Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-06-23
CHAPTER III.
DEEPENING SHADOWS.

DEEPENING SHADOWS.
ON the second day after Mrs. CASTOR was
stricken a forlorn little boy sat in the
kitchen watching Aunt Eve get supper.
He saw her ned while she worked the
dough for the biscuits.
Aunt Eve. I'm going to sit up tonight
and every night with my mamma tn she
gets well. 1 can't sleep for hours and
hours. lie awake and cry when hear
her talking till / feel like I'll die. must
do something to help her" -
Laws. honey you'se too little. You
can't keep wake tall. You get SO lone
some ana skeered all by yerself
Il don't care. I've told Tom to wake
me tonight If I'm asleep when he goes,
and I'll sit up from - till o'clock and
then call you"
"All right, mammy's darling boy but
you git tired en- can't stan H.
So that night at midnight he took his
place by the bedside. His mother was
sleeping, at first. He sat and gazed with
aching heart at her still, white face she
stirred opened her eyes. saw him ana
Imagined ne was his father.
'Dearie I knew you would come, she
murrured. They told me you were dead;
but I knew better. What long, long
time you have been away. How brown the
sun has tanned your face, but. it's as
handsome. / think handsomer than ever.
And how like you is little Charhe! khe"
you would be proud Of himI
While she talked her eyes had a CLASSY
look. that seemed to take no note Of any
thing In the room.
The child listened for ten minutes, and
then the horror of her strange voice ana
look and words overwhelmed him. He
burst into tears and threw his arms
around his mothers neck and sobbed.
"Oh! mamma, dear, it's me, Charlie,
your little boy who loves you so much.
please. don't talk that way. Please look
at me like you used to. There! Let me
kiss your eyes till they are soft and sweet
again!"
He covered her eyes with kisses.
The mother seemed dazed for moment,
held him on at arms length and then
burst into laughter.
"Of course, you silly, I know you. You
must run to bed now. Kiss me good
night"
'But you are sick. mamma; am sitting
up with YOU"
Again she ignored HIS presence. She
was back in the old days with her love.
She was kissing her hand to him as ne
left her for his days work. Charlie look
ed at the clock. 1t was time to give her
the soothing drops the doctor left. She
took II, obedient as a child. and went on
and on with interminable dreams OF the
past, now and then uttering strange things
for a boys ears But so terrible was the
anguish with which he watched her, the
words made little impression on his MIND.
II seemed to him some one was strangling
him to death. and a great stone was piled
on his little PROSTATE body.
When she grew quiet, at last, and dosed,
how still the house seemed! How loud the
tick OF the clock How slowly the hands
movedf He had never noticed this be-
Al, - he
utes. 1t seemed each minute was an hour.
and five minutes were so long as day.
What strange noises in the house! Sup
pose a ghost should walk into the room!
well, he wouldn't run and leave his NAM
ma; he made up his mind to that.
Some nights there were sounds more
ominous. The town was crowded with
strange negroes, who were hanging around
the camp of the garrison. One night a
drunken gang came shouting and scream
ing IN the alley close beside the house
firing pistols and muskets. They stopped
at the house and one Of them yelled;
BURN the rebels house down! It's our
turn nowl"
The terrified boy rushed to the kitchen
and called Nelse. In a minute Nelse was
on the scene. There was no more trouble
that night.
.'De lazy black debbels," said Nelse, as
he mopped the perspiration from his brow.
'I'Il teach EN- what freedom is.
The next day when the Rev. John Dur
had had an interview with the command
ant of the troops, he succeeded In getting
a consignment of corn for seed. and to
meet the threat Of starvation among some
families whose condition he reported. This
important matter settled. he said TO the
officer:
Captain. we must look to you for pro-
lection. The town is swarming with va
.Na,1 .f,F og~e
camp followers with you organizing them
into some sort of union league meetings.
dealing out arms and ammunition to them,
and what is worse, inflaming the worst
passions against their former masters,
teaching them insolence and training them
for crime"
'.I'T do the best L can for you, doctor.
but can't control the camp followers who
are organizing the union league. They
live a charmed life"
That night, as the preacher walked home
from a visit 10 a destitute family he
encountered burly negro on the side
walk dressed IN an old suit of Federal
uniform, evidently under the. influence OF
whisky He wore a belt around his waist,
in which he had thrust, conspicuousiy, an
old horse pistol.
Standing squarely across the pathway,
he said to the preacher:
"Git outer dc road, white man, you'se
er rebel: Use er loyal Union Leaguer!'
1t was his first experience with negro
insolence since the emancipation Of his
slaves Quick as a fash his right arm
was raised. But he took second thought,
stepped aside. and allowed the drunken
fool to pass. He went home wondering In
a hazy sort Of way through his excited
passions what the end of 1t all would
be. Gradually in his mind for days this
towering figure Of the freed negro had
been growing more and more ominous un-
til its menace overshadowed the poverty.
the hunger, the sorrows and the devasta-
lions OF the south throwing the blight of
its shadow over future generations. YER
liable black death for the land and Its
people.
CHAPTER w.
MR.. LINCOLN'S DREAM.
Every morning before the preacher could
finish his breakfast, callers were knock
ing at the door-the negro, the poor white,
the widow, the orphan. the wounded, the