The Glenwood post., 1916-04-15

| LoAoAhS was SiSlAhS5 aiOAC Ill
the shade of bush, his knees gath
cred in his arms and his head bowed
down. Great quivering sighs that
were almost sobs were shaking his
strong body. In one terrific swirl
life had wrenched him from the moor
ings of generations, tossed him high
and dropped him, broken. Between
the moment when he had plunged
from the sandspit and the moment
when he and the girl had stood on the
river bank and laughed together to see
the canoe, worked adrift by the eddy,
swirl out into the river and away,
cons had passed. In that laughing
moment he had stood primeval man in
primeval world. With the drops Of
water from the river he had flicked
off the bonds it had taken centuries
to forge. And now his truant con-
science returned to stand dismayed.
The girl, dressed in a homespun
cotton robe belted at the waist, came
back down half-hidden path, shyly
at first and then with awe to see
him weeping. She tossed him a cot
| ton jumper and trousers and then drew
| back and waited for him in the path
He rose slowly to his feet, dressed and
followed the girl.
She led him along the path through
the brush and out into little valley
made up of abandoned cane and rice
bottoms. In the center was slight
| elevation, too low to be called hill,
and on it was an old planta tlon 'heu$,
white stucco once, now sadly weather
streaked, its tiles green-black with the
moss of years. st
She pointed to the house and then to
herself and smiled. He understood
the pantomime and nodded. When
they reached the house a withered
and wrinkled little woman came out
to the arched veranda to meet them.
She looked Gerry over shrewdly and
then held out her hand. He shook
| 1t listlessly. They walked through a
long dividing hall. On each side were
large rooms, empty, save one where
big bed, wash-stand, and an old,
bureau with mildewed glass, were
| grouped like an oasis in desert They
| reached the kitchen. 1t was evidently
the living room of the house. A ham,
mock cut OF one corner. Chairs were
drawn up to a rough, uncovered table.
A stove was built into the masonry
and cavernous oven gaped from the
massive wall.
At the stove was an old negress.
making coffee with shaky dellberation.
On the door sat an old darky clad
only from his waist down in such trou-
sers as Gerry was wearing, except
that they were soiled and tattered
He looked up and fastened his eyes
on Gerry and then struggled to his
feet. Dim recollections OF some by
gone white master brought CLEAN
into his bleary eyes. He raised his
hand in the national gesture of child
to parent, slave to master. Blessing.
master, blessing" Gerry had learned
the meaning of the quaint custom.
"God bless thee" he answered dn
badly jumbled Portuguese. The girl
and the wrinkled woman looked II
him, surprised, and then smiled at
each other as women smile at the first
steps of child.
They made him sit down at the
table and placed before him crisp
rusks Of manioc flour and steaming
coffee whose splendid aroma tn
umphed over the sordidness Of the
scene and through the nostrils reached
the palate with anticipatory touch.
1t was sweetened with dark, pungent
sirup and was served black in capa.
cious bowl, as though one could not
drink too deeply Of the elixir of life.
Gerry ate ravenously and slipped the
coffee, at first sparingly, then greedily.
The old negress futtered nervously
about the stove, nursing It's inadequate
fire of charcoal. Her eyes were big
with wonder at the capacity Of the
white master. TIE old negro had sunk
back to his seat on the floor. The two
white women stood and watched Ger
~. The more he ate the more they
urged.
Gerry set down the empty bowl with
a sigh. The rusks had been delicious.
Before the coffee the name of nectar
dwindled to impotency. It's elixir RIOT
ed in his veins. At the sigh the efrl
lad deity rolled q cigarette In S1btt
" con- hnsi, sEaped t11in ~ paper.
Now ~ lsit,DsA q Into his 1aneset.
/ - - ~ plekea NH 4 'aiYatSeal