Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-02-15
IN AUNT MELY's CABIN.

IN AUNT MELY'S CABIN.
Twelve o'clock and starless night,
the sky bending so close to earth that
one might fancy the very steam of the
worlds passions condensed in the black
clouds that rolled heavily across it; no
sound save the ceaseless soft FLASHING
of the Mississippi waves. Suddenly Il
light wind rose; piercing shaft of
moonlight struck through the clouds,
falling on the black letters over beer
shop, and idealizing to purple and fine
linen some fluttering rags that hung
from dingy ytenement-house. The wind
grew stronger; the clouds were blown
in wild shapes; the shaft of moonlight
melted out into a broad sheet of silver.
A steep bluff overhung the river;
sloping away from it were the long,
curving streets of Southern city. A
flight of stone steps led from its highest
point to a flat level, where new work
shops, ruins of burned houses and long
cotton-sheds were crowded together.
1t was damp, dirty place. People
called it "Hell's Half-Acre,n and in
the day it justified its name. But the
moon denies her gift of beauty to
naught, and tonight this most melan-
choly half-acre seemed to have better
right to be. One noticed then twenty
four slim white pillars, Corinthian in
design, that fire had left standing from
some stately public building. The
moonbeams broke into thousand diff
ferent shapes in the little inlets where
the river had pushed its way in. The
shapeless ruins were imposing in the
half-light, and heavy-scented flowers
grew above them, mingling their odors
with the sweet, fresh smell of new tim
Der at the planing-mill. And the river
by daylight vulgar, muddy stream
how flowed in wide, mysterious
grandeur, with distant CLEANS of silver
on its slow waves.
Across the river, on the line of an
other State, was a little town, so white
and simple and still that it might have
been the home of moths and shadows.
But as the moons light grew clearer
keen eye might have seen man form
standing at the waters edge, and II
keen ear might have heard the sound
of a body falling into water. The river
was narrow at this point and Il man
could easily swim across it, as this one
was doing. His body undulated under
the waves like snakes. His head,
barely visible above the water, was
small, and the wet hair clung closely
about it like cap. When he had landed
he stood for moment shivering with
cold and casting quick, nervous glances
around him as If he had been pursued.
Then he walked. irresolutely toward a
cotton-shed, and throwing himself on
the ground, partly sheltered by bale of
cotton, he fell asleep.
The sun rose gloomily, and in its light
the place that had been almost poetic
the night before showed all its squalid
ugliness. The street near the river,
once fine and fashionable promenade,
now seemed built of the very skeletons
of houses, so busily had decay been at
work and so little had been done to
stop its advance. The very flowers had
lost their purity, and hung heavy with
little particles of cotton that had blown
upon them from the wagons continually
passing, and blackened in the coal-dust.
1t had caught in the delicate lily-cups;
it weighed down the roses; and in the
broad foliage of the arbor-vit@ it had
woven itself in and out until each piece
was like a fan. With the sun awoke
noisy life. The cotton-drays raced
along Front Row, their black drivers
on them hatless, shoeless and
ragged, urging on their mules with dis
cordant cries. The bleating of goats |
was heard from the colored settlement |
1n the side of the cliff as queer old |
lunties and uncles hobbled out to milk |
hem. Down on the flat the whir of |
machinery began; grimy men flung
'aths or rough jests at each other; fiat
'oats appeared on the river; and the
Iir grew dense with smoke from the
Mills.
Through all, the man sleeping under
he cOtton-shed did not stir; a deep ex-
laustion seemed TO hold him hand and
DOT. The sun found him out and dried
lis jeans clothing, warmed his bare
eet, and even tried to pierce through
lis cold body to the dark, soggy earth
IN Which II rested. 1t beamed on his
lose hair until it blew from his face,
ight in color and curling at the ends.
The face was one common enough i'm a
hilarious country-a yellow, lean,
harp face; besides this, it was young,
weak, passionate face. The sunbeams
we're kind and did not wake him. The
yields pressed close upon the eyes, and
he lashes lay motionless on the thin
heeks.
After time negro passed near the
otton-shed-one' Of the kind called
roustabouts' in that part of the coun-
who live in a happy-go-
lcky sort of way, dependent from day
o day on stray jobs or stray thefts,
ever losing flesh or vivacity, never APP
earring otherwise than supremely CON
ent with life and their lot. This one
ad his work for the day. A bag was
ung over his shoulder, and he was
licking up the loose cotton that had
allen from burst bales preparatory 10
leapsing ii for the gin. He saw the
Ieeping man, and became instinct with
he natural hostility that the negro
GEMS 20 have for the poor white.
Git up from dar, you lazy trampr
9 shouted, and, seeing that the man
i'd not stir, he picked up a piece of coal
nd threw it with such precision as 10
II the sleeper ON his sun-burned neck.
lie started up and stared around him,
18th a CLEAN Of ferocity in his eyes.
Thenegro laughed loudly. "What
yardin did you come outenP" he said.
fou's enough TO skeer de crows, you