New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-11-22


more with sorrow than years, looked up
from The washtub, and the soft, melancholy
ewes frightened ut the sight Of the fair face
inwreathea with green leaves and bright
buds of the scarlet runners.
..Fo' massy sake. honey dat yo'l Use
| mighty glad to see re. How dyef An
l hew's ole missus!
1--WE are al sick" answered Sylvie, dole.
| fully.
Tie woman chuckled and shook her tur'
! baned head eagely.
"S'pecss yo' done come TO- old Disey 10
/ nusa ye," he said ironically.
"There is no medicine and no nursing that
| will cure our disease" continued SyIV'e IA
. plaintivee tone. -. r.r,
Home sickness. Don't you know what
MDeei ioesr' And Disey's wistfui eyes
| looked awav over the waters, and she
| vrnnp white suds from her ebon hands.
Deed does, young nissus! Pears like
| we once got to feel dat ar from de mint
l we's born till we done die. Yves like Nos
dove; muffin for our pore feet 20 resi- on, no.
l whar! But don you go tur to fret bout
dat, Miss Sylvie. De chilluns in de wilder
nees trabble mighty long time, but reckon
dey bore up right smart under dey fic-
tions, kase dey gwine home. Dis yer amt
| fO' long, nudder, l 'spect's."
''No; it is almost over, hope, aunty:'
Sylvie had come into the shadow of the
rude porch where the washtubs stood; and
4 Disey fastened to wipe her arms on her
coarse apron, and offer her visitor a seat.
| Don't bring out chair. can't stop
now" said Sylvie.
| As she spoke she glanced after the re.
l treating figure. and beheld sight that
| blanched her with horror. The muslin
blouse that Disey wore for GOODNESS was
/ long past repair. and . liberal elit gaped
I down the back.
What has happened! How is your
! shoulder 80, so awfully"~
The pale lips gasped and faltered; and
| Sylvie dropped upon the end Of the rude
| wash bench, deadly faint.
Disey turned quickly. gathering the tat
/ tiers close.
] Don yo' mind dis yere!" she said sooth.
! ingly; then she hustled about, and brought
/ remedies "Here, snuff some cOmfire, honey.
Bress yo', no use a-faintin' at dat. Denis
I ole scars. Never seen muffin like dat fore!
| Shoe! Specs dey never den lick dey ser.
I wants dat away at de Norf."
"Wss chat how they came =! asked
Sylvie. white and shuddering. Ibid you
try to run away"
moo, chile.'' said Disey apologeticclly.
l II didn't never away myself. ! was alius
l kind o. tame critter. But my Jack got
! up an of to de woods. Hoo! what time
l dey did kick up. bout my boy! De driver.
l he was shore 1 knew whar Jack was hid:
| TO- Jack, he clar'd fort he wouldn't be took
1 live. nohOw. Dey got Jake MasOn's dogs
I an sarch de wood and de swamp trough.
! An dey was out all night with torches. like
l it was 'possum hunt, arter nv Jack.
but muss whip it out o me. 'clar KNIT
| tell um. TO- dunno; but ] reckon dey never
I b'lieve word wha' I tole Mn. Anyhow,
! dey guy ME de lash till couldn't tole UNI,
eff ia wan to! Now, dom yo' spite 20
l puoty eyes TO- dat ar. It's all done an gone.
done an gone, Dress de Lord Almighty.
Then as Sylvie. revived by the pungent
l odOr of the camphor. lost her pallor, Disey
! cleverly turned the conversation to the
prospects OF her garden patch. where the
I promising sweet potato vines already made
I pleasant bit Of greenness for the eye to
! rest on, and rows Of young onions stood
! stiff and straight like a battalion on dress
I parade.
Sylvie presently resumed her stroll, but
I found that she had lost all immediate in.
| terest in the nest of fedglings. Still the
| day sparkled cloudless; over the white
/ shore the blue, lonely waters glanced and
l flashed. with not sail in sight. not living
I thing. except solitary crane musing mo.
tionless among the sedges.
I Syiyie sat down in the shadow of an old
I wreck. black tangles OF dried kelp and
broken shells at her feet, the sand hills
shutting of every sign Of human habitation.
and surrendered herself for moment 10
| the heavy scene OF sadness and des0latiOn
I that seemed fit setting to the tragedy Of
| Disey and her kind.
! Perhaps every cabin on the island shell.
| tered hearts and shoulders more or less
SCARED. she shudderingly thought; but
1 only Disey's story had been gathered little
| by little; for the gentle creature was
| 'mighty took wi de young missns" from
the first; and her sad. appealing eye. had
! breast.
Disey made no moan about her wrongs.
of which. indeed. she was loath to speak,
| but dismissed them as ''done an gone" with
| cheerful resignation, whereat Sylvie, al.
ternately flushing with indignation and
paling with horror. wondered greatly.
If the tears rolled over her withered
husband and children were torn from her;
how her Polio belonged to another planta.
ton, and was sent to Georges, che had
heard: how her Jack. hunted by blood.
hounds, never came back, and the story
was that he had sold his life dearly. and
lay shot dead in the marshes; how her
pretty Marcelne was sold ''away down to
N'Yorleans." she quietly wiped them away,
and always ended serenely with, "But
have patience wild dis yere worl's trials.
We's'ill meet agin yonder. ober dar. by.
meby. De Lord he promise. an his word
is shore. o chile! what 20 reckon we pore
'spised uns would a'dOne, but for de Lord
to hear our cries. an to cumfut our
troubles!"
The silver clear notes of a bugie signal
10 Sr1
dering these things beside the sad sea waves.
and rising. she slowly retraced her steps.
As she drew near to Disey's cabin and heard
her singing over. her tub. she pansed to
listen. The music was q wild, pathetic
minor. which. however, was made to sound
like triumphai strain, by the sigor with
which she sang it, and the words:
"rli be dar. nv chilluns.
Iii be dar. III be dar:
When de ginral roll is called.
80. Miss Sylyie !" she called out cheerily,
seeing that young lady as she advanced.
''Jes' wait bit. Use done got something
The gay turban disappeared among the
corner Of the cabin. holding her apron
gathered up and chuckling over the some.
thing hidden in it's folds. Sylvie. being per.
mitted to peep within, had her eyes de.
lighted with three little gray balls OF fluffy
down.
"For me, auntyl The little beauties!'
"Des 8 shore 'nuff dom nicks.'' observed
Disey proudly. as she gently placed them
in Sylvie's palm. where they chirped and
on plenty dough. young missus. an dey'll
grow like weeds in de gardin. sho' TO sar.
TIM
Az Sylvie. with her pretty brood. passed