The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-03-27
For the National Era.
7 III e B r 0 II III e r S
BY E. d. E. N. SOUTHwORTH.
CHAPTER vII-Concluded.

These preparations were soon made, and
Valentine commenced his fight. The high
way leading to M was bordered on one
side by the hedge of Spanish daggers that
skirted the lower cottonfelds of Mr.. Hewitt's
plantation, and on the other side by cause
way, that shut off an extensive cypress swamp
that formed a portion of Mr.. Warnings estate.
Avoiding the middle of the road, Valentine
leaped over the causeway, and, though he
waded half leg deep in water, he made his
way safely under the shelter of the wall and
the shadow of the trees.
He had waded thus a mile, on his way to.
wards the city, when the sound of voice, sing
ing Methodist hymn, and approaching from
the opposite direction, arrested his attention.
He knew the hymn, and the voice, that, in
turn, sang and intoned it, and, by them, recog-
Missed, before seeing, Elisha the colored class
leader of his own congregation, the man who
had that morning brought the first news of
Fannie's illness. new, intense anxiety seized
him. Elisha came from the direction of the
city. might he not bring some later intelli
gence of Fannie ?" he inquired of himself, as
he FASTENED to climb the wall of the causeway,
and peered through the parasitical vines that
chung to the top, to survey the scene.
Lying between the dark-hued cypress swamp
and the high hedge that shut off the cotton
fields, the road stretched westward, one long ir-
regular vista of yellow light shining in the last
rays of the setting sun; and solitary, except for
the lonely figure of the old negro preacher, who,
stick and bundle slung across his shoulder,
came trudging EDWARDS, and beguiling his way
with chanting the refrain of wild weird revi-
val hymn, in strange keeping with the time
and circumstance
go, wake him. Go, wake him.
Judgment day is coming
Go, wake him. Go, wa! e him!
Before il is too late!
"Hist Elisha Elisha!" called Valentine,
in hushed, eager voice.
"Who dar ?" exclaimed the old negro, start
ing back SO forcibly that the stick and bundle
vibrated on his shoulder.
at is /, Elishal Come here, quickly. How
is Fannie, my dear, suffering Fannie? Quick
ly! You have seen her since morning" cried
Valentine, in low, vehement tone.
"Brudder Valley! 'clar' de VERY man
lookn' arterl" said the old creature, approach
ing the causeway.
"Tell me- tell mel how is Fannie?" cried
Valentine, impatiently.
"Ah, chile wedem mus init to de will O.
Marster," sighed the old preacher.
"For Heavens sake be plain! Is she-is
she still liringe" questioned the youth, in an
agony of anxiety.
"Wur, when / lef' dar, chile wur, when l
lef' darl Dat all can say for sartain bout
libbin'."
Valentine groaned deeply, asking
"When did you see herr Tell me every
thing everything you know about her."
~ happen in dar, to 'quire arter her, bout
noon. 1 fin her all alone, berry low, berry low,
deed. Flies, like cloud, settled on her face,
enable lif' her ham, drive 'em way; lip bake
wild thust, enable ham hersef drap o. water"
ooh, God! and the child-the child"
"Prawlin' on de floor, kivered wild flies an
dirt, cryin low an weak, like, for hunder."
"Elisha, 1 must hurry; l must fyl Turn
back, and walk littls way With me, while you
tell me more; but if you see any one coming or
going on the road, whistle, to warn me, for I
have no permit" said Valentine, dropping be-
hind the causeway, and plunging along through
the water, towards the city.
They could no longer see each other, and
their conversation was carried on over opposite
sides of the causeway.
"How you gwine cross bridge widout init,
Brudder Walley?"
81 don't know; must try. Tell me more
about Fannie"
"Well, you know, 'out my tellin' you, how /
tux up de chile often de fure, an wash it, an
dress it, and git milk, and feed it. An how /
go for water, and wash her face, and give her
drink, an fan de flies often her, till she come
to her min, like; an how I'd stay long O. her
till dis time, ony when she come to herself, she
put her two hans togedder, so she did, de
chile, an begged an prayed me to come arter
you, her dear Valley to come an see her
once more fore she died, an take de poor baby
nome long O you. An so, dough done trav-
"a ais yer yode once afore to-day. takes my
stan In my han an / sets off; an, franks be to
de Lor, dey can't strive ms from trav'lin' de
highway, dough daren't now-a-day put my fut
ottn IT, or onto one O. dere plantashunes. So,
now, Dress de Lor', here is; an long as
wur SO hoped up as to fall in long o. YOU. all
got to DO now is, to company of you back to de
CITY" - -
In few earnest, fervent words. Valentine
thanked his friend, and then, saving ali h;s
breath, and concentrating all his enerc;es- IN
silence he toiled on, knee.deep in water and