The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1913-11-01
DoNALDsoNv1LLE La SATURDAY, NOVEMBER l. 1913
i LITTLE MOUND or EARTH.

|
Flodd-sad Ending of "unele
Josh's" Quest for His "chiP -
A True Seory.
r. L. Hines, of the Louisiana State
University faculty, who was in charge
or the relief camp at Baton Rouge
during the great flood of 1912, contrl-
Dutes tine following pathetic little
story to the October number of the
Req Cross Magazine:
Good morning, Uncle! Sit on that
chair. What can We do for you to-
day?'
An old negro, who had waited for
some time, stood before the desk
He took the seat and entered quick
| ly upon the business OF his visit.
| Il wants ter know if you'se seen
my little gal. She's lost, and Use
| been huntln' fur her fur nigh on to
week an l can't fin 'er. De peo-
| pie all say dis is de place to cum to
fur to fin ebery ting, an so I cum.
| She's a bright little gal, eight years
ole dis comm June. Has you seen
er, Boss?'' And he looked into my
face as if life itself depended upon
| the answer
Uncle, I've seen so many people
since this flood came that l am not
sure whether saw your little girl or
not. Lid you say it is your little
girl?"
"Yas, sir, Boss! No-i's dis way,
| Boss. My daughter had dis chill
and she died when de chill was a
| little bit thing, an I tuck it an
keereA fur it an raise it, an t's
my gran chill. Does you t'ink my
chips in dis city, Boss?''
1t might be here, Uncle, Tell me
how you came to be separated from
the child"
Us dis way, sab. We had dun
waited on de levee all day fur de
boat, an wen de boat cum we put
de wimmens an de chillens on de
boat an de men dey help load de
stock. An vile we was a-loadin' de
stock on de barge de steamboat it
went off, an I hain't seen de chill
since dat time till now Use been to
Wilhelm an to Port Hudson, an now
Use here a lookin' fur my chill.
Some people say dey seed de chill
but dey don know whar she at now.
/ just knows dar's something bad hap
pened t. dat chill Every night since
her ma died dat chill has gone to
sleep in desc berry arms, Boss; an I
knows eff she's lyin' she is eryin' fur
me now. Does you t'ink she's in dis
town.
She might be here / am not sure
Of that. We can find out, however.
will give you note to the CAPTAINS
of our camps and they will permit
IN talk to IL & people iii the
camps II that way you can find
whether your little girl is in camp.
I will ask the colored citizens com
mittee to search among the refugees
who are being cared foI in private
families. ut may be that your child
is with some of our colored families.
Give me your name,'
Joshua Clay
What was the girls name?"
'Angeline Clay"
Here is the note. Visit the camps,
and let me know the result of your
search.
Tank you, Boss"
The old man went away. I recall
ed the death Of an orphan child a
few days before, and concluded, after
some inquiry, that this was the child
the old man was looking for. The
child had come in On a rainy night
among many other people, and wasn't
noticed until she was a very sick
patient. The dhock, the grief of
loneliness in the midst of many
strangers. the far-off call to leave
this troubled world-she turned upon
her hard bed and feebly cried for her
grandfather. Then silence fell up
on the child The woman who
waited on her thought she slept
She slept, but not to wake again a
Charge of ours.
We buried her IN the petter's field
The old man found the sittle mound
Of earth, and, sitting by it, gave ex-
pressfons to his grief.
AS long as he lives that little
mound of earth will loom large in the
life of old Uncle Josh. The object OF
eight years devotion lies beneath it;
life's current seems to have lost itself
in it.
All, those little mounds of earth!