The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-04-12
A STORY OF TIE WAR.
How Pe0r Little June Found MaSSa
Linkum alkaSt.
H. Elisaseth s.uarl PAeIps.l

bing beard and stole softly out INTO Inc yi1fo-
Madame 9oilet was taking a nap up stars aiia;
for a few minutes at least the coast seemed
20 be quite clear. nj
June was little girl who had lived ia ileh-
rnond ever since she could remember, who had
never haan outside the city boundaries, and
who had a vague idea the North lay just above
the ChickahoIninv and the Gull OF Mexico
abost mile below the James. She could not
tell A from 2. nor the figure j from 80; and
whenever Madam Joliet made those iunny
little curves and dots and blots with pen ana
ink. IN drawing up her bills TO send IN TO the
lodcers r5f stairs, June considered that she was
movei fhereto BY witches. Her authority
for this 3aery lay in a charming oid woman
across the way, who had one tooth, ana wore
yellow cap and used 10 tell her ghost stories
sometimes q the evening.
Somebody asl1ed June once how oic siie was
s,Spacs Is a hundred-dunno," she said,
rrayely. She W2s not tall enough TO be more
Than seven bur her face was hike the iaee oI a
little cd woman Ii was a queer little face,
with thick lips and low forehead, and great
rnourpf,l ewes There was something strange
about those ewes. Whenever they looked al
oue they seemed 70 cry right out, as II they
had . voice. But no one IN Blchlnohd cared
about that. Nobody cared about June at an
When she was unhappy, no one asked Wnat
was the matter; when she was hungry, or c9lu,
or frightened Madame Joliet laughed at her,
and when she was sick, she beat her. II she
broke 3 teacup, or spilled a mug OF coHse, she
had her ears boxed, or was shut mp IN : terrible
dark cellar where The rats were as large as
kittens II she tried 70 sing little IN her sor-
rowfal. smethered way over her work, Madame
joliet shook her for making SO much nolse
When She stopped she sc0lded her Tor being
suIkv. Nothing that she could do ever hap
pened 10 De right; everything was sure to be
wrong She had not half enough TO eat, nor
half enough to wear. What was worse than
that. she had nobody 10 kiss her; nobody to
love her and pet her; nobody IN all the wide
world Il c1re whether she lived or died, eX-
CERT a half-starved kitten that lived in the
w0od-shed- For June was black, and slave;
aud this Frenohwoman, Madame Joliet, was
her mistress
Hungry was the kitten. June had named it
90 because Il was black She had an idea that
everything black was hungry, in the nature OF
things.
That there had been a war, June had gath
cred from old Creline. who told her the ghost
stories. What it was all about she did not
know Madame Joliet said some terrible
giants, called Yankees, were coming down TO
eat up al the little black girls In Richmond.
Creline said that the Yankees were the Mes
sizh's people, and were coming to set the
negroes free Who the Messiah was, June did
not know; but she had heard vague legends
from ATCfAlC OI O4Q-ilALr ll4HNNo, W A&h
lived in great free forests, and sailed on spark
ling rivers in boats Of painted bark, and she
though that be must be one Of them.
Nov. this morning, Creline had whispered
mysterionsly TO June, as she went up the street
70 sell some eggs for Madame Joliet, that MasSa
Linkum was coming that very day. June
knew nothing about MasSa Linkum, and moth
ing about those grand, immortal words OF his
which had made every slave IN Richmond free;
it had never entered Madame Joilet's plan that
she should know. No one can tell, reasoned
madame what notions the little Niger viii ge7
if she finds it out She might even ask fol
wages or take notion 10 learn 10 read, or run
away, or something. June saw no one; she
kept her prndently in the house. Tel her
Non, hBR, impossible
But June had heard the beautiful news thi;
morning, Ike all the rest; and june was glad
though Sac had not the slightest idea why. Sc
while her mistress was safely asleep UP stairs
she had ssOlea out 70 watch Tor the wonderfu
sight.
She was standing there on tiptoe ON thI
fence, IN her little ragged dress, with the blacl
kitten in her arms, when great crowd turnes
n corner, and tossed up cloud OF dust and
swept ur the street. There were armed sol
diers with glittering uniforms and there wer'
flags flying and merry voices shouting, anS
huzzas and blessings distinct upon the air
There were long lines of dRSEy faces upturnet
and wet with happy tears. There were angr.
faces, too, seowling from windows and lurking
1n dark corners.
1t spert on and it swept up and June stoot
still and held her breath to look, and saw, il
the midst Of it all, a tall man dressed in black
lie had thin, white face, s;sd-eyed, and kindly
and uniet and he was bowling and smiling {
the people ON either side.
God bress yer, Massa Linkurn, God bres
yerl" shouted the happy voices; and thel
ri - I Il
1aHghca outright fo- glee, and lifted up he
thin little voice, and cried, a Bress yer, Mass
LinlzunlD with the rest, and knew no NOR
than the kitty what she did il for.
The crest man turned aud saw June stand
ing alefe IN the sunlight, the fresh wind blow
ing hcr ragged dress, her little black shoulder
5ust reaching to the top Of the fence her wide
open, ra0Grnful eyes and the kitten squeeze
in her arms And be looked right at her oh
&c kindly. and gave her a smile ali to herself
one Of bis rare smiles, with bit Of a. CULVER il
it-and bowed and was gone
Take me long wid yer, Massa Linkum
Iassa Li1Enml" called poor June. faintl.
But no one heard her; and the crowd swept OF
and Jnnes voice broke into a cry, and the ha
tears came, and she laid her face down on Hun
cry 70 lside them. You see, in all her life n
one hzd ever looked SO at poor June before.
June, June, conc here." called shar
voice from the house. But June was sobbin
% hard that she did not hear
. psaez iei-Siie rite! June VoiIai Tn
little Digger VIII De the death of me. She teal
my heart June, rite, ] sayi"
june started, and jumped down from til
fence. and ran into the house with great frigh
ened eyes
=" ! just didn't mean 10, nowayg. missus.
went 10 See Massa Idnkum, an he look at m
an done forgot eberyling. Oh, Inissus. don
beat me dis yere time, an I'll neber-"
But Madame Joliet interrupted her with
box on the ear, and dragged her up stair
There was a terrible lock ON Madame's fac
Just what happened up stairs, I have not I'll
heart To tel you.
That niglit, june was crouched and bruises
and bleeding. behind the kitchen stove, whe
Creline came IN OF an errand for her mistres
Madame Joliet was obliged to leave the roo
for few moments, and the two were aloi
together. June crawled cut from behind 4
stove
81 see hiHa-I see Massa Tinkum. Crelire y
"De Lord bress him foreber n cher. Amen
exclaimed Creline, feryenay, throwing up b
cid thin hands
june crept q little nearer, and looked {
aronDd tie roon 10 see If the doors were shU
"Creline. what's he done gone come dow
here fur? Am he de Messiah?"
@l5ress yer soul, chile! dom We know bett
IN dat ar"
Den know muffin" said June. sullenI
Aebes knows muffin; spects I nevers gwi
70. Can 20 out ia de road TO fine out-g
beat me. Can ask nufiin-she Jest gib Ine
push down cellar. Oh, Creline, ders sech r.
4