Evening star., 1927-07-17

dSiLOi.
The craft gently eased alongside a
big log. astraddle which sat middle
aged plantation negro, a grateful smile
stretched over his ebony countenance.
Resting in front Of him on his Inn.
provised life.raft was a dilapidated
imitation leather suit case, containing.
no doubt. all his worldly possessions.
Refugee and suit case, both the
worse for wear, were pulled, dripping.
over the side of the boat, and the
group in a moment was on again with
a roar of the motor and swishing
OF muddy water.
The giant darky stamped the water
from his feet, sat down OH the stern
and placed the suit case carefully
across his knees.
"Chuck your luggage uIder that
seat" suggested one of the perspir.
ing rescue crew, land tell us how you
got out there on that log, Nose"
Nose gripped his suit case little
tighter in response to the first sug.
gestion, and announced that, if it was
all the same to the white folks, he
would keep his baggage right on his
lap. AS for his experiences in the
food
But the negro's reluctance to part
with his bag had aroused the curios.
ity of those aboard the launch. This
IiuSl DS HO AuS6aSO stAoS
could not be put out of sight Of its
owner. Moses experiences undoubt.
edly were worth hearing, but Moses
treasured suit case appeared to have
greater possibilities for the moment.
"Mose, what have you got in that
suit case anyway" asked the skipper
of the boat.
'Nuthin' much, Boss. JUS some Of
clo'es.''
open er up and let me see EN-"
The negro looked around. as though
to seek sympathy in his dilemma. and
then proceeded, guiltily. to unfasten
tho iliSps. The lid was lifted gingerly
ana tefeath it crouched, with startled
poise. &-rabbit!
4 black hand restrained the fright
ened animal from jumping out of his
improvised prison, as the eyes Of the
skipper and his men popped out in
undisguised amaZement.
What TIL devil are you doin' with
that rabbit in there. anyway" ejacu.
lated some one.
We'll, sub, it was this-a.way,"
began the darkey. ready to make a
full confession and throw himself and
the rabbit on the mercies Of "the
court
THAT water KEEP acomin' up aroun'
me and 1 cium on that log with dis
suit case Of old clo-es and f1oated aroun'
for Lawdy knows how long. when
along comes dis yeah rabbit, swimmin'
fo' all-get-out, and finally, when he
saw dere wasn't any place else to go,
he clum on de other end of dat log
and sat down. lookin' at me-"
The colored man looked down at
his pet and gave him an affectionate
pat. He continued his story:
1T begin to get dahk and stahted
prayin'. / sez, Good Lawd. eff you'll
save me, I'll save dat rabbit BY
and by he let me get close enough
to catch i'm, and heah he am, gent
mum! De good Lawd done answered
my prayer. and, please. white folks.
let me keep dis rabbit, like ] promised
him.
And so it came to pass that the
records at certain refugee camp that
day showed the admittance to the
camp menagerie of one wild rabbit.
THIS little tale of the Great Flood
- is vouched for by H. C. Couch of
Pine Bluff. Ark, chairman of the
Arkansas Flood Rehabilitation Com.
mission. He related it to Secretary
Hoover over the supper table one
evening. in the presence Of the writer,
as the Hoover private car crept over
Good-washed rails in the heart of the |
stricken Mississippi Valley.
This story is but one of hundreds |
in similar vein that have come out |
of the South's greatest catastrophe. |
They are stories Of unsung heroes, of |
answering faith in the face Of ad. |
versity, Of stoicism, optimism and hu. |
man kindness on the part OF those |
with whom fate had dealt most trag-
ically.
Now that the strain of the battle
Is ended the pathos and humor of
little incidents that helped to relieve
the tension of the emergency are
beginning to come to light and receive
full appreciation. Some of the epi-
sodes no doubt are exaggerated in the
course of repetition, but a few that
were deemed genuine enough to reach
the ears of Secretary Hoover, Vice
Chairman Fieser of the Red Cross
and other high relief officials are
worth recording herewith.
There is the one about the refugee
who pleaded with his rescuers to- turn
the boat toward a certain spot on the
levee where he said there was SOME
thing" he wanted to get.
Tell US what it is-nnan or beast"
demanded the relief crew.
'"Tain't neither" replied the insist |
ent one.
You've gotta tell us what it is or
we won't go ashore for it," came anil
ultimatum.
well, then, it's an anvil"
"A-what? Anvil? You don't think |
we're gonna rescue an anvil, do your"
IT'S the only anvil I've got. lug.
ged it half mile to the leyee before |
the water came up, and if don't save
1t can't make living after the flood
is over"
The anvil at this moment undoubt.
edly rests on the levee patiently await |
ing the return of its faithless owner.
Much of the humor of the refugee
camps was provided by the inimitable
plantation darky and his philosophi-
cal views of the flood and its treat.
. ment of him. He is deeply religious'i
soul, and the disaster stirred his in
nermost spiritual being. Sometimes
this childlike faith nearly resulted in
tragedy, as in the case of the group
Of Old Testament devotees who emu
lated Noah by building an lark" only
to find that it wouldn't float without /,
calking.
The refugees, as a rule, were con.
Sented with their lot in the Red Cross
camps, but now and then there
emanated from their midst mild sug-
gestion about food or other things
An aged negro, sitting beside box
car in the unique railroad camp" at
Helena, Ark, was asked If he were
getting enough to eat.
''Yassuh, plenty of cawn.bread and
bacon and molasses and sech-like, but.
mistah, I'd ruther have a slice of
white bread right now than a hug
FUN nah bes' gal"'
An equally aged nanny. sitting
few feet away. took her corncob pipe
from her mouth and said
Henry. eff you-all had dat white
bread, yo' sho' cd have bof of dem
wishes what yo wants.