The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1899-05-04
THE PR1N CETON UNION: THURSDAY, NAY 4,.lse9.1

SO.
lnortgaged my time at the north, and I
must leave Boston tomorrow. I can
give you two hours only. This is your
boy, eh?-fne manly fellow. What's
his name?-Do rr? Why, is it posi-
BILE you called him after my father?''
Indeed did, Pierce. You remem-
Der how kind he was to me. The boys
name is Dorr Bostock Jewett.'
'sNowI like that; I'll not forget it.
Come along. to the house as you said.''
His beaming smile captivated me; as
we walked along, while he busily
talked with my father, he playfully
shouldered my hoe, and took hold of
my hand. Arrived at the house, my
mother was introduced.
1t was the first exhibition of high
bred politeness had ever seen, and it
impressed me. In the life that had
been living, duty and labor went for
everything, courtesy was scant
enough. Mr.. Bostock removed his hat,
gently took my mothers hand, and
bowed very low.
Extremely glad to meet you,
madam. Your husband is my Oldest
and dearest friend, though I've seen
nothing of him since we were mere
lads" s~
"Sit down, sir, and make yourself
comfortable, said my mother. evil
you stay to tea?"
''Thank you'll shall not have time,''
he replied, looking at massive-cased
gold watch. 1.-The train leaves the
village at seven; it's almost five now"
IF you were raised in New Hamp-
shire, perhaps you haven't forgotten
how to eat mush and milk
"Why, bless me, madam, can you
give me bowl of it? My old niger
cooks get up corn bread, corn cake and
all kinds of corn fxings, but they can't
make mush. I'd like it above all
things.'
With napkin under his fat chin,
our jolly guest sat at the table, partak-
ing with evident relish of the simple
entertainment that was set before him.
He was a keen observer, notwithstand-
ing his easy, careless way, and I think
that nothing had escaped his notice.
Never had the house and it's furnish
ings seemed as shabby to me as now.
BEG pardon, Amos; but you know
everything is permitted between old
friends. You don't thrive we'll here"
NO." said my father, land fear I
never shall. You remember something
about this old place; twenty acres out
of the thirty no better than stone
quarry. Bad luck has followed me;
! Two ho1 ho1 81: -
ness and debt. It's hard struggle,
almost a hopeless one"
"I'm sorry for you, Amos; from the
bottom of my soul am. don't know
of a fellow who deserved good fortune
ahead of you. If you'd struck out
when did, you'd have succeeded any,
where. New England is good place
to rear men, but no place at all for
them to spread, you know. l don't
brag, but I've got right to point with
some pride to what I've done since
saw these hills last
"You are at the south, inter- said
my father.
Give one thousand acres of the best
cotton land in Mississippi below Vicks-
burg. plant every acre of it; and I
raise sugar in louisiana 49,
81 hope you're not STAKEHOLDER,
sir,'' said my mother.
90, I've few niggers-hardly a
hundred. I've had to hire some the
last season."
At the Mortified looks of my mother
and the painful silence of my father
Mr.. Bostock wiped his mouth and
laughed.
I'D like to have you come down and
see how some of those lazy cattle i'm
pose upon me. But, dash it all, Amos
l haven't time to discuss the institu
ton, and it wouldn't do, either-we
should quarrel. Of course you're an
abolitionist. I remember you in the
old days; you were cut out for one
Let's talk about something else.''
'You have family, of course
Pierce?''
my wife died few years ago. I've
one child, Coralie, little witch o.
seven. I've a great house, which i!
run by the servants. I know all abou
the plantation, but l haven't mucl
control inside. Everything is lavish
and it's wonder to me, sometimes
that I'm not poor man. But com,
down, and you'll find hospitalit,
enough
For more than an hour he talked, in
terrupted only by an occasional ques
ton or exclamation. did not observ.
\ then-long afterward I had occasion
to recall the fact-that he parried sew
eral attempts of my parents to draw
him out about his deceased wife anc
his daughter. He talked interesting
+ ly, almost eloquently, about the cult
walton of cotton, the scenes in the i'm
mense fields when the picking time ar
, rived, the ginning, the baling and the
shooting" down the long incline K
steamboat. To me it was all new
revelation; I listened with all my
senses.
He turned to me briskly with thu
, question:
2 "Well, my lad, how would you Xix,
Y to go down and see all this for your
:. self?"