The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-01-26
THE LEOPARD'S SPOTS.
Continued from First Page.)

down in front Den yer otter see my
Marsterl He des kinder riz in de air
pear ter me like he wuz er foot taller
en- say to his men-'Bout face, en- charge
de line in de rear," Wall, sab, We cut
er hole clean froo dem Yankees en- err
minute, end den bout face ergin en- begin
ter walk backerds err fightin' like VILE
cats evy inch We git mos back ter de
trenches. when Marse Charles drap des
lax er fash. | ruined up to him. en-
dar wuz or big hole in his breas' whar
err bullet gone clean froo his heart. He
nebber groan. / TUX his head up in my
arms en- cry en- take on en- call him!
pull back his close en- listen at his
heart Hit wuz still. l takes dc swode
an de watch en- de letters outen dc pocl
cts en- start on-when Dress God, yer
cum dat whole Yankee army ten hundred
millyons, en- dey tromple all over us.
Den hear er Yankee say ter me Now
my man, you'se free 'Yassir sezzi, OATS
So, en- dem / see hole ter run whar dey
warn't no Yankees, en- / run spang into
er millyon mo. De Yankees wuz ev'y whar
Pear ter me lax dey riz up outer de
ground All dat day | try ter get away
fun en- En- long bout night dey rested
me an fetch me up 70 er Gen'rl, en- he
say
What you tryn' ter get froo our lines
fur. niger? Doan yer know yer free now,
en- if you, go back yo'd be slave .ergin?''
Oats so, sab, sezzi, "but Use 'bleeged
ter go home"
What fur? seize.
Promise Marse Charles ter take desc
letters en- swode en- watch back homo
to my Missus en- young Marster, en- dey
waitin. fur me-I'se 'bleeged ter go.
Den he TUX de letters en- read er min
ute, en- his eyes gin ter water EN- he choke
up en- say, Go long!"
There was silence for a moment and
then slowly Mrs. CASTOR said, May God
reward you, Nelsc!'
"Yassum, Use free, Missy, but l gwine
ter wuk for you en- my young Marster.'
The Preacher was both puzzled and
alarmed by the strangely calm manner
Mrs. CASTOR now assumed. Before
leaving the home he cautioned Aunt Eve
to watch her Mistress closely and send
for him if anything happened.
When the boy was asleep in the nur-
scry adjoining her room, she quietly
closed the door. took the sword of her
dead lover husband in her lap and looked
long and tenderly at it, On the hilt she
pressed her lips in a lingering kiss.
Here his dear hand must have rested
last" she murmured. She sat motion
less for an hour with eyes fixed without
seeing At last she rose and hung the
sword beside his picture near her bed
and drew from her bosom the crumpled,
worn letters Nelse had brought. The
first was addressed to her.
"In the Trenches Near Richmond, May
4, 1864.
"Sweet Wife, II have presentiment
tonight that / shall not live to see you
again. feel the shadows OF defeat and
ruin closing upon us. am surer day by
day that our cause is lost and surrender
is a word | have never learned to&speak.
If could only see you for one hour. that
/ might tell you all | have thought in
the lone watches of the night in camp. or
marching over desolate fields. Many ten
der things l have never said to you I
have learned in these days. / write this
last message to tell you how more and
more beyond the power of words to eX
press, your love has grown upon me, I'M
til your spirit seems the breath | breathe.
My heart is so full of love for you and
my boy, that / can't go into battle now
without thinking how many hearts will
ache and break in far away homes be-
cause of the work | am about to do.
am sick of it ALL l long to be at home
again and walk with my sweet young
bride among the flowers she loves so
we'll, and hear the old hooking bird
that builds each spring in those rose
bushes al our window.
IF | am killed, you must live for our
boy and rear him to glorious manhood
in the new nation that will be born in
this agony. / love you'll love you unto
the uttermost. and beyond death l will
live, if only to love you forever.
Always in life or death your own,
CHARLES"
For two hours she held this letter open
in her hands and seemed unable to move
it, And then mechanically she opened the
one addressed to Charles CASTOR, Jr."
My Darling Boy;--I send you by ,Nelse
my watch and sword. 1t will be all can
bequeath to you from the wreck that will
follow the war This sword was your
great grandfather's. He held it as he
charged up the heights of Kings Noun
tain against Ferguson and helped to
carve LnlS nation out OF a wilderness. 1t
was a soTrowful day for me when felt
1T my duty to draw that sword against
the old flag in defence of my home and
my people. You will live to see a reuni-
ted country. Hang this sword back be-
side the old flag of our fathers when
the end has come, and always remember
that it was never drawn from its scab-
bard by your father. or your grandfather
who fought with Jackson at New Or
leans or your great granfather in the
save in the cause of Justice
and right I am not fighting to hold
slaves in bondage. | am fighting for the
inalienable rights of my people under
the Constitution our fathers created. It
may be VIC have outgrown this Consti-
tuition. But l calmly leave to God and
history the question as to who is right
in it's Interpretation. Whatever you do
in life, first, last and always do what you
believe TO be right. Everything else is
OF little Importance. With a heart full
of love. Your father.
CHARLES CASTOR"
This letter she must have held omen
Tor hours, for it was two O'Clock in
the morning when wild peal of laughter
rang from her feverish lips and brought
a and NIL