Page:The leopard's spots - a romance of the white man's burden-1865-1900 (IA leopardsspotsrom00dixo).pdf/101

 tress. He would even hide it in his bureau drawers and wardrobe and take it out in little bits like a miser.

"Lord Tom, that beats the world!"

"Ain't it fine? Just smell?"

"Rosin on every piece! Tom, you cut every tree on your place and every tree in two miles clean to get that. You couldn't have made me a gift I would appreciate more. Old boy, if there's ever a time in your life that you need a friend, you know where to find me."

"I knowed ye'd like it!" said Tom with a smile.

"Tom, you're a man after my own heart. You're feeling rich enough to make your General a present when we are all about to starve. You're a man of faith. So am I. I say keep a stiff upper lip and peg away. The sun still shines, the rains refresh, and water runs down hill yet. That's one thing Uncle Billy Sherman's army couldn't do much with when they put us to the test of fire. He couldn't burn up our water power. Tom, you may not know it, but I do—we've got water power enough to turn every wheel in the world. Wait till we get our harness on it and make it spin and weave our cotton,—we'll feed and clothe the human race. Faith's my motto. I can hardly get enough to eat now, but better times are coming. A man's just as big as his faith. I've got faith in the South. I've got faith in the good will of the people of the North. Slavery is dead. They can't feel anything but kindly toward an enemy that fought as bravely and lost all. We've got one country now and it's going to be a great one."

"You're right, General, faith's the word."

"Tom, you don't know how this gift from you touches me."

The General pressed the old soldier's hand with feeling. He changed his orders from a buggy to a two-horse team that could carry all his precious lightwood.