The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-01-21

Can Socletie3 Oh cnaflty. IneSe pto- |
pie must be fed, until they have ~
chance to make crop, and then
the richress of their native soil viii
feed them like kings and princes
"Charity covereth multitude Of
SINS" If this be so, there is room for
a great many sinners to be cover
ing up their sins, for it would be
charity indeed to help, in the least
possible manner, these people.
Jan. 2 1899 The other day Sergt
Hugh l.. Mathews and myself took
our days rations and went out on
little trip to see the country. WE
went first to a very rocky cliff,
where very few men could, if they
had ratiOns hold out against large
army. The rocks have all been
sharpened by the constant beat of
rain. There are caves and crevices
fortified with natural rock breast
works. Leaving this place we
went on out through the coun-
try, where We saw some of the peo-
pie at work, with rude tools, put
ting their long neglected gardens
into shape. We saw tomatoes
growing'also sweet potatoes, beans
pepper, young corn about a foot
ugh, also corn just developing ears
and other places with fine roasting
cars, all that we saw was pretty
and green.
A pretty home scene greeted our
eyes at one place. The mother at
work in the house, the father out
attending to his little garden, an
old grandmother helping a little
boy to feed a small bird in rude
cage, an old grandfather sitting out
at the side of the house talking 10
a little girl. 1t was i'm the evening
just as the brilliant sun was sink
ing behind the hills of free Cuba
and we thought what a change
from a few weeks ago. AS we
came nearer the mother came to
the door and spoke; the little girl
went skipping away from grand
fathers knee and she must have
called, "COme to supper papa" for
the last word sounded like papa
and the man down i'll the garden
left his work and went toward the
house. BY this time we were with
in few steps of the house, as our
path led within twelve feet of the
door, and thu old man, leaning on
his staff, slowly raised to his feet,
lifted his hat and saluted us, while
all the others with happiness por-
trayed on their smiling countenan-
ces did the same. They had no
fear that the "Americanos" had
come to despoil their little home
and rob them Of the product OF
their labor. They knew we were
there to protect them in their rights
J and their "GOd be with youn makes
one feel proud that he has had
some little part in making them
feel their safety.
AS we went on l thought of The
experiences, that the old grandfath-
er had gone through. No doubt he
had served as a soldier of liberty
during the twenty years war when
he was younger and when his good
right arm welded his faithful
macheta to the CONSERVATION of all
, of the enemies of his fair island
home, who came in his way. His
SO ls, mere boys, fought by his side
he saw some of them fall and
: fought all the fiercer for justice and
liberty. Then came peace but
what a peace-if possible 1t was
F worse than war for impudent and
unprincipled enemies of his coun-
try robbed him of the result of his
labor and kept his loved lones in a
constant state of terror. At last an
oppressed people could bear no
more and another war commence d
The old grandfather, too old to &C
/ himself, sent his remaining sons
One by one they were picked off by
Spanish bullets until only one re.
, manned. He fought on until, with
the help of grand old America, Gu
ban liberty was an established fac
and then returned to his wife anG
, children, his old father and mother
, secure in the confidence that he has
, in the integrity and honesty of the
Americans. The old man, whose
, life has been surrounded by oppres
sion and bloody war, lives to SEE
Cuba free, indeed, and while his
"latest sun is sinking FAST" yet hi
is experiencing calm satisfaction