Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-29
LARKIN AND MARIA.

LII III II
gwen folks set umse'ves up ter say AT er
darby hain't got feelin's DIES de same ez white
folks, tells UNI bout RIA en- Larkin. Amt
none Nv un gwine ter spute wild me den; no,
sab, dey cayn' git roun' dat pint.
You see 'twuz dis erway," old Edward
continued complacently marking the inter
est his colored hearers exhibited in his words,
as they sat around his cabin door one Sunday
afternoon ode amt none er you young
sprouts at knowed Larkin, do some er yo'
maw's en- paws do | 'speck-
1--WE all b'bnged to Marse John Paxton
den, 'twuz long TO de war, way down in
middle Geo'gia. He had so many niggers he
halter OK I'm sometime is dey his'n or do
dey b'long ter somebody else.
''Larkin WIZ des de fines young darby on
de plantation. De wuznt muffin AT any
body lay dey hans to at he couldn't beat UNI
at it, He WIZ erhead wen it come ter
maxim shuck collars, en- door mats, en- brooms,
putin in split bottoms in chairs, en- mendin'
shoes Marse John say time en- ergin at no
body 'cep' Larkin kin half sole his boots fur
i'm.
'"Bout dis time Larkin shyin' his eye
mighty 'spicious at Ria, de purity yaller gal
at waits Oh de table in de big house. De
wlznt no doubt in my mind at Ria wuz
willin', TOO, for she mighty ready ter hang
back wild i'm after meetin' broke up eve'y
Sunday
"Wel, sub, Marse John tuck US all by
'sDrise one day. 'Twuz deS after de family
had eat er big watermelon in de dinin' room
en- der preacher wuz in dar wild I'M.
"Marse John sem fur Jim en- Luke en- lobe
en- Dave en- Larllin. Den he call fur Ria en-
TO- mo- women ter jine um All de while
folks laugh fit ter kill der-se'ves wen dem
niggers come slouchin' in de room, de las one
er um feard at dey gwine git de lash fur
sompen wurr dey done.
"W'en day all stanin' two rows, TAX
Marse John put UNI, facin' one nurr des like
dey gwine dance de Firginey reel, Marse
John say:
"'Folks &c is gotter be some marryin' done
on dis plantation-de is too many er you peo-
pie living by yose'ves. DeS cast yo eye at
big May dar, she's fat en- forty, en- amt
auver kncwed wat 'twuz ter have er husban'.
En- lobe los oil his teef wild age, en- haint
tried matermony yit.
"'Now, parson, git yo' book ready en- wen
! count six, desc folks mus choose der part
nels.' Wild dat MarSe John gin ter count,
'one, two, free, TO, five, SIX den he holler
out:
"'ChooSe yo' partners
''En be haint no mon got de wo'ds out'n
his mouf 70 Larkin en- two mo- niggers jump
at Ria lax dogs at er bone. Ria scream lax
you stickln' err knife in FER, en- jerked away
from um all 'cep Larkin, en- put her head
erryin HIS hreaS' en- kan on erwin
"Or Marster seem lax he feel kinder sorry
for Ria, fur he quit laughin' all at once, Ell
order Dave en- Jim ter STAN back. Den he
say
"'Larldn, does you want ter marry 'Riap
"En Larlin say, Yes, marster,' SO low you
couldn't hardly hear i'm. Den Marse John
look at ole mistis pow'ful curis en- say:
"''Ria, is you willin' to marry Larkinp
En- Ria say, 'dout lookin' up:
"'Yes, Marse John
'sWell, sub, amt nuver yit seed white
folks look so serious over er trif1in' matter
Ole miss put err Handkerchief up ter er face en-
Miss Lucille, my young mistiS, WIZ actu'ly
cryin'.
Den Mars John look lax he try ter make
light Nv it en- couldn't, fur his voice tremblin'
mighty strange wen he say:
"'Well, l reckon de res Nv you don't care
bout gittin' married. so nobody won't take
part in dis 'cep' Ria and Larkin But we'll
put it of tell mex week en- den have big
time en- plenty L eat
EN- wien de time 'riv 'twuz er gram we'd
din en- infare Ria wuz dressed out in er
fine silk dress en- Larkin had on bran new
broadcloth en- cakskin boots De supper
wuz in dc big house dinin' room, en- dar WIZ
'nugh feat fur a regiment err soldiers. After
dey done married dey all tu'n loose ter
dancin' in de barn, en- hit lasted tell mos
day.
Now I'm gittin' purity OF en- 1 seed consid-
er'ble married people, bofe white en- black;
but dem two wuz certenly de mos happies'
ever come er crost.
''Larkin look lax he do mo- wo'k en- ever en-
ria wuz de same way. Well dey live long
dat way fur twenty year. Den come de
trouble fur US all
"Marse John got ter peculatin'-folks say
be not satisfied wild vat ne had, en- want ter
git rich. lie wuz erway in New Orleans fur
er mont after time. One day we all hear at
de plantation en- US darkeys all gwiue ter be
sold ter pay of Marse Johns debts.
.'Or mistis mos 'stracted, Ell Miss Lucille
walkin' de flo en- cryin' lax 'er heart broke
De Lam en- slaves halter so; de wuzn't no
way gittin' roun' hit Judge Bacon wuz
pinted receiver by de law. But all dis didn't
come up ter wat we halter went thoo wen
de day come fur US slaves ter be sold on de
block ct de court house. De wuz powful
big croud fom all sides; des lax hit wuz or
han.in'.
"Im tellin' you de trufe. wuz more sor-
rier fur Larkin en- Ria an wuz fur myself;
reckon 'twuz kase dey take on so.
Oar wuz er niger trader fom louisiana
ready ter buy SIX Ut US, en- be VIE wriGglin'
roun' in de croud, AKIN questions en- lookin'
at US De folks in dat settlement wuz mighty
lackin' er money dem times, en- We know at
some er us boun' ter be tuck way fom home.
"Dey put Larkin on de block fust one, en-
dey gin ter bid up on i'm Somebody start
It at eight hundred dollars. den de trader say