Part 3 (1/2)

”Den you mout take de bofat, und de blu chiss, und den dare's de wheel borrer und de steer kyart. Fetch all yu kin Joshaway, fur me und yu is ergwine to need hit every bit und grane. Dat ole beaver of yourn wid de tip eend er flipperty-flopity disserway und datterway, same ez a kyte in de gale is jamby gin out, und den dares de lan, und de grate house, und de hosses und de kerrige, und de peanny forty, und de kalliker kote, und de snuff, und--und--”

”Don't fling no mo unds--unds--at me,” interrupted Joshua in disgust, ”epsep yu aims fur me to drap rite back into de bed, whay I wur wen de proklermashun isshued.”

Hannah made no answer to this effusion of temper, but going slyly to an old chest in the corner, she took from it a bottle containing a gill or more of ardent spirits and giving it to the old negro, said, ”Anint dat ole jint wid dis good truck, Joshaway, hit will swage de missury.”

Joshua looked up with a countenance beaming like the full moon coming out of a black cloud, and playfully said to his old wife, ”Honey I kin swage de missury mo better disser way;” drank it down and then exclaimed, ”Bress G.o.d, dat sarchin pain is dun und gon.”

”Dont you forget honey,” said Joshua again, patronizingly as he was about stepping out of the door with his stick and haversack, ”dat nex Saddy, arter dis Saddy c.u.mmin, dem dare high steppers dats gwine to c.u.m home wid me dis arternoon is ergwine to raise a harry kane 'twixt dis house und de federick sammyterry whay old Semo und dat secesh gubberner is ergwine to preach de funeral of ole Ginurul Bellion, lately ceasded, und when me und yu gits into de kerrige, great Jarryko! I'm ergwine to hole dem rones disserway, und whern day gits 'twixt de flatform und ole glory, I'm ergwine to histe 'em up on dare hine legs, jess so, see!”

Old Hannah clapped her hands with joy and laughed again and again ”Bress Gord” she exclaimed with excitement; ”yu is same ez a yurling colt yoself Joshaway, I'm ergwine to give yu a moufful of fodder and shet yu up wid de steer, kase de way yu's a histing up yo rare legs und er chompin' de bit, yu's ergwine to eat up de gyarden sa.s.s same as de steer.”

Joshua looked scornfully at his wife and observed with a fierce scowl, ”Day haint no pa.s.sifyin' wun of dese backslewed mefodiss epseps yu's er totin every bit of de strane yoself, fo I gits back wid de kerrige und de hosses,” he continued quite earnestly ”Yu mout move all de harry detaments outen de house, ready fur de grate house, und yu mont rent dis house to ole Semo pervidin' he pays de rent, und you mout turn de munny over to de darters of de sammytary siety.”

”Ugh! Ugh! I heers yu; fetch dem nales und de snuff Joshaway!” Hannah halloed as Joshua now in a good humor limped away in the darkness singing merily;

”When I was ergrwine down de field, De blacksnake bit me on de heel; Und ez I riz to fire my best I run ergin a yaller jacket's nest.

”Yaller jackets indeed” echoed Hannah as she proudly tossed her aged head, ”when Joshua fetches dem rones und kerrige, dare haint ergwine to be no yaller jackets on me ur him udder.”

The village was thronged with the black wards of the government, when Joshua arrived wearied and hungry. Allured by expectations that had been most wantonly excited, the negroes flocked into the town with trunks, valises, travelling bags, some of them of the most primitive description, within which to put their pensions. Flattering expressions came from truly loyal hearts, when the agent of the freedman's bureau ascended the court house steps to address the freedmen. His very presence was like the sunlight over the darkened land, but alas; he was the man who was to pa.s.s out to each and all of the misguided negroes the cup of disappointment and bitterness, and they in their nakedness and stupidity would drink its lees with the desperate resoluteness of fanatics.

Joshua stood with his old skinny hands clasped upon his bosom, looking up in an att.i.tude of reverence.

”Grate Jarryko!” he said to himself; ”Ef dis bellion hadn't upriz de ole isshu n.i.g.g.e.r mouter been way back yander a totin' de grubbin hoe fur Jeff Davis, de secesh, und de ole bull whup er natally cryin fur de po n.i.g.g.e.rs meat. Ef Hanner seed dis site, she'd jine de mishunary's, kase she mouter node dat providence had sont dat bero man und hit is mo better dan grace.”

The old negro saw the diamonds glittering upon the enameled s.h.i.+rt bosom of the agent and he said again in rapture.

”Day is same ez de starrs in de h.e.l.lyments.”

He saw a huge chain dangling from his neck, and he exclaimed.

”Grate Jarryko! ef de ole s.h.i.+p of Zion wur to git s.h.i.+pracked in Galilee, yu mout grapple her wid dat dare chain und hit mout hole twell de harrykin swaged.”

The old negro was lost in wonder, and at last overpowered by fatigue, and the press of the throng, he dropped out of line and fell asleep upon an empty crate. How long he slept does not enter into the chronicle.

There were mischievous boys then as there are now, and whilst he slept they collected from old bureau drawers one hundred dollars of brand new confederate treasury notes of the issue of 1864, and placed them loosely in his beaver and covered it over with his red pocket handkerchief. Upon awaking, Joshua rubbed his eyes, and then his knees and his elbows; looked around dazedly, and exclaimed.

”Consound my b.u.t.tons, ef de bero man haint dun und penshuned off de n.i.g.g.e.rs, und gon; und dis heer n.i.g.g.e.r a drapped back to sleep, lak a idgeot, wid nary cent of de penshun. Grate Jarryko! I knows what Hanner is ergwine to say; she's ergwine to ax me erbout de hosses, und den she's ergwine to aggravate me wid providence dis, und grace dat, und mishunary heer, und meferdis dare. Ef yu'd pervided yoself wid sum of dat grace down at Filadelfy meetin' house Joshaway, she's ergwine to say, you mouter fotched de rones und de kerrige too. Grate Jarryko! hit peers lak provedense hez dun und flung de fat in de fire arter all.”

Taking up his old hat, the confederate money went scurrying here and there; the old negro looked around him suspiciously, and exclaimed in an excited way.

”Grate Jarryko! whicherway did all dis munny c.u.m from? hit wur provedense dat time und no mistake; now yu sees Hanner which wun of dem meeting houses is got de under holt; Yu's dun und hilt to grace, und me runs wid fafe, und whicherwun is got de munny? Tell me dat?”

Whilst Joshua was sleeping, Hannah was busy hammering and packing the scant furniture for its removal to the great house, and at high noon everything was out of doors. The squealing pig was fettered like a convict, and old Boatswain, the c.o.o.n dog, was tied and howling like a catamount. Joshua placed the money into his haversack, with the nails and snuff, looked up at the setting sun, and said to himself.

”I mout let Hanner pick out dem hosses, und de kerrige, kase she mout not like de rones.”

The old negro struck a bee-line for home with the further observation.

”Grate Jarryko! ef hit warnt fur Ganderbilt, I specks dis ole n.i.g.g.e.r mout be de richest man on de top side of de yurth.”