The National tribune., 1903-07-02

after breakfast he hewed a liberal chew of
of his plug of bright Navy with the sub
stantial pocket knife which served to prun,
trees, pare horses hoofs. finish hoe and n,
handles. and make wooden pins and othe
devices for Il thousand places Next to hi:
AK his jack knife was his universal tool
and it was surprising what things h'
could do with it.
He pronounced the name of the E,onth
"Aprile," in the old fashio.Ied way.
He shut the stout knife with a snap
slipping it and the tobacco back into hi:
pocket, scrutinized the chew severely fol
an instant before placing it between hi:
massive jaws and then took n comprehen
Sive look over the world as if now pre-
pared for anything that might show up.
Tomorrow will he the 1lth of Aprile,'
he continued. "Just four years since the
rebels fired on Fort Sumter. My, it seems
a mighty sight longer than that. Seem,
longer than all the days that the old pa
triarchs lived. Wonder if Methuseleh iT
all his life saw as much as has happened
in these last four years. But I'm going tc
bleeve that
''The morning light is breaking,
The darkness disappears,
And the sons of man are waking,
To penitential tears"
as the old hymn says. With their capital
taken, their President running like n
horse-thief from the Constable, every one
of their sea ports in our hands, and Sncr-
man, Sheridan and Wilson rampaging
around through the back Counties wher-
ever they please, it seems as if there ought
to be pretty general awakening to peni-
tential tears among the sons of men south
Of the Mason and Dixon Line, and that
the Southern COnfederacy is caving in
faster than q Wabash bank in a Spring
freshet."
You are quite mistaken, sah," said a
voice near him. you are farther from
conquering us than ever. sab. We are only
really beginning to fight now, sah."
The Deacon turned his eyes from the ship
ping in the estuary of the Neuse, and saw
a tall man of little over 30, with long.
black hair. combed behind his ears. a long,
flowing mustache, silk hat of the style
of the beginning of the war, and n much
worn black broadcloth coat, and n silver
headed cane which he held in hands more
or less covered with kid gloves, out at the
fingers and rent at the sides. The man
sank down into one of the comfortable
rocking chairs with ready ease that
showed how much of his life had been
spent in that posture.
mo, sah." he continued, 1--WE have only
begun to really fight"
"The last news we got" remarked the
Deacon, tufning the quid over in his
mouth. and speaking in his dryest tones,
''say that Grants driven Lee out of Rich
mOnd and got linn on a dead run"
Quite mistaken, sah. Gen. Lee only
left Richmond to relieve himself of the
embarra ssment of its defense, sab; to be
free to. execute his grand manuvers. 1t
was one Of, those sacrifices that have to
be made in. war, sab. Gen. Lee is the
greatest General the world has ever seen.
He is only preparing to give Gen. Grant
Il worse defeat than ever, sab. | see you
chew tobacco. sab. Would you obleege me
with chewI",1
The Deacon handed him his plug and
was aStOnshed at the mouthful he bit off.
Waying away the use of the knife which
the Deacon offered him, he still retained
the plug in his hands as if carelessly for
getting it.
''The way / have been reading the
news" returned the Deacon, "makes ont
that Gen. Grant has been licking Lee
right along. He has walloped him back
over the whole State of Virginia, while
Sheridan has been taking the hide off his
under-strappers."
Quite delusiOn. sab. One that will
lead you to ruin as Napo.eon's did him at
Moscow. We are simply drawing you into
the interior of the country, as the Russians
did him." 'o-. '--.
The confident air and oratorical en-
phasis with which he said this showed him
to be stump speaker and leader of public
opinion. The Deacon at once became in
terested in him, for he was the first of
his class that he had met. He drew up
another rocking chair, and taking a seat
in it. reopened the conversation.
"My names Klegg. I'm from Inji-
amy"
Glad to meet you, Mr.. Klegg." replied
the other, shaking hands heartily. I'm
diana is great State. We have many
friends there whom we have been expect
ing to help us, and they will come in now
as they see us in this strait, just as Eng
land and France will. There are thousands
of good men in Indiana who are dsgusted
with the Abolition rule. and will break
away from the hated Union at the first
opportunity, which is now about to come,
sah"
There are some thousands more who think
ourselves tolerably good men who have
been sitting on their necks very effectually
all this time, and determined they should
do no such thing" replied the Deacon.
''and I guess we'll sit there till the end
of the war. But you haven't told me your
name yet"
"My name, sab, is Mobray, Jenkins Mo-
bray, of Pamlico. I'm a member of the
Senate of Nawth Ca'lina. I'm one of the
original SecessiOnists, and was n member
of the Convention to withdraw Nawth
Ca'lina from the Union, and enable her to
re-establsh herself as a free and inde-
pendent sovereignty, sah."
"Yes, yes. l want to know" said the
Deacon, studying him with interest. can
original Secessionist, eh?"
"Yes, sab. Began advocating secession
long before LincOln's election, even before
Buchanan's election, sab, because I felt
that the honor of the South was no longer
secure in hateful association with Nawthen
mud-sills and Abolitionists."
"And you went into the army at the be-
ginning of the war and have been there
ever since" inquired the Deacon.
mo, sahi I, didn't go into the army My
friends Thought that I could be of more
service at home in forming the public SEN
timent and counteracting the influences of
the cowardiy -Submissionists, who would
take all the KICKS and cuffs given them by
the Nawth. You know we had a very
strong Union element in Nawth Ca'lina,
and they needed very careful watching"
Yes, yes: i see," said the Deacon,
merely by the way of saying something
But you kept out of the war, even after
the passage Of the conscription act?"
YES, sab, of course. My membership
of the Legislature exempted me, and my
friends were very careful that should be
reelected every time"
Il understand" said the Deacon, "what
some of the SOutherners have told me.
That this was n rich mans war and poor
mans fight: But it will soon be over now.