The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-03-12

buckra ooman. So thus I Law until he was
gathered to bis fathers, and his son reigned
lin the cabin) in his stead. 4
AFTER passing through many adventures
IN the purchase Of tobacco and other essen
tials of negro existence. finally fell into
passed slyly into that receptacle one night,
when young Master Edward came home
rather late, and in state of considerable
uncertainty on all points but one, which
was that no one hut Dinah must open the
door for him.
"About this time, the bloody civil war of
1861 broke out, and Dinah hearing the
white people talking about the scarcity of
specie, laid me away, in the confident ex-
pectation of never seeing another piece of
silver again while she lived
'One night, wien the moon was riding,
high and bright, in her broad, blue path
way, the anxious face of old Dinah was
seen peering into my gloomy abode
Yes; dar you, she snid. taking me up.
L wonder how long Use gwine ter keep
you. Dey say Sharman's comm fur true,
an spec hc'uns gwine ter take ebery cent
dis nigger's got. May be him kill ole Di-
nah, too. Good Lordl What times we'uus
is fell onto. Dar's ole massa and missus
dun sent off ebery blessed ting, an now
dey's dun tuck an gone, too, an lef' ole
Dinah ter scratch fur sheself; but do good
Massa 'bove will see her tru, reckin Der
amt no 'pendeuce ter be put in de buckra-
lls look ut ole massa an missus!
THUS soliloqniziDg, Dinah continued to
gather up her simple valuables
Il tell yer, mon, 'Kiah mus hide desc
tlngs; Dem Yankees can't git nm no how
kiah! raising her voice to be heard by her
husband, who was doing over the ashes,
'Kiah, yer 60 rite off an dig er hole ter
| in IL
Yankees don't lef muffin bchinc um whar
dcy's bin; an what's wcuus gwine ter do
when dey done?'
Go wild nm. said 'Kiah sententiously.
'Frecdum nifty good fur ole bones
Hush, niger, you'se o fool, retorted
Dinah. Yer tink Tine gwine ter run tru
do swamps arter dem low-down Yankees,
when Use always bin usen ter rich bnckra ?
You kin go ef yer wants ter, an die wild
rumatiz Tore yer gifts ober inter Carliny;
nobody keers--I don't, l kin git nudder
man.
whether it was the threat about n mud
der man. or some lingering fears of rheu-
matlsm operating on Kiah's mind, he
quietly acquiesccd in Dinahs views. Soon
the hole was dug, and the box containing
me and other little trinkets deposited
therein, Dinah muttering many pious ejacu
lations as she let us down, hoping, with
every other breath, that the Good hIassa
'bove will see mo tru.' The hole was
covered, straw scattered over the surface,
the hen-coop set upon it, and then Dinah
was ready for the Yankees. She did not
have to wait long, for with tho first rays of
the morning, struggling squads Of soldiers,
In blue uniforms, were seen entering the
plantation from different quarters. and
gathering thick and fast, they swarmed into
the negro cabins, as we'll rs into the more
pretentious house of the planter.
"Dinah sat, grim sentinel, in her cabin
door, and one after another passed her bv,
until brawny son of the West, confront
ing her, asked:
81 say, old woman, what have YOU got
in there?'
"'Nuffin fer you, she answered, shortly
"But he was not to be put aside in that
way. and taking her by the shoulders
twirled her lightly ont of his way and en-
tered her cabin. This was the signal for
Others to rush in, and soon she saw eyery-
thing she possessed either destroyed or
stirred up into one mass of inextrcable
confusion. Words failed the poor old wo-
man, and she sat on her dor step, with her
hands locked over her knees, rocking to and
fro, and uttering now and then the most ln-
mentable groans.
cat last the main army was gone, and
even the stragglers ceased to go by. Dinah,
in perfect fever of fear for the safety of
her buried treasures, for the yard had been
honey-combed by the persevering Yankees
in their search after hidden valuables,
called to 'Kiah to get his spade and see if
dem debels had left anything at ALL
Kiah, whose notions of following them
to freedom had been entirely revolution
ized obcyed with alacrity, aud soon the
quick, steady strokes reached down to u.s.
"'Whar dey?' asked Dinah, pee,ing
down into the hole.
Oar he, said 'Kiah. striking his spade
on the box.
"'What blessed ting dem debils neber
fine um.' said Dinah. thankfully.
That's so, eunty,' broke in rough