Old Uncle Dan

T tho mouth of n littlo creek on tho scallopcd shoro of Hamptou Koads near NewportNews, Va., early in the spring of 1862, there stood a littlo Bhanty which waa ocoupied by a fainily of negroe9. They had left slavery and a plantation near tho mouth of tho James, when the crowned columns of McClelland's army had reachcd this región. : The íamily was composod of Old Unclo ! Dan, the erandfather, Cato, a very black and lusty fellow, his son, with Nutty Cato's wife, and two pickanninnies, on which it seemed that charcoal would have left a light mark, but they had cyc9 as big as buckeyes and as white as this paper, except the pupil which were as black as ink. Unclo Dan, to use his own remark on the subject, was " gittin' monst'ous nigh de stoppin' plaoe." His kinky hair and beard were as white as that of his old maetcr, who was a blue-blood from tho F. F. V's. (It is strango that an old black man can ralso a white board. Whero does it come f rom?) The old man leanod heavily on his big hickory stick.too, when he walked. Indeed ho almost totterod, for ho had tickled tho soil of old Virginia with his hoe for more summers tiian he could remember and had seen harvests como and go until, in tho oyo of hls remembrnnce they spun around and blended like the spokes of a rapidly-turning whcel. Cato and Natty had othor children ; one was a girl of fourteen, who had gone far South with tho family as. the waiting maid of her young mistress, and the othor was Luke, a son of sixteen. Luke had becomo the servant of an offleer in the Elevonth Kew York Zouaves, then in camp on tho hill above the shanty at Camp Butler, and he was as happy as young darkies nearly always are. Ho was a smart, bright boy - and was what a negro-tradcr would havo oalled "a llkely nigger feller"- and although he could sing the folk-songs of his race in a rich and mclodlous tenor, of minor key and could "pat juba" in a manner that deligated all who saw him in such performances, he had a yearning for "booklamin"and absorbed tho alphabet quickly and soon learned to spell,underthe teaching of the Colonel's orderly, a handsome young i fellow frora the metropolis of the North. It was a bilmy spring morning in tho región about the mouth of tho James when the great frigatos Cougress and Cumberland lay on the light ripples of Hampton Roads, Uuily swinging to their anchors off Nowport News. The sails were looso and flapping ldly in tbo wind and the sailorB lounged about the deck. Thero was almost a Sabbath qulet among tho camps of infantry on tho shore, and tho thunders of tho great guns of the land liatteries as well ag those of tho towering nien-of-war were all asleep. Suddcnly a black spot appeared in the mouth of the Eliaabcth river, up wbich stream, a few miles, lay Norfolk and the famous navy yard. The black spot cmitted a volóme of smoke, and as it floated seaward it took, for a time, the nppearanoa of a llttle island which had got loose. As it carne nearer it grew formidable and was soon outlined as au immense iron-clad, floating battery. Soon it bogan to belch cannon balls and bursting shells, and thus showed that it carricd feil destruction in its vitáis. This flghttng monster was the terriblo Confedérate ram, the Merrimao, and following her carne a showor of wooden gun-boat. The Cumberland and Congress, towering f rigates, which had been autócrata of the seas, now bristled for the fight, and roaring broadsides burst from their guns, and the land batteries grumbled in detonating thunder, but tho monster carne steadily and sullenly on, whlle the heavy shot bounded from her deck. When all this began Aunt Natty was at a Ure beslde the shanty, boiling soap, Cato was mending a sein and Uncl Dan sat within doors crooning a rickety old plantation song. The flrst roar of artillery and the nasty whine of shot in the air chaugcd the Mpect of raatters about the cabio. Cato stopped the act of tying a knot and Katty droopped the stick with which sho had been stlrrinj the boiling soap-f at. The pickaninnies quit their piar in the tand and olung to maramy's petticoats, and old Dan bustled from his seat and limped to tho door with the remark : " Dis yar aln't no good placo to stay. Sompen monetous (jwintor happen lieah. Jis lissen at detn buüg-sheils a hissin' an' a bustin'." Cato ran to bis dueout canoo that lay half way sbore on the sands. Nutty threv her children into the narrow boat, and while Cato pushed with a pole at the stern and Nutty liftcd at the bow, the old man scuffled alonK and took a place in the f rail eraf t, which was soon gliding along the shore, and in a fw minutes the terrifled famlly had run the HU Ie vcsscl around a point, out of range, and were secure from the hurtling shot, haring brought with them only thoirlives and the scanty clothing which they wore. Under cover of the shore the canoo sklrted a headland and ran up to the outlet of Httmpton creek, Wbere it could cross to the slde on which lay