The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-07-15
miscellaneous
ONLY YACOB.

1t was the family saying in the
family that Sue was the poet, Joe
the financier, and Charley-had dis
covered Yacob."
1t needs very little wit to give say
ing long life in a lonely farmhouse, and
Yacob was as remarkable a novelty
among US a. poem or good deal of
money would have been.
He was a very short, very stumpy,
very white headed Dutch boy of seven
teen, whom Charley had found on the
Battery one winters day. Charley
went to New York every winter to buy
groceries for the plantation, and
clothes for the slaves, and he had
found Yacob on his last visit, in 1859,
just before the war began.
Yacob had landed from an Antwerp
schooner, and had fallen among
thieves, who had left him in rags and
penniless, when Charley came, like
the good Samaritan, to his rescue.
But what can you do with him?"
my father demanded, when the queer
looking creature stood before him, his
big eyes staring straight at him.
"Oh, there will be some place open
for him on the plantation, SIR" said
Charley. He'll be OF use somewhere"
You could make more use of sea
horse" said Sue, pertly; and my
mother nodded. Mother said
she had an instructive dislike to Va
cob. But whatever Charley did was
right in my mothers eyes; and be-
sides, she would have been gentle and
polite to Yacob even if he had been a
sea horse.
So Charley, taking me by the hand,
led Yacob to the tobacco house, and
set him to work there. He started
dismayed for a minute or two at the
black faces (for he had never seen but
two negroes, and had never been
brought in contact with a black man)
and then went to work intelligently
enough and never raised his eyes
again to them.
Charley and l went back to the
house. Twas boy of nine then, and
the torment and pet of my big broth
ers. We found father on the piazza
reading the Richmond Examiner,
II have brought you a tirst-rate
machine, sir" Charley said, "as steady
| as sure and dumb, as il he was made
| of wood and STEEL"
Its your property said father,
| with shrug. Now nobody but
|
-Yacob could not speak a word of En-
| glish. 1t followed, therefore, that
| Charley had to take care of his pro-
perty. He gave him little wooden
shanty, which had been a tool house
on the edge of the woods, in which to
sleep.
| The German whitewashed and re-
paired his dwelling, and in the spring
planted vines and flowers about it.
Instead of being longer an eyesore, it
| became the most picturesque spot in
the plantation. But the creature
himself" Sue declared, was an ami
NAL" Such mountains of pork and
rivers of beans disappeared down his
throat.
He showed no signs of interest in
any living thing except Charley,
whom he followed about like a dog
whenever he could, never speaking,
however, unless forced to do SO.
The war came, of which l wish to
say little. Our family, like many
Others on the border, was divided
Joe went into one army, aud Charley
into the other. Ny father held to the
old flag. Ny mother and Sue present
ed banners and arms to Southern
companies.
The negroes caught the excitement
and some of the house servants follow
ed their young masters. Yacob alone
was unmoved as a stone. Either Joe
or Charley would have been glad tc
take him as a recruit into their com
panies.
Never! neverr' he grunted. INC
fight"
but don't you want to uphold the
Republic?" said one.
Don't you care nothing for liber
tyr" asked another.
II care for mein kopf," clapping hi
hands on his head. II keeps NEIL
kopf on mein shoulders.
"Beastp' muttered Joe,
Even Charley looked disguised
which Yacob quickly perceived.
II come to this country for peace,
he said rapidly, in German, land tn
men take each other by the throat
know nothing Of your North-you
South"
You know nothing but Yacob.'
with laugh.
The light eyes flashed little.
"Yaw, and Yacob's work." he SAT-
doggedly, turning toward the Tobacco
house.
Even we who were children remem
Der the times that followed; the march
a ing and counter marching of our arm
les; the turning Of our fields into hoi
pitals;the ravages of bus wackers an
guerrillas, first of one side and the
the other, and worse than all, tn
bitterness OF neighbor against neigh
. Dor.
Two years passed. My brother 10
d had been killed at Bull Run. Charlie
had been prisoner for almost Il yea
think that Charley's imprisonmer
G was harder for my mother than eve
" Joe's death; for one was at rest, Will
n the sufferings of the other were col
d tinually in her mind. Such tales wer