Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-06-13
colonial gentlemen and ladies. And al,

was English still - books, clothes,
plates, knives, and forks; the church,
the Church Of England; the Governor,
the representative of the King; his
Council the English Parliament--so-
cinlly aristocratic, politically repub-
lican. For ancfent usage held that all
"freemen" should have voice In the
elections, have equal right to say
who the lawmakers and what the law.
The way was open as now. Any man
could get two thousand acres by
service to the colony, could build,
plow, reap, save, buy servants. and
roll in his own coach to sit as burgess.
There was hut one seat Of learning-
at Williamsburg. What culture they
had they ibrough. from England or
got from parents or minister. And al
ways they had seemed to prefer sword
and stump to the pen. They hated
towns. At every wharf long shaky
trestle ran from warehouse ost into
the river to load ships with tobacco
for England and to get In return all
conveniences and luyuries, and that
was enough. In towns men jostled
and individual freedom was lost, so,
Ho! for the great sweeps Of land and
the sway Of n territorial lord Eng
llshmen they were of Shakespeare's
time but living In Virginia, and that
is all they were-save that the flower
Of liberty was growing faster in the
new-world soil.
Englishmen called 1t the Good
Land" and found it most plentiful.
sweet, wholesome. and fruitful Of all
Others" The east was the ocean; ;
Florida was the south; the north was
Nova Francia, and the west unknown.
Only the shores touched the Interior,
which was an untraveled realm OF
fnirer fruits and flowers than in Eng
land; green shores, majestic forests.
and blue mountains filled with gold
and jewels. And the feet of all who
had made history had trod that broad
path to the owners heart and home.
Down It now came little girl-the
flower Of al those dead and gone
and her coming was Just as though
one Nof the flowers about her had
stepped from its gay company on one
or the other side Of the path to make
through them a dainty, triumphal
march as the fairest of them all. AT
the dial she paused and her impa-
tient blue eyes turned TO bend of
the yellow river for the first glimpse
of O gay barge that soon must come.
At the wharf the song OF negroes rose
as they unloaded the boat just from
Richmond. She would go and see II
there was not a package for her moth
er and perhaps a present for herself.
so with another look to the river bend
she turned but she moved no farther.
Instead, she gave little gasp, In
which there was no fear though what
she saw was surely startling enough
TO have made her wheel In flight. In,
stead. she gazed steadily into q pair
of grave black eyes that were fixed on
her from under a green branch that
,oyerhnng. the footpath. and steadily
she searched the figure standing
there. from the coonskin cap down the
fr,nged hunting-shirt and fringed
brpeches to the moccasined feet. And
still the strange figure stood arms
folded, mOtionless and silent. Neither
the attitude nor the silence was quite
pleasing, and the girls supple slender
ness stifened, her arms went rigidly
to her sides, and naughty little snap
sent her undimpled chin upward.
"Who are you and what do you
want?"
II was new way for woman to
speak to q man; he in t'lrn vas not
pleased, and a gleam In biz eyes
showed it.
II am the son of king"
She started to laugh, but grew puz-
zled, for she had the blood OF, Poca-
hontas herself.
"You are an IndlanT"
He shook his head, scorning to ex-
plain, dropped his rifle to the hollow
of his arm, and, reaching Tor his belt
where she saw the buckhorn handle
of q hunting-knife, came toward her,
but she did not finch. Drawing let
ter from the belt. he handed 1t to her.
1t was so worn and soiled that she
took 1t daintily and saw on 1t her
fathers name. The boy waved his
hand toward the house far up the
path.
"IIe live here?"
"You wish to see him"
The boy gruntcd assent, and with
shock of resentment the little lady
started up the path with her head
very high indeed. The boy slipped
noiselessly after her, his face un-
moved. but his eyes were dartlng right
and left to the flowers, trees, and
bushes, To every fitting. strange bird,
the gray streak Of Scampering Squir-
rel. and what he could not see, his
ears took in-the clanklng chains OF
work-horSes, the whir Of Il quail. the
screech of a peacock, the songs OF
negroes from far-off fields. .'
On the porch sat a gentleman In
powdered wig and knee-breeches. who,
lifting his eyes from a copy of The