The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1879-05-01
As oLD rtr,L

siHty.seben. whsu dey's sil ycfe; bot
dsr's only 'bou, any 10 dsY. ! reckon.
D8wn yese'. Dc Yoangest, pointing to :
lltlis foar wears old. asleep under The
.tove and back dAF is De oldss, -nigb on
10 sIIiy-three, reckon.
We followed the direction of hsr cane,
wh'eh pointed with hourish, indicating
some pride, TO the rear seat, where ssi an
aged man, entirely engrossed With books,
bis wbitened woody head resting on biz
great black hand
jess yer 20 down aud see De old nan !.
Hes mighty glad 10 ge' 'coursging
word. Pears like when folks get slin iu
dere knees dey get stiff 10 dere heads, sn'
it's mighty hard learning old folks.
gathered my skirts closely 1.-The place
was not over clean -and went down The
aisle to where this Georgia school boy sal
qailo alone. lie raised his head, pushed
sn immense pair OF .peciaoies up into bis
wool, aud asked me very politely TO be
seated beside bin
What are you doing here with the little
school children, uncley asked bin.
Is learning TO read the Good Book,
nissis. IL a sehooly boy myself, and be
laughed heartily.
never saw q school boy Of your age
before.
reckon not; '.pects Is de oldest
school boy 10 atl dis country, but yer see,
mIssis, IL war de Lords will dat should
wait iill NY head grew white lore got
de chance 70 go TO school.
How old are you!
SXty-tree, coming June. Jess you
look around we're, missis. Every chile in
dis rOom am the chile OF slave. But |
war a slave myself-i war fifty year
another mSn's--so | nebber learned to
read dc Good Book, lhough ! war slus
looking for'afd TO It as sSttln as looked
Tor de kingdom of glory
How long have ou been In school9
Only five months, misEis. Yer zee II
says in my copy book, Neber too ole TO
learn. White lady from the bo.el '.plail. .
ed dat 10 me Que day. sllus take c0ur-
from dat sr, when ! gets 6ghtin' and
sttuggIin' wild de tesdin' and writin'.
Did you never learn anything ill you
came here?
Nebber; nebber had no time when
b'oug to Mas'r Dick, ! war sllus =
workin'. When wsrn'l workiu' in de
cotton field, | war workin' IN de Lords
field; ! war de preacher, aud dar war no
| 'pertunity TO learn TO read IN those days.
But one day Mss'r Linkun be say, we's
all free Bress ole Mas'r Linkum's heb.
benly face Dey had mighty 'spect for
MAs'r Linkum down here, and nobody
said il wsrn't de truf Mas'r Dick says,
Yer better stay by me, Jerry. And Mas'r
Dick, he laugh, when tell him now II
going TO read. So went TO work oD de
railroad after de war; a putting down dem
rails de Yankees tore up, and when dey's
all down ! lun on de train, kase | war
mighty pore. still KEEP on workin' for
de Lord aud lrustin', but 1t war t,oelvt
year fore could lib in ideness no how
l's all right now, Inissis, and de rest di'
nigger's life be 'spects TO spend in
preschin' and learnin'.
The old man lowered bis voice, bent
over closer TO me, and west on:
I'd 3 been here six years ago, but
Mas'r Dick be got into trouble, and jus
as saw my way clar to readin' de Good
Book, be say, Jerry, yer money'll keeE
yer ole mss'r out de poor house, If yer'l
lend it for few days. Mas'r Dick was
always good mas'r, aud glib II TO him
but he nebber see de time TO pay it back
he's 70 onlucky for sure-it war dresdin
dis 'pointment sure nuG; but done get
over dat and 60 10 work sgain, and yert
| am, bress lie Lord
Have you wifeS | asked.
AN The light went out Of his face, and
be hestaled, but suddenly, iu tone hal
defiant, half sad, bat which preciuded al
further questioning on that subject, h'
answered:
No, l's no wife. no chile, Dsr'a I
debbil in me, rs aIlus = fghiin'. Dat a
debbil would hsb killed de mas, black o.
white, dat laid hand on my wife. neb
Der forgo. dat, when ! war 3 slave. WbeI
got de freedom, IL war too late.
There was sweetheErt, aud . real o
laucied wrong way back in old Jerry
life. va sure OF il.
DO you yet on we'll? What have you
leArnedf
Well, you see il's mighty bard work
knows my leuers, .bbery one; bu
ebbery letter war harder 70 learn dan di
nigger found = mule 10 break, and II
rather work ell day in the field hoein' 81
plckin', II work dats 'sidered. Bot ge,
{ on 'mszin'. pebbsr pegiec,s de Lord
work, aud keeps preAehin' de lruf; bu
| reckon III sound de gospel better whe
cru read IL, aud say TO myself, | kuo'
ebbery word IN lie Good Book by righ
when goes down de street wid my slaI
dry call on. TO me from de cabin do
DC man, yer'll nebber learn nothin
And de ehillen deg cry out, He'd beti'
20 In de cotton feld. Yer see, missi
/. niger i heap more sassy and pert III
! dan In de old limes. Bat for al that,
!. ain't 'scoursged yet.
= The noon recess bad come, and sebo
vas dismissed. Kate had group
children about her, and heard her ssI
Which OF you ever saw snowl
There wss no reply. Not : child hi
seen the tiuiest dske.