The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-05-17
THFu[1HT
IN THE CLEARING
A TALE OF THE NORTH COUNTRY
IN THE TINE OF SILAS WRIGHT
H
IRVINE hACHEuER


q kind Of tacit claim in his manner
that they were subjects regarding
which no honest man could be expect.
ed 10 tell the truth.
AS we ate our dinner they told me
that an escaped slave had come into
a neighbOriing county and excited the
people with stories Of the auction
block and Of negroes driven like yOked
oxen On plantations in South Carolina,
whence he had escaped on a steam
boat.
II blieve I'm goin' to vote for abo-
litiOn." said Uncle Peabody. II Won
der what Sile Wright will say TO that"
Hell probably advise against it; the
time isn't ripe for so great change"
was my answer. ale thinks that the
whole matter should be left TO the gla-
cial action of times forces"
Indeed I had spoken the view Of
the sOunder men of the North. The
subject filed them with dread alarm.
But the attitude Of Uncle Peabody
was significant. The sentiment In ia
vor of change was growing. 1t was
now TO be reckoned with, for the abo-
lition party was said TO hold the bal
ance of power in New York and New
England and was behaving itself like
bull I'm a china shop.
After dinner l tried to put on some
OF my old clothes, but found that my
nakedness had so expanded that they
would not cover IL, so / hitched my
white mare on the spring wagon and
drove to the village for my trunk.
Every week day after that / worked
In the fields until the senator arrived
In Canton about the middle of August.
On one Of those happy days 1 received
a letter from old Kate. dated, to my
surprise. In Saratoga. 1t said:
Dear Barton Baynes: ! thought 1
would let you know that my father is
dead. have come here to rest and
have found some work to do. l am bet
ter now. Have seen Sally. She is very
beautiful and kind. She does not know
that am the old witch, have changed
so. The others do not knOw-it is
better that way. l think II was the
Lord that brought me here. He has a
way of taking care of some people.
my boy. Do you remember when l be-
gan to call you my boy-yOu were very
little. 1t is long, long ago since first
saw you In your fathers doOryard-
you said you were going to mill on a
butterfiy's back. You looked just as /
thought my boy would look. You gave
me kiss. What a wonderful gift it
was to me then! began to love you.
have no one else to think of now.
hope you won't mind my thinking so
much of you.
God bless you,
KATE FULLERTON"
/ understood now why the strong
will and singular insight of this wom-
an had so often exercised themselves
In my behalf. 1 could not remember
the far day and the happy circum-
stance of which she spoke, but 1 wrote
her letter which must have warmed
her heart l am sure.
Silas Wright arrived In Canton and
drove up to our home. He reached
our door at eight in the morning with
his hound and rife. He had aged rap
idly since l had seen him last. His
hair was almost white. There were
many new lines In his face, He
seemed more grave and dignifed. He
did not lapse into the dialect of his
fathers when he spoke Of the ancient
pestimes of hunting and fishing as he
had been wont to do.
Bart" he said when the greetings
were over, Tets you and me 60 and
spend a day In the woods. I'll leave
my man here to help your uncle while
you're gone"
We went by driving south q few
miles and tramping in to the foot Of |
the saltwater on our rivera trail
long familiar to me. The dog left rs |
soon after we took ii and began to |
range over thick wooded hills. We sat |
down among small, spirelike spruces |
at the rivers edge with a long stretch |
of water in sight while the music of
the hounds voice came family to orr /
ears from the distant forest.
"Oh, I've been dreaming of this for
a long time" said the senator as he
leaned back against tree and filed
his lungs and looked out upon the wa
ter, green with lily pads along the
edge and flecked with the last of the
white blossoms. Il believe you want
to leave this lovely country"
81 am waiting for the call TO gon
well, I'm inclined to think you are
the kind of man who ought to CO." he
answered almost sadly. "You are
needed. I have been waiting until we
should meet to congratulate you on
your behavior at Cobleskin. I think
you have the right spirit-that is the
matter. You will en-
counter strange company in the game
If politics. Let me tell you a story"
He told me many stories of his life
n Washington, interrupted by a sound
Ike that of approaching footsteps. We (
leased talking and presently a flock
II cartridges came near us, pacing
llong over the mat of leaves in q lei
urely fashion. We sat perfectly still. 1
young cock bird with his beautiful ,
uff standing out, like the hair on the
'ack OF a frightened dog, strobe
oward US with comic threat In his
manner. 1t seemed as If he were of ,
lalf mind to knock us into the river |
jut we sat as still rs stunns oh