The San Francisco call., 1908-11-14
| FILLED T7IE CORD WITH WETER

many of the neigfSors were strong
sympathizers with the south and would
have almost burned the roof over our
heads if they had known we were Civ
ing aid to runaway 'nigger"
We nursed him back TO health and
got him away TO Canada and managed
to send word to his wife, way down
souf"
It took so long TO do this that vaca-
tion was almost over and it was time
to go home. I was almost glad to go.
the boys teased me so terribly about
my niger"
After we got home, the tales we
heard. Of sufferings in southern prisons
and nearer home, at Fort Douglas.
made our hearts ache. And We could
scarcely enjoy our nice food or snuggle
down into comfortable beds, as the
chilly nights came on, for thinking of
our boys in blue lying. half starved, in
the trenches before some besieged city,
or dying by thousands on the battle
fields. To tender hearts, it was made
no easier by the fact that the south was
enduring even more than we We're.
So time went on, four years, in all.
On a certain April day we had gone
to school as usual. Among the grown
people there had been talk of great
victories on our side, great losses by
the south; and many were hoping that
the war, cruel and unnatural. between
brother citizens of one country, would
soon be over.
It was about II ociock was peg
ging away at my 10 examples in arith-
metic-long division, 1 think they were
when a bell pealed out. Another
another=hundreds OF them, The air
was wild with bells, Lee had surren-
deredl The war WAS over. Victory
was ours
No more school that day Home for
some lunch, shouting the news as we
ran, though no one stopped to listen;
best clothes were put on, white dresses,
red, white and blue sashes and ribbons,
banners and fags-then back TO school,
to march in the largest, most enthusi
astic procession Chicago had ever
known.
few days of rejoicing and then
news-sudden. awful news. Lincoln
our noble, beloved president, was dead
-shot-assassinated Horror and grief
fell upon US like pail. In one hour
a city Of rejoicing, nation filled with
thankfulness was changed into a vast
house Of mourning. Each family seemed
to have lost a member; the Grape on
each house front seemed TO tell of the
death Of one known and loved therein.
They were bringing him home-back
to his old home in Springfield, H., for
burial He was to be brought through
Chicago and laid in state in the Chi
cago courthouse. It was the mournful
pleasure of a great city to watch at
his bier during those days and nights;
to pass in sorrowfuI procession, hour
after hour, by that loved form.
As we went in, at the great doors,
in the midst Of the vast throng, some
one crowded over to father and laid
his hand on fathers arm. 1t was the
poor darky we had befriended. No
word was spoken, but he took off his
hat and, walking back Of US, went with
US into the place of the dead
How calm and noble he looked, that
martyr Of duty. How peaceful he lay,
in his last sleep, with his hands crossed
upon his breast The plain, strong
features; the large, angular form-how
they spoke Of what the man had been
plain, honest, fearless. truel
He lay in the center of the great
hall on a bier draped heavily with
black velvet and silver. The four posts
at the corners supported a canopy of
black. Soldiers stood at the head and
foot The throng Of people, coming
in at one of the great doors, was
divided at the foot Of the bier Some
passed to the right, some TO the left.
and all walked slowly, but without
stopping, past the dead hero, and on,
out at the opposite door
Hundreds and thousands passed, with
uncovered heads and dim eyes, by the
place of his rest Hundreds and thou
sands went out from there better men
and better women because of the noble
life he had lived the noble death he had