Show 1 UNCLE BOBS SOUL By LAURA FITZIIUOII PRESTON Copyright I SOU by Joitph B Uowl < Uncle Dab was In a serious dilemma Confronted for the first time in his life with a psychological problem Uncle Dab the toy had said windIng wind-Ing up a discussion the two had hold regarding re-garding the delights of Paradise and a future life when you die and go to Heaven will you have a white soul or a black soul Is I gwlnothe old man almoit glUllodtcr bo er wio soul aw er black soul when I dies Is dat lu quccshun you done ax lectio Moss his name for the child I foglbs you lectio MUSH but you oughtah had bcttah sense dan tcr nx hit In do fus place Why of cose I gwlne boor white soul IB you umber beau ob ulr black ptibson Indo In-do nalx wohl sides do dobll 1 Hut Uncle HohdollJtru11yIC you are going to bo whlto how thou I over know you up there Cause Undo Hob nglyyoui are such a hcautlful black and I am so need to you with your lovely while woo hair and nil that I dont eee how I can ever tell you from other common while people peo-ple If you are going to change all that i I Hut Uncle Boll hud misunderstood tho comparison and considered that the boy had reference to the social grade he would eventually occupy above consequently conse-quently the glamour of the compliment on his beautiful color faded away In afresh a-fresh burst of Indignation I What you mcanln by common people I peo-ple lectio Moss ho grunted Irritably I Doea you spec fob er moment dull gwlno bo po white trash up dnrt Then what will you be Uncle Hob queried the little fellow feeling himself now very much bewildered by all these complications Are you going to be a whlto gentleman and the bare Idea brought him very near the verge of tears so loath did ho feel to part forever from tho Uncle Bob of his lifelong association associa-tion oven If supplanted by I the celestial creation of Uncle Hobs ambitious anticipations an-ticipations The old man was fairly staggered by this last question I clar tor gracious ho said covering cover-Ing his discomfiture with un air of superiority and reticent foreknowledge hit nln no use my tellln you what I gwlno ho when I gits up dar chile lectio Ignayent boys nln spec ter hab de knowledge ob ole balds lek mine and doy des got tor wait twoll dey glts shot oh doy baby teef fo1 doy puzzlln doy halds on pinta whats well onerstood by do falfful froo levlatlon and wraslln an prar DOS nick yo min easy I Unc Bob gwlno bo fix up some way so dat you sho gwlno know him up dar oben ef ho had tor ho a cullud white soul twell ho git use ter do change Goodby Gawd bless you twoll de nalx limo That night In his devotions Uncle Hob prayed In much fervor and unrest of spirit The state of his mind will best bo revealed by his petitions Marso Jeius ho prayed in tho t chlldllko faith of being very nearly approached ap-proached and comprehended by tho Power ho addressed I now gwlno brim i up a subjec tor scuss will you dnt bin I I ax me terday by do chile I hub Ho say Unc Bob ho mos cry when he nx hit p den Is you gwlno be or whlto gomman pI I ui In Henben l Dat ar quecshuu des plntnlly bin hantln mo all day Do hoe of me beln a white gemmnns soul up In Heaben ncber Is for one moment mo-ment ontah my mIll I hopes you will I bollebo dat an sense do onpolltenosH I of do suggesshun Hut den I buhn all I I my bridges down behln me by tollln do chile tint I ain gwlno bo no white trash up dar an dat I nusso spec utitol tor bab or whlto soul No woner de po chile dos er spoclatln ober dat problem what Unc Bob gwlno tuba Into In de nnlx wohl and done gono home In a qunndehy So dat lobes mo face ter face wid er vohy soyous state ob fairs dat I gottln tangle up In Tor begin wid do chllo say ho nln gwino know mo up dar wld or while soul Lawd Lawd tint ar soun monsous tel ole Unc Bob Do Idee ob not boln Unowed by tho chllo dat I nuss fom do time ho er hectic teenty weonty Infuntnn dat des do pride of my ole age leI Miss Lucy and Marso TomI I des yeahnln Marso Jesus weeping weep-ing unrestrainedly ter hub or face es well es er robe wash white by do blooj of do Lam so tint I could serbe de Lawd In spotless peotyof soul butoh bless I Lawd Inusso yoahnln fob de tlmo ter coma when do gret gcnl meetln wld nil I I the fambly ban gwlno tek place nn doy nil gwlno say Why ef beak ain Unc Bob des zacly leI ole times dealt olo I tnc Bob Lawd InwdIn an ecstasy of emotion what er meotln tint gwlno I I i be Oh bless Mahstor look down lion po Unc Hob an fix uII do fairs of his r soul so tint he res sokueh In do falf dat i i I all gwlne be well wld him In de happy I Innan nil tilings possible onto do Creator Crea-tor ob do Heabens an doyearth Hab I mussy on tnc Bob an bring light out I ob dahkness an gib him do powor to res satyfled will do final scislon ob do Almighty I mighty Tho bell from the Angelus rang out Its summons to the faithful I and down i among the lily beds the vested throng I stood In shining rows wafting their incense in-cense on tho scented air The dew fell like tears from myriads of weeping eyes on tree grass and flower flow-er and all tho mute unsheltered things huddling close to tho bosom of the earth boye the sorrowful heart of tho night throbbed with the Intensity of its star I beats Below In tho old plantation house whose