Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1915-03-18
the place. When they were gone, Sam.
son seated himself at his easer again.
and picked up his palette. "a
CHAPTER VI.

CHAPTER VI. VI
Lescott had come to the mountains
anticipating visit of two weeks. His
accident had resolved him to shorten
it to the nearest day upon which hs
felt capable of making the trip out 70
the railroad. Yet June had ended;
July had burned the slopes from em.
erald to russet-green; August had
brought purple tops to the ironweed;
and still he found himself lingering.
And this was true although he recog-
nfzed a growing sentiment Of disa9-
proval for himself. In Samson he
thought he recognized twin gifts: o
spark Of genius too rare totbe al
lowed to flicker out, and a potentiality
for constructive work among his own
people, which needed for Its perfecting
only education and experience.
Samson" he suggested one day
when they were alone, Il want you to
come East. You cay that gun is your
tool, and that each man must stick to
his own. You are in part right, in
part wrong. A man uses any tool bet.
ter for understanding other tools. You
have the right to use your brains and
talents to the full" Is ~
The boys face was somber IN the
intensity of his mental struggle. and
his answer had that sullen ring which
was not really sullenness at all, but
self-repression. '5
II reckon feller's biggest right ls
to stand by his kinfolks. Unc,. Spicer's
gittin' old. He's done been good ter
me. He needs me here" lf4s5>,lt ..4 ~
81 appreciate that. He will be older
later. You can 60 now, and. come back
to him when he needs you more. IL
what urged meant disloyalty to- your
people, could cut out my tongue be-
fore / argued for 1t. You must be-
lieve me in that. want you to be In
the fullest sense your peoples leader.
l want you to be not only their Sam
son-but their Moses" e.
The boy looked up and nodded,
II reckon ye aims ter be friendly,
all right" was his conservative te-
sponse. .s.;' "a
The painter went on earnestly
Il realize that am urging things Of
which your people disappf rove, but; Y Y
only because they misunderstaAd that
they do disapprove. They. are TOP close,
Samson, to see the purple that 84puns
tains have when they are far RRay,tl !
want you to go where YOU can zee
the purple. If you are ths soEt ofTmhu
/ think, you won't be beguilS d. IIou
won't lose your loyalty. You won f3be
ashamed Of your people" ~
Il reckon wouldn't be- (.
said the youth. II recksn
no better folks nowhar. sl
'1'm sure Of It. There Hre
By. .sYeepings changes, d{1st tf
itains. nditfUs- hefe n6
immutably changelesss as
themselves for q hundred yej
day is at its twilighta Ut a
know what I'm talking Al Ie
state of Kentucky is looking tnfS HkSs
The state must develop, andsit q here
alone that It can develop Hert ARE
virgin forests and almost dnexhaust-
ible coal veins. Capital is t4rntng,
from an orange squeezed dry. and east
ing about for fresher food. Capital has
seen your hills Capital is Inevitable,
relentless, omnlpotent Whereit d0nes,l
1t makes its laws. Conditions that
have existed undisturbed will vanish.
The law of the feud, which militia and
courts have not been able to abate,
will vanish before capitals breath like
the mists when the sun strikes them.
Unless you learn to ride the waves
which will presently sweep over your
country, you and your people will go
under. You may not realize It, but
that is true. 1t Is written"
The boy had listened intentlyi but at
the end he smiled, and In his express
sion was something Of the soldier who
scents battle. not without welcome. =
81 reckon If these here fellers air
a-comin' up here ter run things, an
drowned out my folks. hits right
good reason fer me ter stay here-an'
holp my folks"
by staying here, you can't help
them. It won't be work for guns, but
for brains. BY going away and COM
ing back armed with knowledge. you
can save them. You will know how to
play the game"
81 reckon they won't git our land,
ner our timber, ner our coal, without
we wants ter sell hit. / reckon ef they
tries thet, guns will come in handy.
Things has stood here like they is now,
fer a hundred years. reckon we kin
keep 'em that-away fer spell longer"
But it was evident that Samson was
arguing against his own belief; that he
was trying to bolster up his resolu-
tion and impeached loyalty, and that
at heart he was sick to be up and 60
ing to a world which did not despise
dedication" After little, he waved
his hand vaguely toward down be-