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Show UNCLE BOB'S SOUL By LAUKA FITZHUOII PRESTON (Copyright, iwt, by Joitph 0. Howie.) Uncle Dob was In a serious dilemma. Confronted for tho first tlmo In his llfo vlth n psychological problem. "Undo Hob,'' tho boy hnd said, winding wind-ing ui) a discussion tho two had hold regarding re-garding the delights of Paradise and it futuro life, "when you die and go to Heaven, will you havqn white soul or h black soul 7" "Is I gwlno" tho old man almost gnspoJ "tor bo or white soul, uw or hlai'k soul when I dies? la dat do qiiecnluin oii dono itx, leetle Moss? (his iianio for tho child), 1 fo'glbs you, luetic .Moss; but youoiightnh hnd bcttnh non.se dnn tcr nx hit In dc Sun' iiluco. Why, of co'so I gwlnu bo or whlto soull Is you ebcr lieah ob nlr black j.ulhoii In do nnlx wohl 'sides Co tlcbll?" "Hut, fncle Hob" doubtfully "If you r.ro going to be whlto how shall 1 over know you up thoro? 'Cauto, Uncle Hob" cajollngly "you aro such u bcnu-tl-fiil lilack, nnd I nm so used to you with your lovely white woo hair, 1 and all, that I don't see how I can ever ( toll you from other common whlto peo- , plo If you aro going to change nil that." , Hut Uncle Hob had misunderstood the , comparison, and considered thnt tho boy had reference to tho soclnl grade ho would eventually occupy nbovo; consequently conse-quently the glamour of the compliment on his beautiful color faded away In it fresh burst of Indignation. "What you meantn' by 'common people,' peo-ple,' lectio Moss?" ho grunted, Irritably. "Does you spec', fob er mo-ment, dat 1 gwlno bo po' whlto trash up dar?" "Then what will you bo, Undo Hob?" queried tho llttlo follow, feeling himself, now, very much bewlldorod by nil theso complications. "Aro you going to be a whlto gentleman?" and tho baro Idea brought him very near tho vcrgo of tears, so loath did ho feel to part forever from tho Uncle Hob of his lifelong association, associa-tion, oven If Riipplnntcd by tho celestial, creation of Uncle Hub's ambitious anticipations. an-ticipations. Tho old man was fairly stnggercd by this last question. "I 'clar' ter gracious!" ho said, covering cover-ing his dlscomflturo with an air of superiority and reticent foreknowledge, "hit nln' no uso my tollln' you whnt I gwlno bo when I gits up dnr, chile; lectio lgna'yent boys nln' 'spec' ter hnb do knowledge ob olo hnlds lck mine, nnd dey des got tor wait twell doy gits shot ob doy baby tcef 'fo' dey puzzlln' doy balds on pints what's woll on'erstood by do fnlf'ful froo rov'latlon and wrnslln' an' pra'r. Dea nick yo' mln' easyl "Unc' Hob gwlno bo fix up some way, so dat you sho gwlno know him up dar, obon et he had ter bo n'culliid whlto soul twell ho git uso tcr do clmngo. Good-by. Clawd bless you twell de nnlx tlmo." That night, in his dovotlons, Uncle Hob prayed In much fervor and unrest of spirit Tho stnte of his mind will best bo revealed by his petitions. "Marso Jesus," ho prayed, in the child-like faith of being very nearly approached ap-proached and comprehended by tho Power ho addressed, "I now gwlno bring up n BUbJeu' tor 'scuss wld you dat bin nx me terday by do chile I lub. Ho say: 'Unc' Bob (ho mos' cry when he nx hit), don Is you gwlno bo or whlto gem'man up In Henben?' Dat nr quccshun des plntally bin hn'ntln' mo all day! "Do ldeo of mo beln' a whlto gem'mnn's soul up in Heabcn neber Is for one moment mo-ment entail my mln'. I hopes you will bollebe dat, an' 'scuso do on-polltenoss of do siigges'shun. Hut den I buhn nil my bridges down bchln' me, by tollln' do chile tint I nln' gwlno bo no white trash up dar, nn' dnt I ausso 'spec'sholy ter hah or whlto soul! No won'er de po' chile des crspoc'lntln'obor