The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1914-08-19

eTen them.v said Vaughan. well
pleased, that will take them all to
Cape Palmas."
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 eternally separated from
home there. And their interpreters, as
we could understand. instantly said.
"Ah. non Palmas.r 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 ms to our own pickaninnies and
our own women And this one says
choked out Nolan, that he has not
heard a 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. I. whosdid 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 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. he said
Tell them yes, yes. Tell them they
shall go to the Mountains Of the Moon
II they will. If | 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 1t long, and,
getting Vaughan to say he might go 4
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 it is to be without family
without a home and without coun-
try. And If you are ever tempted to
say 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
stant home to his own heaven. Stick
by your family, boy. Forget you have
them. Think of your home, boy.s 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 1t 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 hells.
No matter what happens to you, no
matter who hatters 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 bad got hold Of her to-
dayr'
was frightened to death by his
calm. hard passion. but l blundered
out that ! would, by all that was holy,
and that had never thought of doing
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 1t was this half confidence of
his. which l 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 | thought | had some influence
in Washington, | moved heaven and |
earth to have him discharged. But 1t |
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 lie; or. rather. 1t is myth, well |
found, involving trt mendous blowing |
up with which he sunk Burr-asking |
him how he liked to be without a
After that cruise | never saw Nolan |
again. | wrote TO him at least twice
year, for In that voyage we became even |
intimate; but he never
wrote to me. The other men tell me
hat in those fifteen years he aged very |
fast. And now II seems the dear old |
fellow is dead He has found "A home