The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1907-12-03
"GWine Back Home. "
BY TOM O'MOORE.

AS we waited In the l.. and N. depot
at Nashville for the train, someone
began crying, and an excitement was
raised among the passengers. A brief
investigation proved that It was an
old colored man who was giving way
to his grief. Three or four people
remarked on the strangeness OF it,
but for some time no one said any,
thing to him. Then a depot police
man came forward and took him by
the arm, and shook him roughly and
said:
See here. old man. you want to
quit that! You are drunk, and II
you make any more disturbance I'll
lock you up"
Deed, but I hain't drunk" re-
piled the old man. as he removed his
tear-stained handkerchief. "I'ze lost
my ticket an money, an dats what's
de matter"
"Bosh! You never had any money
to lose! You dry up or away you
gol"
What's the matter yere?" queried
a man, as he came forward.
The old man recognized the dialect
of the Southerner in an instant, and,
REFRESHING his emotions with a great
effort, he answered:
Say, Mars Jack. I'ze been robbed. f"
"My name Is White"
well. den. Mars White, somebody
has done robbed me of ticket an
money"
"Whara ara Won poiupov
"Gwine down into Kaintuck, whar
I was bon an raised"
where's that?"
Nigh to Bowling Green, sab, an
when de wah dun sot me free cum
up dis way. Hain't bin home sence,
sah"
"And you had a ticket?"
"Yes, sab, an ober twenty dollahs
in cash. Bin savin' up fer ten vars,
sab"
What do you want to go back
for?"
"To see de hills an de fields, de
tobacco an de con, Mars Preston an
de good old missus. Why, Mars
White, I'ze dun bin prayin' fur 1t TO-
twenty Vars. Sometimes de longin'
has cum till I couldn't hardly hold
myself"
ITS too bad"
"De ole woman's buried down dar,
Mars White-de ole woman an free
chillen. l kin member de spot same
as If 1 seed it Yesterday. You so out
half way to de fust tobacker house,
an den you turn to de left an go
down to de branch whar de wimmin
used to wash. Oars TO trees on de
odder bank. an right under 'em is
whar dey is all buried. l kin see It!
1 kin lead you right to de spotl"
And what will you do when you
gee there?" asked the stranger.
go up to de big house an AK Mars
Preston to let me lib all de rest OBJ
my days right dar. I'ze ole an all
alone, an want to be nigh my dead.
Sorter company fur me when my
heart aches"
where were you robbed?"
"Out doahs dar, reckon, in de
crowd. See? De pocket is all cut
out. I've dreamed an pondered-
I'ze had dis journey in my mind fur
vars, an now I'ze dun bin robbed an
can't go"
He fell to crying, and the police
man came forward in an oGlclous
manner.
stand back, sir!" commanded the
stranger.
Nov. gentlemen. you have heard
the story. I'm going to help the old
man back to die on the old planta-
ton and be buried alongside his
dead"
So am T." called twenty men in
q chorus, and within five minutes we
had raised enough to buy him a ticket
and leave fifty dollars to spare. And
when he realized his good luck, the
old snow-haired black fell upon his
knees in that crowd and prayed.
Lord, I'ze been a believer in you
all my days, an now l dun axes you
10 watch ober desc yere white folks
dat has believed in me an helped me
to go back to de ole home"
And / do believe that nineteenth.
Of that crowd had tears in their eye.
as the gateman called out the trai1
for Louisville