dnt problem, what Unc' Hob gwino tuhn Into, in do nnlx wohl, nnd dono gouo homo in tt qunndehy. So dat lebes mo fitco ter faco wld or vohy se'yous stnto oh 'fairs dat I gottin' tnnglo' up in. Tor begin wld, do chllo say ho nln' gwlno know mo up dar wld or whlto soul! Lawd, I.awd, dat ar soiin' mon'sous tor olo Unc' Hob! Do ldeo ob not beln' knowed by tho chllo dat I miss' font do tlmo ho or lectio tcenty weonty Infunt nn' dat des do pride of my olo ago lok Miss Lucy nnd Marso Tom." "I des yeahnln', Marso Jesus," weeping weep-ing unrestrainedly, "ter hnb er faco es well cs er robo wash' whlto by do bloo.l of do Lam' so dat I could sorbo do Inwd In spotless peo'ty of soul; but, oh! bless' I.uwd, I ausso yeahnln' foh do tlmo tor como when do grot gen'l niectlu' wld nil tho fnmbly ban' gwlno tek place, an' doy nil gwlno say; 'Why cf lieah nln' Uno' Hob! des 'zac'ly lek olo times, 'denh olo Unc' Hob! ' Lawd, Lawd," In nn ecstnsy of emotion, "what or ineotln' dnt gwlno bo! Oh, bless' Mahstcr! look down 'pon po' Unc' Hob, nn' tlx up do 'fairs of his soul so dnt ho res' so-kuch In do fnif dat all gwlno bo well wld him In do hnppy lan', nn' nil things posslblo onto do Creator Crea-tor ob do Henbens mi' do yearth! Hah mussy on Unc' Hob, nn' bring light out oh dnhkness an' gib hi in do power to res' saty'flod wld do final 'sclslon ob do Almighty." Al-mighty." Tho boll from the Angolus rang out Ito summons to tho faithful, nnd down among tho Illy beds tho vested throng stood in shining rows, wafting tholr in-conso in-conso on tho scouted nlr. Tho dow fell, llko tears, from myriads of weoplng oyes, on tree, grass nnd flower, flow-er, nnd all tho muto, unsiiclUrcd things huddling close to the bosom of tho earth. Above, tho sorrowful heart of tho night throbbed with tho intensity of Its star beats. Holow, In tho old plantation houso whoso walls yearned with their passion of protcctlvouoss, tho tldo of life ebbed low In the pulse of tho dying child. I On the edse of the bed sat Uncle Dob, watching- with straining look er'i chango on tho small whlto fat -' o still, with closed eyelids, nnd . breath stirring tho parted Hps. Presently the lids fluttered nnd then slowly unclosed. Tho blue eyes looked up, for tho first tlmo In many days, with n perfect recognition Into tho senmed, ngonlzcd old faco bending over them. "Undo Hob" "Whnt Is it, leutlo Moss?" nnswered tho broken old volso. "Undo Hob, aro you crying?" touching touch-ing with his won llttlo hand tho withered cheek over which tho uncontrollable tears wero Mowing. "No, no! Meed I nln', leetlo Moss!'' surreptitiously wiping them nwny wltl. his bandana handkerchief, " 'deed I nln', (Inrlln'; whnt Unc' Hob gwlno cry 'bout?" In futllo attempt nt loving deception, de-ception, seeing the pained look on tin fair little features. "Poor Undo Hob," with pitying ton dernesH, still softly stroking thd withered with-ered cheek. "Honoy," sobbed Un-lo Hob, "don study 'bout mo. Don' grcbo 'bout oie Unc' Hob. Ho gib his life tcr mek you des ono minute easy nn' Mont pain." "I nm easy, Uncle Hob, nnd happy." Tho unearthly twuetno;s of tho smile broke down Undo Hob's Inst llttlo rem-mint rem-mint of self-control, nnd ho wcpton.iin-rcstralno wcpton.iin-rcstralno lly, for n fow minutes. Tho llttlo boy's eyes wandered round the room, nnd rested, In their pathetic searching, on tho faces of Lucy nnd Tom poor Lucy's, worn nnd haggard from nights of wutchlng nnd days of tinrcs', nnd Tom's, whose breaking heart was plainly vlslblo In the havoc which the past dnys had Indelibly imprinted thereon. Tho old grandmother, bedridden nnd prostrated under the Impending calamity, calam-ity, was olone. save for her devoted nnd faithful