Kortrcs Monroe, all the time axemplifying the old saying: " Ltttlo boat should keep close to shore. ThS'day was far spent whe tho little íamUy ran tho canoe iuto a small cove on thft vattarn share of Old Point. Comfort. ióï Oiórè "Kavlñfi tièd the 'áffair to a applina on the bank, they started on foot tovrarQ the fort to ak shelter and food, which they readüy obtained as rofugees from tho batile, whlóh, on thls day, had been disastrous to the blockading squadron of the James. The Merrimac had by that time tunk the gallant Cumberland, which went down with nearly all on board, her guns roaring untll they wero submerged, her colors flying at her peak tho red flag of " Nol Surrender." The Oongress was a wreek, and was floating the white nag, around which Harnea were piaying, and her colors draggod in tho water at her sinking stern. The St. Lawrence, Roanoke and Minnesota were aground, and at tho mercy of the iron-clad monster, for the little Monitor was yet buffeting tho storm s of ocean between Fortress Monroo aud New York, though she amved in time, toward the early hours of morning, to save the other vcssols from destruction and prove herself the mistress of these waters. Cato and Nutty soon found a way to maka themselves useful about the fortress and old Dan and the picaninnies had another, a better and a safer home. And Dan talked about the " biggitty gunboats" which camo in and drove him " a'mos' pe'shin' " from his home and he crooned his rickety songs, and pickcd at hock-bonos with his barlowknife until a fatal disease fastened itself upon him and quickiy carried him to tho "stoppin' place" which ho had long been expecting to reach. After a few months Cato made the way, with his family, to New York, where-his willing heart and strong arms casily made a good living for many years for him and his. During these years Luke had soen many changes. He joined a colored regiment as soon as black troops began to be onlisted, and being learned for a darkey, he was made a sergeant The surgeou of the regiment, a white man, of courue, struck by Luke's sprightliness took a faney to him and ha was dctailcd ns o in mbur oí the suf icon's i-orus. Tho doctor taught Luko the art of pullliii? tceth, putting ou a bandago and numerous other aocomplishments in primary surgery, gave him surgical books to read, callod nis nsaintaneo in many mputations and kindred operations, and altogethcr tri' '.M htm much in surgery and thescicnof of pbysics. Aftcr tho war this surgeon, who was awealthy man, paid Luko's tuition at a medical college, and with his natural bend that way the colored student soon graduated with honor and became a fullfledged M. D. especially inclined toward that branch of the physician's art - surgoi ■;. . in which it is said that those who aro the most succe3sful are tho9e who have the eyes of an eaglo, the hands of a lady and the heart of a lioq. Having receivod his diploma, Luko began to cast about for a placo to practico hts profession, and wisely scttled upon New Ver!: City, as there, on account of the more co - mopolitan character of the population, lio would have less to antagonlzo in the way of race prejudice. There ho sottled and oon acquired a good practice, eipecially among the people of his own race. He had married in tho meantime a sensible woman, an octoroon in blood, and as the year went on accumulated a fine fortune and livcd in a handsome home. Une night ho was callled into a squalid place in one of the poorest quarters of tho city to see an old black man who was vcry near bis end. The man was so far bevond earthly help that Dr. Luke at once saw'that nothing could bo done for him. Ho bad been bed-riddon for many months, and thus his fajnily had come to want Abo: t tho old man were his two daughters and Lis old wifo, and while the Doctor waited the old man died. In order o make out a death certifícate tho doctor took tho dead tnan's name. , It was Cato Lightfoot. Astoundcd, Dr. Luke Lightfoot iñudo othcr inquines aud wept over tho dead body uf iiis own futhur, who with his family had Buffored tuerc, in the f ame city when his son livcd in luxury and elegance, from discasu and dire poverty which had brought bim luw. lic made UimBolf knuwn to lus mother and sisters who oould hardly Delieva tbeir own eyes, and after seeing tho remains of his father properly and decently Interred, Luke took his motbor to his own bouse, wliere she was tenderly cared for all her other days, and sent his young sisters to proper school for educatkm und training. His mortier when coming to the grand house in which her son Uved wantod to go right itito tha kitchen, as the parlors of the "big holse " were too overwhelming for her, bui by dogrees tho awe of tho sltuotion waa overeóme and she is a happy old biack ciammy In Luke's home and sings songs of iheold South to her children and diUdren's rliildreo in a pipiug but still musical roice, in which Is the pathos and tendero :is of a mother in Israel.