid listening to him.
"The time will come, it must come
before very long, when you will judge
my course by different standards. You
will feel more lenient then. Just now
you, my mother, none Of you give me
credit for acting upon my convictions
of what was right and what was wrong.
I represent to you a cowardly egotist,
content to let his nearest and dearest
suffer so that he secured to himself thu
flesh pots. When you come, by the aid
Of that soberer Judgment which time
will bring to us all, to look at this
monstrous war episode from the out
side. you will recognize the possibility
Of a consistent southern Unionist.
Governor Strong was one, but tn,
sentiment of class was too strong fol
his powers Of resistance. Countless mum
bers of men, now fighting on the side o.
the south, stand where l do, morally il
not physically. There were no class
prejudices for me to conserve or to out
rage. A born pariah, the overseer's SOL
was free to choose his side. / chose thu
one which seemed to stand for liberty
and justice, the two consultations mos
oonspicuously absent from my own Ok
psrience.
When you come to realize that hold
ing slavery as l did, to be a black blot Of
the face Of Gods fair creation, l was a
much in duty bound to fight for it
abolition as Adrien Strong was for it
perpetuation-when, in short, you ar
ready to say. after all, it was he VIII
was in the right-will you send for me
my dear, and not leave mo to languisl
under the frown Of the woman l Low
any longer than need be? The time will
surely come, Mamie. but the waiting
for 1t will be dreary work, dear.
It was not easy to maintain her fro
zen attitude with that pale, passionat
face bending above her az he pleade,
for mercy. Were her standards alread,
topping to their fall? Was she feeling
premonitory twirges Of that foreshad
owed leniency? Or was she an out an,
out ~hypocrite, not worthy to breath
the same air with Adrien Strong 8 moth
er or Lizap But If only he could hav'
come back to her looking that wa,
wearing a gray uniform instead Of
bluei He was positively majestic.
Her heart was truer than her lips
She looked away from him while an
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