walls yearned with their I passion of protectiveness tho tide of life ebbed low In the pulse of the dying I child On tho edge of the bed sat Uncle Bob walchlnp with straining look each change on the small white face lying so lit 111 with closed eyelids and scarce a breath stirring tho parted lips Presently the lids fluttered and then slowly unclosed Tho blue eyes looked up for tho first limo In many days with n perfect recognition Into tho seamed agonized old face bending over them Uncle Bob I What Is It leetlo Moss answered tho broken old voice I Uncle Bob arc you crying touching touch-ing with his wan little hand the withered cheek over which the uncontrollable tears were flowing No no deed lain leetle MOBS surreptitiously wiping them away will his bandana handkerchief deed I nln darlln what Unc Bob gwlno cry bout In futile attempt at loving deception de-ception seeing tho pained look on th < fair little features Poor Uncle Bob with pitying tenderness ten-derness still softly stroking the withered with-ered cheek Honey sobbed Unle Bob don fcttidy bout me Don grebe bout ole Unc Bob He gib his life ter mek you des one minute easy nn thou t pain I am easy Uncle Bob and happy Tho unearthly twiotnes of tho smile broke down Uncle B > bs last little remnant rem-nant of selfcontrol and ho wopton un rostraino ily for n few minutes The llttlo boys eyes wandered round tho room and rested In their pathetic I searching on tho faces of Lucy and Tom poor Lucys worn and haggard from nights of watching and days of unrest and Toms whose breaking heart was plainly visible in the havoc which the t past days had Indelibly imprinted thereon i The old grandmother bedridden and prostrated under tho Impending calamity calam-ity was alone save for her devoted and faithful attendant with her sorrow and her God Tom bent over and tenderly wiped the damp brow and pushed back tho falf clustering curls of the child Ho gave n cold little hand to brother and sister nnd in response to the heroism of pool Lucys bravo and loving smile sighed contentedly as ho turned his little head over on the pillow Jerusalem the Golden evenlns service was going on in tho church and tho words were borno plainly on the absolute stillness of tho air I know not Oh I know not Vhnt joys await us there What radiancy of glory What bliss beyond compare Uncle Bobs tears had ceased to flow Lucy and Tom sat motionless their faces In shadow Tell meabout ItUncle Bob gasped the weak little voice ns the last strain died away Jerusalem the I Golden Uncle Bob leaned eagerly forward all traces of tears carefully wiped away that no selfish display of grief disturb the serenity of the departing soul Leetlo Moss he whispered In lite broken quavering voice dar whar yoj gwlne do streets is golen an do flowers flow-ers Is bloom an do llbln waters IH tlowln fran tIe green flels ob Pahdlse Oh leotlo Moss you an mOlIo ole Unc Bob hab talk a heap bout dat happy Ian but Unc Bob ain nebor spec dat you gwlno go bald ob him ter de sweet an blessed country Flowers murmured the little one drowsily gold flowers Will there bo any roses like Lucys Lek Miss Lucys In tender assurance assur-ance Leetlo Moss tier flowrs up In Pahdlse des es much puttiern MIsS Lucys es day is dan night Ain doy Miss Lucy Yes yes Uncle Bob Oh tell him yes wept the girl Aim doy des do putties streets you eber Is see an you gwlno meet all de folks done gone befo honey An tell em Unc Bob gwlno bo long soon Soon In an ecstasy of longing A smile of surpassing beauty and full of the tenderness of a heavenly assurance lit up the little pallid face Sing Uncle Bob ho said in all the simplicity of his babyhood when tho melody of that tremulous old voice was tho sound that nightly rocked his soul to sloop I Yas leetlo Moss Unc Bob gwlne I sing clearing his throat and putting forth every effort of his bursting heart I On tho quivering air there fell tho I J strains of a voice old cracked worn I I strained with the terrible strain of the I I coming wrench yet sweet with all the memories of his little life to the dying boy I want let bi or nnpnl An wlil do anRtils stan Ur crown nhpaw my fohluild An er hnrii wldln my hand What dat you sayln leetlo Moss bending down low over tho parting lips Is I gwlno bo er white angul Oh awd hab mussy wringing his hands In indescribable agony What I gwlno say Gib me de right wohds to use Marso Jesus Leetle Moss I gwlno be er black nUIIIHer Jet black scull So dat you des boun reconlzo rUnc Bob do mlnuto you sot eyes on him dat do truf Lawd raising streaming eyes of supremo renunciation renuncia-tion to heaven Undo Bob alit the little voice was weak and far away When I get homeIIInsk Jesus to lot mo meet ount the door and give you your whlto robe myself and we will go together to-gether and have your soul washed white Undo Bob Oh praise Gawd Praise Gawd My beetle Moss my leetlo Moss My leetlo whlto soul angul Now I lay modown ter sleep walled poor Uncle BobI pray the Lordoor the damp filth pallid little face flickering lights are passing and the Indescribable majesty of the seal of death Is already on tho marble brow my soulto keep Oh leetle MOSB leetlo MossIf Ishoulddlobe tOleIwake And In the silence a little white soul slipped away to the shelter of the heavenly nest |