Kimball enterprise. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1883, 1883-07-06
CHARCOAL SKETCHES.

AunC y uuy CelcStlal Journey.
From the Texas Sittings.
A Southern summer night, ightened
by the lustrous glow of golden moon
which looked down upon tiny gar
den at the back of a small cottage.
There were other spectators besides the
moon, who, standing on high balcony
overlooking the pretty bit of verdure,
saw two negro women sitting in the back
doorway of the cottage.
One of the women was quite young,
the other very old. From beneath the
wide frills OF her white cap her gray hair
punched out in natural crimps, which
no dampness could stralghten, and a
pair of silver-rimmed "specs" we're kept
in place by a black and greasy string,
which passed over the cap. Her face
was wrinkled beyond description, and
her hands were hard, knobby and
crooked.
eyes, honey" the old woman was say
ing, Use been to heaven, sho as you
a livin' chile"
Glow you come to go dere, Aunt
Judy-wus you dead?"
mo, chile; l wus jes rs live as I is
this mint. You see, wus er irenin' de
white folks close; l had mighty big
wash an l had ir'ned an ir'ned ontil
wus mos ready ter drap. Well, all at
wunst | hyeard a voice say, sarter low
Judy!' never said nuthin' but knowe i
it wus de Lawd"-
"You knowed it wus de Lawd?" inter-
rupted the younger woman.
''Uv cose l did," replied Aunt Judy.
q vol, Ioro caap Ii,,, hnfo, 4 "a,
asked the other.
"Well, is yer ever hyeard His voice?"
No; but l knowed it was de Lawd; !;
and / says
but / don't know how yer could er
"Wen, never you min'," said Aunt
Judy, with some asperity; and, seeing
the other was about to speak, she con-
tinued:
Look hyer, gal, if yer gwyne to keep
er AKIN sech foolish queshchuns, l has
no mo- ter say"
"oh, Aunt Judy, doan stop. I wont
say annudder word, deed wont. Aunt
Judy, please tell me the resi-"
Thus mollified, Aunt Judy resumed:
"Well, 1 knowed it was de Lawd-" a
pause, during which Aunt Judy steadily
fixed her eyes upon her companion.
But if a doubt remained in the younger
mind, 1t did not betray its presence by
words or look or movement, and the
narrator continued:
II knowed pufeckly we'll; but nuver
said nothin' Presently I hyeard it
agin, a leetle louder, Judy! Judy!' but
KEEP On er irrenin', an nuve answered.
Den hyeard it Wit the third Time, say
in: Judy my little lam, an den I
says so1ter short: what yer want,
Lawd?' and he says, Judy my little
lam come wild me; an says, I amt
got no time to come; got white folks
close hyer terirne, an Pm mighty busy
An yit agin! he says, Judy. my little
lam, come wild me- Well, l didn't hab
no time tergo nowhars. ! was er irenin
some dresses fer de young ladies an
dey was mighty pertickler work, an it
wus er gittin' late in de ebenin.' But
de voice KEEP on calm on we'll, at las
says, We'll Lawn I'll 60 but Pm
mighty busy; an if doan git dem close
irned de white folks gwine ter git be-
him me, sho.' Well, I come outen dis
very do' an dar stood the Lawd, right
on dat spot, an he tuck me right in his
arms and carried me straight up in the
sky; an dere wus oil. de angels in sper-
rits ersingn' an plyin' on dere harps.
May De you thlnk you seen fine close,
but you amt You amt nuver seen moth
n to de close dem angels had on. Dey
dresses was tioanced up ter de wais
wild lace IN em' an big long
white ribben sashes an long har curlin
down to dere heels, an rings on dey fin
gers an bracelets, an brespin-you nuv-
yer seen de like. Well, arter I stayed
as long as I could, 1 said had ter 20
back home an do de white folks work !;
an de angels all said 1 mus come GIN
and says, Thank ye, but I couldn't
come very often, kase I had so much to
do An den de Lawd tuck me up an
fetch me home an sot me down on dis
very spot what I'm sittin' now. Well de
irns wus hot, an tuck one of de white
founce dresses outen de basket to fern
it-an' l clar, chile, TO de Lawd, if dat
dress didn't look as black as er pot after
dem dresses been seenin' up yon-
der"
"Did you see any cullud folks up dar,
Aunt Judy?"
sis you crazy? Why de angels dat
had de whitest skin, an de finest close,
an de longest har, dey wus de sperrits
Nv de cullud folks. An de white folks
wusn't nothin' long side O. dem.'
After which revelation the conference
adjourned.