Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-07-05
A Choice
Of Sides
The Cloud That Came Be-
tween the Lovers.
BY ELINCR MARSH

4
.convulsion pertaining to human lib
erty.
Up to that time it was the most stu
pendous Of its kind that ever had oc-
Cured. III that great clash father
was set against son. brother against
Drother. friend against friend.
Northern men in the south and south
ern men in the north found themselves
called upon to make decisions of vital
importance.
No one, except aged persons, has
seen the palmy antebellum days in
the southern states, when the patri-
archal system was in vogue, when
the planter was considered sort OF
sovereign. when his family were ele-
waited to virtue and restrained from
vice by d sense of noblesse oblige
All this has given place to what we
call progress. But progress is liable
to take a step backward in putting on
new apparel. and the south today has
new vigor in her veins.
Colonel Joseph Archibald was typi-
cal southern planter. In 1850 he had
lived half century and had not kept
pace with the times. He wore a ruff
ded shirt, brass buttons on his coat
and a hat of real beaver-that is. in
winter. In summer he wore an eX-
penSive panama straw The colonel
had no real right to his title. Any
southern man of prominence in those
days was likely to be dubbed general,
colonel or major, to distinguish him
from the commoner or the man who
did not own many acres and many
negroes.
Colonel Archibald's family consisted
of his wife. his oldest child, a SON
when this story begins man OF twen.
fy-three-a daughter of twenty and
four other children, boys and girls, all
under sixteen years of age Not one
of these young persons but had been
trained never to do anything unbecom-
ing to his or her station. The planter
of that period was misjudged because
there were persons in the south who
were too ready to talk about their
honor and too hot in it's defense But
the real southern gentleman of the mid
nineteenth century was an inheritance
of those splendid men who brought
about the birth of a nation.
Not far from the Archibald planta-
tion dwelt another planter named
Sheffield. He had married northern
woman, and her children were taught
by her that the system of making
slaves of human beings was totally
wrong.
Her doctrine made no difference in
the plantation over which she presided
as mistress unless it tended to bring
about better treatment of the ne
groes. Be that as it may, those on
The Sheffield plantation were happy and
quite content with their lot, there be-
ing no runaways among them.
Harry Sheffield was the only son and
heir to this estate. He was educated
at New England university where
his mothers prejudice against the labor
system then i'll vogue in the south was
stimulated. He was used to defend it
10 his fellow students on the ground
that it had been planted in the south.
not by the southern people; that they
had inherited it and We're not respon-
Sible for it. The only thing they could
wholesome as possible.
Young Sheffield returned from col.
4ege to his plantation home a couple of
years before the outbreak of the war
which was destined to effect so marked
change in the labor system of the
southern states. He and Alma Archi
paid We're Of an age to mate, and it
was not long before Harry went to
Colonel Archibald and asked for his
daughters hand. Before the colonel
would consent he told Harry that he
mad heard that his views upon the
question that was agitating the coun-
try We're singular and he would like
10 know what they were Harry was
200 conscientious to win the girl he
bowed by a false statement and told
abe truth.
Il honor you, sir" said the colonel,
Tor your frankness in acknowle.,g ,ging
what will make YOU unpopular among
the people of the south, but in view of
dhe importance OF your opinions do
MOI think it best either for you or for
my daughter that you should wed. We
are on the eve of a great issue in the
south, and a house divided against it.
eself will surely fall. With your views
:7dted upon conscientiously, your place
is or soon will be in the north instead
OF the south"
While Harry Sheffield was obliged to
admit the truth of the argument, he
was not willing to subscribe to it, for
Trne love subscribes to no argument
mat separates lovers. But he did not
consider it honorable for him to take
Alma surreptitiously under the cir
<cumstances. He was much troubled
saoont the impending crisis and the
part he should take when the storm
broke, fearing greatly that if forced tc
take sides he could not conscientiously
enter upon the defense of a system
that he condemned. Under the circum
stances he babe adieu to Alma. the Low