Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-11-13
A TRUE STORY, REPEATED WORD
FOR WORD AS 1 HEARD 1T.
BY MARK TWAIN.


IT was summer time, and twilight.
We were sitting on the porch of the
farmhouse, on the summit OF the hill,
and "Aunt Rachel" was sitting respect
fully below our level, on the steps-for
she was our servant, and colored. She
was of mighty frame and stature; she
was sixty years old, but her eye was un-
dimmed and her strength unabated. She
was cheerful, hearty soul, and it was
no more trouble for her to laugh than it
is for bird to sing She was under fire,
now, as usual when the day was done.
That is to say, she was being chaffed
without mercy and was enjoying it. She
would let of peal after peal of laugh
ter, and then sit with her face in her
hands and shake with throes of enjoy
ment which she could no longer get
breath enough to express. At such mo-
ment as this thought occurred to me,
and said:
Aunt Rachel, how is it that you've
lived sixty years and never had any
trouble?"
She stopped quaking. She paused,
and there was a moment of silence. She
turned her face over her shoulder toward
me and said, without even smile in her
voice:
"Misto c., is you in 'arnest?"
1t surprised me a good deal and it
sobered my manner and my speech, too.
l said;
"Why, l thought-that is, l meant
why, you can't have had any trouble. I've
never heard you sigh, and never seen
your eye when there wasn't a laugh
in it,"
She faced fairly around now and was
HAS l had any trouble? Misto
e to vol ~" iva; was bawn az t6Ida down SIS mongst de
slaves; | knows all bout slavery, case
ben one of 'em my own se'f. Well, sab,
nv ole man-dat's my husban'-he was
lovin' an kind to me, jist as kind as you
is to yo' own wife. An we had chipen-
seven chil'en-an' we loved dem chilen
list Ge same-as you loves yo' chiPen. Dey
was black, but de Lord can't make no
chiIen so black but what dey mother
loves 'em an wouldn't give 'em up, no,
not for anything dats in dis whole world.
| Well, sab, was raised in ole Fo'-
ginny, but my mother she was raised IN
| MARYLAND; an my s0RLSl she was turri-
BILE when she'd git startedl My Ian
| but she'd make de fur fly! When she d
| git into dem tantrums, she always had
one word dat she said. She'd straighten
herself up an put her fists in her hips
an say, want you to understan' dat
want bawn in de mash to be fool by
trash! rs one o. de ole Blue Hens
| Chickens, I lisp Case, you see, dat's
what folks dat's bawn in Maryland calls
deyselves, an dey's proud of it. Well,
dat was her word. l don't ever forgit it
beca'se she said it so much, an beca'se
she said it one day when my little
Henry tore his wris' awful, an mos
busted his head, right up at de top Of
his forehead, an de niggers didn't ny
aroun' fas' enough to tend to him. An
when dev talk back at her, she up an
she saws, Look -a-heahp she says,
want YOU niggers to understan' dat
want bawn in de mash to be fool by
trashl Is one O. de ole Blue Hen''
Chickens, I isr an den she clar' da
kitchen an bandage' up de chile herself
So SAYS dat word, too, when rs riled.
"Well, bymeby my ole mistis say She
broke, an she got to sell all de niger
on de place. An when | heah dat de.
gwyne to sell US all Oft at oction in Rich
mon, oh, de good gracious! know wha
dat meanw
Aunt Rachel had gradually risen Will
she warmed to her subject, and now sh
lowered above us, black against the stars
Dey put chains on us an put us on
; stan as high as dis poch-twenty foo
high-an' all de people stood aroun
crowds an crowds. An dey'd come u
dah an look at us all roun an squeez
our arm, an make us git up an walk, al
, den say, Dis one too OLE or Dis on
lame, or Dis one don't mount to much
An dey sole my ole man an took hir
: away, an dey begin to sell my chilen al
take dem away, an begin to cry an d
man say, 'Shet up yo' dam blubberin
> an hit Inc on de mouf wild his han. Al
: when de las one was gone but my littl
Henry grab him clost up to my brea
so, an ris up an says, You shant tax
n him away says; I'll kill de man "a
t teteLes -him' l says. But my litt
G Henry whisper an say, l gwyne to ru
!. away an den l work an buy yo' fire,
Y dom, Oh, bless de chile, he always s
y good! But dey got him-dey got hin
:. de men did; but took and tear de clo',
II mos of of 'em, an beat 'em over
l. head wld my chain; an deg give it to N
y too, but didn't mine dat.
II "Well, dab was my ole man gone, u
h all my chil'en, all my seven chii'en-a
), six Of 'em / hain't set eyes on ag'
It to dis day, an dats twenty-five year al
n las Easter De man dat bought n
'e b1ong' in Newbern, an he took II
e dah. Well, bymeby de years roll
81 an de waw come. My marster
y was Confedrit Colonel, an | was /
m family's cook. So when de Unions to'
N dat town dey all run away an lef' me ,
d, by myself wild de other niggers in d
ut mons'us big house. So dc big Union
le ficers move in dah an dey ask me wou
d. cook for dem. Lord bless you, says
e, 'dat's what rs tor.'
y "Dey want no smallfry officers, mi
u you, dey was de biggest dey tsj an
N way dey made dem sojers mosey rou
N DE Gen'l he tole me to boss dat kitehe
e. an he say, If anybody come meddl
u wild YOU, you iist make 'em walk ehal
don't you be afeard,' he say yo
'mong frens, now '.' 90
ne Wei, thinks to myself, If my lit
'e Henry ever got n chance TO run awi
~ he'd make to dc Norf o course. So O
ed dnv | comes In dah Whah de big offici