American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-02-21

"To carry her Off Do you mean you
are going to set up housekeeping
"Oh, no, sab; no, sab; such was not
my mcanin's. No, sab; 1 proposed for
her to keep right on cookin' here. She
say as now Miss Alexander thinks a
mighty heap o. her."
81 do think a great deal of her."
said, i" and am very anxious to have her
do well if she marries. Do you want to
marry hcra'
eyes, ma'am; we've bin a-talkin'
roun' dat way, an She 'cepted of me-"
"What can you do to make her any
happier, if she takes you?" inquired.
to draw him out.
"Well, m, donno bout happiness, :"
he said, phlegmatically, with the same
unaltered smile.
"Isn't Il pity to marry unless you
doP"
"Wen, m, reckon Wen git on
somehow"
"That is all you have to sayP" de-
manded Gordon. Z" You wish to know
if it's agreeable to us for you to have a
room in the yard, and if we are willing
for you to marry our cook and stay here
at night?"
"Yes, sah."
"You are away all day?"
Yes, sah.''
"Where do you work? You're q
preacher, are you notP"
"Yes, sab; b'loGgs to the Alabama
Conference; it's sickly whar was, an
1 cleared out an come here count o.
my health" Che did not look as if he
had ever known a sick day), can I'm
layin' bricks now fo' de men as built dis
yer house TO you. / was butcherin' fo'
a mont or two, but done quit dat"
Every well, sir; have nothing to
say against your plans, if 1 hear no
harm of ycu between now and the we'd
ding. That is all, 1 believe
81 knows mos white folks dom like
to ha' colored men runnin' about DER
groun's," the clerical bricklayer OBJ
served, in an obsequious way. "Seems
like niggers got tar on DER fingers, folks
tells me-every thin dey touches sticks
to 'em. But you won't ha' no trouble
wild me, sab; don't handle muffin what
dom b'long to me.''
Not at all more favorably impressed
by this declaration. Gordon regarded
him critically,
"You are legally free to marry?"
"Yes, sab; yes, sab! isl"
"Never been marriedP"
"No, sab; not but once, sah."
"Wife deadP"
"No, sab; she's Twin, sah.''
elbows that?"
"Well, sab, you see 1 married her
when l was quite boy, sab. She was
a very handsome woman, sab, an was
boy, full O. nonsense an mischief; l
didn' know much bout her; but mar
ried her, an we hadn't bin married two
weeks when her husban' come along an
claimed her. He was mad bout my
marryin' her, an tried to pick quart,
but 1 tole him 1 didn't know nothin'
bout the woman; didn' know she was
his wife, an he could take her; SO he
took her along wild him, an dat was de
las of her fo' me. Dat was long time
ago. 1 didn' know what love was, dem
days"
"Well, sir; if Diana is willing to
marry you, the matter is settled" Cor
don said; and our visitor took his de-
parture.
GA villainous face," Gordon said,
stirring the fire and opening the window
to the mild moonlit air. 81 am sorry
for Diana if she marries him. You'd
better advise her not to. The fellow is
a rogue"
Diana was not to be advised, how
ever. She sent by me a petition to
"Mars ledge" to perform the marriage
ceremony, which was to take place in
our dining-room; an Office which 'sMars
Jedge" decidedly declined, on the
ground that Diana had better not mar
ry any body if she was to be worth hav-
ing in the kitchen. The Judge having
however, the next choice was a
negro preacher, whose services were
readily engaged, and promised myself
a rich treat in witnessing his style of
=" tying the KNOT
The day before that set for the we'd
ding, Diana brought me in mass of
white fiounces and ribbons, and spread
out before me dress which she desired
me to look at.
"Miss' Jasmin, does you think dis !
yer dress is worth two dollars?" she
isked.
1t was coarse white tarletan, with
IN immense train, and much "drapery"
made over white paper cambrjc, with
he shiny side out, and stuck all over
With common white satin bows. The
'asque was of satin, of a very cheap
,rade, and the neck and sleeves were
inished with an intensely "showy"
attern in white blonde lace. Alto
ether, it was the wreck of an attempt
t cheap display, and bore the marks of
sage.
Why, Diana, 1 thought you had
greed just to wear your best dress,
nd look like a sensible woman" l said
You would look much better in that
ray suit, with a collar, cuffs, and some
bbons l have for you. 1t is more
sual, too, to wear a colored dress for
,cond marriage"