The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1900-11-15

grieved my mother, but he said
there was no help. for it. The
stock must go. L remember the
night he came home and told my
mother that the stock was gone-he
had sold it to Judge Hutchins for 81
cents on the dollar-the stock that he
had paid 100 cents for twelve years be-
fore. Father was sad and the tears
fell on mothers cheek and none of us
cared for supper.
When father went back to the store
that night sat down by mothers side
and took her hand in mine. ''Moth-
err" said 1, you must not feel 50 bad
about that stock. Let me tell you a
secret. Last night L proposed to Oc-
tavla Hutchins; l asked her to marry
me, and she said she would and we
have fixed the time-the 7th os March
and in less than three months I'll
get that stock back and it will be in
the family again. Now, don't you tell,
but you mustn't cry any more, and I
kissed her on her cheek and said,
Mother, Mr.. Shakespeare says,
ALPS we'll that ends well. ," But my
dear mother was woman, and wo-
manike, she told an intimate friend
what I said about getting the stock
back, and that friend told another wo-
man in confidence and the confidence
kept spreading and Spreading until
the engagement and the stock matter
got all over the village and at last to
Judge Hutchins.
I was mortified and alarmed, but
my affianced stuck close to me, for she
was dreadfully in love, though she
denies it to this day, In due time we
were married and were SO happy we
didn't want any stock or anything else
hardly. A few days after our marriage,
as I was passing his office, the stern
old Judge called me in. He unlocked
his iron safe, and taking ont paper
said to me, II heard that you told
your good mother that you were going
to marry Octavia and get that railroad
stock back. Did you tell her that?" I
was intensely alarmed, but, like George
Washington, l would not tell lie.
Eyes, Judge, I did," said I, "but I
didn't mean it" 1 replied. I saw the
twinkle in his eye. "Well," said he, 81
thought that if you were determined
TO have it I had just as we'll give it
to you now," and he handed me the
certificate with the transfer already
written. I don't know what said, but
he enjoyed my embarrassment.
What a considerate man he was.
remember that few months after he
sent six of the family negroes up to
our house one morning before we got
up. We heard them talking on the
front steps and my wife asked me to
get up and see what they wanted.
They Informed me that cold master
told them he bad given them to me
and Miss Octavia and to come up
here" They were all servants who
had long said that when Miss Octavla
got married they were gwine to live
with her. That was the usual patri-
mony of slave owners to their children.
We had no use for them, and sent
them back with a kind note begging
the judge to keep them for us while
longer. Some years after that Mr..
Lincoln set them free, and TO tell the
truth, am glad of it, for they were
always a care and an expense.
Now, while [ write our train has
reached Union Point and remember
when we college boys used to take the
tandem mule train from here to
Athens. 1t was an all day journey,
for it took US eight hours to make the
forty miles, but we rode on top and
had lots of fun and plenty of good
things to eat that our mothers had
provided. Yes, ] love to ruminate
about those good old times when
everything had roseate hue and we
wrote love letters to our sweethearts
aud reyeled in loves young DREAM
BILL ARP in Atlanta Constitution.
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