The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-04-14
AWAY BACK YANDER.'

A little while ago, on visit to Kentucky, called one evening at the cabin of an aged darkey, whose blow furrow had followed him in on many a rosy morn of the days "befo' the waugh" The old mans eyes had be- come dappled with age, and his rec ognition of me was slow. He sat con- tentedly picking sweet and toothsome morsels from 6 hock-bone, but when he came to know me he dropped both knife and bone, quickly wiped his greased but hardened palms upon his clothing, and extending both wrin- kled hands, received me with & joy that songs do not sing.
 In a little while he fell into strain of reminiscence, and said:
 "Dese var times ain't like de ole times, young marster. Well dug ! member, an so dug you, Tong dar in harvis' days, when de fiel's wuz full CT life an every man wid his cradle wuz seein' which could cut de biggis' swathe and git de furderest ahead. De contention wuz wusser dan hit Is now betwix' desc var young men projeckin' wid base- ball.
 "Laws bless us don't you member de bobercues-dem times when ole marster uster have a bar'l CT whisky rolled out, an de head knocked in, an great big chunks CT ice flung in, an CT armful CT mint, an two CT three buckets CT sugar, mebbe-I dunno.
 "Dem wuz good times, young mars ter. Dem an' de 'possum- hunts an lie like. Ooh-oo! I wish't dem times could come back, but da can't, 90 dar dey is, 'way off wander bar'ly in sight of mem brance."
 "You went north, didn't you, Uncle lube, when freedom came?" asked.
 "Yes, sah, I did, sah. But hit t'warn't long, sah, 'fo' I come back ag'in. wuz longin' sah, fur de ole groun' dat I had tickled wid de hoe tell de harvis' laughed in mer face. I wanted to git back hyar, sab, whar ole miss and marster, who had been so good to me an mine, wuz layin' in de groun'. wanted to see dc place whar my pol ole 'ooman an some CT de chill dun wuz buried. Yes, sah, l wanted to come back hyar, sah, an do my 'specful part an live and die, young marster, an hyar I is, sah.
 "Dar's two sides to de rivah of free dom, young marster, an ef 6 niggah wants to pitch an rar am thow hissef, he better go to de norf side. Down hyar, sah, dey 'spects 6 niggah to 'have hissef, an dat's booty much all dey do 'spect of him. A niggah dat's got as much sense as Thompson's colt is gwineter do 1t, too. You member hearn tell O Thompson's colt, don't you? He swum rivah to git drink kase he done been in de habit CT drinkin' on de yuther side. Somehow CT nuther dat's whut make me say whut do."
 And so he mumbled on.
 Seeing Uncle lube reminded me of an incident of his life in my boyhood days of which I was a secret witness.
 Uncle lube came in late one after- noon, in the year before the war broke out, from the woodland pasture back of the quarters, and he had a 'possum which he had just caught. He sat upon 6 stump near his cabin, which was the last one in the row, and called his son Luke, hearty negro urchin who was standing on his head and performing other such like character istic feats in natural gymnics.
 HCome hysr Luke !" he a.d- "Come hyar. I wants to hrn you sompin' about 'possums."
 The grinnisg ycungster came with @Yes, sah-"
 "Looker hyar, Luke" the old man continued, "'Possums is mighty on- sartin. Dey gwineter perten' like dey's dead when dey isn't. Now doan you nevah let me heah of you gittiR fooled by 'possum. Ef you duz, Pse gwineter reach fur you-you hear me?