The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1914-07-09

Il = 1910 = -
the deus ex machina Of the occasion.
Tell them, Z said Vaughan. we'll
pleased, that l will take them all to
Cape Palmas." a
This did not answer so well. Cape
Palmas was practically as far from
the homes of most of them as New Or
leans or Rio Janeiro was that is. they
would be eternslly separated from
home there. And their interpreters, as
we could understand. instantly said.
All. non Palmas," ana began to pro
pose infinite other expedients in most
voluble language. Vaughan was
rather disappointed at this result of
his liberality and asked Nolan eagerly
what they said. The drops stood on
poor Nolan's 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 barracoon." -.
Vaughan always said he grew gray
himself while Nolan struggled through
this Interpretation. l. who did not un-
derstand anything Of the passion in
volved in it, saw that the very ele-
ments were melting with fervent heat
and that something to paw 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 thew
shall go to the Mountains Of the Moon
if they will. If l sail the schooner
through the Great White desert they
shall go homer
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 he might go
back, he 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 1t is to be without a family.
without home and without a coun-
try. And if you are ever tempted to
say word or to do a 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, land 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 you, no
matter who fatters you or who abuses
you. never look at another flag. never
let 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-
dayw
l was frightened to death by bis
calm, hard passion. but l blundered
out that l would, by all that was holy.
and that L had never thought of doing
anything else. He hardly seemed to
hear me, but he did, almost in a whis-
per, say, "Oh, if anybody had said so
to me when was Of you age!''
think it was this half confidence Of
his, which I never abused. for 1 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 l was more sorry
than l can tell. was very glad to
meet him again in 1880, and later in life.
when l thought had some influence
in Washington. moved heaven and
earth to have him discharged. But it
was like getting ghost out of prison
They pretended there was no such man
and never was such a 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 a lie: or. rather. it is a 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 l never saw Nolan
again. wrote to him at least twice a
year, for in that voyage we became even
confidentially intimate; but be never
wrote to me. The other men tell me
that in those fifteen years be aged very
fast And now it seems the dear old
fellow is dead. He has found home