The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-05-14

| r NSu WIiue " tIc llNSSuc'u w way "a
spontaneous worship OF Vaughan as
the deus OK machina OF the occasion.
| "TeIl them" said Vaughan. We'll
pleased. that | vii! take them all to
Cape Palmas."
This did not answer so well. Cape
PaImus was practically as far from
the homes of most Of them as New Or
leans or Rio Janeiro was-that is, they
would be eternally separated from
home there. And their interpreters, as
we could understand. instantly said,
"Ah. non Palmas," and began to pro-
pose infinite other expedients in most
| vOluDle language. Vaughan was
rather disappointed at this result OF
| his liberality and asked Nolan eagerly
what they said. The drops stood on
poor Nolans white forehead as he
| hushed the men down. and said:
"He says Not Palmas.' He says,
Take US home, take us to our own
country, take US to our own house,
take us to our own pickaninnies and
our own women And this one says
chOked out Nolan, that he has not
| heard word from his home in six
months. while he has been locked up in
an internal barracoop."
Vaughan always said be grew gray
himself while Nolan struggled through
this Interpretation. !. who did not I'M
derstand anything Of the passion in
volved in it. saw that the very ele-
ments were melting with fervent heat
and that something was to pay some
where. Even the negroes themselves
stopped bowling as they saw Nolan's
agony and Vaughan's almost equal
agony of sympathy. AS quick as he
could get words, be said:
Tell them yes, yes. Tell them they
shall go to the Mountains Of the Moon
If they will. If sail the schooner
through the Great White desert they
shall so home!
And after some fashion Nolan said
so. And they all fell to kissing him and
wanted to rub his nose with theirs.
But he could not stand it long, and,
getting Vaughan to say be might 60
back, be beckoned me down into our
boat As we lay back in the stern
sheets and the men gave way. he said
to me: "Youngster, let that show you
what it is to be without a family.
without a home and without coun-
try. And II you are ever tempted to
say a word or to do thing that shall
put bar between you and your fam
lily, your home and your country. pray
God in his mercy to take you that in
| slant home to his own heaven. Stick
by your family, boy. Forget you have
self, while you do everything for
them. Think Of your home, boy. Write
and send and talk about it. Let it be
nearer and nearer to your thought the
farther you have to travel from it. and
rush back to it when you are free. as
that poor black slave is doing now.
And for your country, boy" and the
words ratified in his throat. "and for
that flag" and he pointed to the ship.
| never dream a dream but Of serving
her as she bids you. though the service
carry you through a thousand bells.
No matter what happens to yon. no
matter who f1atters you or. who abuses
! you, never look at another flag. never
let a night pass but you pray God to
bless that flag Remember. boy, that
behind all these men you have to do
with behind officers and government
and people even. there is the country
herself. your country, and that you be-
long to her as you belong to your own
mother Stand by her. boy. as you
would stand by your mother if those
devils there had got hold of her to.
| day!'
was frightened to death by his
calm, hard passion. but Numbered
out that would, by all that was holy,
and that | had never thought of doing
anything else He hardly seemed to
hear me. but he did, almost in whis-
per, say, "Oh, if anybody had said 50
to me when was Of you age!"
l think it was this half confidence of
his, which | never abused, for | never
told this story till now. which after
ward made us great friends. He was
very kind to me- When we parted
from him in st. Thomas harbor at the
end of our cruise was more sorry
than l can tell. was very glad to
meet him again in 1880, and later in life.
when l thought l had some influence
in Washington. moved heaven and
earth to have him discharged. But it
was like getting a ghost out of prison
They pretended there was no such man
and never was such man. They will
say so at the department now!
There is story that Nolan met Burr
/ once on one of our vessels, when a
party of Americans came on board in
the Mediterranean. But this l believe
to be lie: or. rather, it is myth. we'll
found. involving tremendous blowing
up with which he sunk Burr-asking
him how he liked to be without a
country"
| After that cruise | never saw Nolan
again. lwrote to him at least twice
! year, for in that voyage we became even
confidentially intimate: but he never
y wrOfo RI mo Tho other mon foil me