The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-06-26

driven into Wyandotte with few pro-
visions for the duped and starving crea-
lures lured to Kansas by false hopes. |
went to the ---- Church, where most of
the sick were gathered, lying in the
pews or squatting on the altar steps.
All the diseases of poverty were rep.
resented, and kindly and charitable peO-
pie wero busily coming and going,
greeted and followed with fervent
"Lord Dress you's.'' They were q
rather noisy set, groaning, sobbing,
praying, chattering, while nowand then
a wailing chant rose fitfully above the
tamult, like the wind over rough waters.
When / libbed down in EgypIand
heerd some talk OBJ de promised land
don't want to stay here no longer,
moaned one group. A vigorous old
woman, seated in one of the Gothic
arm-chairs on the platform, replied in a
shrill voice of reproof:
"Now, brudder, be keerful how You stomp or
de cross,
Or, you mby slip up, an your soul be lost,
90 hold out, member, little longer
Each new song of complaint she ST.
fenced in the same vigorous way Some
times her reproofs were even more
singing, as when she sang down one
noisy chorus of mourners, who were re-
GREETING their " Ole Kentucky Home, -
with:
Some goes to church to boiler an to shout.
But beto' sir mohfs Itey Is all turned out.
And another, in which she enlisted
the sympathy of the audience, who join
ed with her en- masse:
Oh, shout, shout,
De debbil am about;
Shut de do an keep him out.
l made my way to her side, and dis.
covered that this ancient prophecies
was quite blind. She was dressed neat
ly, and sat erect, as though conscious
OF her conspicuous position. Her feet
were planted on an old carpet bag, evi.
IDENTIFY containing all her earthly posses
sions, and she held large stick, scep-
ter-hke, in her withered hand, with
which she occasionally raped upon the
floor to command attention.
81 am sorry, aunty," 1 said. "that
| have given away all the little things
brought with me. What would You
most like to havep Perhaps | can get
something in town.
"Bress de Lord, honey, rs Nose dy-
in for chaw OBJ terbacco. Ef YOU
could get me lettle mite of niger
twis' you'd do mo- for me dan dem
crows ebber did fur de prophet Eliza"
Ha;ing procured the coveted dainty,
Aunt Lilly's heart warmed to me, and
she proceeded to pour forth the story
of her life. It was full OF touching in
cidents, as Is the life of nearly every
woman who has passed her half century,
a record of earnest struggle, severe
trial, and patient endurance, with one
sustaining hope-a single flower in the
rocky waste of her life.
eel was parted from my husbaud,''
she said, "consid'abl befo' de wah,
an Use been a-huntin' for him ebber
sence. Is been follerin' on, honey,
JUS like a blood-houn'. rs had scent
OBJ him in de cane-brake-dat's when
de driber dat took him away from me
tole me he sole him to planter in Louis
iany. | most cotched sight OBJ him in
de pine barrehs-dat's when I see de
man who owned him las in Floridy. |
loss him in de swamp-dat's when de
defamation proclamation mixed all de
niggahs up. But now Is on de turn
pike road, an rs gainin' on him eb-
berry Dressed minute. | heern he war
in Kansas, an dis yere exodus war de
turnpike fur me.'
"What if, when you find him, Aunt
Lilly, he should not be as true to YOU as
you have been to himp'' Aunt Lilly
brought down her staff with a startling
thump.
&" Dat ar niggah done b'long to me.
I'll JUS take him by de e&h and tote
him along. When de hounds trees a
niggah, you don't see no discussin' oh
de matter-he's cotched, dat's all.,'
1 was almost frightened by the storm
which l had raised. The old woman
rolled her sightless eyeballs toward me,
and their opaque orbs seemed to read
me through and through; and, to give
the conversation g different ending, |
asked her how she lost her sight.
s. had fever, fust place, round in
my cistern centrally, but byme-by it
in my head, an nv ewes
turned somersets in'ards, an dar ain
no doctor been able to make dem toe
out agin.'
As 1 drove homeward I met Mingo
driving his rack-a-bones of a horse TO-
ward town. His mud-splashed crazy
vehicle groaned under weight of bags
and boxes. He touched his hat respect
fully.
"I's fought dat matter ober, Miss
Friendly, an l 'cluded to take a few
oervision in to dem fool exoduses.'
1 smiled and nodded. After all, Min
90 was not mere sentimentalist.
The next morning, as the eggs l had
ordered from him were not forthcom-
ng, and as l expected company for tea,
md could not make my strawberry
hort-cake without them, / determined
o call for them myself. As entered
lis shanty was surprised to see Mingo
With his sleeves rolled up busily engag-
"a in beating to froth the white of the |
'ery eggs which had ordered.
Cant help it, Miss Friendly" he
aid, rather sheepishly; "dis yere's a
orter, kinder celebration wild US.
n | wanted to make a fust.class
AXE"
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