St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-10-13
POOR UNCLE IKE.
Patiently Watching and Waiting
For His Mandy"

GO1 I1lS MduOy.
Uncle Ike shambled up to the ope
window where sat sewing, took off h
battered straw hat and bowed low j
: his humble, old-tashioned way.
"Miss Lucy, will you do me de fave
to read dis letter to me-" he asked
fumbling awkwardly in his pocket q
he spoke, and presently bringing t
i view dirty yellow envelope, whic
he held out to me with tremblin
hand.
''Why, who can be writing to yoa
Uncle keep / asked, smiling at th
look of expectancy ON his black face.
"Dat $ jes' what Use been AKIN nv
SCI cbber sence de pos master glib m
dat letter. he exclaimed, in a yoic
that shook with excitement. ..Now.
wus tinkin', as | come up from d,
cabin, dat may be hit mought be from
Mandy. drempt last night dat seet
her a-comin' along de little lane yonder
Jes' Us material as she ebber looked il
her life, an somehow / can't git da-
dream outen my mind. When I woke
up dis mornin's 'clar to gracious if
didn't 'spect to see Mandy bustlin
aroun' in de cabin, dat dream wus SC
plain bcfo' my eyes! An when l Got
dis letter, so nexpeeted-like-de very
fust ebber got in my life-I said to
myscf: Maybe dat dreams a-gwine to
come true. Maybe Use gwine to see
my Mandy sho 'nough!' But read de
letter, please, Miss Lucy, fur Use jes' on
nettles to know what's in it!''
opened the letter little gingerly it
must be confessed, for it had the odor
OF onions and tobacco clinging to it, and
looked as if it might have been fished
out of some rubbish pile. Uncle Ike
leaned eagerly forward, his mouth wide
open, and his dim eyes fixed intently
on my face, waiting for me to begin.
1t was very remarkable letter-re-
markable in more ways than one. In
the first place, it was not dated at all,
and the words were jumbled together in
manner that would have puzzled an
expert at letter reading. However, by
dint of hard study and frequent pauses,
l managed to decipher the most of it,
and, rs nearly as could make it out, it
ran thus:
mi deer husban TAX mi Pen in han
to Rite yu Few lines to Lett WI no
That Am wei an Hop when yu reeve it
Viii fine you enjoyin The Same blessin
a Man frum logan county wus up here
a da or to ago an Tole Nee that WI wus
Livin down Thar an that he Seed WI to
weaks Ago am Comm to yu rite Strate
When can PAX my Cloes haint thot
Nv Margin no more an am Gladd to
here yu haint. yu can Look for me
emmy Day SO fair the well an no more
Frum your Troo wife mandy fields the
rose is redd the vilets blue candy is
sweet and so is w."
Il said hit mought be from Mandy r'
cried Uncle Ike, when I had finished.
be was rubbing his wrinkled hands to-
yether, twisting his black face into all |
sorts OF shapes, and acting altogether
n such ridiculous manner, that / |
iropped the letter, and laughed till the
ears ran down my cheeks.
why, Uncle Ike,' / said, when I
,ould find voice to speak, 81 didn't
Know you had wife anywhere in the
world ! was under BE- impression that
vou had strong nd ION of counting
)inah. Inotice that vol q to the bot
oms' nearly every week
.'Sho Miss Lucy, ID ssasl<sIa
e fool enough to MAJ = :
igger? Why, dat u
candle to my ole 7 j
Ike gave sniff of &
-courtin' OBJ nob0 4
wamps, honey. Ii It Ia|[v
lie heart does beat = ~
o fink dat Mandy Il NJ
IL desc long years. r
nj we'll An dat L
red, devi'let's BIZ s. I'd
lvorite po'try. y /
arse to her ebi
or, when / was ~ 3 n
ne haint forgot /
feel jes' like git
ght heah, an L E = : 7 I
IAN now, MI = & /
. hurry bout Il & # 81 t
II jes' run bacI Z IS - Y
kin up things l| i & HI
ais de peartess y. !
i, an don't III Il AZ \
j dirt down as,ar c
mt up 9 pans I ider; !
I'M rags an ghty
l me somethi andy. Why s
I'VE you been sci 80 long?'' /,
'Scuse me. bsss 1l6r not 'splainin' Il
ngs, but hit pears as If Use clean K
st-aay senses ebber sence you read 0
3 dat letter." and Uncle Ike removed a
) hat again, while the smile on his a
&c deepened into a broad grin. d
tsYou see,s he went on, s.when me b
d Mandy was sot free, we had no s,
oney wort talkin' bout, so Mandy 81
Q said maybe I'd better run de ribber Ii
lille, an she'd hire ont somewhat to Il
ok. SOS we could sabe little. Well, d,
greed, an went off on the ribber, an
S gone six months. II was tooken N
LII fever down In New Orleans, an q
no chance to send any money home.