The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-12-13

lVuOoaoubI III uSu nv tuTneu 70 me, III
nays, Woman! You seem like EmaII
likely woman, an I'd advise you 10 Ia
nothin' 70 do with this fellow; be am gOI
no rights over you, an you 10 long an
tend 10 your business, an lot him alone
So went an lived with billiard more'n q
Q year; an billiard he was good TO me. HC
] give me all wanted, an never spoke q
cross word to me In his life. He treated
me like man ought 10 treat woman,
An den one day when was leanin over
: de gate, an tAlkin' to Aunt Hannah, d
middleage' woman come by an said,
'HoWdy, Sister Smith, an she saws,
,HoRdy, Sister billiard, an never said
nothiny but got 10 studyin' bout It. An
, next time see Aunt Hannah, say,
! Aunt Hannah Is that woman you call
Sister billiard any kin to dc billiard dat
works nj de boss down yonder2 An abe
say, Yes, she's his wife. Didn' you know
she was bis wifeT An l say, i never
know he had any vile; Is you shore bout
it?' And she said, La! | been KNOWN
Bro'F billiard an Slst' billiard ten wears an
more. Dey goes 10 our church. Dat
night when billiard come home l aid,
'Dillardl how come you never tole me
you had another WiieF An he said, i
ain gotno wife but YOU An saw but
know you has, cause I've seen her. An
he said, I tell you you's all the wife got.
used to have her in slavery times. She
aln'l my wife by law An say, / don't
keer whatlaw says; Il you had her before
you nadine, she's got the first right, an
I'm gwine. lam gOin to fuss nj no wo.
man, not for no man liyln'.' So left
Griffin an come up here to Atlanta, an
ain been back since"
do you writeto him oiten2"
Sometimes for Kernanny, do, Miss
Jasmin, please IN. write my letter"
"Well, don't you want 70 write 10 him
Tor more than s., Diana? II he gets 81
worth he ought to send you more than
that" ......
az dom want to ask for too much, Miss
JaSmin, for fear l won get none" she
| said. Tell him / got two children 10
clothe, an | amt able to do all. He mus
hep about DER shoes"
Il wrote the letter, directed, stamped
and mailed Il, and told Gorden all about
Diana when he came home that night, DO.
, ing full Of admiration for what l consider
Cd remarkably fine feeling In one In her
class, as shown by her leaving m IN
dulgent husband and comfortable home
sooner than wrong another women as she
had been wronged.
Diana seemedrather 10 "peak and nine"
and counted the days after her letter went,
weeks passed and not 4 line from billiard.
One morning she came to me again.
Miss Jaemin, ! wants you to get me a
white dress"
"a white dress, Dlaua!" exclaimed,
tor she Is not a party.going Diana, but
sober aad steady, tho not uucomely, and
wearing her thirty.ave years with Sedate.
ness and being lately q devout church.
goer.
"Yesm, Miss jaSmin, a weddinv.dress.
I'm going TO get married."
Why, Diana, you are married already"
Miss Jasmin, I've hearn from billiard.
Aunt Josie, she come up from Griffin las
week, an he's liTen' with his first wife,
letter." ~
"But that doesn' leave you free 10 mar.
~, Diana, unless you get divorce"
"Who2 Divorce? Miss Jasmin. YOU
spose I'm gwine TO have my name scan.
dalized all round the country with di.
vorclng2 No, ma'am, I amt. I've done
quit billiard long ags.h
But Diana, you don't understand"
said III you count slavery marriage you
are married TO MAZE; II you count mar.
riage by license, you are married to Dill.
lard. You are not freeto marry any one.
Now let me tell you very clearly, In law
your marriage with billiard Is the only one
that counts. The law does not count that
with MAZE, or Billiards 10 his first vile; :
they are not lawful marriages l
. don't blame you for that; II was more tho
} fault oil others than yours But the law
holds you married tight and fast 10 Dill.
+ lard and II you marry another man Ia his
lifetime you can be tried for tigamy, and
| punished don't know how-puti Ia the
; chAln,gang or the peniteutiary," closed
: vaguely.
. "weil, I'm got to git married." Diana
persisted stu6bornly,
Then you must get a divorce. Mr..
} Alexander Is lawyer, and will ask him
/ to see about Il, He will write 70 a lawyer
, In Gritlin, and II they can prove that Dil.
lard Is living with another woman they
will get you divorce. Who Is the man
You want TO marry?"
| he lisa preacher Methodist preacher.
| ho has good name with black an white,
I Miss Jasmin. Hes goin' To see Mr.. Gordon
an ask him, he say"
"Well, Diana, II he Is good man and
wants to marry you honestly, have moth.
ing TO say against II, after you get the
divorce; but give you fair waning,
! won't have 1t before. You are a good
servant-"and thought Of DIana's fault.
less biscuit, her perfect wailles and gen.
s eral excellence In cooking did come over
r me, together with Gordon's despuir a,
parting with one who understood how TO
, prepare all the iAyorite dishes Of his child.
hood; but would not suffer It TO mitigate
my sternness, "You are \ good servant,
: Diana; but il | valued you as | do nv eye
teeth, you would have 10 10 II | found you
doing as 50 many negroes do. II never
l have q servant-aS I've been told | shall
! not, it1 dare to DO so particular about this
3 II will not suffer one In my house who
lives with any man not her husband"
: Then this dIgniHed, rather sullen Diana,
: whom former mistresses, am told, did
not dare 10 DEFY for lear Of losing her real,
" superior services, slid humbly 10 the
: floor, and she spoke meekly as chiddon
l child, sitting OF my teet.
Miss JAsmin," abe said, "I'm done
4 with all that ! means 10 DO an honest
: woman. done tole Mr. Brinley about
b billiard, an dat ! left him cause he had 4
wife before me, an didn't know IL: an
0 he say he would marry me all the same
"Blt, DIANA" protested, ''if he 4 a
=; good man and q Christian he wants 10 mar,
q ~ you lawfully. Don't you know II would
a be the death 10 all his useiulneSs and Of
9 peoples respect for him II Il was known
J you had 4 living, lawful husband? lie
would rather have you divorced, Il he un.
Q derstood the case"
Miss Jasmin, billiard ain got no power
over me. IneveE got married In church
d . but somebody married yOu-yOu had
! mo m, we never got married. billiard
. 10 vas ready, an he got the license, buI
. before ! ESsrss9y 70 marry him heard
+ "And-KernaunyI-"
Miss JASmln-n eaRerly-uNfiss Jas
min, lore gracious meant To marry Dill
! lard, an | caunted 1t 90, but Mis- Lzzy
J, she do JUS like you's doin', an she tolt
me not to marry, an tole her olRhler
Q an, bimeby | tolO her I'd ha' a baby Soor
an oHghtet marry its father, an She'G
: say wouldl' DO the 6rst mother 'dout nc
y husban'-an' so-you BeO-.r
Diana, '1said, after long pause, ~ dc
:, not think you were that kind Of a woman
have heard that people tried to keeI
theit servants from marrying because
: they feared 70 losp their services; bat /
: was very wicked In your Miss Litzie, who
: ever she was, To encaursgp yoG not, TO bl
ashamed Of ain. llNas not trying 70 keel
you from an honest husband. am will
Ing for you 70 marry and live decenlly
but don't You dare TO call another mai
! your husband until law and churcl
d makes him 90. 0, Diana, have you N