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Show 84: H.OEBtJ CK. CliA PTER VIII. vV 11 s~ the snn l1 al l se t an(1 ~~1-1 t.he citizens hatl left the vilbge, execpt :1. few ·w1w hacl qu:l1ifie<1 th~ . pirit of patriotisn1 wilh ~he . pirit of ry~, three 'or f~n:· ~f the latter cla s sat 111 the porch of the Sw,\n 1 .1\ e1 n, upon a ,vooClen beneh n<r:\inst the 'vall. B ei'ore thc:U sat a young n1rtn on a large, sp1it-hott~1necl. arn1-cha1r, leaning b:wk against the L~taj ster, \Vlth lus feet, elevated. l-Ie ,vas genteel1y dressed, though his soft hat was crushed anL1 drawn down over a corner of one eye. lie was sn1all and slcntler. II~~ hair and !nustache ,vere black. IIis he:tvy eyc-hd: hnug a~lant ovm: the pupilR, half clo ·ing thcrn, and there \VUR a scnSilul, fl eshy fullne ·s about his 1o,vcr j;nv. IIis .ua.me was Baxter. lie was the . on of a gentlen1an of l11gh character, who \V:1S tho clerk of the County Court, and had held the oflice 1nore th:tn thirty year::;. · Tho son hac1 been carefully c<lucated, ancl hall in youth shown qnic.k p~rls and that forw:tt\1 perlne~s. which partial parentH sonu~titne~ 1nistn.k.e for precoeious genius. vVhen he grew up to n1anhood he lc<1 an iL1lc, reckless, dissolute life, studying the dten1istry of j n1epH in bar· ro01n "', the 1ny~Lcry of horse-flesh at rnC'e~, or naLnrnl history at faro-banks, ca11cd in Hlang "tigers." lie hac1 dauntless conrn o·e and a sort of 'vit that nutde him v a favorite in low c01npany. l-Ie 'vas looking out from under his heavy eye-lids nt the f~lCcs b efore him with an expression that might have been serious if he had I ROEBU CK. 85 been sober, but as he \Vas not, it "ras com ic~l. At length he said, abruptly- . "Bill J\n krom, I hnxe Lcen \\'Ont1ering 1\rhv :t ~)llo·w l1k~ yon vo1nntecret1 to flg-ht in this ,vm·. Yon ,voni<l obhge n1e by tc1ling me if you know yonr. elf." " 'l'o 1.; :ccp ~l I1 c ~.1r. an1 :. :ecs 1~l 'Olll abol'i shing shvery of eo nr~e." ' "Irow numy ni.o·!2,·crs do yon own 7" ., 1\ 1 .. one >y --. Yon know thnt ns \Veil as I do. Dnt If they set the njggcrs free, 'vho'll be below 1ne '2'' "No L o ly can be ]o,ver, I beli eYe. You think, n. s m~tters now stand, a white skin is a pntent of nobili ty granted by God and sanctioned by Ia,v 1'' "Sornethin o· that a 'vay, I reckon. Do yon think I ~vant 1ny son to bJack your boots or n1y darter to cook 1n your fhther's kitchen 1" " Your theory is that society 111ust rest on 1nuclsills nnd if the blnrk ones nrc torn nway \vhite ones n1us~ be stuck un dt~r. Yon arc a pbilo~ophcr, Bill ; did y on kno'v thaL? It \vonld be a pit.y that n. Y nnkee bullet should rrnck your crnnio1ogy. But stick to yon1· patent of nobility-you have no ch~nee to act another. Al1<1 yon, Bob Faris, nrc you going to fight ior tho f:~me renson ?" " '~ell? I ain'~ ~incd yit, but I reckon I'll go in for the pnnc1plcs of iree governn1ent." " Bully for you, BoL.. You call a De1nocratic goy .. ern n1cnt free, don't you ?" "Yes, I 'vas born n Dimtnicrat." "vV" ouldn't you think 111e [l, fool jf I "\Vent out to fl?;ht for the privilege of having a batch of drnnlcen nincompoops like you fello,vs on that bench to govern me? That~s your principle of free government. It has brought us into a pretty muss in the United States. |