The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-04-29

AS WathhS dat cOVah de sea!
The clear voices in the quiet air
startled the fluttering birds and sent
squirrel to the tip-top of an oak,
from which he looked down, flirting
LIS brush. They reused man, too,
who had lain in sodden sleep under
bush at little distance. He was
ragged and soiled and his heavy bru.
tai face. covered with dark stubble
OF some days growth, had an ugly
scar slanting back from cheek to hair
" out getting up. he rolled over to
imand better view, and set his
eyes, blinking from their slumber, on
the children.
I'VE will now take up the collec-
tion," said Hickey. ("You can do it,
June. Use fiat piece Of bark.) Re-
member that what we give today is
for the poor heather in--in Alabama" :"
The bark-slab made it's rounds, re-
ceiving leaves. acorns, and an occa-
sional pin. Midway, however, there
arose a shrill shrek from the bearer
and the coii,ction was scattered broad
cast. Rosebud Meredith" said Rick
ey witheringly, at would serve you
right for putting that toad in the plate
II your hand would get all over warts!
I'm sure y hope ii will" She rescued
the fallen piece of bark and an.
nounced: "The collection this after
noon has amounted to a hundred dol
lars and seven cents. And now, chill
dren. we will skip the catechism and
will tell you story"
Her auditors hunched themselves
nearer, a double row OF attentive white
and black faces, as Hickey with a pre-
liminary bass cough. began in a drawl-
Ing tone whose mimicry called forth
giggles of esctasy.
There were once two little sisters
who went to Sunday-school and loved
their teacher ve-e-ery much. They
were always good and attentive-not
like that little niger over there! The
one with his thumb in his mouth! One
was little Mary and the other was
little Susy. They had mighty rich
uncle who lived in Richmond, and
once he came TO see them and gave
them each dollar. And they were
ve-e-ery glad. II wasn't a mean old
paper dollar, all dirt and creases: nor
battered Whitley silver dollar: but
1t was a bright round gold dollar, right
out OF the mint. Little Mary and little
Susy could hardly sleep that night for
thinking OF what they could buy with
those gold dollars.
early next morning they went
downtown, hand In hand, to the store.
and little Susy bought bag of goober-
peas, and sticks and sticks of striped
candy. and a timber jack, and gold
ring, and wax doll with a silk dress
on that could open and shut it's eyes"
"Huh!" said the captious Cozy.
"gou can't buy wax doll for dollar.
My littlest, littlest one cost three, and
she didn't have stitch to her back!"
Shut up" said Hickey briefly.
Dolls were cheaper then" She looked
at the row OF little negroes, google
eyed at the vision of such largess.
What do you think little Mary did
with her gold dollar? She loved dolls
and candy. too. but she had heard
about the poo-oo-r heather. There was
a tear in her eye, but she took the dol
lar home, and next day when she went
TO Sunday-school, she dropped it in
the missionary-box.
Little children, what do you reckon
became Of that dollar? 1t bought a
big satchelful OF tracts for a mission.
airy. He had been a poor man with
six children and wife with q bone.
felon on her right hand--not child
old enough to wash dishes and all Of
them young enough TO fall In the fire
so he had TO so and be q missionary.
tie was going to Alabam-to q canni.
bal island, and he took the tracts and
sailed away in n ship that landed him
on tho shore. And when the heather
cannlbals saw him they were ve-e.ery
glad, for there hadn't been any shin.
wrecked sailors for a long time, and
they were ye-e-ery hungry. So they
tled up the missionary and gathered
lot or wood TO make a fire and cook
him.
but is had rained and rained and
rained for so long that the wood was
all wet, and it wouldn't burn, and they
all cried because they were so hungry.
And then they happened to find the
satcheiful OF tracts, and the tracts
were ve-e-ery dry. They took them
and stuck them under the wet wood.
and the tracts burned and the wood
caught fire and they cooked the mis-.
siOnary and ate him.
Now, little children, which do you
think did the most good with her dol.
lar-little Susy or little Mary?"
The front row sniggered, and a sigh
came from the colored ranks. Dem
ar can'bals," gasped dusky infant
breathlessly. "-dey done eat up all
dat candy and dem goober-peas, too %
The inquiry was drowned in q Shrek
from several children in unison. they
scrambled TO their feet. castinSr foar.