The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-06-08

clinchtDg OF lists, leaping and dancing,
kissing of Nolan's feet, and a general
rush made to the hogshead by way of
spontaneous worship of Vaughan as
the deus ex machina of the occasion.
TELL Them" said Vaughan, well
pleased, shat I 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," and began to pro-
pose infinite other expedients in most |
voluble language. Vaughan was rath- /
err 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 coun-
try, take US to our own house. take
US to our own pickaninnies and our
own women He says he has an old
father and mother, who will die, If
they do not see him. And this one
says he left his people all sick, and
padded down to come and help them,
/ and that these devils caught him in
the bay just in sight of home, and
that he has never seen anybody from
home since then. And this one says"
I oh nt,f huf ha ha
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. T. who did not I'M
derstand anything of the passion in
volved in it, saw that the very ele-
ments We're 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,
, if they will. If l sail the schooner
through the Great White Desert, they
shall go home!"
[ And after some fashion Nolan said
: so. And then they all fell to kissing
( him again and wanted to rub his nose
r with theirs.
/ But he could not stand it long; and
n getting Vaughan to say he might go
: back, he beckoned me down into our
boat. AS we lay back in the stern
6 sheets and the men gave way, he said
e to me: "Youngster, let that show you
e what it is to be without family, with
D. out a home, and without a country
n And If you are ever tempted to say ;
word or to do q thing that shall pu
bar between you and your family
your home, and your country, pra
God in his mercy to take you that il
slant home to his own heaven. Site
by your family, boy; forget you hay
a self, while you do everything *
them. Think of your home, boy; wri
and send, and talk about it. Let
be nearer and nearer to your though
the farther you have to travel from L
n and rush to it, when you are free, {
III that poor black slave is doing nov
NJ And for your country, boy" and IL
| words ratified in his throat, "and fl
| that flag" and he pointed to the shil
"never dream a dream but of servin
y her as she bids you, though the serN
q ice carry you through thousand hell:
v No matter what happens to you, n
matter who fiatters you or who abuse
I Won. never look at another flag, neve
ii let a night pass but you pray God t
4 bless that flag. Remember, boy, tina
behind all these men you have to d.
i with, behind officers, and government
and people. even, there is the countr.
II herself, your country, and that yol
4 belong to her as you belong to you
b own mother. Stand by her, boy, a!
j you would stand by your mother, i
those devils there had got hold of he
todayw
L. I was frightened to death by hi
in calm, hard passion; but ! blunderet
out that would, by all that was holy
a and that had never thought of doin
err anything else. He hardly seemed t
II. hear me; but he did, almost in
ne whisper, say: ooh, if anybody ha
at SAID so TO me When was OF your age =!
~ I think it was this half-confidenee 0
ld his, which 1 never abused, for l neve
I'D told this story till now, which after
ed ward made us great friends. He wa
as very kind to me. Often he sat up, O
he even got up, at night to walk the dec
re, with me when it was my watch. ii
nd explained to me a great deal of IN
IL IT. zNIye M
ng helped me about my reading. He me-
ry err alluded so directly to his stor
I'M again; bnt from one and another of
of Ger I have learned, in thirty year
what I am telling. When we parte
an from him in st. Thomas harbor, at ii
on end of our cruise, / was more sorr
IN. than ] can tell. l was very glad
meet him again In 1890: and later