The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-25

| moneTeI cOnVenUon. IT was mAdo up or political adventurers from Maine, Yer
 mont and other Northern States, and
 boasted of majority composed of ignor-
 ant negroes and crtminala One of the
 most prominent members had served a term in Northern penitentiary. The real leaders, the men in whose wisdom and conservatism the whites had confi- dence, were disqualified from. holding of- | flee by the terms of the reconstruction acts, and the convention emphasized and adopted the policy of the radical leaders in Washington-a policy that was delib- erately conceived for the purpose of plac- ing the governments of the Southern
 States in the hands of ignorant negroes controlled by men who had no interest whatever in the welfare of the people.
 But this was not all. When the military
 eommandant who had charge of affairs I in Georgia, found that the state govern l ment established under the terms of Mir. Ldncolns plan of reconstruction, had no
 idea of paying the expenses of the mon
 grel convention, he issued an order re-
 moving the Governor and Treasurer, and
 detailed for duty as Governor of Geor- | gia' one of the members of his stan. | The mongrel convention. which would have been run out of any Northern State
 in twenty -four hours, had provided for 1 an election to be held in April, 1868, for the ratification or rejection of the new | constitution, and for the election of Gov ernor and members of the General Assem- bly. The election was to continue for three days. a provision that was intended to enable the negroes to vote at as many l precincts as they could conveniently reach in eighty-three hours. It was the l remembrance of this initial and over whelming combination of fraud and cor ruption that induced the whites, at a later | day, to stuff the badlot boxes and sup press the votes of the ignorant. | These things gradually worked up the feelings of the whites to a very high pitch of exasperation. The worst fears of the most timid bade fair to be realized, for the negroes were beginning to assume | an attitude which would have been | threatening and offensive if their 5kins | had been white as snow.
 Gabriel was now old enough to appreci- ate the situation, though he never could bring himself to believe that there were elements of danger In 1t. He knew the ne- groes too well. But he was familiar with the apprehensions of the community. and after time, 1t became clear, even to him, that something must be done to convince the misguided negroes that the whites were not asleep.
 He studied hard both night and day, but he spent the greater part of his time In | the open air. He had no tutor, but his | line of study was mapped out for him by Meriwether Clopton, who was astonished at the growing appetite of the lad for knowledge.
 What he most desired to know, how ever, he had made no inquiries about. He aehed to know why he had suddenly | T.1.- | One day when Nan was returning home from the village she saw Gabriel com ing directly toward her. She studied the ground at her feet for a considerable l distance, and when she looked up again Gabriel was gone. This episode was the cause of considerable worry to Nan. She gave Mrs. Darlington the particulars, and then asked her what 1t all meant What silly chiidrenl' exclaimed Mrs. Darlington, with her cute French accent. | Nan went to a window and looked out, drumming on a pane.
 "I know why he hid himself" Nan declared from the window. He has found out that I was in the closet with Tasma | Tid."
 Well, you were there" replied Mrs. Darlington, and since that is so, why not make a joke of 1t? Gabriel knows | as we'll as 1 do that it would be im- possible for you to do anything very wrong"
 "Oh but It isn't impossible."' Nan in- sisted. q feel wicked, and I know am wicked. If Gabriel Tolliver ever dares to find out that l was in that closet, I'll tell him what I think of him, and then Il1-" Her threat was never completed. Mrs. Darlington rose from her chair just in time to place her hand over Mans mouth.
 If you were to tell Gabriel what ycu really think of him." said the lady, he would have great astonishment."
 Gabriel was as much mystihed by his own dread of meeting Nan. as he was by her coolness toward him. But he had his own world to fall back upon-a world of books, the woods and the fields. And he was far from unhappiness. He walked about among these old friends with lively sense of their vitality and their fruitfulness. He was certain that the fields knew him as well as he knew them and as for the trees, he had a feeling that they knew his name as well as he knew theirs. GabriePs favorite Bermuda field was crowned by hih, which grad ually sloping upward, commanded fine view of the surrounding country; and though 1t was close to Shady Dale, 1t was d lOncly p4oSS'
 Many and many a time, while sitting on this hill Gabriel had watched the village lights go out one by one till all was dark, and, the silence seemed to float heavenward and fall again, and shift and move in vast Onduladons, keeping time to a grand melody which the soul could feel and respond to, but which the ear could not hear. And at such time, Gabriel believed that in the slow-moving cancellations, with their gltttering trains could be read the great secret that phil Os phel5 and scientists are searching for
 Beyond the valley, sul farther away from the town, was the negro church, of which the Rev. Jeremiah Tomlin was the admired pastor. Ordinarily there were services in thls church three times week, The Rev. Jefemiah was a preach CT who had lung-power to spare, and his voice was well calculated to slhatter our old friend the wekin. Buf the rights de- voted to prayer meetings was mainly mu7 sIcal and the songs subdued Tn the dist ance. foated across the valley to Gabriel with entrancing sweetness.
 One Wednesday night when the pOlit- icaa conventions were at their worst, Ga briel observed that while the lights were hs in the church, 1here was less singing tOian usual. Listening more intently. ne failed to hear the sound of single voice lifted in prayer, in song or in preaching. The time was after o'clock, and the sil- ence was so unusual that Gabriel con cluded to investigate.
 (To be Continued next Sunday.)
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