The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1905-01-06
II Christmas
Episode In .S1ax'erY
GOrigiIlal.l

woman, IOllOWeu Dy plckanlnny IOur
years old, came out to where the cart
stood.
"Clarisse," said the girl, has your
missis said anything about what she
is going to do for you in the way Of
Christmas dinnerT
mo, Missile Alice, she hain't said
nothin' bout dat But me and my ole
man don keer bout no Christmas din
ner. We got heap O. trouble" She
drew near the cart and spoke low,
while tears filed her eyes. Mars
goin' to sell Bobby"
Sell Bobby! Separate you from him?
Surely, Clarisse, such q thing hasn't
been done about here since She stop
ped. She was about to say since q
slave mother had killed herself after
separation from her child"
Miss Alice Sinclair made an effort to
comfort the mother, but there was no
comfort She knew that old Dufour,
who owned this family, would sacrifice
them to his own interest.
"GoOdby, Clarisse," she said, touch
ing her pony with the whip. God help
you"
On Christmas morning a servant
from the DufOur mansion came to
Clarisse's cabin with an order for her
and her husband to come up to the
house and bring Bobby. AS soon as
Clarisse heard the message she fell
over In a swoon. JEFF. her husband,
caught her in his arms.
Don. honey; don do dat. We got
each udder, and mebbe Bobby won
hab to go out O. de state. Wake up,
honey"
Clarisse revived, but only to clasp
her boy, vowing that she and he should
die rather than be separated. But her
good man finally prevailed and she
consented to go to their master. At
the house, assembled in the great hall
way, were a number of the planters
and members of their families, includ-
ing Colonel Sinclair and his daughter
Alice. Dufour stood with his back to
the fireplace, while apart sat an un-
attractive mana trader. Even those
who used a dealer In negroes looked
down upon him.
Tomorrow" said Dufour in a surly
tone, II have a note to pay Of $500.
Mr. Millikin, here from Savannah. Of
fers me the amount Of my note for the
boy. If any one present can afford
to buy the whole family I'll sell them
cheaper than would separate. or to q
trader"
There was no response. 1t would
have required between $1,000 and
$500 to buy the family, and the plant
ers In the parish were all struggling
against a slump in the price Of sugar.
"Well. my friends" continued Du-
four, "since you don't come forward
I see no way but to carry out the sale
Of the child. Mr.. Millikin, your offer
is"-
zone moment, please"
The words came from Colonel Sin
clair, an elderly gentleman Of benign
countenance, who rose as he spoke.
MY friends" he said. "my daughter
informed me Of this sale, and notified
you. This is Christmas morning.
There are two ways of celebrating the
birth of him who brought peace on
earth and good will to men'-one In our
own families, the other in the families
of the needy. We have already this
morning been occupied with the first.
Here is an opportunity to engage In the
second. l propose that we buy this
child and give him as Christmas
present to his parents. l will head a
subscription for the purpose with $50"
Colonel Sinclair" said a gentleman
sitting next to him, "I will subscribe
an equal amount"
The slave parents caught the drift OF
the situation and listened eagerly for
every word. There were no more fifty
dollar subscriptions, but the smaller
ones. including $25 from Alice Sinclair
given out of her pin money, finally
raised the amount subscribed to $3.50
Every one present felt that he had sub
scribed more than he could afford. Du
four, who regarded the whole affair as
an interference with his rights, stood
grimly waiting; the negro trader was
fumbling with his hat; the father and
mother Of the child, who were uncon'
scIous of his and their peril, looked on
with an agonized suspense. Then Al
ice Sinclair spoke:
"Mr. Dufour, will you not give some
thing?"
Dufour scowled. "I must have $4Ot
tomorrow. Less will not serve" h'
said.
Then the negro trader arose anC
spoke: II know nothin' is expected
from me, a nigger trader. I'm used t
buyin' into families, and I've nothin
to do with other families as long as
must take care Of my own. It's my
own family that moves me now. Las
summer me and my wife had boy. w
hain't got him now. We hain't got any
children at all. come away from
home on this trip a-purpose to git riC
of Christmas. wouldn't be there 10
no money, seeln' my boy can't be Their
too. tell you what I'm goin' to do
My boy that's gone to heaven gives 90
to make up the amount to buy tn
boys freedom"
! Alice Sinclair went to the speake
and put out her hand. She was fol
lowed by every one present except Du
four. Then the papers passed, ant
Bobby was a free pickaninny. HI
mother had him clasped close to he
breast, while his father looked on
tears streaming down his black cheeks
"You see, papa" said Alice Sinclai
on their way home. ''the influence 0
the Christ child born more than eigh'
aar centuries AGO can effect even ne