Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-06-19


Durham, walking rapidly toward the
house
Grasping him heartily by the hand the
preacher said:
Tom. YOU don't know how 1t warns my
soul to look into your face again. When
you left felt like a man who had lost
one hand. I've found 1t today. You're
the same stalwart Christian full Of JOY
and love. Some mems religion didn't stand
the wear and tear Of war. You've come
out with your soul like gold tried in the
fire. Colonel CASTOR wrote me you were
the finest soldier in the regiment. and that
you were the only chaplain he had seen
that he could consult for his own souls
cheer. That's the kind of deacon to send
to the front! I'm proud Of you. and you're
still at your old tricks. met two one
legged soldiers down the road riding your
horse away as though you had stable
full at your command. You needn't apollo
gize or explain, they told me all about
it."
preacher, it's good to have the Lords
messenger speak words like them
can't tell you how glad I am to be home
again and shake your hand. tell you It
was a comfort to me when I lay awake
at night on them battlefelds, wonderin
what had become of my ole woman and
the baby, to recollect that you were here.
and how often I'd heard you tell US how
the Lord tempered the wind to the shorn
lamb. Annie's been telling me who watch
ed out for her them dark days when there
was nothin' to eat. reckon you and your
wife knows the way to this house about
as well as you do to the church"
Tom had pulled the preacher down on
the seat beside him while he said this. :
1.-The dark days have only begun, Tom
I've come to see you to have you cheer
me up. Somehow you always seemed to
me to be closer to God than any man in
the church. You will need all your faith
now. It seems to me that every second
woman know Is widow. Hundreds Of
families have no seed even to plant, no
horses to work crops no men who win
work II they had horses. What are we to
do? see hungry children in every house."
Preacher, the Lord is looking down
here today and sees all this as plain as
you and me, AS long as He is in the sky
everything will come all right on the
EARTH
'How's your pantry7" asked the preach
Don't know. Man shall not live by
bread alone you know. When hear
these birds in the trees and see this old
dog wagging his tail at me, and smell the
breath Of them flowers, and 1t all comes
over me that I'm done KILN men. and I'm
at home, with bed to sleep on, roof
over my head, q woman to pet me and
tell me I'm great and handsome. 1 don't
feel like I'll ever need anything more to
eatl believe I could live a whole month
here without eatin' bite"
Good. You come to the prayer meeting
tonight and say a few things like that.
and the folks will believe they have been
eating three square meals every day"
"I'll be there. / amt asked Annie what
she's got, but know she's got greens and
turnips, onions and collards and straw
berries In the garden. Irish tatersn be
big enough to eat in three weeks. and
sweets comm right on. We've got q few
chickens. The blackberries and plums and
peaches and apples are all on the road.
Ahl preacher. it's my soul that's been
starved away from my wife and child.'
You don't know how much need helD
sometimes. Tom. am always giving. Civ
ing myself in sympathy and help to 9TH
ers. and I'm famished now and then
feel faint and worn out You seem to nh
me again with lsfe"
I'm glad to hear you say that, preach
err get down-hearted sometimes, when
man. I'll remember your word. I'm goin'
to do my part in the church work. You
know where to find me-"
"Wen, that's partly what brought me
here this morning. want you to help me
look after Mrs CASTOR and her little boy.
She IS Frustrated over the death OF the
colonel and is hanging between life and
death. She is in delirious condition all
the time and must be watched day and
night. want you to watch the first half
of the night with .Ielse, and Eve and
Mary viii watch the last half"
"Of course, I'll do anything in the world
can for my colonePs wilder. He was the
bravest man that ever led a regiment, and
he was a father to us boys. I'll be there.
But won't set up with that niger. He
can go to bed"
Tom. it's funny thing to me that as
f-ka rT.@ hat
a niger so. He's human being. It's not
right.
HE may be human, preacher, I don't
know To tell you the truth, I have my
doubts. Anyhow, can't help It. God
knows I hate the sight Of EN- like ! do
say, is a good one. He was faithful to the
colonel know, but couldn't bear him
no more than any Of the rest Of 'em. I
| always hated a niger since was knee
| high. Ny daddy and my nanny hated
'em before me. Somehow, we always felt
| like they was crowdin' US to death on
them big plantations, and the little ones.
too. And then I had to leave my wife
and baby and fight four years, all on ac-
count Of their stinldn hides, that never
done nothin for me except make It harder
to live. Every time I'd go into battle and
hear them MIME balls begin to sing over
US, II seemed to me l could see their
black ape faces GRIMM and maxim fun
Of poor whites. At night when they'd
detail me TO help the ambulance corps car
~ of the dead and the wounded, there
was a strange smell on the field that come
from the blood and night damp and burnt
| powder. It always smelled like niger 70
me! 1t made me sick. Yes. preacher. God
forgive me, hate 'emi I can't help It
any more than can the color Of my skin
or my hair"
'T'n fix, It with Nelse, then. You take
the first part Of the night, till II o'clock.
I'll go down with you from the church to-
night" said the preacher, as he shook
Toms hand and took his leave.
(To be continued next =@ezzz
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