New-York tribune., 1879-12-07
A GEORGIA SKETCH.
TIE LOVES OF DIANA.

aiully huted clothes and carefully slipped them
iown upon my bed from her extended arms.
Cant you write. Diana 70 Iasked. laying down
nv book little reluctantly. and getting up to look
,vcr the clean clothes.
.Whof Me La, Miss Jasmin. how I ever learn to
,riteg" Diana protested. while rueful smile vis-
ted her usually sedate not to say sulky. counten-
,nce Il cot a daughter that Kin write, tho'-her
ass sister took her an give her a good eddcatiOn
But she's living up Dahlonega; she amt good
to me.'
Diana. how many children have your l
,ueried idly sitting down with Pile Of SOCKS in
nv lap. and beginning to pair them.
Il donno how many / hav had, Miss Jasmin,"
Diana said, leaning the foot Of the bed. IL Jas
mn" was Diana's version of Jesslca. and 1t was
searos fashion of showing respect to call me. alien
and stranger a. was. Miss Jasmin,' and not Mrs
Aexander.-as If she had been bred up in the home
# my naidenhoodl Don you know l can't
,cunt' had three by Maje; my fust husban', an
two that died. an had by Dillard. my las
buseau. Dat makes i've dom itP
"Oh. hush, Diana. you are making believe" l
a,d. indignantly. A woman is bound to know
now many children she has borne. You know you
have had SIX"
"Yes' m. it is six; Miss Lena tole me; Miss Lena
Knows all about me-" Diana said contentedly.
We'll wants TO write to de father $ my las cne
lis yer Kernanny's father. l want dat Niger 20
sen ne some money"
when 10 you want me 70 wrte' NowP
rked folding mp the last pair of socks
AYES IN. any time" she ssid.
"Wen take a seat and tell NE what TO say"
,aid Offering her a chair. and taking up my port
olo Diana Immediately sat down on the door
sear my feet curled up her long. slim figure. spread
BAT her Sack fingers to the fire. and sat silent as
the sphinx
How shall begin" asked
"I don no IN you know how; you write 1t like
ron does your letters"
"Bnr what do you call him' Husband. or
what's his FIRST namef"
II calls him Mr. Dlllard | never called him
nothin. else" Diana said. mOrosely and in dnal
And what next" demanded having dated the
letter aud addressed Dear Mr. Diliard."
"Wen. Miss Jasmiu. | wants some money. lie
done sent me word he wilin to sem me any
thing | needed, but he didu' know where l was.
Tell hm rln here cooking tor YOU, an Kernanny
needs some shoes an cole weather is comm on an
lie mus sen me three dollars Tell him | was IN
hopes he'd "a been up TO Kernanuy an
she's been a'loOking fer him, an he mus
come an see US. Write it sort o. lOvin'
cause got to have some money Outen dat niger.
10 sho' He gifts five dollars every week en his life
az carpenters shop. an be's got TO give Inc some-
pm You write 1t for now. Miss Jasmin; dx 1t
up Ike you know how to write, and then can
hear you read 1t off afterwards"
Diana. tell rne about D,llard." said, graveiy.
'Nothin' TO tell" d ana said. IN slow sadness.
eli be is your husband. why don't Won hve to-
gcther
Cause quit him."
What fort Didn't you love himi'
"Whoi Love Dillard Miss Jasmn, dOnno'm.
Nom; never did love man but Mage Seals. l
married Dillard to spite Maize. = much 5 anything,
cause MAZE wouldn't marry me himself, an Diiard,
be stood ready with the license. did 1t for spite
WHY. what 10 you mean. Dianap | exclaimed,
in despair of comprehending her varied relations.
Have you got two husbands liviugf Or were you
lot married TO Maize 7"
~Wen Miss Jasmin, you see MAZE an me had
each other in slavery times. We wa'n't never mar
ned, 'ceptin TO call each other husban' an wife.
We only took up WI each other an never cared
nothin' bout him ontwel had chile by him.
Then. DIANA how was IL you ever called him your
busbandf" asked. intent on solving this dark
problem why did you take up with him IN the
first place if you did not lovei"
Diana gave me a slow, half incredulons look, ana
then uttered a sharp, hard laugh.
"Fer de sake o de increase, chile; you donno
nothin'" she said bluntly and brntally. L didn
wauter be sole away from my nanny an my home,
az knew il was dat go. My Aunt Marthys
gal was sole fer dat cause. She never would nave
no increase-au two other gals knew. / had to
have some man. an, didn' want hone on de place,
o. took up with Maize TO 'scape dem Others"
But weren't you married by a minister - l
asked after A silent moment. Il have always un-
dersood that when you married your master or
MISTRESS called YOU up and You white dress
and q sapper with maybe dance, and had the
white preacher to marry YOU.
"Didu' do ms so; we jas' had one another an
went along.D Diuah dryly reiterated.
But If the people were not married at al what
was 10 prevent their taking dozen husbands one
after tl,e otherf7 | asked desperately.
DER own pride an self-respeG," Diana replied,
with some spirit and feeling. Everybody knew we
bionged t0 each other; dat was enough"
And YOU lived on with MAZE after the war" l
ta.d.
..Yes'm. did bad ehillun by hun; and | loved
dat niger. Iuse'ter beg him marry by license,
an he kep' on promisin' be would, but maxim out
he we mus MT new eloes git fixed up TO- It, an
look al right; an while 1 KEEP hangin' on an
Uaitiu am waitin' u last he took up with another
woman. an then-goOd0ye, Mage"
Did yOn leave him p
'.N,,m. but / fought him, an quarrelied with him
an dogqed him cntwell taere want no peace. an
De- ont me an went down 10 Macon, an that other
woman size followed niH, but he woaldn' marry her
neither."
"Dia she know lie had a wife and children y
"Xnowitf 1 to.e her Yes'm. Miss JaslnD.
did. / went to see her an | asked her II single
nan couldn't sait her. an leave ne nv husband an
my chun's father an' she put her head on one
side an minced Out that Mr. seals, lac done tole
her be was 40; a married man. am den MAZE come
H. an we had It. An he beat me eve'y sup o de
way E0me--a lick an jump, AL de way