The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-07-13

"Come with me, and I'll put you on
the street car" he said. II think l
know of place for you''
The shadow Of Chattanooga's great
sentinel mountain was marching out
across the valley when Russell board
ed the incline car at st. Elmo that
evening. He was to be q dinner guest
at the Dicksons', and when he dropped
from the ascending car at the end of
the white paved battlefield boulevard
the majors daughter was there to meet
him. She was q sweet faced young
girl Of the type known to our forbears
as winsome, and to the young Illinoi-
san the four mile pilgrimage from
Chattanooga to the mountains was long
only in its retracing. None the less
there was fly in his pot of ointment
in the shape of an old fashioned pearl
ring worn on a suggestive finger of
Miss Dickson's left hand. the gift,
some one had told him. Of a cousin
gone to fight the Spaniards. The ring
was in evidence when he shook hands.
THANK you for coming to meet me-"
he said when they had faced about for
the walk to the cottage.
She laughed softly, and Russell
thought of gurgling brooks and whis-
pering leaves and such like lyric
SMILES. Don't thank me. 1t was I
who couldn't wait to thank you. You
don't know what you've done for us.
How did you ever happen to think Of
it?"
"lf you'll tell me what st is, perhaps
can explain"
"Why. Nam Sephny, how did you
ever come to send her up here, of all
places in the world?"
"She got next to the sympathetic side
of me, and didn't know what else to
do with her. And l happened to re-
member what you said the other even
ing about the old time negro women.
What have l done?"
''lf you had been our good angel, you
couldn't have done a lovelier thing. Do
you know who Nam Sephny Is? She
is papa's own old blac..; nanny She
was house servant in Grandfather
Diclson's old home in Virginia"
"Well, Ill be blessed! You don't
say! Why. it was the merest chance in
the world! AS l say. didn't know
what else to do with her."
'It was an-an inspiration, think"
declared Lois impulslvely. "Papa can't
make enough of her. and she-well,
just thought she would die with the
sheer joy of it. Poor old woman! She
has had such dreadfully hard time of
it."
HAS she? | guessed as much-from
her eyes. you know"
"Then she didn't tell you her storyY'
mo"
1T is fairly heartrending. She had a
child. little boy who was 3 years old
when she lost him. 1t was in the last
year of the war. and Wythe county
was overrun with negro stealers, max
ing the most of their opportunity while
it lasted. papa says. They stole the
boy. and Nam Sephny could never
learn anything more definite about him
than that he was sold south with lot
of others, old and young. Wasn't 1t
pitiful?"
The young man nodded. He had
abolition blood In his veins, and 1t
made him glad to the finger tips to
know that a daughter of shareholders
could also sympathize with a black
mother bereft.
"Of course there was nothing for her
to do at the time." Lois went on, "but
when grandfather and grandmother
died and papa was reported killed at
Petersburg she was free, and she start
ed out to hunt for her baby. Did you
ever hear of such hopeless task"
Never" said Russell, trying to i'm
agine himself seeking loved one, say,
sweet faced young woman with star
like eyes. under like hopeless condi-
tions. Did she find the boy"
"Oh, no; 1t wasn't to be expected.
She has spent her whole life going
from place to place all through the
southern states. looking and asking
and always hoping. But she has given
it up at last, and she was trying to get
back to the old home place in Virgin
ia"
'Yes; to die and be buried beside her
old master and mistress. She told me
that It's very pathetic, and-and, Miss
Lois, YOU don't know how glad am
that you can sympathize with her."
He said 1t because it was in him and
clamoring for speech, but he was quite
unprepared for her half reproachful
protest.
"Glad. but surprised-is that it?" she
queried, with a little note Of antago-
nism in her voice.
~ suppose | ought to be polite and
say No. but I'm going to be truthful
and say Yes I've always been led
to believe that your attitude-that Is,
the attitude of the southern people
toward the-er-the negroes was-a"-
He stumbled. not knowing just how to
put 1t In the least offensive phrasing.
but he needed not to go on.
81 know" she laughed, and the little
Whit of antagonism was gone. But
after you've been here longer you will
understand. They are men and women
to you yet. | suppose. but to us they
are simply good natured. overgrown
children. And we are kinder to them
than you will be until you know them
as well as we do"
The young man suspected that he
was getting upon thin Ice and made
haste to go back to Nam Sephny and
safety.
"Will you tell me what the old
aunty's name Is?" he asked. "Its been
puzzling me all day"
'Persephone.' of course" said Lois.