Part 23 (2/2)

”Bress Gawd!” he gratefully exclaimed, ”I'se been happy two times in my life--wun time when I jined de miluntary c.u.mpny when de n.i.g.g.e.rs wus playin 'de jay bird' on der tootin horns (den I wus er fule), und tother time wus dis here time.”

After devouring like a starved brute the bulk of the food before him, he considerately placed into his old beaver hat choice bits and fragments, layer upon layer, with the observation,

”I wudn't er tasted a moufful o' dis good truck ef I hadn't er node Hanner wuz ergwine ter git her shar. Jes er watchin me now lak a sparrer hawk er settin on er lim! Tank yer a fousun times, ole ma.r.s.er! Tank yu, too, sis Clarsy; tank eberybody in de whole wurld. Ole marsa,” he continued, ”mout I hab jes wun wurd wid yer?”

”Why, certainly, Joshua; what more can I do for you?” asked the old man.

The old negro put his hand to his face as if he were s.h.i.+elding his eyes, and asked sheepishly,

”Mars Jon, ef me und Hanner wus ter turn n.i.g.g.e.rs ergin, jes lak slabery times, wud yer tuck us home--yu und Miss Alice?”

”I would not have you do that, Joshua; but whenever you like, you and Hannah can bring your belongings to the office and Alice and I will always be your friends. You shall never suffer any more for something to eat or wear as long as we live.”

”Tank yer, ole ma.r.s.er, tank yu, a fousand times!” Joshua replied, as he brushed away great liquid beads that were chasing each other down his haggard cheeks. ”Now I mus be ergwine, Mars Jon,” and the old stiffened joints bore homeward a filled body and a full heart, as he sang in an untuned but sweet voice,

”Oh de way's so delightful when I sarves de Lord, Oh de way's so delightful, journey on.”

As the sun was going down the old Colonel looked across the field and saw Joshua and Hannah with great bundles upon their heads coming toward the mansion--coming back to the old home; coming back to be just as humble, just as faithful, just as watchful as in the happy old days; coming back to run errands if need be, with joints stiffened by hards.h.i.+ps and old age, but with hearts so light and trustful; coming back like homing pigeons to roost under old master's wing in the dove cote. Was there ever such a people before? The sweetest experience in the domesticity of the South will vanish forever when the last old white woolly head is laid low, when the ghostly smile is given to old mistress from the death bed, and the last good-bye is said to ”ole ma.r.s.er und ole missis” as the death film overlays the eye. ”Tak keer ob yosefs, ole ma.r.s.er und ole missis, und meet me up yander.” So thought the old master as with liquid eyes he looked upward to the vaulted sky.

”Seben weeks” the old negro weighted down by the ever acc.u.mulating burdens of life--its disappointments, its troubles--had with unsteady gait and frequent halts stepped off each rod and furlong twixt ”my house und de sto, backards und forards, toting de jimmyjon und de happy-sak.”

”Fur seben weeks” the torrid sun with its blistering heat had scorched the old negro's head, and crisped the old negro's black skin until it was spotted. For seven weeks a vacuum deep and broad lay between the inner coatings of the famished stomach immeasurable and unfathomable.

For seven weeks ”Old Glory” waved its welcome at one end of the commissariat, and stark, pallid want walked out without a ration and flaunted its rags at the other. Poor old negro, but what worth is freedom without its pains and penalties; what worth is the huge commissariat without the freedmen, and what worth is the freedmen without the commissariat? Oh how happy the old negro in ”de offis of ole ma.r.s.er.” By fits and starts old Joshua would awake throughout the nights and call to Hannah, ”Ole womun, duz yer kno whar yer is a roosting to night? Aint agwine to de crick fur catfish in de mornin. I kno whar my wittles is er c.u.mmin frum, bress de Lord. c.u.m rain ur s.h.i.+ne, I haint nebber agwine hongry agin, no mo. Old marsa dun und said, ole n.i.g.g.e.r yer shall nebber want fur sumfing to eat und sumfing to ware no mo, und I nebber cotched ole Mars Jon in a lie yit. Has yu, Hanner?”

”No, dat I haint, nur Miss Alice nudder,” replied Hannah. ”I haint got no mo skeer erbout me, Joshaway, dan a billy gote. I kno's when Miss Alice flings a dumplin in de pot for hersef, she is agwine to fling wun in dare fur me too.”

”Pears lak, Hanner, I kin heer my stummick ebery now und den nachully singing de ole s.h.i.+p ob Zion, hit is so full ob ole ma.r.s.er's good wittles.”

Bright and early the next morning the old negro was standing in the wide open door of the office, swinging his arms in exercise like a prize fighter, and occasionally ”cuttin de piggen whing out of doors,” as he said, ”dat yung misses mout see how he could twist his foots erbout.” As he was skipping about the yard he discovered as it were, a moccasin snake; a red, white, and blue stake about two feet long in the ground near the office, and he knew what it was and called in a fit of rage to Hannah. ”Jess c.u.m und see what dem dratted n.i.g.g.e.rs has dun gon und dun.

Lord a ma.s.sy! Duz dem pizened willians fink dey kin oberride dis here plantashun wid me, und Ned, und ole marsa, und yung misses, und yu und Claissy a fendin for deselvs? I'se agwine to lode up my muskit dis bery nite, und de fust n.i.g.g.e.r dat c.u.ms pestering our white fokses on dis here lan, I'se agwine to shoot two pounds of hot led into his karkas. Tak dis ole streked striped stick, Hanner, und burn it up,” and he jerked the peg out of the ground as if it had been an aching molar in his gum, and threw it violently into the fire-place.

”Who upon de yurth did fetch dese pizened stiks on dis lan? I'm ergwine er roun dis yer plantashun, und maybe I'll fine sum mo ob de ring-streeked-und-striped things, er painted jes like 'ole Glory' out yander in de town, jes ter fool n.i.g.g.e.rs und git dem sa.s.sinated lak er pa.s.sel o' polecats.”

While Joshua was making the ”grand rounds” over the plantation a carriage with a pair of beautiful, high-stepping horses rolled up to the door, and two ”gemmen of culler” alighted and walked with unnatural dignity to the door and rang the bell. Clarissa, of course, obeyed the call, and in their presence was so bewildered that she asked them into the library. Placing into her hands their cards _de visite_, upon which were written the names of the ”Hon. Alexander Wiggins” and the ”Hon.

Ephraim Gillam,” she carried them to Colonel Seymour.

Instantly the devil was aroused in the old man, and he told Clarissa to tell them to get out of the house.

Clarissa, in executing the order, said, ”Ole ma.r.s.er says how dat yu n.i.g.g.e.rs must go back out er doors. Jes tak yosef outen dis house immegit.” Then upon recognizing one of the negroes, she enquired, ”Haint dat yer Ellick, wid dem fine close und shoes, und gold specks, und bever hat, comin into dis house lak yer was a king, or a gineral, or sumfing I don't kno what? What is yer doing here in ole ma.r.s.er's house, anyhow? I specks yer is up to sum devilment rate now.”

”My name is not Ellic, replied the negro, und I am not up to devilment.

I am de prieter ob dis manshun house, und my stinguished friend, Mr.

Ephrum Gillum und me, hez c.u.m to sarv a rit ob jectment upon Mr. Semo fortwid.”

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