Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-02-22
hyeah tell it's powahful wicked

"Well, you has been riz right com
mented the old man doubtfulIy, but
den, boys will be boys"
He drove on, and the prospect of q
near view of wickedness did not make
the Springs less desirable in the boys
eyes. RAISED as he had been, almost
away from civilization, he hardly knew
the meaning Of what the world called
wickedness. Not that he was strong or
good. There had been no occasion for |
either quality TO develop; but that he |
was simple and primitive, and had been |
close to what was natural ana ele-
mental. His faults and sins were those |
of the gentle barbarian. He had not
yet learned the subtler vices OF higher |
civilization.
Silas, however, was not without tho
pride of his kind, and although his
| father protested that it was useless
extravaganza, he insisted upon going to
the nearest village and investing PAT
OF his small savings in q new suit OF
| clothes. 1t was quaint and peculiar
apparel, but it was the boys first
''store suit" and it filled him with
unspeakable JOY. His brothers and
sisters regarded his new magniticence
with envying admiration. 1t would be
long while before they got away from
bagging, homespun, and copperas-
colored cotton, whacked out into some
semblance of garments by their
"mammy And so, armed with a
light bundle, in which were his few
other belongings, and fearfully and
wonderfully arrayed, Silas jackson set
out for the Springs. His fathers part
ing injunctions were ringing in his
ears, and the memory Of his mammy's
wet eyes and sad face fingered IN his
memory. She had wanted him to take
the gaudy Bible away, but it was too
heavy to carry, especially as be was to
walk the whole 30 miles to the land OF
promise. At the last, his feeling OF
exaltation gave way to one OF sol row,
and as he wert down the road, he
turned often to look at the cabin. until
it faded from sight around the bend.
Then lump rose in his throat, and he
, felt like turning and running back to
it. He had never thought the old place
, could seem so dear. But he kept his
, face steadily forward and trudged on
, towards his destiny.
! The Springs was the fashionable
r resort of Virginia, where the aristucrats
who thought they were i'll went TO
Q recover then health and to dance Com
t pared with large cities of the North, it
. was but small town, even including
s the transient population, but in the
ewes OF the rural blacks and the poor
q whites of the region, it was place of
9 great Importance.
g Hither, on the morning after his de.
9 parture from the home gate, came Silas
: jackson, little footsore and weary,
= but hopeful withal. In spite Of the
IS pains that he had taken with his dress,
!. be was a quaint figure on the city
b streets. Many an amused smile greeted
Is him as he went his way, but he saw
= them not Inquiring the direction, he
K kept on, until the many windows an6
10 broad veranda Of the great hotel broke
r on his view, and he easped in amaze
le ment and awe at the sight of it, and {
30 sudden faintness seized him. He wa
ID reluctant to 60 on, but the broad grin:
is with which some colored men who wer'
ly working about the place regarded hin
it drove him forward, in spite of his EN-
" barIassmeut.
or He found his way to the kitchen, AM
asked in trembling tones fol- the heat
is waiter. Breakfast being over, that in
to dividual had leisure to come to tn
81, kitchen. There, with the GRIMM
On walters about him, he stopped an
l
n pompous head waiter.
tn Silas had never been self-consciou
TO before, but now he became distressfull
ed aware of himself-of his awbwardnesS
ny of his clumsy teat aud dangling hands
Its of the difference between his clothe
ap and the clothes of the men about hin
After a survey, which seemed to tn
re boy OF endless duration, the hea
or waiter spoke, and his tone was the III
ad disputed child of his looks.
1t Il pussoom, said Mr.. Buckne
nd "that you are the pusson Mista
las Ma'ston spoke.to the p'op'ietur about?
,k- "Yes, sub, reckon l is. He p'mise
we to git me job up hyeah, an | got y,
'ed lettah-" here Silas, who had set h
ne bundle on the floor in coming into Il
ad Presence, began tC tumble in h
his pockets for the letter. He searched lol
me in vain, because his hands tremble,
=, and he was nervous under the eyes
lla this great parsonage who stood unmovt
nos and looked calmly at him.
Finally the missive was found al
yes produced, though not before the pc
I'M SEPARATION was standing thick on Sila
TER brow. The head waiter took the shet
and "Ve'y well, sub, ve'y well. You a
and evidently the r'oper pusson, as
nat ice this as my ownsohirography
and The up-couptry boy stood in aw
igs, silence. He thought he had ney
lire heard such fine language before.
er II calculate that you have nevah b
aed no experience in hotel work" pursu
una Mr.. Ruckner somewhat more gracious
him us neVah done muffin but wo'k
ood a farm; but evahbody lows Is ris
t, a handy" The fear that he would
had sent back home without employing
now gave him boldness. | see, sec, 81
rid. the head waiter. "Well. we'll endea'
ttul to try an see how soon you can lea
!, Mistah Smith, will you take this you
las, man in charge an snow him how to
D l about things until we are ready to
dom him 10 the dinin' room!''
Sood A rather pleasant-faced yellow
you came over to Silas and showed
!, where to cut his things and what to
emit II guess It'll be little strange
as first, ii you've never been hotel m
but you'll ketch on. just you X
], your eye on me-"
All that day as Silas blundered ab
long slowly and awkwardly, he looked "
ght, wonder and admiration at the ease
great facility with which his teacher and
olng other men did their work. They v
only SO calm. so precise, and so self-sutiicit
'med He wondered If he would ever be
!, the them, and felt very hopeless as
oy question presented itself to him.
They were little prone to laugh
the him, but he was so humble and
Knot sensible that he thought he mus
avery Imaginable; so he laughed a little sha
then facedly at himself, and only tried