The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-04-09


What was his name?"
Il doant know 'xactfy what is hame
wuz; / Amt never see i'm even. He
jest belonged to de Lodge-dat's all l
know erbout him.
Didn't you near any body say what
his name was?'
i b leives," said the cook cautiously.
Il b'lieves dey call i'm Nose. Nawsr,
| doant know What is luther name was
he jest Nose"
And then, by degrses, the tale came
out. From what the interviewer
Gould gather, the deceased was a
stranger in strange land. He had
belonged" only week, he was
mighty bad off, when he had lined"
n fact. And slowly, by even more
gradual degrees, the cruX of the matter
1awned from the fearful comments of
the cook, writhing under the cross
examination. Tho Lodge, t appeared
was in u most unexciting state of
health. It's membership had been fall
ing away. There had not been a fun
er6l in >hree months. 1t was neces-
'ary as it were, to create an interest,
to furnish the membership with a spur
to patriotism. And at this sad moment
in the fortunes of the Lodge ''Mose,"
mystical derelict on the current of life,
had drifted into town. gathered on
the top of freight car-and had ta-
ken to his bed. And then the Lodge
had taken him up. 1t loaded him with
attentions, and the doctor went to see
him, and he felt his pulse and he gave
UP the case. And then the Exalted
Ruler had become posse Ssed of an in
spiration. He had discounted the end.
With half dozen sisters and the
preacher they had gone tC the house
where Nose lay stricken unto death.
Nose had proved complacent. He was
received triumphantly into the men,
bership not only of the Lodge but of
the Church. Propped up in a chair
ne had received his baptism from a
wash-tub. The preacher duly pro-
claimed his salvation. There had been
meetings night after night and
"speshul" services az the Church. He
was overwhelmed with gifts of food
and drink. He lacked at no moment
for company. His ears resounded with
hymns, his last moments f1ickered to
their passing with the accompaniment
of fervent prayers. And in the mean
time, the Lodge had grown. Old mem
bers came back: new ones came in.
Meantime Moses ''laigs got coler and
coler" until the chill had reached his
knees. 1t was then that the cook had
been Informed of the imminence of
the funeral I gathered that it was the
thing to protest. Nevertheless she was
/ Christian and member of de
Lodge" Her duty was plain before her.
She was Ger officer" 1t came high, but
the fifty cents assessment for the cere-
monies had been cheerfully paid. The
dollar extra for the seat in the carriage
1T the front Of the procession was the
price of the waving Of the flag. The
5ereaved grandchildren. focking in
the last carriage. we've s.IEp the fam
lily of de Secitery," too little to be
left behind and riding by special ar
rangement on species of excursion
ticket.
'Yassir," said the cook "Brer Nose
done died mighty quick. Here today,
gone tomorrow. Prepare to meet de
LaWdi"
From the criss-c cross of his way
through life, Nose had certainly won
to an enviable passage from toll to
final rest.
They placed a tombstone, too, /
learned afterwards, probably in the
way of gratitude for the man whose
death had served to rehabilitate the
Lodge. Since then there have been
several funerals but the debt was
due, and it was paid. There was some
trouble about the name. Nose" it
seems was thought too short. 1t did
not chime with the dignity of the fun
eral or the significance of the stone.
The preacher finally prevailed:
He wuz a stranger an we TUX him
in said he. cit is most mispropor-
tionate dat since we doant know his
secund name we GIBBS i'm one. Like
de son of Jacob, he haV rented his
people in a strange land Dat tomb
stone mus have dis prescription: Moses
Jacob who come into de midst onichar-
ity ana went out on benevilense."
In the economy of the city darkies
lives there are two unknown forces.
One of them, as has been indicated.
IS de Lodge: the other is de Hail.
Each meets Cmce q week and their
ways are dark and their aims mystic
rious. What goes on at de Lodge"
is a thing to give serious pause to
sober thought Who would discover
aught, however, in the way of detail
would have to be a detective of mani
fold abilities. Question a member and
there ensues an instant access of stu
pidity. The Lodge is, and there is
the end, so far as concerns the out
side world. Occasionally there is a
parade, more often a funeral. Before
these functions, no contract of service
nor incident of emergency can stand.
That is a brave householder who
Lodge night" 1t does not even avail
to offer to pay the fine. Some other
intervenes, one of the mystic
ries of the sect, for there is somewhere
in the wool of the order a religious
It's members are bound
together with chains that hold each to
his or her unknown, intangible duty.
The organization in its crude way is
perfect. For one thing, its control of
the labor situation is complete.
'I'll report you to de Lodge" said
4 cook, caught with a weeks supplies
in her basket and discharged by her
mistress. "Dey shan't no spectacle
cook Wuk for you all, eff | kin help it,
The mistress laughed, but time |
proved the efficacy of the threat. Cook |
after cook came and went. Nurses
staid day and departed. And the |
discharged cook took up a position
across the way, in full sight of her |
'ormer mistress's back yard. The |
'hoodo" was in fine working order |
L save promise of being invincible. |
rhe lady of the house seriously consid- |
sred going to hotel to live. And |
hen brilliant device occurred to her. |
She engaged a man, an idle, good |
white-toothed negro, good to
a lawn, to pose in white /