Bricks Without Straw
Albion W. Tourgee Bricks Without Straw Table of Contents
Bricks Without Straw...... 1 Albion W. Tourgee...... 1 TRANSLATION:...... 2 CHAPTER I. TRI−NOMINATE...... 4 CHAPTER II. THE FONT...... 6 CHAPTER III. THE JUNONIAN RITE...... 12 CHAPTER IV. MARS MEDDLES...... 14 CHAPTER V. NUNC PRO TUNC...... 17 CHAPTER VI. THE TOGA VIRILIS...... 21 CHAPTER VII. DAMON AND PYTHIAS...... 26 CHAPTER VIII. A FRIENDLY PROLOGUE...... 30 CHAPTER IX. A BRUISED REED...... 32 CHAPTER X. AN EXPRESS TRUST...... 35 CHAPTER XI. RED WING...... 38 CHAPTER XII. ON THE WAY TO JERICHO...... 42 CHAPTER XIII. NEGOTIATING A TREATY...... 47 CHAPTER XIV. BORN OF THE STORM...... 50 CHAPTER XV. TO HIM AND HIS HEIRS FOREVER...... 54 CHAPTER XVI. A CHILD OF THE HILLS...... 56 CHAPTER XVII. GOOD−MORROW AND FAREWELL...... 58 CHAPTER XVIII. PRIME WRAPPERS. ...... 62 CHAPTER XIX. THE SHADOW OF THE FLAG...... 67 CHAPTER XX. PHANTASMAGORIA...... 73 CHAPTER XXI. A CHILD−MAN...... 75 CHAPTER XXII. HOW THE FALLOW WAS SEEDED...... 79 CHAPTER XXIII. AN OFFERING OF FIRST−FRUITS...... 81 CHAPTER XXIV. A BLACK DEMOCRITUS...... 84 CHAPTER XXV. A DOUBLE−HEADED ARGUMENT...... 88 CHAPTER XXVI. TAKEN AT HIS WORD...... 91 CHAPTER XXVII. MOTES IN THE SUNSHINE...... 97 CHAPTER XXVIII. IN THE PATH OF THE STORM...... 99 CHAPTER XXIX. LIKE AND UNLIKE...... 101 CHAPTER XXX. AN UNBIDDEN GUEST...... 106 CHAPTER XXXI. A LIFE FOR A LIFE...... 108 CHAPTER XXXII. A VOICE FROM THE DARKNESS...... 110 CHAPTER XXXIII. A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION...... 113 CHAPTER XXXIV. THE MAJESTY OF THE LAW...... 117 CHAPTER XXXV. A PARTICULAR TENANCY LAPSES...... 120 CHAPTER XXXVI. THE BEACON−LIGHT OF LOVE...... 123 CHAPTER XXXVII. THE BEST FRIENDS REVEAL THEMSELVES...... 127 CHAPTER XXXVIII. THE ROSE ABOVE THE MOULD. ...... 131 CHAPTER XXXIX. WHAT THE MIST HID...... 135 CHAPTER XL. DAWNING...... 138 CHAPTER XLI. Q. E. D...... 140 CHAPTER XLII. THROUGH A CLOUD−RIFT...... 143 CHAPTER XLIII. A GLAD GOOD−BY...... 144 CHAPTER XLIV. PUTTING THIS AND THAT TOGETHER...... 146 CHAPTER XLV. ANOTHER OX GORED...... 151
i Bricks Without Straw Table of Contents
Bricks Without Straw CHAPTER XLVI. BACKWARD AND FORWARD...... 156 CHAPTER XLVII. BREASTING THE TORRENT...... 160 CHAPTER XLVIII. THE PRICE OF HONOR...... 164 CHAPTER XLIX. HIGHLY RESOLVED...... 169 CHAPTER L. FACE ANSWERETH TO FACE...... 172 CHAPTER LI. HOW SLEEP THE BRAVE?...... 178 CHAPTER LII. REDEEMED OUT OF THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE...... 181 CHAPTER LIII. IN THE CYCLONE...... 183 CHAPTER LIV. A BOLT OUT OF THE CLOUD...... 188 CHAPTER LV. AN UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER...... 195 CHAPTER LVI. SOME OLD LETTERS...... 199 CHAPTER LVII. A SWEET AND BITTER FRUITAGE...... 204 CHAPTER LVIII. COMING TO THE FRONT...... 209 CHAPTER LIX. THE SHUTTLECOCK OF FATE...... 212 CHAPTER LX. THE EXODIAN...... 217 CHAPTER LXI. WHAT SHALL THE END BE?...... 223 CHAPTER LXII. HOW?...... 227
