Prev | Current Page 595 | Next

Sparks, William Henry, 1800-1882

"The Memories of Fifty Years Containing Brief Biographical Notices of Distinguished Americans, and Anecdotes of Remarkable Men; Interspersed with Scenes and Incidents Occurring during a Long Life of Observation Chiefly Spent i"

He has it still; but I know he is
not as contented as when he was my father's slave. God bless the old
man! He shall never want while I have anything, and should I see him
die, he shall sleep where he wished to-day."
"By our grandfather, I suppose, Alice?"
"Yes, my brother, by our grand-parents. They told him it should be so.
Ah! there are no distinctions in the grave; white skin and black skin
alike return to dust, and the marl of the earth is composed alike of
the bones of all races, and their properties seem to be the same. I,
too, wish to sleep there. It is a romantically beautiful spot, and its
grand old traditions make it holy ground. How its associations hallow
it! Imagination peoples it with those bold old red men who assembled in
the temple to worship the holy fire--emblematic of their
faith--humbling their fierce natures and supplicating for mercy. I go
there and I feel in the touch of the air that it is peopled with the
spirits of the mighty dead, surrounding and blessing me for my memory
of, and love for, their extinct race."
"Bravo, sister! What an enthusiast! You, sir, have some knowledge of
the Indians.


Pages:
583 584 585 586 587 588 589 590 591 592 593 594 595 596 597 598 599 600 601 602 603 604 605 606 607