Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1899-07-29

everything is permitted between old
friends. You don't thrive well here"
No" said my father, land 1 fear
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;
I've had bad seasons. slim crops, sick
ness and debt It's a hard struggle,
almost 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 cut
when did. you'd have succeeded any
where. New England is good place
to rear men. but no place at all for
them to sprcad, you know. 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, infer" said |
my father.
eve one thousand acres of the best |
cotton land IN Mississippi below Vicks- !
burg. plant every acre of it; and |
raise sugar IN Louisiana"
Il hope you're not a Shareholder,
sir" said my mother.
30. I've a 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.
'sTd like to have you come down and
see how some of those lazy cattle inn
pose upon me. But. dash it all, Amos,
haven't time to discuss the institu-
, ton. and il wouldn't do, either-we
/, should quarrel. OF course you're an
abolitionist. l remember you in the
> old DAYS; YOU were cut out for one
Let's talk about something else"
You have u family, of course,
Piercee'
'sAlv wife died few years ago. I've
one child, Coralie. little witch of
. seven. I've i great house, which is
: run by the servants. know all about
the plantation. but I haven't much
control inside Everything is lavish,
land it's a wonder to me, sometimes,
that I'm not poor man. But come
= down. and you'll find hospitality
enough"
For more than an hour he talked. in
= terrupted only by an occasional ques-
p ton or exclamation. did not observe
Ithen-long afterward ] had occasion
to recall the fact-that he parried sew
eral attempts of my parents TO draw
him out about his deceased wife and
his daughter. lie talked interesting
Ily, almost eloquently, about the cult
walton of cotton, the scenes in the inn
mense fields when the picking time ar
rived. the ginning the baling and the
.sshooting" down the long incline K
steamboat To me it was all new
IT, revelation; listened with all IN,
senses.
He turned to me briskly with tn
'0 question:
well, my lad, how would you lik
~ to 90 down and see all this for your
self?"
ng Above all things, sir"
% II say, Amos, why not send hir
down TO me, after a few years? L
u, put him in the way to be rich"
'"e ! sat with clasped hands, eagerl
looking from one TO the other of N
parents. Their hearts were touche
bv the thought of parting with m
aud by the generous interest OF Nj
IN Bostock.
- Il mean il, Amos. I've taken a d
- tion 70 the boy, and I'd like 10 ha'
So him with me- To be sure, I'm a slav
80 holder, but there's lots of more da
80 perous animals in the woods than q
81 unfortunate man who has 20 feed al
!, in clothe a parcel of lazy niggers "
Of needn't hurry; keep him few yea
vet; send him TO school; and by and
limo / send him down TO me, via Cincinna
,cl<9 Cairo and VicksburG. III take care
him, and give him such a start in I
% world as he'd never get up this wa
You won't forget what I'm saying Am
neither. Whot do you say?"
NV Your kindness quite overpow'
me. Pierce. XII think seriously of
ola and talk it over with the boy and
VIII mother"
Bos- "All right. my old friend; the tn
vent Is as good as done. Now my time
come about up. Don't get crazy over polit
and Amos, and don't take Dorr TO y
left; abolition meetings Let me have
- pen and ink and I'll put down my
mem dress for you"
It's He took from his pocket MARI
offer blank book. wrote rapidly upon
Come of it, tore out the leaf, thrust it
and Tny fathers hand, and had said his Fl
well and was cut of the house wit
I've celebrity that was really bewilderinl
andI NV father looked at the paper.
7 can shook in his hand; he turned pale.
vour could not speak, but held the pa
hats toNa'A Us, NY mother LooN anu
.Sm The leaf was from blank check b
mem Va the stuo nc hau Wr4.'en liis @u Nv
boys the oooy was cieeN Oh %
ret It, 'eweIl LOT one INC 1S>1li,, uoIIsl' .
said" can laAe ~ -, 10y '-SsO -
ne; as salu my ia'ner' DOi'' 80 anu va
busily SO,
yfully l ran OUT Oh One mouse MT Dos
old of was ALREADY one Au,Aeiieu 81 20 "a,
Sc. my ing the IAsn Oh 'ie N0iSe AS"0u'