The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1886-11-20

''SS tiN'7, iIOil Which
comes the sound of u woman's voice,
singing negro hymns. 1t is a wonder
full voice, with a terrible pathos in its
tines
"Why, that is the house, he ex-
claimed, as turned into the path run
ming through t~obacco-ficlds to Clossy's
cabin.
at must have been Glossy herself
that you heard,"l said, lowering my
voice, as we neared the door. | ex-
pected to see a fierce, morose negro,
capable of crime, but a tiny woman,
almost white, dressed in pretty calico,
came out to meet me, smiling and
bobbing.
Yes, Miss Lucy, Use heard you
come back she began, in a mild little
squeak of a voice. Use mortal glad
t see you. M how's de cunnel N de
baby? Yes, Use Glossy
l delivered Aunt Judy's message in
Il lllci mounted lOrHl.
ayes, Miss Lucy, de collahs was "
tremc had. Use not s'prised Miss
judy fin fault, but look a-heat!' She
raised her skirt to show me enormously
swollen angles, or which she tottered
rather than stood. use not ben able
to stan n iron, N | couldn't do JUS
tee to de collah's sittin' down. dat's
de fac. But I'll be all right mex
week, shuah. Yoh won take de wash
from me, Miss Lucy?' her eyes OPEN
ing with sudden terror so dispropor-
toned TO the cause that l sat down to
reas>urc her.
81 hab no wash but yoh's,' she con
tinucd. ~ try hard &c be good clah-
stareher; try all my life. Used to
watch Maum Why at ole Mist Yok-
um's, so | stole dc trade. Use allus
bin tryin'. heb big reasons to try"
what were your bic reasons,
C~lossy?' | laughed as | asked it. 1t
seemed comical that any human being
should take the washing of a shirt as
the one ambition OF life. but = look
into the thin, dark face before me
showed me that some issue of life and
death hung for her on this common
place matter.
''Fust. | wanted to learn to do up de
shirts SOS to please ole mist. Some OBJ
de ladies, when dere gals do up de
clo'es fine, ulster say: You good chile,
Susy or M'randy,' N Glib EN- plea
yunc. | doan want no %picayune, de
Lohd knows! But l tink well.
'twa'n't no use. | he'd drcfful hard
times! | doan want talk bout dat Use
free now.'
eyes, you had hard tines | said.
~soothingly, but that is all over. What
is'your big reason now?'
Its my boy, Miss Lucy, Monchcer
Robideauy.'
'.Bobbs.'
..Dat's de iocJ-name dem darkics gib
him! He was named fob de French
gemmen Henry 'longed to. Henry
was my husband. H. was killed in de
wah. You know my boy? 'slikely
you've heard him sing?"
''Oh, it's he who sings?' said DR..
Mactier.
"Yessah. Pears like all de life he'd
gone oulen he's pore body into he's
voice"
''How did he get into that condi-
ton? 1t came suddenly, did it not?'
''Ycssah.' She glanced round over
the tobacco field. as if afraid to be over
heard. 'Yon see, when his fadcr gone,
m me m Bobbs war alone, l uscter
tell him bout ole times, N how Mist
Yokum she hab me logged N oder
tings. Bobbs he skeered; he mighty
little fellow, m easy skeered. Mist
Yokum she useter meet me m de boy.
m say: Use coming down fob dat
boy. He longs to mel N gnash her
teef at him jes' outen wickcdncss. So
one day l go down de road, m leah
my boy playin' on de flooh, n when |
cum back, | meet her comm out'n dc
doah. She lookt skeercd., Sometin ais
dat chile she say. quietlikc. IL in.
Miss Lucy, she done tricked my boy
..What? What does she mean?'
asked the doctor, eagerly.
.She means bewitched, enchanted.
The old woman, she thinks, had the
NAL occhiO.'
..She hab some black blood, Miss
Lucy said Glossy, in a scared whisper.
"She Voudoo. Dah's my boy to prove
it,
eyes, / understand" said DR.. Mac