ii Bricks Without Straw
Albion W. Tourgee
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• TRANSLATION: • CHAPTER I. TRI−NOMINATE. • CHAPTER II. THE FONT. • CHAPTER III. THE JUNONIAN RITE. • CHAPTER IV. MARS MEDDLES. • CHAPTER V. NUNC PRO TUNC. • CHAPTER VI. THE TOGA VIRILIS. • CHAPTER VII. DAMON AND PYTHIAS. • CHAPTER VIII. A FRIENDLY PROLOGUE. • CHAPTER IX. A BRUISED REED. • CHAPTER X. AN EXPRESS TRUST. • CHAPTER XI. RED WING. • CHAPTER XII. ON THE WAY TO JERICHO. • CHAPTER XIII. NEGOTIATING A TREATY. • CHAPTER XIV. BORN OF THE STORM. • CHAPTER XV. TO HIM AND HIS HEIRS FOREVER. • CHAPTER XVI. A CHILD OF THE HILLS. • CHAPTER XVII. GOOD−MORROW AND FAREWELL. • CHAPTER XVIII. PRIME WRAPPERS. • CHAPTER XIX. THE SHADOW OF THE FLAG. • CHAPTER XX. PHANTASMAGORIA. • CHAPTER XXI. A CHILD−MAN. • CHAPTER XXII. HOW THE FALLOW WAS SEEDED. • CHAPTER XXIII. AN OFFERING OF FIRST−FRUITS. • CHAPTER XXIV. A BLACK DEMOCRITUS. • CHAPTER XXV. A DOUBLE−HEADED ARGUMENT. • CHAPTER XXVI. TAKEN AT HIS WORD • CHAPTER XXVII. MOTES IN THE SUNSHINE. • CHAPTER XXVIII. IN THE PATH OF THE STORM. • CHAPTER XXIX. LIKE AND UNLIKE. • CHAPTER XXX. AN UNBIDDEN GUEST. • CHAPTER XXXI. A LIFE FOR A LIFE. • CHAPTER XXXII. A VOICE FROM THE DARKNESS. • CHAPTER XXXIII. A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION. • CHAPTER XXXIV. THE MAJESTY OF THE LAW. • CHAPTER XXXV. A PARTICULAR TENANCY LAPSES. • CHAPTER XXXVI. THE BEACON−LIGHT OF LOVE. • CHAPTER XXXVII. THE BEST FRIENDS REVEAL THEMSELVES. • CHAPTER XXXVIII. THE ROSE ABOVE THE MOULD. • CHAPTER XXXIX. WHAT THE MIST HID. • CHAPTER XL. DAWNING. • CHAPTER XLI. Q. E. D.
Bricks Without Straw 1 Bricks Without Straw
• CHAPTER XLII. THROUGH A CLOUD−RIFT. • CHAPTER XLIII. A GLAD GOOD−BY. • CHAPTER XLIV. PUTTING THIS AND THAT TOGETHER. • CHAPTER XLV. ANOTHER OX GORED. • CHAPTER XLVI. BACKWARD AND FORWARD. • CHAPTER XLVII. BREASTING THE TORRENT. • CHAPTER XLVIII. THE PRICE OF HONOR. • CHAPTER XLIX. HIGHLY RESOLVED. • CHAPTER L. FACE ANSWERETH TO FACE. • CHAPTER LI. HOW SLEEP THE BRAVE? • CHAPTER LII. REDEEMED OUT OF THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE. • CHAPTER LIII. IN THE CYCLONE. • CHAPTER LIV. A BOLT OUT OF THE CLOUD. • CHAPTER LV. AN UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER. • CHAPTER LVI. SOME OLD LETTERS. • CHAPTER LVII. A SWEET AND BITTER FRUITAGE. • CHAPTER LVIII. COMING TO THE FRONT. • CHAPTER LIX. THE SHUTTLECOCK OF FATE. • CHAPTER LX. THE EXODIAN. • CHAPTER LXI. WHAT SHALL THE END BE? • CHAPTER LXII. HOW?
