Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1911-03-07

= $50 long. Azariah Peters. is sham
| ed OBJ yo'. declare am. wild dat sam
pie oh Marse Abe Linkum right befo'
yo' all de time. Doan 70 talk tonne
''Tomorrer Ill let him go free. Den
III be some like MarSe Iinkum.
reckon IN give him some cabbidge
now" and Azariah left the table and
went to his little captive. while granny
hobbled around the room singing in a
high. cracked voice.
The next day Azariah's first duty
was TO 90 to the adjacent woods and
search under the covering of dead
leaves for trailing vines of sassafras
and "old mans hand" with which to
adorn the large picture of Abraham
Lincoln which hung on the kitchen
wall.
After that he took the little gray rab-
bit from the woodshed and stumped
doggedly across the winding path TO
the upland pasture. He could feel the
| beating OF the little frightened heart
against his hand. and he Struggled the
little furry body closer into his neck.
"Doan' 20 be 'ft'aid li'i' rabbit. Is
| gwine ter take yo' straight ter yore
nanny" he comforted it, Then al
| the pasture fence he kissed the trem.
| bling animal and set it on the ground
For an instant it crouehed, frightened
and tense, and then with a bound II
| left him and disappeared in the hedge.
'Iawdy sakes" calculated the round
eyed AZariah. Il didn't reckon 1t
made folkses so glad to git away. /
wished i could be noah like Marse
Linkum an set noah folkses free"
He walked meditatively back to the
cabin and peered through the pailing
into the chicken yard. Il reckon 70
chickens would be mighty glad to git
away But I doan' know whit gran
ny'd Ink erbout dat"
| All the afternoon little Azariah pom
dered over the story of Abraham Lin
coin and the lesson taught by his no
BILE life. Toward night he went the
lonely two miles into Collinsville TO
replenish the molasses jug. AS he was
leaving the town on his way home he
came across that scapegrace Caesar
Woodson. and. wonder Of wonders.
that marvel of hardness and abandon
ed wickedness was bawling Justify In
the back yard of his fathers isolated
| cabin.
'Mah pappy he's gone ter jailr' he
wept noisily in response to Azariah's
solicitous inquiry "Kunnel Fem he
| tole de constable dat dere wuz only
| FIVE chickens lef' in his roos', an he
| said pappy he'd sold 'em ober ter de
| town folkses. An all becuz de kunnel
could only find five chickens In his
roos' dey locked my pappy upv
Henry Woodson's reputation as a
connoisseur of fine poultry was too
well known In the county for AZariah
| Ichabod Peters to express much sur
| prise or Indignation over that colored
I gentleman's incarceration in the lock-
| up. Nevertheless as he left his play
mate and went his homeward way his
little heart was filed with pity for. the
! genial Mr. Woodson, who was confined
within four walls away from the sun
shine and the crisp February air and
corn pone and sweet potatoes. Aza-
riah wondered what Mr.. Abraham
Lincoln would have done In like cir
cumstances. and he finally concluded
that Mr. Lincoln would have made
every effort to obtain the freedom Of
Henry Woodson and restore him to
the bosom of his family.
Azariah hid his molasses jug In the
hedge, and. turning his shiny rubber
boots toward the town he had just
left, he trotted swiftly back, turning
and twisting until he reached the
small. isolated brick building that
served as a temporary place Of con
finement for the evildoers of the vicin-
ity. The little boy crept up under the
small barred window, and In the fall
ing darkness his form became part Of
the shadows.
"Hi, Mr.. Woodsonr' he Kissed anx-
iously.
There was shutting step across the
floor, and Henry's rich voice came in
husbing whisper: who's dere? Is
dat yo', Caesar, yo' linn OBJ SatanT
at amt Caesar. 1t are somebuddy
like Marse Abe Linkum come to set
20 Free" whispered Azariah. "Jes'
yo' tell me how an kin do it,
"Lawsy mer' calculated Mr.. Wood
son. 'Iemme see. | reckon | oughter
know dis yere ole lookup like alike
coop. He, he! Whoever yo' be, do
yo' know whah my house isT'
"Yaas"
well. 20 run erlong an bring me
er crowbar outer my shed. Put yo'
han inside de do an it's in de corner
Fetch it heah."
| Azariah went and without adventure
he returned with the desired imple-
ment. and at Henry's direction he
handed it through the barred window
| That gentleman grabbed 1t hastily.
I'm mighty obleeged to you, an |
better not guess who yo' are. but yore
shore mighty little Teller. Now, yo'
better run erIong befo' de guard comes
back from he's supper. Nobuddy II
know twas 20 dat helped me out
erway, an / shall git to Richmond as
| fas' as | kin till de smell oh chicken
/ hes gone from de kunnefs nostrils-
he, her' be chuckled gleefully.
"Goodby. whispered Azariah Icha-
bod Peters. Il spect yore mighty hap
by to be free"
| "Glory, chile, dat / am" said the
grateful Mr.. Woodson. Now, yo' run
erlong home. li'r Azariah Ichabod Pc
tiers Abraham Lincoln. I'm gwine ter
be freer'
Azariah seampered away and re-
claimed his molasses jug. and as he
trudged the weary lonely two miles
homeward every step of his soft rub
Der boots seemed to emphasize Henry's
words In his happy heart: