The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-09


process the events and people which had
passed within its ken during centuries of
growth. | was weaving "a Christmas story
from the odd maj ks, thwarted vexatiously,
from the fact that the dragon would look
NJ II he was devOuring the girl instead of
being himself destroyed by the youthful
hero in the corner, whose existence two
eyes, nose, and part OF u beard seemed
10 shadow forth. Suddenly into the midst
of freight and fancy came Charybdis,
with her olutterIng log, anu disturbed the
progress, of the tale.
All the time that she kuelt, arranging
her wood, she crooned To herself nursery
song:
"'coo, says ahttle bird,
- Coo says he
II was you
we'u all live together
Coo. says he
That was little mssy's song" said she,
looking up. most always put her TO
sleep with that"
disr'
ION yes, missis; heaps"
And what was your husbands name"
Well missis, his name was Cato. You
sec, misss, | was born way down in E
county, aud growed up wild Mars Arthur
and Mars Pres and lot more Of those big
mems. My ole miss (she was Mars Buffers
wiie) was mighty rich. She had "A heap of
moe things, aud she was mighty pertikeler
about thom pertkeler things. She taught
us to courtesy when we was spoke to by
white folks, and not to stick out our
tongues, nor put our fingers in our ears,
nor stand on one leg. My ole miss told me
befO' she died that I'd never have so happy
home agen, and sure nud never did.
Nou's mighty KIND 10 me here, but no one
WAS ever so good to me rs my ole miss.
MY fathers her was white wo-
man. She couldn't have been no lady
My grandfather was u black man. My
mother was part Indian aud part coiored.
she was hard mother; she used to beat
us good; she said she wasn't gwlne to leave
IL 10 other people to do. IF she caught us
shown bad manners befo the white folk.
sne'd jess take two OF us and knock our
heads together TIL we was dead"
Dead. i should explain, Is African for in
sensible.
My people want no black people. My
ole mss she couldn't abide black people.
Them Ethiopiums with yellow eyes, they
Is the color OF Satan, and their hearts is rs
black Us their faces.
My father was coachman. lie used to
drive the Simpkiuses and The Pick
euses ana the Calnouus about the State
when they come 10 visit my marster.
lie was "a kind father, and would let
us SIT up of nights ter he come back
from one OF thcm long 'scursiOns, and
he tell us what heap the white folks
thought OF HIM. ana how IL 'peared Ike
they loved HIM, they was so kind; aud
piece, anu That one "A bottle OF whiskey,
ANA bout the no-account po' white felix's
that he saw, ana say how powerful glad
we mus be that we wu'n't born po' white
folks. Sometimes he'd give US a sip OF
the whiskey, but mOs'ly lie drank II up be-
To- ne come nome lie was very strict with
mother and the chill On, aud SAID no didn't
want us to be fond OF whiskey. You see,
we was ali gurl chIi'e ana wniskey ain't
good Tor little gurls. When my ole mss
.ltttl f.tN m ii.4lH nd
learned To pillow. hoe, spit rails. and gather
IN the crop. WAS II BIZ strong gurl, and
could do rs much work ms man.
When my Young ms, got married, she
took HE Ior her In.ld. That put me in the
notion of getting married too. and SO
done got married 10 Cato Jones. But while
| was oil with Miss Caroline al the springs
they sent hun away TO aloiner worl.'
what do you mean" cried H, hor-
rOr-strIcken.
jess that, missis; they done sold him
10 20 10 New Orleans, way OF to another
worl.' Then got married agen, but I've
done forget the name OF That one; he was
powerful OF no account, and less ran hun
of with club.
II dlun't marry agen for right smart
time, 'pearvu To have such bad luck with
husbands. sUt mars to hire me 10 another
Gentleman, aud cooked aud washed for
eight persons. | KEEP my kitchen so clean
That tney shd any one IN ght eat OF the
no. wOl ked right a.ong there tai man
cipatlon. But alter Emancipation, 'peared
us eI mus 20 oH som ewneIe away from
nay ole nome, and 80 come down here
with all tue Cnlien. You see, wanted 10
leel free, aud peared ike couldn't feel
Tree where Odd mars was.
jess after l got here | met up with
Doctor PIllce General jordan, an we
married. lie was good to me. lie Thought
sucn heap ol me that he never let me
work, anu i sat stiIl 50 50 much thai grew
right tat. But mat happy Lille OIL ours
dldu last mo Than SIX months"
Why not?' asked /.
There was IN ole Ethiopium woman,
you see, VINO had wanted hun to marry
her; but Doctor Prince General Jordan
u,dn't care Tor her so much as moth IA.
And that bad old Ulack woman gave ham "A
cake with something III 1t, ana lie died"
Poisoned!
"P.zened! Yes, sure enough, pizened."
learned atterward That the negroes
rarely VIII allow That any one dies IN "A
natural way. Poison, wltcncratt, and The
evil ey hnlsh most OF them.
never nave took OH mourning for
Jordan" wos her next remark. We sIareu.
mere sine sat NJ that moment in II blue
dress, red turban, yellow apron, and gar
net earrings! Tue lucongrulty seemed to
>trihe her Tor size added, hastily, But
wear what people gives me-"
Then you never married again, Chary-
bdisy
ION yes, m -; my chll'en got me to
marry Cupid Home"
what! Not Cupid, that bad fellow
that tried to Kali Il pOncemau last week 2"
Yes, miss, that's tue niger. You see,
the chIleu made Il great miratIOn over
him, and tole me how he'd do Tor me aud
not let me work, ana then he had such u
iOr1t' name
Brother Peppers, the Methods minis
ter, he ma rltd Us. wore pui pie calico
dress-jess an old one | had. I've always
Deen powerful glad thar | never bought
nOlhln' new tor That WeddIu'.'
After We was married we had some
Aam II bought the hnml and some taters
ana coffee, aud every Que lowed II was "a
good nun weddiu' Tor u " idow to give.
We ilycd IN that house near the depot,
but | didut stay with nun long. why,
got after me with that ham boue, and he
nked 10 a killed me. jumped out OF the
Window nj last, ana run oil ncishbors,
aud mex morning l went 10 town, anu
didn't come back Tor three months.
When / sOt back Brother Peppers an
the elders Ot tne Cnurch come to me aud
lowed mus 90 back and live with Cupid.
Tney tole me the Btbic sand | was TO go
Dack, but tule en- that the Bible dIdn'
say | WAS TO len myself De kllled, ana II IL
ana. l want gW lne TO; | hau done leh hun,
and | was gwlne to stay len.'
WIN this, ChaIybpls got up from the
hearth ana moved toward the uoor.
But" saiu IL, thought some one
SAID your husband Was That old Charley
VINO came last week after the III ules. When
dli YOU marry llu, Cudry Duls +"