New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-30
DOWN SOUTH.
oAprrRINa THE BRIDEGROOM.

nos. 7 carcfuIIv stcpped over the yellow woEah anu
went out on the stoop, heavily wrappen I'D SHAWL
I knew what rcsplendept pageant the sun n'1'o u
Tho morning among these hills. shifting glory "hoSe
a,,, h..r,v. xas almost too much for mortal
eyes to bear. ..u.
had not been on tho stoop I'VE minutes oeiore
heard stems from the direction OF the Vauey' "nor'
tho winding more solid wall OF mist showed 'no ooDi,s
NJ the French Broad. had hardly sa'u 70 MY
at is jake when magnhed hgure came ~ ''s,l|
and I that 1t was not Jdho' Ou' ~
Ristus without tho baby
hoa No. vet become accustomed TO the met
,nornbosis which trousers and hat had made 10 'ne
lad and was absorbed In admiration every u"'o nv.
him Az he came nearer now, however ioi ~ ~
admiration in curiosity when noted inc gra'iS as"
the burden on tho boys face He TOOK OH MS I'D. or
I saw that his charming love locks "ero "o'0 ''"S
than usual and were wet with the 10Y ,s
ais ANYTHING the matter with the paoy I" "'"'''
quickly. ,s,ar,,
Now.m I reckon not left her sleep. l dlon
come bout here l come bout nero No io"e'Sa
his voice to almost whisper and Dechoheu 'no .n
..or, ,,a house followed him, step by STEP unui
ve vsre out beside the path that seemed 10 pch o "
the mist, into space ..
@pm mighty glad yer war OUT" no sd'u ""V "a
tvelv He raised his hand and pointed solenlfIy on
A., .,a,n,,,r bis voung sweet face filed with
. nd ,n+srest "Hes thur; he's down yam 'er
~, horse. mean. ter ole Pinks ole house. hes
thur" , ,nroseed
awho.s there4n asked, almost as much Impressed
NJ nv companion. al don't know whorh YOU "'0
at mean thur Bridegroom with intense soiemhi'y'
as II he were quoting from the book OF heveauonS,
and am sure he was thinking OF "ha' 10 A"-
preachers read from that DOCK
repeated his words in bcwdermentA
aYes-um.n no said. "Long Black Jake Iney
called him the bridegroom larst night, yer Know
He's down thur I foun' him or lopph oh 'lu.
rouehness when CURT home after l ier nyar' iu
a.. nrt thcir babby on the bed when l heafd er
proanin' an err sobbn'. low war scar" uao"
.on 90 outer thur cabin fur sometime. linen
thought ef twarn't er sperft, ana war ct human
he mighty mean er.me not ter be er helpm. SHOOK
o, "a hardly Co. but went. foun Jake lie
,-,r soaked in yhiskey. He didn't know nothh'
ourt him in an put him on the bed with tnur odoDy'
I made er big fire, an sot urp, iur thui W"
no chance fur me tn go fur bed taht er very
wide bed yer know; but It's err good pea VIVA, 'ior'
,s Of hit I never saw nothin' sleeps ne ulu' al
thur cabin never had more whlskey sHeh III ni.' '
when Ole Pink were full er whskey; an thought
no crtter could holds much whiskey as ole flih-
Tv. er,cIIod or mighty sight or whIskey n my NE
Ristus paused moment TO contemplate the whisRey
T.. had enelled But he soon added with even IN
creased solemnIty: IT.,
aRut he's erwake now, an he says he's er dyln''
An he carn't noways die thout gltun sally iui
e1veness That's why 1 come now An ne says
he dld cit thur minister, an then he took )ls one
glass with thur minister, an then lie losV 'l"t
minister He says he never took but one grass Du
his er dvin, now: Ieastways he says he is
said that would get Sally Immediately. went
hack to the cabin and reused her. for she sun sieP.
Directly she was awake she rose 10 her feet ste'ne
her arms above her head saw the festoons OF green
suddenly assumed alert attitude, ana sau snt
should " meek err soon start lux ]AS"0' w.
bowdacious Niger
Informed her. without any preamble to spare nor
seotngs. that Black Jake was at the nut where
Rtstus lived and that he had sent WORD nc "S'
diving. but must first have her forgiveness
sally stood looking at me sharply dCn
know what she saw in my tace' Ou'
she tossed up her head and laughed scorniulS'
sbe burriedly twisted handkerchief round her
- .na vent 70 the door saying Whar be dat
Ristusf' .,.. a
GRAND ON the stoop. Her large, handsome mou'n
cured she spoke
yo Ristus yo,n she said, :" gwt back m tell Long
BLACK Jake Of he amt dad, dat come an luisVc MIN
soon's l fin dat minister he los lars night
sbant cit back wiz my forgiveness befo' evenih
nan hin, be los STAY live tweel den IF don't marry
hin, tust den marry him lars. I marry him, any
uav 7 don't take no 'sultin' fun no Niger ~
tell him ter keep fun bein' dad twell come
Rv this time the rest of the household wero up
listening and looking bar of sunlight feil 'hrous"
tho mist upon Sally as she stood with her arm eA-
tended, mouoning Ristus to go, The boy hestl'ou'
but finally disappeared in the rolling iog lhon oaHS
turned to me and said with rising Infection
He got drnk7'
nodded She laughed. She grded her old shawl
about her stately shoulders, told MIS- aver
that she would be in the log house IN
time to cook our supper, and walked OFF. AS We a"
watched her, Mr. Aver remarked that, II he were
Jake he did not know whether he should stay aN'o
or get daid under the circumstances.
Ristug did not return to do tho chores. ABOUT
the middle of the forenoon Mrs. Aver, who Is very
tender hearted decided that 1t was inhuman not 10
90 down and see If Jake and the boy needed anything
She filed a basket with food and we, with the Twins
and dogs, set out 1t was down hill all the way i,
anu some of It so steep that 1t required good deal
~ holding back on our part to prevent our going
headlong Tho clear shone warm upon lis IN
the sheltered places and 1t was difficult to believe
that II December.
Ole pinks cabin stood bleak and bare near IT'S group
of deadened trees. AS we came nearer we saw thao
the baby was sitting on a heap of dry leaves just
outside the door. Approaching yet nearer we hearu
BLACK Jakes voice raised in lamentatiOn and groans
AS II ceased there came the sound of RStus speaking
I'D shut up my hown', eff war
YER jake he was saying. Yer ono OF um
as wor alters gwine ter pTachn' an
ben' pios Now's ics thur time tor hcv sion kinder
tell FL fur me, don't warnt no 'ligon thet amt
of no use I CURT sick preachln'. But hev meet
FMS with thur Lord out hyar whom I'm lone. he'd
ter hev somebody when l TUX that babby. an thur
warnt moan fur a feller like ne ter hev but me
Lord. Yer see sence I he'd tho chile Two got moEc
intimate like with thur Lord
II was impossible to tell what effect those words
from Risus had upon tho negro, for he began 20.
howl and groan again the moment the boy cease"
speaking The dogs dashed into the hut then tho
twins lastly followed.
Jake lay the bed Rstus was watching
blackened old saucepan which set on a bed OF Goals
drawn out from the fire. He greeted us with his
usual simplicity, but was absorbed In attending 10
the saucepan. He explained that it contained cohec'
He had found some among ole PinRs things and ho'
was brewing Il for Jake He said Ole Pink always
L. sI,o nj drunk.