Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-02-28
STRANGERS FROM THE SOUTH.
BY ETA FARMAN.

unless takS lODS udlI-ulI0 clICIS,
my daily walk to the postoffice leads me
down through an unsavory, wooden
built portion of the town. [ am obliged
to pass several cheap groceries, which
smell horribly of sGAerkraatt and Linn
burg cheese, a restaurant steamy with
French soups, livery stable, besides
two or three or four barns, and some
gloomy, window-less. shut-up buildings,
of whose use I haven't the slightest
idea.
Of course, when I go out in grand
toilet, I take the half mile circle. But,
being business woman, and generally
in hurry, usually go this short way in
my short walking dress and big parasol;
and. probably, there is an indescribable
expression to my nose, just as Mrs.
Jack Graham says.
Well, one morning [ was going down
town in the greatest hurry. [ was try
ing to walk SO fast that [ needn't
breathe once going past the Dutch gro
ceries; and [ was almost to the open
space, which looks away off to the
sparkling river, and the distant park,
and the forenoon sun; | always take a
good, long, sweet breath there, coming
and going, when my eye was caught by
a remarkable group across the street.
Yes, during the night, evidently,
there had been an arrival-stranger
direct from the Sunny South.
And there the remarkable looking
strangers sat IN row, along the mar
row step of one of the mysterious build
ings [ have alluded to. They were
summing themselves with ali the delight
full carelessness of the experienced
traveller. Though. evidently, they had
not been presented with the liberty of
til city, it was just as evident that they
didn't care fig for sightseeing
fig, either, for the Inhabitants. All
they asked of our town was its sunshine.
They had selected the spot where they
could get the most of it. Through the
broad space opposite the sun streamed
broadly; and the side of a weather, col
ored building is So warm!
What a picture of dolce far nieate,
of sweet-do nothing" it was. I
stopped, hung my parasol over my
shoulder, there was a little too much
sunshine for me, and gazed at it.
so, how you do love it You bask
like animalsl That fullness of enjoy
ment is denied to us white-skins. What
avisible absorption of luster and heat |!
You are the true lotus-eaters 20
The umber- colored creatures-I sup
pose they are much warmer for being
brown, as any brown surface is warmer
than white one. I never did see sun
shine drank, and absorbed, and enjoyed
as that was. 1t was bit of Egypt and
the Nile life. / could not bear to 60 on.
Finally, [ crossed the street to them.
Not one of them stirred. The eldest
brother was standing, leaning against
the building. He turned one eye on
nae, and kept it there. At his feet lay a
bullying, ragged satehel. Evidently he
was the protector.
The elder sister, with hands tucked
snugly under the folded arms, winked
and blinked at me dolly. The little
boy with the Nubian eyes was sound
asleep-a baby Oisris-his chubby
hands hiding together between his
knees for greater warmth. The young
est sister, wrapped in an old wooden
shawl, was the only uncomfortable one
In the lot. There was no doze nor
dream in her eyes yet-poor thing, she
was cold
I didn't believe they had had where
to lay their heads during the night.
Liberty Of city, to one kind of new
arrivals, means just that, you know.
Sundry crumbs indicated an absence of
che conventional breakfast table. Poor
little darkies!
"Children, I said, like benevolent.
~ disposed city marshal, you mustn't
sit here in the street,
IS WQ'c CryUinQ on co0n oo;I
the protector, meekly.
81 low we amt, Jim!" The big
sister said this without any diminution
of the utter happiness of her look.
Its powerful cold comm up fru
the norf, nnistis." I must let 'em warm
up once day." said Jim.
"Up through the north Pray, where
are you going?"
81 ex-pec. I ex-pec-'
"You spec, jim! You alters spect-
II !! Misgis, we's free-we kin go any
whars"
suspect there has been q great deal
of long suffering on the part of Jim.
He burst out like fame from a smoul-
dering fire
''Anywhars! That what ails niggas
Freedom means anywhar to 'em. and so
they're muffin nor nobody. You vaga-
bon, Rose Moneton, you KNIT go any
whars much longer-not long O. me !"
so, you white folksy, Jim ! low
this trampin' was your own plan. When
you tnds town whar it's any show of
warm, I'll hang up my things and stay,
and not afore-ye hyar that I low L
won't see Peyty and Kit a-freezin'!
She scowled at me, she actually did.
as if [ froze her with my pale face and
cool leaf gresn dress, and kept the sun
off her, talking with that white folksy
JIM"
fancied Jim was hoping I would say
something more to them. I fancied he.
at least, was in great need of friends
advice. -
"Where did you come from?'' I
asked. But the other head of the fam
lily answered.
"Come from huff sight warmer place
than we's goin' anywhars."