The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-09-04
SojOurner Truth.

III, CH1cs UloSS yOuT ucdrC, Se
jess glad to see you. Use come here
for messenger, an l guess Use de
Oldest messenger in de world. Use
been here a good while. chile. 1t
seems, when t'ink on it, like as if Id
been In de world ever since dc world
begun"
Such we're the words of Soiourner
Truth, the Lybian Sibyl, as she grasped
the hand of a Herald reporter, who had
called to see her, and she fixed upc i
him her great, luminous black eyes, in
which there seemed to shoulder the
gloomy mysticism of all the ages of the
dusky East. When the visitor entered,
she was surrounded by three or four
Quaker ladies. with whom she YVES
chatting about her long experience of
life. She rose with sprightly move
ment, like maid of sixteen. Her
presence impressed one with the true
gentility of her character, in spite of
her ebon complexion and her servile
origin. There are authentic records
which prove that her age is at least
one hundred and two years; yet, far
from being shriveled and haggard in
appearance, her skin is as soft and
smooth as that of the merest child.
The doctors declare that her pulse is
that of q young woman. While her
face Is distinctively of the Nubian cast,
her features are not gross, and her
eyes are capable Of the most intense ex-
preston, varying from pathos and love
to wrath and adherence. Her dialect
differs essentially from that of the
Southern negroes. 1t is founded
upon her early knowledge of the Low
Dutch. which was her only language
until she was twelve or thirteen years
old.
After telling Sojourner that he had
heard of her ever since his boyhood,
and had come to satisfy himself that
she was not altogether a myth, the re-
porter asked if she could tell her ex-
act age.
She replied: 81 spec you's heerd of
ole Sojourner dis many an many a
year. But I can't tell how old is,
cos I don't reckon as I lived at all
afore de Emancipation. Whar was l
born, honey Well, l was slave for
ty year. lgrowed up among de Low
Dutch along de Hudson. Fac is, l
dunno as ever l was born at all. l
foun' myself in de world such long,
long time ago. Why, honey, mem
bers the fust steamboat, Dem days I
was jes' every bit as big as 1 am now.
I was alvin on de shore den. Yes,
yes, bless your heart, chile, saw it.
Why, it made noise enough, l tell ye.
an 1t threw the water up a. most as
high as this here house."
"Did you ever see Washington. So
journerf'
"No, 1 never did see Washington;
but lived when lie did," and this she
said with q great Frightening of her
face and an accent of reverential pride.
"When he died l rec'lect de noosepa-
pers was in mournin' and dere was a
great time o. sorrow. Years afterward
l saw Lafayette. He was on de steam
boat, a-comin' up de river wi de Ca
diets. He took dinner across de river,
on de Duchess County side. Dere dey
roasted whole OK for him. Den I
saw him anoder time when he went up
de North River; but l never was vary
near him. He was on de deck den, an
l was on de land. l rec'lect hearin'
tell a great deal bout Napoleon Bona
parte, too"
"What was your name in those
daysp"
81 had different names-first one
name and den anoder name. lchanged
dem wild every change of my masters.
First it was Bell Ardenburg, den Bell
Nealy, den it was Bell SERVERS, den it
was Bell Dumont, and den it was Bell
Van Wagner. But, bless de Lord.
chile, He has redeemed me out of all
dose names. My chilern is called arter
de names of de marsters dat dey were
born under. But Use got new name.
Bless de Lord, Use seeiu' good times
now, an de Lord he have raised up dis
here young man here to write it all
down what say. I want de editors
an de reporters to know dat I 'preciate
de work dat dey does in putin me in
de papers. / know it's hard, cause l
never has any stops when l talks, and
I 'preciate it. Dere was Greeley, bless
himv'-and the old lady emphasis was
affectionate and fervid-"h always
sent his reporters to my meetin's; an
it did q sight O. good. Yes. deed it
did; de Lord bless INN Y. HeraId.