Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1888-10-12

know whore she is living, after nll."
Uncle 1ko's countonanco fell.
"Is dat sopn he exclaimed in n ton
OF keen disappointment. "But hit don
matter long as she's comm, ho added
his face Frightening again.
"Of course not" said, quickly, sec
ing that ho was eager TO be gone ''
shall run down 10 the cabin tomorrow
and holp you Fix up things"
"Tank you, Miss Lucy. You nebbe
forglts ole Ike, an whom Mandy comes
you'll find hor mighty good hand t.
help about dc house. Der mint an,
ting under dc sun dat oman can't dol
and, with chdclslo of delight, Unclc
Ike went off down the lane,
That night, when told Brother Rob
ert about tho letter, and Uncle lko's
plan for having every thing in order
before Mandy's arrival, he agreed to
JOin me in helping TO fix up the little
cabin.
al hope Mandy will provo II good
cook, " he said, "for am tired OF see.
ing you in tho kitchen so much, and
you really need some one to help you.
Early the next morning heard
somebody singing, and looking out OF
my bedroom window, / saw Uncle Ike,
going in and out OF tho little cabin,
bringing out glass and putty to mend
the broken window, yet pausing n mo-
ment to take look ut the little square
flower-bcd he had made in the corner
of the fence, or TO trim n branch OF the
maple tree that shaded the house, al
ways humming song ms he worked,
with an occasional furtive look down
the lane, as il he half expected to see
Mandy coming. At noon | heard the
twang of his banjo, rs he rested for n
little while in the doorway. In the
evening he came shulling to the kitchen
door, and asked TO sec mo.
"Nliss Lucy, would yc min givin' me
few hollyhock seeds, an some oh dat
larkspur an sweet mint in de gynrdon?
] ncbber had no ideo oh maxim n flower
bed till now, but know Mandy IL want
little gyarden oh her own to work in
when she haint got nothin' else to do"
Take any thing you want Uncle
Ike, and make your garden MS pretty as
You can" said. IL shall give you a
curtain your window, and if you care
to use il you may have the little stove
in the wood-shcd. Don't stop to thank
me- | added, smiling at the quaint
courtesy he gave me, but plant your
flowers at once, for who knows but that
Mandy may come to-day"
For week afterward Uncle IKc's face
beamed with happiness and hope. And
ns had no particular need of him just
then, ! allowed him to spend the greater
part of his timo down at the cabin,
whore he busted himself making things
nice and comfortable against Mandy's
arrival. Every day, whom the train
stopped at the station half-mile away,
he would mount his old gray mule and
ride down the road to meet his "ole
oman" who he was "sartin" would
come on that very train; and if he
always came back crcstfallen and dis
appointed, il would be only to brighten
up again the next day. And so for
many weeks he worked on, always pa
ucnt and uncomplnining and seldom
expressing n doubt as to Mandy's final
coming. But ! knew that he was be-
ginning TO lose hope, and when ! found
him doing something that he confessed
to have just remembered, was sure he
was only working to drive away his
gloomy thoughts.
The summer came, and with the
warm, sweet days Uncle Ike grew
moody and restless, and noticed that
he no longer sang at his work. Only
at night would he take his banjo, and
sitting in the cabin door, play softly
the quaint melodies that were his only
solace in his loneliness. Sometimes
Robert and | would find him sitting un,
der the maple-tree, his banjo by his
side, his face buried in his hands, while
he rocked himself from side to side as
if in bodily pain. And every day
took the soiled yellow envelope and
studied the blurred post-mark, hoping
" pJ tblO W iNtlN ~, oo 4 NphiA iiih
some means of communicating with
Mandy, but always without success.
One evening in June, Robert and
walked down TO the cabin just as the
moon began to shed Il soft, silvery light
over the quiet valley. Uncle Ike had
complained of feeling sick, and as he
had not been up to the house to finish
his daily chores, we were n little un-
easy about him. We found him lean
ing idly over the little gate, looking
straight before him, and on his black
face tear glittered in the moonlight.
His weary attitude and the sight OF
thut tear, gave me II feeling of in
describable sadness. i had never be-
fore seen one of his race weep, except
the frantic howlings and lamentations
that form n part of their religious wor-
ship; and now, as looked at Uncle Ike,
| was touched at the gentle patience
with which he bore his disappoint-
mcnt, and longed to say something to
comfort him, but hardly knew how to
begin.
"I'm afraid you have been working
too hard this summer, Uncle Ike," /
said, at last.
"'Taint dat, Miss Lucy - he said
slowly, ms he lifted his hand furtively
to his face, and brushed away the tear
that glistened there" 'taint dat You
know when de body gifts ole an worn
4 4 ~.