The Washington bee., 1898-05-28

Each one from the center shrank,s
AS the negro neared the soldier,
Lest he soiled his skin and rank.
"Ah nv hero" spoke the negro,
AS he raised his manly brow,
"Have we passed through blood and
peril,
All to meet SO happy now;
Thanks to Him whose love impartial,
Gaurds the hero and the slave,
Thanks to Him, for from our dangers,
He alone had power to save"
"Sir my jadded memory fails me, "
Said the brave, with some surprise,
"But perhaps your explanation,
MAY remove your new disguise"
"You shall have it." said the negro,
Drawing nearer to the brave;
"From the Monumental City
| have journeyed as slave,
And when life was edding from you,
Through the wounds which these
deplore,
Twas these sable hands that stayed it,
In the streets of Baltimore;
When the frenzied mob were yelling,
And with stones and bayonet,
Crushing heads, and bodies piercing,
vi Tic SOlulClS SdSplHS yet,
1t was | who saw you falling,
And still marking where you fell,
Sought your helpless form, and drag
ged it
From the gates of riots hell;
1t was who staunched your bleeding
With the garments of my wife;
Torn from limb by white men fettered,
To bind in white mans life.
Even in the bondman'S prison,
Sounds mysterious some times came
Telling of old Massachusetts,
First in conflict, first in fame
First to brave king Georges power,
And defend the nations laws,
First to give the negro freedom,
And the last to leave his cause.
When | saw her son stranger,
Helpless, wounded and alone,
| remembered Massachusetts,
And | did what | have done.
Yes, that name so near to bondmen,
Prompted risk Of life for you,
And your safety we'll rewards me
For the dangerous interview
90, you are my life preServer,
And whate'er my state or mood,
You shall be my constant idol
Of a soldiers gratitude.
Yes, your words awaken memory,
Which awakened now recalls,
Every tone, and act, and reature,
Of the friend my soul extols;
o! twas you who proved the hero,
Mid the bloody scenes that day,
Risking life, and dealing mercy,
In the choas of the fray;
For YOUR acts were voluntary,
While the soldier deeds were done
Meath the iron spur of orders,
Which nor weak, nor brave, Chould
shun;
And my acts should prove my feelings,
Better than my tongue can tell,
Had / wealth to guide that courage,
Which mid dangers shone so we'll.
Still these Christian men around you
Are the guardians to whose care
| commit you, as to Christians,
With soldiers heartfelt prayer"
Then he turned to those around him,
While his eyes were growing bright,
With the gems of grateful feeling
All too pure for vulgar sight
And he said in tones that trembled;
'Freemrn, there freeman stands.
With his deed of manumission,
Snatched from riots guilty hands;
From these gilded hall | journeyed
Into slavery's dark Bastile,
Thoughtless of the hearts of bondmen,
Till he taught my own to feel
Taught me how to feel those terrors
Wich our fathers weakness gave,
Into hand to-day as murderouS
To the white man as the slave.
Starting from his lifelong prison,
Did his bondman make his way;
To this grand old hall of justice,
Where sweet freedom holds her
sway;
Invent there to lose my freedom
He comes here in search ofhis;
He restored mine when lost it,
And shall we do less than this?
In his conflict with condition,
He double conquest gains;
ConquerS hate of white-faced haters-
Conquers bondage and its chains;
Shall he now deadlier conflict,
Wage with color's hateful ban,
Or, assist by our justice
Stand up every inch man.
Let us by our manly dealing
Quell the cry of prejudice, (,
Which drives to prescriptive darkness. |
Even such a gem as this; /
For, though still my highest glory
Was to shed patriots blood,
Here learn my highest lesson,
Gods great truth of brotherhood,
And henceforth the name of negro
Loses all of its disgrace,
7or the hero's deed may blossom
From the stem of any race"
Thus he ended, as an order
Called him to his moving ranks;
Thus the slave and hero parted,
Without further time for thanks.
Then the negro's form retreated
Down the granite steps alone,
And the group all breathed more easy
That the national ghost had gone.
public fetes and private soirees
Spreads their boards by day and
night,
Where the soldier was the idol
OF each honor and delight;
d the deafening plua-
ed that way;