El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-05-28

x He disappeared after a while, to
clear the table and wash the
- dishes. I thought with some re-
sentiment Col. Turpin talked politics,
and soon learned that he was decided
in his views, though somewhat mixed
in his politics I found out that he
was addicted to the habit of writing
pieces" for the papers, but never
under his own name. He chose rather
such mons de plume as "Vox Populi, Z"
Citizen" or sometimes Patriot lie
did not believe that writing was the
profession Of gentleman unless one
could hide ones identity yet ne telt
that the public should be educated by
this means. He was a Democrat but
believed in a high protective tariff; ne
disclaimed being lingo, but thought
il the duty OF the government TO
aYenge the wrongs OF any people perse-
cuted by q foreign power. And so the
night wore on and the moon arose
higher in the heavens. I heard Bud
and the colonel discuss the work on
the farm, and judged that the former
ana two 3r three negroes did il all save
in the picking season There was
contradiction about this strange house
hold which was perpleXing to me
Where had Miss Ellen mastered the
piano. and why was Bud. with the ap-
man, wearing ieaus- and doing the
plOw work in the fields? I had begun
TO weary OF conjecture when Miss Ell
len returned and offered to show me
the view from the CupOla. It was
weary climb to the TOP Of that, Old
house, but one felt repaid on reaching
there as the panorama Un1Clded itself
in the moonlight The moon was but
fortnight old and the night clOudless.
Miss Ellen EOiEted out to me the field
where the army Of Sherman had
camped on its famous march to the sea,
but had not word OF criticism to
make OF that great general She told
me Of the strCnG young manhood that
was developing TO regenerate the land
and seemed to think the freedom Of the
slaves a blessing TO both people. She
promised to take me TO the negro set
Element some day and show me how
they lived She had a sunday school
there Of cOIOred girls, For she said,
1T is going to be through the moth
ers of the colored race that we viii
some day reach 1t and elevate il to
what is good and moral 1 stood spell
bound, as II were, by her earnestness
and faith, and all my preconceived
opinions began to 1all away under the
influence of this little, brown-eyed
girl in a Bingham gown
That night after retired to my
room the instincts of the newspaper
man, which had lain dormant since
arriving at the Pines, began TO stir,
and / could not help thinking what a
picture this household would make If
held up before a Boston audience But
TO turn these kindly people into an alb
ject lesson would be the basest ingrati-
tude. Yet put this idea from me as I
would. il would recur to me during
the night, and scene after scene, with
Ellen and Bud always in the fore
ground, kept shifting themselves across
the mental canvas, and argue as
would that to make use Of this home
" life with its poverty and pride, its
dignified endurance of changed cOndi-
tons, as the subject of a news letter
would be an i'll return for the hOspi-
tality I had received, yet / could not
put aside the longing to pen the pic
ture as 1 saw it and to paint it boldly,
in order that others might see il in
the same light as it had appealed 10
me
The next morning I was up early. the
sun, in fact, being only an hour ahead
of me. Thinking IL would be an ex-
cellent chance to see something Of
the place and study its character more
in detail, for had become deeply inter
asted in everything connected with the
Pines, / dressed hastily and stated for
brisk walk. As I was making the half
circuit OF the house by way of eXplO-
ration, I came upon Miss Ellen car
rying an armful Of kindling wood.