Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-02

( Wise would nave been. sun SuoStS9
were not Unknown % him, and, indeed,
he spoke as If ne we're on familiar terms
with that respectable portion OF the uni
verse. May time In our expeditions,
/ passing an old ruined cnu"cn that was IN
the vicinity, August would snake MS OH
gray mead ominousiy, groan, ana on beln
| pressed 10 give vent 10 MS em0JlOns, WOULD
utter Oracular sentences, ana, many. on
| being still further urged, would forthwith
relate bl0od-curdlng story of lady
who. having come TO her death by foul
/ means. and being buried at Burnt church,
would not rest ia her grave, but wandered
! forth at nights, all clothed in white,
! wnngiug her hands, pointing to her
grave and moaning IN a most piteous
manner. Not negro in all the country
round could be Induced to pass Burnt
/ church after nightlall, with the exoep-
ton Of DAD August VINO, on the strength
of the caul, was considered to be ghost
proof.
However, to return from the spiritual
60 the material: Having, after long and
repeated shakings, convinced the old man
that. /, at least, was no ghost, / finally
succeeded In rousing him from bis slum-
oers, and suggested that ne should rouse
RATHER from his. Rather, whose name
must have been given through the very
irony OF tate, was gray mule, whom 10
look at, You would pronounce to be 30
years OF age, aud to ride, yOu would
swear was 100. He had b en- the prop
erty OF old August ever since | could re-
member. Sixteen quarts day was the
amount of ratiOns ayerred by August to
be given to Nattler, but always regarded
that as fgment of his fancy, as Rat
tiers appearance did not bear the state
ment out.
Rover, a short-legged, long. backed,
white and yellow dog, the other attache
OF August, and the very "goDedes" dog
for freeing pOssums in the whole country,
crept out from under the cart, and finally
getting under way we departed for the
station.
Cut old Rather up, Dad August. or
he'll never get to the depot time enough, :"
SAID |, after we mad logged along for
aOout half mile.
you'll git dere all right, Mass Ben :;
you always was short patience wnen you
was a boy" remarked old August. atfa-
bly,. "Ratter kin trabble as good as de
rex one, when he wanter."
''Well, l wish ne would want tn, now
It's awiully cold riding along at this slow
pace,'' SAID |.
"Me au' Rather nary one is On fresh to-
night, Mass Ben" said old August, wish
ing To divert my attention from the snai's
pace at which we We're crawling along.
II bin down ia Bun Church to-day, for dig
ole man Harris wIfe grave"
what! is Mary Simmons deadr' asked
| with interest.
Old Harris was a well.to.do, what in
low-country lingo IL called a "cracker,"
a peculiar race indigenous TO South Caro-
lima. In the up-country, they 20 by the
name of ''Sandhiller," and in the low
country "Crackers'' The negroes desig-
nated them as poor buckra." Generally
they were a most thrittless set, living
from hand TO mouth, but old Harris was
one of the leading spirits amOng them,
and had achieved comparative Opulence.
His first wife had died about year before,
and wishing to comfort himself, he had
cast his eyes around until they fell on the
face of pretty Mary Simmons, neigh
boring crackers daughter. AS a general
rule, all cracker women are long, lean and
sallow, and their hOmespu dresses and
cracker bOnnets do not cOnduce to their
beauty, but now and then, a pretty face
crops up among them, Just as flowers are
found among the rug sedest rocks.
1t was a case of 'Auld Robin Gray -
"Jamie" being personifed by old Harris
eldest son. Poor Mary's heart was with
Harris, junior, but Mr., and Mrs. Simmons
smiled on the fathers suit, and SO six
months ago Mary had been converted into
Mrs. Harris, senior, and 'Siah had left for
parts unknown.
~ Is, sir,' said old August, with great
emphasis. "she's dead as a dOor-nail. We
berry um by de ole Oak-tree wich de light
ning strike, yOu recOllect Mass Ben. she
died beautiful, say she wanter 20 and tell
dem not to mourn tor her. Doctor, he call
it consumption, but | call it a broken
heart. jlsJ pinin' for 'Siah Harris. Ole
Harris he trOw heself on de grave and cry
jist like chile"
sold scOundrelp' was all the sympathy
old Harris grief extOrted from me, and to
relieve my feelings, cut al Rather, WIN,
stirred up 10y this unexpected stimulus,
trotted briskly for about live Yards, and
then relapsed into his usual pace again.
DDS yere's a good night for ''goses," re-
marked old August, amicaoly, to draw
of my attention from Rather. you Rat
tier, wha' YOU fraid ot?' as Rather SHE'D
as much as it was possible for his sluggish
nature TO do, ~ a piece of gray moss
floating In the wind from an old tree that
leaned over the road side,
Truly il was ghOstlv night! Now and
then Il few beams OF pale moonlight strug.
gled forth from behind the clouds, vainly
striving to pierce the gloom OF the thIckats
by the roadside, aud casting a gbasJly
CLEAN over the road, the wind walled
through the tree tops like the signing oil
some unhappy spirit, and the hOOting OF
the owls in the old oaks OF some over.
grown and unused avenue leading 10 the
broken down plantation, where in the dis.
lance GOULD be seen the tall chimneys
standing like sentinels to mark the re-
mains of where once household fires
CLEANED warm aud bright" caused hal
- 9erstitiOus feeling to come over, even
my interpretations soul. AT last W.
came to the little bridge leading over q
brackIsh creek; the lid mad gone out and
the marshes looked fiat and black
Within few yards OF US now lay the
station.
''Jist in time" said old August, pointing
to a red light down the railroad track
hardly seeming to move, but looming vi
nearer and nearer in the darkness.
We FASTENED slowly up TO the platform
where | alighted and rushed in to buy my
ticket. The small station appeared to bC
I'm gloom aud blackness, none of the hustle
and hurry attendant on the arrival of q
train at ways.de depot. Two or three
freight cars were standing on a side track
some barrels OF turpentlne and rOsin. and
our or five bales OF cnttOn lay ready on
the platform 20 be shipped by the next
freight. The ticket Office was closed and
not soul to be seen. Across the road
from the barro0m, usual cOncOmitant OF
wayside stations, slOne a brightlignt. and
the sotnd OF a fiddle and loud laughter
therefrOm, showed that some one wa.
keeping Christmas in there, and "whoop
ing II up" in approved style. | CROPPED