Once a year I send down to de coast
and get up plenty cloth, and hoes for de gardens, and eberyting
dey want. When I land here ten year ago I hab eight hundred pound.
I got five hundred ob him left here still. Dat more dan enuf to last
Sam if he libe to be bery, bery ole man. Dar are some good men in
de village who, when I am gone, will carry on de work ob de Lord
and dat's all, sar, dat I hab to tell you about Sam, and I am sure
dat you must be very tired and want to go to bed."
The hour was, indeed, for Africa, extremely late, but the time had
passed unheeded, so interested were the listeners in the narrative
of the fine old negro. They remained at the village for a week,
and were greatly pleased with the industrious habits and happy
appearance of the people, and with the earnestness and fervor in
which every evening, and twice on Sunday, they joined in devotions
under the great tree. At the end of that time they said goodbye to
their kind host, giving him a large amount of cloth for distribution
among his people. He was unable to furnish them with bearers, as
a considerable tract of uninhabited country extended beyond his
village, and the people on the other side were on bad terms with
his villagers, on account of an outstanding feud which had existed
long before his return from America, and which he had in vain
attempted to settle since he assumed the headship of the village.
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