Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-08-27
UNCLE ZEB'!S LAMENT.
The Glimpse Of Glory that the Death
of "a Little BOY Brought.

little boy has just died in the city, part
of whose life and whose little character can
better be told by his benefactor, an old color
ed drayman. The old man came down the
street yesterday with countenance express
i've of the deepest sorrow. His eyes were
moist, aud his thick lips sprinkled with white
hairs like the mIldew that gathers on an old
garment exposed to the weather, twitched as
though he suffered extreme physical pain.
"Whars yer dray, Zeb 2" asked a compan-
ion. Use hauled free loads. Is yer gwine
ter let me git away wild yer?"
My dray is under de shed an my mule is
in de stable. Use suffered great tribulation
an won't contest wild yer agin for some
time"
Whats de matter. Look heah, ole man,
is yer been a cryin?"
Come, set down heah on de bank steps
an let me tell yer OBJ my lament"
The two men seated themselves, and when
several other draymen advanced and leaned
on the railing, old Zeb remove6his hat, rub
bed his head in that manner so Characteristic
with an old negro when he is trying to recall
date, and began
II was raised in Fergina. My marster cum
to Arkansaw when l was young man.
married heah an raised my family. 1 neber
married but onst, an when da changed de
law, 'yidin a new constitution for de marin
oh culled folks, jes stuck to ole Sarah, case
we married afore freedom, 'mong de trees on
a Sunday, down on de riber plantation. Sarah
an my son Jim went away an got killed. 1
cum inter town an tuck to drayin' lived
by myself had little house whar stay
ed, cookin' an eatinA by myself. About two
years ago l was goin home one night. 1t was
mighty dark an cole, an it were a sleetin'.
As passed by a dark doorway l heard some
body cryin'. l stopped stepped into de
doorway an axed who was dar. A voice cum
outen de darkness. l struck a match an by
hits glare l seed little white boy lyin' on de
steps. l axed him whar was his home an he
said dat he didn't hab none. den axed him
whar was his fadder, an he said he neber had
none. den axed him whar was his mudder
an he said dat long time ago some men
cum ter his house an tuck his mudder away,
an dat dey tuck her to de jail and den to n
place whar dar was big gate an wall al
most as high as de sky. He said dat da
wouldn't let him stay wild her, and dat day
sent him away. A short time after dis, he
said, all de time crouched down on de step,
while kept strikin matches, "a woman whar
1 stayed tuck me in her arms an tole me dat
mamma was dead Dat berry night de oman's
husban' cum home an flung me in de street.
Since den l has been lynn aroun' Come
along wild me, little feller,' l says, let me
take you in my arms Put yer arms aroun' my
naik.' He put his little arms aroun' me, an
da was so cole dat da made me shibber. Well,
1 tuck him home an warmed him. l fixed
him some supper, and arter talkin' to him an
indin dat his name was Sammy, l put him
inter de bed an wropped him up warm. He
was putty chile, beautiful. l stood and look
ct at him while he was asleep, an it done my
ole heart good ter see him. l tuck so much
ter der chile dat neber ported him ter do
'thOrities. I dubbed him from de start an
he tuck to me- l 'dopted him. l sent him
ter school, <He larned ter read, an nights
he'd read to de ole man bout Jacob an Moses,
an murders an people what didn't hab no
home. He was dc arnly human being what
! luLbed an uster hurry home ter see him
Day afore Yesterday he took sick. had a
doctor, but he said he want ailin' much
Yesterday he got wus, an l gin him hot teas
an walked aroun' de room wild him in my
arms Las night" and the old man voice
choked, 'he died l sot by de fire wild him
holdin' his little feet out to de blaze. Gran
pa he said fur | teached him TO call me dat
doan you think dat I'll be well nough ter 60
ter school tomorrow 2 l tole him yes, an
he got closer ter me an put his curly head on
my breast. wish l could talk like him, fur
his voice was as sweet as music, but / can't
Use only got one way. He kept on shibberin',
an laid him on de bed. Great God Den
l saw dat my little boy was dyin'. The fack
almos' took my bref. tuck his little hans
in mine, an liftin' 'em to my mouf 1 prayed
through his fingers. His bref was short, an
he shibbered agin an agin. He KEEP his eyes
on me, an my tears fell in his golden hair,
dat looked ter me like a crown OBJ glory. A
bright light cum in his eyes. 1t growed
brighter, 1t faded. He quivered. My dar-
lin was dead. Gentlemen, da may talk bout
de Aosofy da may read de books OBJ de free
thinkers da may say dat de soul am nuthin'
-da may do all da kin an shake frum a
head white wild age will 'stroy all de argu-
ments. De white folks is tryin' ter prove
dat dar amt no God amt no angels; amt
no heaben an wild all de larnin' da can get
da can't do as much good as de words what
dat little boy us'ter read ter me. De light |
what shined in his eyes when his life went
away may not mount ter much wild a larned |
white man, but it made de lamp OBJ ole mig !