New-York tribune., 1879-12-07


Yes. and you love Kcrnanny better than all the
children you have in the world"
"Yes'm do. She's 10 little, you know. Yon' she
come. now. lookin. fo' me. Go long kernanny,Fm
a comin'."
Come see l couldn' hep Miss Jasmin dust"
Kernanny said. standing poised ON one bare foot.
and smiling IN an ingrauaung manner. Il war to
wait on e white fOlks.'
"You aim big enough to wait on the white folks
yet. honey, run along" Diana said.
when rs big's yOu Is. kin do heaps q work,
can't |. Miss Jasmin - Kernauny persisted. She
was only six years old this impish little creature.
ugly, funny and ambi tious TO the last degree. Her
favorite description of herself was :" Is bald
headed niger" and her chief ambition - was 10
have bushy head = to which end what little hair
she had kept tied up all over her head in infin-
tesima coils with red and white strings to make
il grow"
60 long Kernanny," Diana urged
"Go and tell your brother TO bring in q log for
the fire. Kernanny, >" said.
She started of at once and in a moment Iheardher
screaming the most dreadful threats to Ter twelve
yoar-old brother Maie's Youngest to what his
mother would treat him to if he did not hurry.
There seemed no real malice in the child but she al
ways spurred him to his tasks with her tongue.
and now its cheerful accents rang " If you aon
on, boy, ma III ha' to make yOu jelly she II
ha TO cut you all to pieces. boy 4 you don learn to
hurry ~
I'd die widou: dat little Niger" Diana said,
laughing TO herself as she shut the door Kernsnny
had left ajar. at nod from me. and then resumed
her former position.
Was Kernanny's father good to you ?" / asked.
Miss Jasmin, he was. He got license To marry
me, Dillard did and Maize ne come up from Macon,
an tired 10 make a fuss about IT, an de Jedge he
ask him questions. an den he turned TO an says
he. Woman You seem like a smart likely wo-
man. an I'd advise you to ha' DOthin to do with
tins fellow he am got NO rights you, am you
go long an tend to your business. an let him alone.
So went an lived with DIlard more'n . year; an
billiard he was good To NE. He give me all wanted,
an never spoke a cross word TO his life. He
treated me like man ought to treat a woman. An
den one day when was leaun' over de gate. an
talkin' to Aunt Hannah. "A middle-age' woman come
BY an said, HOwdS, Sister Smith, an she says,
Howdy, SISTER Dillard,' an l never said nothing.
but got TO studyin' bout 1t. An next time l see
Aunt Hannah. say, Aunt Hannah! Is that wo-
man you call Sisj Dillard any kin TO de Dillard dat
works nj de boss down yonder 2 An she say Yes,
she's his wife. Didn' you know she was his wife ?
An | say, L never know he had any wife ; Is
YOU shore bout it And she said, La 1 been
KNOWN Bror Dllard an Sist billiard ten years an
more Dcy goes to our church. Dat night when
Dillard come home / SAID. 'DllaTdl how come you
never tole me you had another wife An he said.
ain got no wife bug you. An l say, But
know YOU has, cause Pve seen her, An he said,
L tell You yous all the wife got. used TO have
her in slavery times. She amt my wife by law
An saw ! don't keer what law says; If you had
her before you had me- she's got the first right, an
Fm gwine. | am goin' to fuss NJ no woman. not
for no man hvin'' so | left Griffin an come up
here to Atlanta. an | ain been back since"
Do you to him often =
sometimes fer Kernanny, do. Miss Jasnlin,
please IN, write my letter"
Well. dome YOU want TO write 10 him for more
than $3. Dianaf II he gets so wo-th he ought 20
send you more than that"
Il dom want to ask FOR too mucb Miss Jasmin.
for fear won get none" she sad. " Tell him got
two children to clothe, an amt able to DO all. He
mus hep about der shoes"
Il wrote the letter. directed. stamped and
mailed IT, and told Gordon all about Diana when he
came home that night, being full Of admiration for
what considered remarkably Cue feeling for one
in her class, as shown by her leaving an indulgent
husband and comfortable home sooner than wrong
another woman as she had been vIOnged.
Diana seemed rather TO peak and pine and
counted the days after her letter went. Weeks
nassed and not a line from billiard. One morning
she came 10 again.
"Mrss Jasmln. | wants you TO get me white
Dress"
A white dress. Diana p exclaimed. for she is
not n party-going Diana. but sober and steady, tho
not lncomely, and wearing her thirty-iiye yeais
with se,lateness. and being lately devout church
goer.
..Ye.'n. Miss Jasmin. a weddlH g-dress I'm going
to glt married.
"Why Diana YOU married already"
4" Miss Jasmin. I've hearn from billiard. Aunt
Josie. she come up from Griffin las week an he's
liyi with his first wife, an dats why they amt no
answer TO my letter."
But that doesn't leave you free to marry Diana,
unless you get divorce"
"Whof DivOrcei Miss Jasmin, You spose Pm
qwine to have nv name scandazed al round the
country with dIvorcingi No. ma'am, amt. I've
done quit billiard long ago"
but. Diana, you don't understand | said. " If
vou count slavery marriage, you are married to
Maie: if YOU count marriage by license, YOU are
married to Diilard. You are not free TO marry any
one. Now let me tell you very clearly, in law your
marriage with Dillard is the only one that counts.
The law does not count that with MAZE OF DillarFs
70 his first wife they are not lawful marriages.
t,ouph don't anne You for that il was more the
fault Of others than yours. But the law holds you
married tight and fast TO DiaTd and II you marry
snotber man IN his lifetime you can be Tried for
biyamy, and punished don't know bow-put in the
cbaiu-canr OF the penitentisry," closed vaguely.
"WelI. Pm got to git married." Diana persisted
stubbornly.
Then you must get divorce. Mr.. Alexander is
a lawyer, and l will ask him to see about it. be
will write TO a lawyer in Griffin. aud if they can
proye that billiard is living with another woman
tbev will get you a divorce. Who is the man you
want TO marryp
He is a preacher-Methodist preacher He has
a good name with black an white, Miss Jasnin.