Charles Aldarondo, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW
A Novel
BY
ALBION W. TOURGEE, LL.D.,
LATE JUDGE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT OF NORTH CAROLINA
THIS VOLUME I GRATEFULLY DEDICATE TO
My Wife;
TO WHOSE UNFLINCHING COURAGE, UNFALTERING FAITH, UNFAILING CHEER, AND STEADFAST LOVE, I OWE MORE THAN MANY VOLUMES MIGHT DECLARE.
TRANSLATION:
[From an ancient Egyptian Papyrus−Roll, recently discovered. ]
It came to pass that when Pharaoh had made an end of giving commandment that the children of Israel should deliver the daily tale of bricks, but should not be furnished with any straw wherewith to make them, but should instead go into the fields and gather such stubble as might be left therein, that Neoncapos, the king's jester,
TRANSLATION: 2 Bricks Without Straw laughed.
And when he was asked whereat he laughed, he answered, At the king's order.
And thereupon he laughed the more.
Then was Pharaoh, the king, exceeding wroth, and he gave commandment that an owl be given to Neoncapos, the king's jester, and that he be set forth without the gate of the king's palace, and that he be forbidden to return, or to speak to any in all the land, save only unto the owl which had been given him, until such time as the bird should answer and tell him what he should say.
Then they that stood about the king, and all who saw Neoncapos, cried out, What a fool's errand is this! So that the saying remains even unto this day.
Nevertheless, upon the next day came Neoncapos again into the presence of Pharaoh, the king.
Then was Pharaoh greatly astonished, and he said, How is this? Hath the bird spoken?
And Neoncapos, the king's jester, bowed himself unto the earth, and said, He hath, my lord.
Then was Pharaoh, the king, filled with amazement, and said, Tell me what he hath said unto thee.
And Neoncapos raised himself before the king, and answered him, and said:
As I went out upon the errand whereunto thou hadst sent me forth, I remembered thy commandment to obey it. And I spake only unto the bird which thou gavest me, and said unto him:
There was a certain great king which held a people in bondage, and set over them task−masters, and required of them all the bricks that they could make, man for man, and day by day;
For the king was in great haste seeking to build a palace which should be greater and nobler than any in the world, and should remain to himself and his children a testimony of his glory forever.
And it came to pass, at length, that the king gave commandment that no more straw should be given unto them that made the bricks, but that they should still deliver the tale which had been aforetime required of them.
And thereupon the king's jester laughed.
Because he said to himself, If the laborers have not straw wherewith to attemper the clay, but only stubble and chaff gathered from the fields, will not the bricks be ill−made and lack strength and symmetry of form, so that the wall made thereof will not be true and strong, or fitly joined together? For the lack of a little straw it may be that the palace of the great king will fall upon him and all his people that dwell therein. Thereupon the king was wroth with his fool, and his countenance was changed, and he spake harshly unto him, and
It matters not what thou saidst unto the bird, said the king. What did the bird say unto thee?
The bird, said Neoncapos, bowing himself low before the king, the bird, my lord, looked at me in great amaze, and cried again and again, in an exceeding loud voice: Who! Who−o! Who−o−o!
Then was Pharaoh exceeding wroth, and his anger burned within him, and he commanded that the fool should be taken and bound with cords, and cast into prison, while he should consider of a fit punishment for his impudent
TRANSLATION: 3 Bricks Without Straw words.
NOTE.−A script attached to this manuscript, evidently of later date, informs us that the fool escaped the penalty of his folly by the disaster at the Red Sea.
CHAPTER I. TRI−NOMINATE.