attendant, with her sorrow nnd her God. Tom bent over nnd tondorly wiped the damp brow nnd pushed back tho fair clustering curls of tho child. He gavo cold llttlo hand to brother nnd sister nnd, In response to the heroism of pool Lucy's bravo nnd loving smile, sighed contentedly, as ho turned his llttlo head over on tho pillow. "Jerusalem, tho Golden" ovenlnfi servlco was going on In tho church, nnd tho words wero borno plainly on tho absolnto stlllnosso the nlr: "I know not, Oht I know not Whnt Joys awnlt us thcro, Whnt rmllnncy of glory, Whnt IiIIsm beyond compare." Undo Bob's tears had ceased to flow; Lucy nnd Tom sat motionless, their faces In shadow. "Tell mo about It Undo Bob," gasped the weak llttlo volco, as the last strain died nwny "Jerusalem the Golden." Undo Bob leaned eagerly forward, all traces of tears carefully wiped away, thnt no selfish display of grief disturb the serenity of tho departing soul. "Leetlo Moss," ho whispered In his broken, quavering volco, "dar whar yoj gwlno, do streets is gol'en, nn' do flow-ors flow-ors Is bloomln, nn' do llbln' wnters Is ilowln' froo do green flol's ob Pah'dlso! Oh! leotlo Moss, you nn' me po olo Unc' Bob hab talk n heap 'bout dat happy lan', but Unc' Dob nln' neber 'spec' dat you gwlno go hnld ob htm ter do sweet nn' blessed country!" "Flowers," murmured tho llttlo ono, drowsily, "gold flowors. Will there bo nny roses llko Lucy's?" "Lck Miss Lucy's!" in tender assurance. assur-ance. "Leotlo Moss, dcr flow'rs up In Pnh'dlsc, des cs much puttlor'n Mls.1 Lucy's cs dny is dan night! Aln' dey, Miss Lucy?" "Yes, yes, Undo Bob. Oh, toll him yes!" wept tho girl. "An' doy des do putties' streets you : eber Is sco, nn' you gwlno meet nil de folks dono gono befo', honey. An' tell 'cm Unc' Bob gwlno bo 'long soon! Soon!" In nn ecstasy of longing. A smilo of surpassing beauty, nnd full of tho tenderness of a hoavonly assurance, lit up tho llttlo pallid faco "Sing, Undo Bob," ho said, In nil tho simplicity of his babyhood, when tho molody. of that tremulous old voice wns tho sound thnt nightly rocked his soul to sleep. "Yns, leotlo Moss. Unc' Bob gwlno sing," clearing his throat and putting forth overy effort of his bursting henrt On the quivering nlr thoro fell tho strains of a voice, old, cracked, worn, strained with tho terrlblo strain of the coming wrench, yet sweot with nil the momorlcs of his little llfo, to tho dying bov: "I want tor bo cr nn-Btil An' wld do an-Riils stnn', Ur crown ah-pawn my foh-liald, An' t-r harp wldln my hand' " "What dat yon sayln', leotlo Moss," bending down low over tho parting Hps. "Is I gwlno bo er whlto nngul? Oh, Oawd hnb muusy!" wringing his hnnds in Indescribable agony "Whnt I gwlno say? Gib mo do right wohds to uso, Marso Jesus! Leetlo Moss! I gwlno bo or black ungul! er Jot black scul! So dat you' dea boun' rcco'nizo , Unc' Dob do mlnuto you set oyes on him dnt do truf, Lawd!" raising streaming eyes of supremo renunciation renuncia-tion to heaven. "Undo Dob," nnd tho llttlo volco was weak nnd, far nwny "When I got homo I'll ask Jesus-r-to lot mo mcot you at tho door nnd glvo you your whlto robo myself nnd wo will go to-gothor to-gothor nnd have your soul washed whlto Undo Hob" "Oh, pralso Gawd! Prnlso Gawd! My leetlo Moss, my leotlo Moss! My lootlo whlto soul nngul!" "Now I lay mo" ("down tor sleep," walled poor Undo Dob) "I pray tho Lord" over tho dnmp nnd pallid llttlo faco flickering lights aro passing, nnd tho Indescrlbablo mnjesty of tho seal of death Is already on tho marble brow "my soul to keep" ("Oh, leotlo Moss, leotlo Moss!") "If 1 should dlo be-foro be-foro I wako " And In tho silence a llttlo white soul slipped away to tho sholtor of the heavenly nest |