Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-20


the Southland to appe;.! to one sense Of
humor: but after all there is mitch more
that appeals to ones Synlpatllies. had the
pleasure Of riding once in Louisiana on a
| train in company with an old Confederate
soldier, who made me as completely his
prisoner in the shackles of affectionate re-
gard as he might, because of his powerful
build, have made me prisoner III fact had
we met face to face on the field of battle. He
was man of convictions: but he was always
so thoroughly the st-hearted gentleman
in presenting his points of view that, al
though we differed radically upon almost
every matter of present political interest.
found for the moment. anyhow sweet
reaSonableness in his principles. His man.
ner was so calm, and gracious. and trans
parentlv sincere, that | found him wholly
captivating.
His chance remark that he hoped to at
tend the great Confederate reunion shortly
to be held at Chattanooga, or Chattanooga.
as he called it There is always soft, caresS
ing accent in the real Southerner's discourse
that changes mere word or name into
term of endearment) naturally brought up
a reference to the great conflict, and | took
a certain amount of human pleasure out of
the old mans present content with the gem
eral situation, as shown in the naive state
ment with which he began to talk on the
subject.
You know, Suh,7 said he, Il feel pretty
well satisfied with the way things turned
out, even though at the time, Sub, didn't
want EN- to turn out just that away.
I'VE are undoubtedly stronger as a nation
today than if it had turned out differently,
l ventured.
YES, sub, he said If we'd got away,
sub, it wouldn't ha been long befo the pril
- IL. y
established we'd all ha been secedin from
each othah, sub; and after the States had
done all the secedin they could the parishes
would ha begun secedin from the States
an the towns would la seeded from the
parishes-until the whole damn country
would ha landed in Mexico
Il never thought of it in that light be-
fore, smiled; "but guess you're right.
AN that amt all, neither, sub, he went
on. I'D ha felt great sight worse about it
if we'd been licked, Sub. If we'd been licked
in that great fight, Sut, l don't think I'd
evan have got ovah it, sub"
I maintained a discreet silence; for /
could not but feel that was on the verge Of
great philosophical discovery
when a fellah's licked, sub, the old man
went on, "he just hatchery kahn help feelin
sore, sub; bit If he's merely oTdh boatdhed,
.Snh-srhy that's aery different
There may be minds to which that dis
tinction is too subtle to be either obvious or
convincing: but the more have thought it
over since the more has it seemed to me to
involve profound philosophy which would
make the world happier We're it more widely
accepted by those suffering from reverses
OF fortune. To me there was a whole ser
mon in that brief utterance, and the differ
ence between being licked and being
merely overpowered" has been one out of
which / have derived no end OF comfort my
self in hours of difficulty. To be whipped
is one thing; to be merely overcome is in
deed another
NOR was the old mans kindly feeling
: concerning the God Of Things as They
Are, as expressed in words, mere lip service;
for in the course Of our morning 5 chat other
things developed which l am glad enough
to put upon record for Northern eyes.
"Iwish, said he, that YOU might stay ovah
hyah at my home a day or two, Subj and
let me take YOU to one OF our Post nleetin's,
sub. We'd make YOU more than welcome
"Yank though l be, eh?- laughed.
Yes, indeed, Subj he replied. @We
ain got anything against you on that score,
sub My first neetin' with Yanks in not
strictly hghtin capacity was once when a
ilalf a dozen Of EN- took me prisoner. l
found myself surrounded by EN- one day