The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1917-05-25

elinching Of fsts, leaping and dancing.
kissing Of Nolan's feet. and q general
rush made to the hogshead by way Of
spontaneous worship Of Vaughan ~
the deus ex machina Of the occasion.
Tell them" said Vaughan, well
pleased. ''that will take them al to
Cape Palmas."
This did not answer 80 well. Cape
Palmas was practically as far from
the homes Of most OF them as New Or
leans or Rio Janeiro was; that Il, 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-
er 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. II
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"
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. !, who did not un-
derstand anything Of the passion In
volved in 1t, 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 60 to the Mountains Of the Moon,
II they will. II sail the schooner
through the Great White Desert, they
shall 60 home"
And after some fashion Nolan said
so. And then they all fell to kissing
him again and wanted to rub his nose
with theirs.
But he could not stand 1t long; and
getting Vaughan to say he might go
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 1t is to be without family, with
out a home, and without a country.
And If you are ever tempted to say
word or to do a thing that shall put
a bar between you and your family,
your home, and your country, pray
God in his mercy to take you that in
slant home to his own heaven. Stick
by your family, boy; forget you have
a self, while you do everything for
them. Think of your home, boy; write
and send, and talk about 1t. Let 1t
be nearer and nearer to your thought,
the farther you have to travel from 1t;
and rush 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 serv-
ice carry you through a thousand hells.
No matter what happens to you, no
matter who flatters 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
belong to her as you belong to your
own mother. Stand by her, boy, as
you would stand by your mother, If
those devils there had got hold Of her
today!"
was frightened to death by his
calm, hard passion; but blundered
out that would, by all that was holy,
and that had never thought Of doing
anything else. He hardly seemed to
hear me; but he did, almost in a
whisper, say: "Oh, II anybody had
said SO to me when was of your age !"
I think 1t was this half-confdence Of
his, which never abused, for never
told this story till now, which after
ward made us great friends. He was
very kind to me. Often he sat up, or
even got up, at night to walk the deck
with me when it was my watch. He
explained to me a great deal Of my
mathematical. He lent me books, and
helped me about my reading. He nev.
er alluded 80 directly to his story |
again; bnt from one and another Off |