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Show 162 ROEBUCK. thronov- h the jntcrest of friends, he left Roebuck for the North. II is r1ep:utu rc "·as sincerely regretted hy tho fricn(]s he h:v1 1nac1o there, nn<l he expres. cd tho ,,;arme. t grnlitndc for all their kin(1nes~. Taking J c~yc of hin1 for n tin1e, 've return to hi.s compatriot, Campbell. . . Although they founcl the n1~nncrs an<l sentnncnts of that guest by no n1eans agreeable, yet Colonel~ Fnir£'1x: and his family, studious of ho.·pitality, encloa, .. vored in every 'vny to promote his con1fort and plea, snre. The colonel placed a horse nt his disposal to 1·ide at will over the plantation nn<l through tho nei<bY h borhood. The host 'votll<l h~ve deCined it unworthy of himself to 'vatch his movetnents or to suspect hitn of any b:-tRencss 'vhile his honor as a guc, t ancl as a prisoner on parole " ra. pl cJgcc1. The doctor, who e leg confined hitn to the house, played chess with him or inclnlged hitn 'vith p1cnty of the talk 'vhich he lovc<l. The 'v:-tr 'vaR, nat nrally, tho most frequent then1e of their convers~tion, for the sentinlent of delicacy 'vhich exclncled it fro1n tllC conversations between Cnp'tain ~rrcnu1inc nnd the family, did not restrain Bo1nbyx~ especially when he 'vas alone 'vith Doctor Dick. At fir t he was 1nnch embarrassed in the society of Roehuck. IIis assurance was ~ba. heel by the quiet, unassmning 1nanner"' of gcntlcnlen nucl bdics, ' .vho, in the fhrniliarity of c.lolncstic life, practiced the refined gentleness to which they h:1d been born. .As he dared not affect superiority afLcr his m[tnner, he lron1c1 have ftllcn into servility afLor his nature, if he hacl not been 1nade to fed that the social law of the place 'va ono of equality at a high level and thnt it was equally a tranRgression to cringe and to hector. II e suspected that there \vas an odious ROEBUCK. 1G3 :tir of nrlstocrncy about Roebuck, bt1t 1te m iRse c1 the h:mght.y arrogance 'vhich, jn bis f:1-ncy, ·was ~ssociatecl with the ari .-tocracy of the South. IVJ,en a few days J1ad rendered him Jnore f:tmili:tr \Vith the 11sao·cs of ,'") the pbco he began to de~pise, as :"t '''cakn cR.s, t.h e unobLrusive gentleness which he could never COillprehcnd .• "Cheek!" cried the doctor, one dny, " checkmate!" "Yes," Cm11pbell ndrnittcd, "I believe J ohny Reb hns the 1r an k this ti n1e." "So mny it ever be," replied Doctor Dick Jauo·h- m• g. ' 0 "Now, doctor, let us talk seriously a bon t that a Ettlo while. I sec a o-rcn,t 1nnny good scrvaniB herefaithful, slout, good-hu1norc<1 feJJows-dou't you thi11k it wonlll be better to set the1n all li·ec ?" "And turn the be~t of en.-nnts into the worst of fl'eemcn ?" "0, give the1n tin1e-they \vill improve after they r are free." "The 'vorlc1 has 'vaited sever:-tl thousand years for the negro rnce to origin~te an idea. If \Ve aro to \Yait for their brains to bloon1 've n1ay 1vnit until the crack of doom, or un til Yankees becol\le honest." "Doctor, you are a bnndlc of prej ndiccs." "V cry likely. l:>rejndices arc the ribs of character." "You kno,v we don't intend to injure the South." "You won1c1 not inj urc the ·watch though yon \vould crnsh the works ! " "But if 've should en1ancipate the negroes we Would certainly confer a benefit on both races-let me convince yon of that.'' |