The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-08-07
HNNHNlHS.
By JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS.

There were many SAD SlSntS TO De seen. "A
wide strip of country with desolate planta-
tions, and here and there lonely chimney
standing sentinel over pile of blackened and
smouldering ruins, bore melancholy testimony
to the fact that war is very serious matter.
All this is changed now, of course. The sec
tion through which the grim commander
pushed his way to the sea smiles under the
application of new and fresher energies. We
have discovered that war, horrible as it is,
sometimes drags at its bloody tumbri wheel
certain fructifying and fertilizing forces. If
this were not so, the contest in which the
South suffered the humiliation of defeat, and
more, would have been a very desperate affair
indeed. The troubles of that unhappy time
its doubts its difficulties, and its swift calam-
ities-will never be known to posterity, for
they have never been adequately described.
1t was during this awful period-that is to
cay, in January, 1866-that Lawyer Terrell, of
Macon. made the acquaintance of his friend
Ananias. In the midst of the desolation to
be seen on every hand, this negro was the for
Iornest spectacle of all. Lawyer Terrell over
took him on the public highway between
Macon and Rockville The negro wore
ragged blue army overcoat, pair OF patched
and muddy blue breeches, and had on the
remnants of what was once military cap.
He was leading a lame and broken down
morse through Tie HluC. anu was Iudkillg MS
way toward Rockville at what appeared to
be slow and painful gait. Curiosity
impclled Lawyer Terrell to draw rein as he
came up with the negro.
"Howdy, boss?' he said, taking off his tat
tered cap. Responding TO his salutation, the
lawyer inquired his name, "I'm name
Ananias sub. he replied.
The name seemed to fit him exactly. A
meaner looking negro Lawyer Terrell had
never seen. There was not the shadow of
smile on his face, and seriousness ill
became him. He had what is called a
hang-dog look. A professional over
Seer in the old days would have regarded him
as a negro to be watched, and a speculator
would lave put him in chains the moment he
bought him. With good deal of experience
with negroes, Lawyer Terrell had never seen
one whose countenanee and manner were more
vepulsiye.
t'Well," said the lawyer, still keeping along
with him in the muddy road, "Ananias is a
good name y
''Yasser,' he replied; "dat wat nanny
say. Nanny done dead now, but she say dat
dey wuz two Ananiases. Dey wuz ole Anan-
las en- young Ananias. One un UNI wuz de
liar. Ell de udder wuz de Poffit. Dat wat
NANNY say, I'm name after de Pefit,
Lawyer Ierreh laughed, and continued dis
cross-examinaton.
"Were are you going?'
"Who? Me? I'm gwine back ter marster,
sub"
"What is your masters name?"
"Cononel Benjamin Flewellen; yes; know
the colonel well. What are you going back
there for?"
"Who? Me? Dat my home, sub. I bin
brung up right dar, sunlight long side er
"Miss Ellen Flewellen," said Lawyer
Terrell, refectively. AT this remark the
negro showed slight interest in the converse
ton; but his interest did not improve his ap.
pearance.
"Yasser dat her name sbo but VEAL call
her Miss Nelly"
ga very pretty name, Ananias," remarked
Lawyer Terrell.
"Lord yasser."
The negro looked up at this. but Law
ser Terrell had his eyes fixed on the mud
dy road ahead Of him. The lawyer was
somewhat youngish himself but his face
had hard firm expression common to those
who are in the habit Of having their own way
In the courthouse and elsewhere.
"Where have you been, Ananias? ?" said the
i@Ey %5pp gsinse e bin long wild Sherman armv
suh"
"Then you are quite a soldier by this time"
"Lordl yasserl / bin wild UNI fun de time
dey come in desc parts plumb tell dey got ter
Sander vile. You amt never is bin ter San
der'yile, is you, boss?"
"Not to say right in the town, Ananias but
I've been by there great many times Law
yer Terrell humored the conversation, as was
his habit.
never go dar; special don't you go dar wild
no army kaze hits de longes' en- de
nasties' road fun dar ter yer wen you er
comm back dat L ever is lay my two eyes on"
"Why did you come back, Ananias %
"Who? Me? Well, sub, wen de army
come long by home dar, look like eve ybody
got der eye sot on me. Go whar / would, look
alike ali de folks WIZ watchin' me. Bout time
de army wuz pilin' in on us, Marse Wash
Jones, witch never is done i'm noharm dat
knows uII, he went ter Marster, he did, en- he
Glow dat eff dey don't keep mighty close watch on
Ananias deyd all be massycreed in DER beds.
! know Marse Wash toP Marster dat kaze
May Ann, witch she wait on de table, she
come right outer de house en- top me so, Right
den, sub, I gun ter feel sorter skittish. Mar
eter had done got me ter hide all de stock out
in de swamp, en- | low ter myself, / did, dat
I'd des go over dar en- stay Wild um. l amt
bin dar so mighty long, sub, W EN- yer come de
yankees, en- wild UNI wGz George, de carriage
driver, de Niger wat Marster think mo-
NV den he do all de balance er his mig
gers En- now, den, DIR wuz George a-fetchin'
de yankees right whar he know de stock wuz
did at"
George was very handy negro to have
around" said Lawyer Terrell.
"Yasser. Marsteg thunk de worl' en- all or
dat niger, en- dar he WIZ shown de yankees
whar de mules en- bosses WIZ hid at Well,
sub, soon ez he see me, George he put ont, en-
staid dar wild de bosses. try ter git dem
folks not ter kyar UNI off, beg um en- 1 plead
Tered long after um, en- deg driv dem HOSES
en- mules right by dc house. Marster wuz
stannin' out in de front porch, en- wen lie see
de yankees got de stock, en- me long wild
UNI, sub, he des raise up his han's-so-en
drap un down by his side, en- den he tuck N
tun roun en- go III de house. i run ter de do,
1 did, but Marster done iassen it, en- den run
roun' de back way, but De back do wuz done
fassen too. ! know'd dey didn't like me, ~
Ananias went Oh, picking his way carefully
Through the mud, Zen l wuz mos out'n my
head, kaze 1 amt know W at ter do. 'Tain't
wild myers like il Is wild white folks, sub.
White folks know W at ter do, kaze dey in de
habits er doin' like dey wanter, but niggers,
sub niggers icy CT difunt. Dey dunner wat
ter DO"
"Well, what did you do?" asked Lawyer
Terrell
"Who7 Me? Well, sub, I des crope off ter
my cabin, en- l draw'd up cheer front er do
Ter, On stirred up de em5ers, en- sot dar.
amt sot dar' long 10 Marster come ter de do
lie open il, he did, en- he come In. He low
.'xeu IL dar, ADaniasT Say, 'Yassar, Den