He had appeared amongst them after a sudden storm, the solitary survivor of a wreck that had partly drifted ashore, and, as he said, gone down with all his fortune.  The mild air and easy livelihood of the spot pleased the Jew, after his first despair, and he set about making another fortune.  Capable, solitary and active, he soon outstripped all the people of the islands, and neither beloved nor unbeloved, lived grimly, as chance ordained, and until now, had never shown more than business benevolence.  It was a surprising thing to the people of Chincoteague, when the news went round that he had been over to court at Drummond-town and given his recognizance to bring up the orphan boy—­whom he named Abraham Purnell—­so that the county should not be at the expense of him, and he also brought out from New York, on the Eli’s next trip, a Hebrew woman to be the boy’s matron.  Suckled at a negro’s breast, Abraham grew to a vigorous youth, resembling his guardian’s race and his mother’s as well, in the curling nature of his hair and the brightness of his eyes.  The Old Testament Scriptures alone were taught him, and Issachar himself joined the family circle at daily prayer to encourage the faith of Israel in the stranger.  The finest of the lean, tough ponies, bred only on Chincoteague, and renowned throughout the peninsula for their endurance, was bought for the boy, as he grew older.  He was made Issachar’s companion, and, in course of time, passed in fireside talk for a Jew, like his protector.

Only once the superior comfort and clothing of Issachar’s protege provoked the remark from one of a group of men that Abraham was “only a stuck-up nigger, anyway;” and then, like a maniac, Old Issachar dashed from his store with a boat-hook and struck down the offender like a dead man.

But the boy was of such docile and beautiful nature that he excited no general antagonism.  He was four removals from pure African blood, and as his mother had been a freed girl, he was a citizen, or might be if he pleased.  The certain heir of Issachar’s possessions, the only thing except gold that Issachar loved, and of a parentage which linked misfortune with piety, his mysterious nativity gave him with the negroes a sacred character.  They believed that he would become their king and priest and lead them out of bondage to a promised land; and this involuntary homage so pleased old Issachar that his heart inclined toward the black race above the Christian whites around him.  If an aged negro fell sick, the Jew sent, by his ward, medicine and food.  If a very poor negro was buried, the Jew contributed to the expenses.  He gave the first counsel of worldly wisdom to the negro freedmen, and gave them faithful interest on their savings.  One slave that he possessed he set free, saying: 

“By Jacob’s staff!  I will not hold as cattle the blood people of my son!”