Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-18
CHAPTER XVI.
"Obi" at Moreton.

"Obi" at Moreton.
The red-gold light of evening beat into
| the bar of the white Hart Inn at More
| tonhampstead, and its rich quality I'M
| parted a luster not only to the shining pew
| ter, the regiments Of bottles and the
| handles of the beer engines, but also to the
countenances of those assembled The
days work was done; moment for leisure
had fallen and it happened that amongst
the crowd that evening assembled were
| many known to us we'll as to each other
Mr.. Beer and Mr.. BARLEY drank to-
gether and discussed the times from diff
| ferent points of view; but both agreed that
| they were bad. The constable deplored their
| quietude, for nothing ever happened to adj
vance his interests or offer him an op-
portunity; and Mr.. Beer protested that
| a week there had happened nothing to in
| spire so much as couplet. Plenty of
| incident, however, fell out before the publi-
can had finished drinking. Titus Sim
| rival for behind him walked a tall negro
| The black man was clothed in a long coat
that reached to his feet, and a big slouch
| hat came low over his forehead and con-
cealed most of his brows
g. 'Tis Mister Henry's new servant" ex-
planned Sim. Hes deaf and dumb poor
beggar, but harmless as an infant. I'm just
| taking him for airing
! The company regarded this man, thus
removed from them by barriers impass-
| able, with great INTEREST,".
How do you make him understands
| asked Barley.
"All by signs. There are a few very SIM
| pie signs, and he knows them. Never was
| a creature less trouble, and certainly as
valet he couldn't be beat. He looks after
| the new motor car. too; but there's a
doubt if he can drive 1t, being deaf"
Titus tapped a glass and the black man
| nodded and grinned.
I vo1n 1,a
| don't drink nothing else. He comes from
| Tobago, where the Vivian sugar estates are,
you know. asked Mister Henry how
| ever he could choose a poor lad minus
two senses. and he said they were senses
| that a valet might do without. And so he
| can. Only we've got to tell him when his
masters bell goes. He can't hear any
| thing"
ITO think how many of these poor black
varmints was choked off like flies when
! poor Dan Sweetland died." said Mr. Beer.
blackness, and since he's deaf and dumb,
| he can't do much evil Though whether
| the devil creeps into us more through the
ear than the eye be nice question. Why,
he'd be almost handsome II he wasn't such
| a sooty SOUL
Mister Henry has a good word for the
niggers and says theym just as teachable
as dogs every bit. But the whites out
/ there has given him more trouble than all
| the blacks put together
"They'm all human creatures, and their
! color don't count for nought- in the eye Of
| Heaven" said ancient man who sat in
the corner. He was mostly in shadow. but
his nose and hands caught the red sun
shine.
| stones" he continued; black or white
| oats or wheat, neighbors. Rich and poor,
Christian and heaten will all be ground
alike; and them with horses and carriages
| us And that's very comforting thought
| to me, as have suffered from the quality
| all my life
Mr.. Beer shook his head.
Your radical ideas will undo you yet,
| CATER Hext" he answered. But it's the
| way of Hext to be ever vexed. Princi-
| paiEties and powers was always thorn
in the flesh to him. But when aH's said.
| where's the workers without 'em?
'.Hext never had no luck with his wife,
you see It have Toured your spiriteh
That's no reason he should be born
socialist an plan what's going to happen
| at the end of the world" replied Johnny
Beer 1.-The Last Judgment ban't his bust
ness, I believa An whether the quality
will be scat in pieces be an open question,
If you AK me. They've got plenty to put
up with so well as US. Look at what
! doubt And think how Income Tax
scourges 'em No; for my part don't
| Judge it's all fun being a man of rank. l
| dare say Sir Reginald envies Sim here
| thin tho hair an MANY a red-cneeked
| chan as smiles at market and rides a fine
| boss he so grim as a ghost behind the
| scenes when there's nobody to see an
baar h;m hut his wife"
The HACK man tapped his tumbler again.
| T. ues enntv
..He NAV have one more" said Titus, then
7 must set him going. Mister Vivian calls
| hin, .Ohi': but / think he's invented the
n I'M on; is a SORT Of religion out there
amone, the black peop,e. hear tell There s
4 i 80 <~O,t 10 nxyav- A,lr a0
| tates nv ali accounts. and the old overseer