The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-10-12
RISING SUN, CECIL COUNTY,

march to the upper drift began. Al.
moved slowly and solemnly up the hill
the mother In great grief, the driver
as one being led to execution.
There was httle In poor Bills char.
acter from which to draw eonsoIa tior
for bereaved heart, but Dave con.
trived to find and expatiate upon this
little. He turned hither and thithe1
through the Bible, pretending to read
but really quoting from memory, as
far as his memory would serve, extenu.
ating passages of Scripture; and where
his memory would not serve, then i'm.
| proviang consoling passages that
sounded like Scripture.
The route to The upper drift led up
the bluff and past the point where Bill
| had been at work in the morning
When this point was reached all
| stopped. Into the shade of an i'm.
mense clump of grapevines, which
during many years had spread and
twined and intertwined on the top OIL
| group of low, numerous-branched
saplings, Dave stepped, while the 9TH
ers gathered sorrowfully about him to
survey for few minutes the spot OF
earth where Bill was known to have
been last at work, and which his de.
mise had now endowed with tender
interest.
There he had felled little tree, and
there was it's wood just as he had out
and piled it-not very large quantity.
but enough to be credit for Bill. And
there, sticking in small sapling was
his ak, just as he had left it when the
idea of going a-fishing had suddenly
struck him in the morning. And here
and there on several other saplings
were the hacks he had made in the en-.
deavor to ascertain which would afford
the easiest chopping.
AT these sad but true memorials
the hearts of all softened still more
toward Bill, and all agreed sorrowful
ly that If he had been better treated
he would no doubt now be living and
not be lying down there in that aw.
full dam-dead.
"Bill's blood's on all yo' niggahs
who's mistreated himi" cried the
mother, in grief and anger. "You's
cuffed himl You's lied on him an
had him whipped when he hadn't done
nothin' wrongl Yo' knows yo' has!
Bills blood's on all yo' niggahsl"
"All yo' niggahs who's mistreateo
Bill and he'd on him, fall down on yo
knees an beg mussy Nv de Lawdl'
shouted the preacher.
All the negroes but the mother fell
upon their knees, the "driver" present
ing picture of great contrition. His
head was thrown back, his hands
were clenched before his face, and his
whole look and manner indicated the
deepest remorse.
Dave now launched forth in an i'm.
passioned exhortation to the weep
ing penitents before him.
This had continued few moments
when the "driver," with loud
shrek, heard above all the noise
swayed backward and became as rigid
as a statue.
The preacher ran to him.
"What's de mattah, driver9"
The noise ceased.
"I-seed-Bill, he gasped, "jes-
above = yo' - head = clothed - in
white-like-an-angel!"
"Lawd save usl" the negroes cried
in one voice.
In terror they looked toward the
point indicated.
"Good Lawd save usl" they i'm.
plored in agony.
True enough, just above the preach.
er's head stood Billion the grape.
vines-peering out in open-eyed and
open-mouthed wonder. But Bill wa
not clothed in white like an angel,
the .driver" was mistaken in this
Bill was wearing the same little dirty
cotton shirt he was wearing when he
left home In the morning, and the
same ragged, patched pantaloons with
their one suspender, and the same lit
tie old hat, full of holes and with part
of the brim torn away.
A sudden dumbness seemed to seize
upon the negroes.
Bill apparently was the. only one
able to speak.
'What you-uns all doin' down thar?"
he asked. whats de mattah wild yo'
fool niggahs?"
Each negro turned and looked at
another.
They were still upon their knees,
with the slook of terror still upon
their faces, when the master sud-
denly appeared upon the scene.
In an unintelligible jargon of
stutterings and stammerings, Dave
endeavored to explain to the master
what had taken place and why the
other negroes were all down upon
their knees, with such woeful, terror
stricken countenances.
The master burst into loud laugh.
This broke the spell. One by one
the negroes rose, look of intense
shame chasing fear and remorse from
each face.
Deliberately Bill climbed down from
his couch in the grapevines, and, rub
bing his eyes. stood sleepily innocent
before the shame-faced negroes.
Firmly believing him to be drowned,
Bills mother at first could not COM
prehend his sudden appearance there.
Presently, however, she realized the
truth, and, clasping Bill in her arms.
she showed an affection that embar-
raised him.
With the master in front laughing,
and Dave with his Bible and hymn
book, and the mother, leading Bill and
crying in joy, just behind, and with
the rest of the negroes silently bring
ing up the rear the company re-