The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-04-27
A True Story.
BY HARRY SrlLLWELL EDW ARDS,

upon his ankle his crime an error
born OF ignorance and The lack Of mora
training. Six year, had passed since
Ihon and he was still UuU the State o.
Alabama fourteen years Of servitudc
Lille for him had sAS;iCd into tho dull
routine OF camp hJs,ier, the days oI
his bygonC freedom IL dream. The
freedom to come was too far for his
imagination to compass.
10 the right and left OF him the
chained forms were out stretched in
heavy slumb"r. Sleep with the cor.
Vict Is rest in the full and perfect
significance Of the word, and he
plungcs into IL SIS i.to u tide. That
which kept the boy awake WAS some
thing novel. 1t was not pain-had he
not felt the lash Nor sorrow for
behind him among the far away Geor-
gia hills was a cabin. Nor was it mere
into IL dull despair. All these had
been his companions in many night OF
gloom. Tho strange companion OF his
solitude this night was Hope. AS he
lay, the darkness wHs illumined by
three laccS,thAt shOne ontip memory as
clear as tho w:li:C C.uiuictS in the blue
Of the summer skies. Sunshine, MCon-
beam and StnrliSh5 stood by his side.
Sunshine, Mounbuan and Starlight .
When all the branches and depart
mcuts Of government rcfugeed into the
highlands, away from the fever and
beyond the vcXations Of quarantine, the
convicts came to Wctulnpka and on
days when the Commissioner came to
tho camp, with him were the three,
all less than dozen years OF age and
Sunshine was the youngest Of them
all.
Take care Of them, Shadow he
said to the hUstlcr convict; and tho
black boy. with the memory OF his
Town white folks" far away filling hi2
heart with joy, took care OF them
proudly and gratefully. He rugged up
swings for them, marked of hop-scotch
diagrams, made jumping ropes out OF
pl0w-lin2s, anu taught them to ride
upon the back Of Oid D,lla, a supcran-
nuatcd mule. He ii led the hours with
excitement and pleasure for them, and
when they wearied Of exercise, lying
under the shade Ot d great oak, he
touched their hcus t. With the history
OF his misfortunrs. He drew for them
graphic pictures OF his terrific labor in
tn Q coal mines: Of the men who worked
where eternal darkness rcigncd, and
the accidents in Witch mems lives
went out like snuifcd candles. And he
told, too, Of that cabin where he was
born, Of his Mammy aad the "little
misses" who came down to the big
white ho1sc in the summer time and
played In the hCaped up cotton at the
gin.
And Sunshine, Moonbcam and Star.
light looked into the black face OF their
friend. touched with the divine pity
which is cloqucnt in thy hearts Of wo-
men, old ana yOuug.
Goodbye, Shadow" they said when
the quarantine WAS lifted. "Goodbye!
We are going to get you free by Christ
mas. Only you must promise to be
good always. Will you >" And
Shadow, the tears upon his cheeks
from eyes long dry, pledged himself
bei@ce the good God looking down upon
his messengers, to be perfect forever
and forever
And the memCry Of it all filled the
darkness with a Hood Of beauty, AS
though Sunshine, MoOnbcam and Star
light were indeed by his side. Not for
q moment had he doubted them. So
Hope furlcd her wings above him On
Christmas Eve, and be lay with wide
open cycS-waiting.
Sunshine, Moonbcam and Starlight |.
Whore were they
1t was the day before Christmas and
nothing had been accomplished. Free
ing a convict was not tho trivial thing
imagine. The Comm issioners, wcari-
ed out Of discretion, after many laugi.-
ing rcfusals, referred thom to the Gov.
ernor. And the Governor was never
i'm" when they called; at least, he was
never in sight. Then they charged
Capitol Hill once more. Terrace and
portico fell quickly before their assault.
The historic spot where Jefferson
Davis delivered his inaugural over the
cradle Of the great COnfederacy and
launched the war which was to end in
freedom for the slaves. was simply
space to be crossed and they crossed
it. They carried their advance into the
Governors room. They came without
ceremony, ana With tho red Of their
country'> Nag upon their checks, its blue
within their eager cy cs and within their
parted lips its cleaning white, they
stormcd his great chair, planted lhcir
victorious arms about him and de-
manded an unconditional surrender.
The Governor seemed to yield. They
made q transient summer in the still
cold room and aw0kC 4 youth that long
had slept within his heart, a youth full
of romance and Of love. Romance
love Are not these born ever und et
tho sunshine, the moons beams anG
the tender starlight?
Pardon u convict? No ~ The
man had not surrendered. He hat
simply vanished before their YER,
eyes. In his place was the State
Chief Executive, grave, kind, cour
tcOus, pitiful-nnd firm.
But IN the sunshine the ice is melted
at last, and under the beams OF tn,
moon and the light OF tho stars, love
finds way. Reason was powcrlcss
refusal impotcnt. The illogical trinit,
sat upon his knees and the arm OF hi:
chair and admitted all that he urgct
to be true. They agreed with him il
his conception OF what the duty Of hi
Office required. They even recognizes
the claims Of good public policy a
being against them. And then the,
put their arms about him and aSkct
mercy for their friend, Shadow.
How potent is innocence, how wcat
Is wisdom, at time Diivcn from hi
h,t IA hn1n nr,I