Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-05-22
'GABE."
II Was Neatly Too Late, But
Thank Ou' Lawd, I Sabed You"

IT Was Neatly Too Late, But
Thank Ou' Lawd, I Sabed YOU"
Even yet in the quiet evenings I can
fancy the roll of that grand, deep
voice, soaring out over the waters of
the gulf in liquid melody, or quavering
in mournful improvisation among the
orange trees, in front of his cabin
door, where Gabe was won't to sit in
the warm nights with his wondering
eyes fixed on the stars, singing for an
hour at a time, with only Aunt Dinah
near to hear him.
Big, black, grave and kind, that is
how the memory of Gabe comes before
me tonight, with his simple, earnest
way, the most ungainly, and yet the
truest-hearted of all Gods living crea-
lures. He had been in our family for
years. He seldom laughed, was al
ways sad and thoughtful-had been so
from childhood, it was said.
On any question of dispute that oc-
Cured among the other negroes
'Gabe was referred to as authority to
settle the matter, and strange to say,
he was seldom wrong.
''Why do You love to sing SOP" /
asked him, after [ had listened to ono
of his rich, pathetic chants or hymns.
He looked at me in q startled way, for
he had not noticed my approach,
and said 81 dunno myself, hardly; l
sits here kase I loves to look up yon-
der at de stars and think; byme-bye
derc comes a wond'ful song. like as il
de angels a a singin' in a jubilee;
den l sings, too, till Use tied or clean
gone to sleep, wild all de angels a
hov'in' round me-"
My little sister leila, then a golden
haired fairy of six, was a great favorite
81 Gabe's. With her he would talk as
with no others, and was always near
Z, her when circumstance permitted.
. She, too, was fond of him, and many
a little treat found its way to him and
old '.Aunt Dinah'' through her favor.
One night remember it well-it
was in warm March, that most beauti-
full of all months in Florida, when the
magnolias put forth their bloom and
the land is sweet in their incense-I
had retired early, for I was weary with
a hard days ride from Tampa, up the
gulf.
1t might have been about two o'clock
in the morning when / was awakened
by u dcafening crash of thunder that
died away in reverberating echoes over
the water.
Usually I would roll off to slumber
again, but this time l could not do so.
I lay there instead, watching the play
of the lightning and waiting for the
rain to fall.
The atmosphere was close, almost
sitting, the air permeated with cleo
tricity.
Suddenly l fancied / heard the front
door open gently and close again. Was
it only fancy caused by the excited state
I was in? Something urged me to arise,
and l did so. Stepping TO the front
window, which commanded a view OF
the piazza, | looked out; all was black
est night, with muttering thunder over
head.
AS I stood there the earth was il
lumined by a most vivid flash, every
thing appearing us clear as day. Di-
rectly before me, halfway down the
carriage drive leading to the road along
the bluff, rapidly glided a small slender
figure mwhite, with golden hairstream-
ing back in the wind.
Only a moment did the light last, but
in that moment | saw and knew it was
Tclla-Tclla, and going straight to-
ward the chalk-bluff that rose sheer
.one hundred feet from the sands be-
low!
My mother had mentioned some days
before that the child was given to walk
ing in her sleep, though her somnam-
bulism had hitherto been confined in
doors. Tonight some freak had sent
her forth, out along a path that must
lead her to Il terrible fate unless I could
reach her in time.
Out of the room, over the piazza,
down the drive l went quicker than
had ever gone before. The night was
of inky darkness; I could not see an
inch before me, and the lightning, SO
vivid before, had ceased. Every mo-
ment seemed an are. If the child had
turned aside all might be well, if not
Heaven help her, for well l knew what
must be her tate.
On I rushed, half-mad with suspense.
Another flash, and l saw her not ten
yards from the edge Of the bluff.
.sTella," l called, .'Tella!" In my
despair my feet grew heavy, my knees
.quaked. q horrible nightmare was upon
me. clammy perspiration oozed from
every pore.
Another flash; she was on the brink,
and l not thirty steps away was pow
erless to save her! But, there! In the
dying light q great black body springs
forward and seems to mingle with the
white. There comes a startled cry, q
dull thud, and all is still ave the dash
of the rain that had now commenced
to fall in torrents.
A moment more and l was bending
over q little white figure, lying moan