Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-08-15
UNCLE DAN'L'S STORY.
Original Story By Richard Buckn@ Allan

UngInA b.ofy " RcnAsu oucAu11 AASss
{ was lost gave up hope and refined in my
horse after fnal and fruisles ssarch for tbs
government ~round stumfs" which point out
70 the helatei Traveller the big road" Already
! beard tbs faint bark Of hungry wolves,
driven TO the ridges from the depths Of ths
cypress brakes by overflow; the shrill, human
like walls Of eats" and the tip, tip, tipping
OF tiunid deer. Listening intsntly, ! endeav-
oresl 10 catch some sound Of civili1s ton. some
tone Of deep niouthed hound, or cench, nasio-
dioQzly ssrnmoning thu iaborsrs from The CO..
ton n,ids, Ivy which TO guids M through The
intricate mazz Of tbs forese Early thss
morulng I started from small village on tbs
banks OK the Mississippi river 70 20 tc tho
..Ga,land Place." - the plantation was
called by the natives Of tbs county. 1t was
abou. twenty miles from tbs village and on
the waters Of Bayou Bartholomew, o tortuoos,
turgid ssream. Refusins ell tie kindly prof
fered offers OF company and . guide, started
alone Family echoing amid ths dismal
depths, musical a the call Of . bugh over
waters, soft a tbs tone Of distant chimes,
heard the mellow notes Of . human voice.
Neargr, uearer still the sounds came.
heavsi q grateful Sigh Of relief Finally
could bear and distin guixh the words Of an
old negro hymn. Uncultured, untaught, un-
trainei as that voice was, IL thrilled M -
never did tho tenor Of Campanini or
Brisnoii.
Go Gown, Nos4s, way down in Egypts Ian.
Tell ole Pha-ry oh ter iet my people 20,
rolled out the tuneful voice, ending each
verse with u peculiar. upward glide from the
rich barry tone To high faisetto note. COM
mon to nearly every negro voice In song. An
Oil negro rode toward NE and sajd:
"Good eh'nin, boss"
Good evening" uncle. Can you tell me how
70 reach the Garland placel fear an
lost" / answered.
II kin dat, fur fack I lib on de- place,
an Tine gwine dar dis hyar minnit Dis
WOODS am bad place ter git los In, boA
Hits pow 'fo 'ceivin' You bstter keep clos
ter dis ole mules tail, case de slashes am
mighty deep in desc hyar woods an fob you
know hit, keraop, you git In dem"
Then clutehing TO his mule and kicking her
bony sides vigorously, he started. l followed
him silently, keeping Close ITO dis ole mules
taii." according TO my instructions. For
probably an hour We wound among the trees,
now OH "a ridge" now in "a slash" We
finally gained the "opnin." q my leader
Then we rode out from its gloom Then
saw ni5 broad, jovisl, black face. A possum
akin cap, WOODEN coat, a blue checked cot
ton shirt and nondescript pair OF trousers
stuck into rawhiJe boots completed his COS
tume. lie role . large, gaunt old mule
whose age must have been forgotten. We
reached gutc that opened into tho wide cot.
ton fields Far i'll front OF US stood broad,
rambling, white frame house with wide We
rand4,s az galleries White and desolate it
looked that night, ghost Of former grandeur
No lights were there at the windows, no
rudy glow Of wood fires CLEANED through
the closed Iattices No sounds issued from or
around it, such are wont to from home.
rs Mr.. Gurland's house near heref'
asked my companion.
Dat dar wuz his'n oncest, boss. Oar amt
| no Garlsns now, sah.' He turned to me a.
no sail this, aud his face was troubled, his
voice grew sad and pathetic.
"Dues no one live oil that handsome placef"
"Noi, sah tlar amt been nobody in dat
house for nigh onter fifteen years Me
an my ole 'uoinan Ibis in de little cabin
| down yander 'Vinie an me bot Garlan'
niggers. Belonged to Massa Jim Garlau'
fol lie wah an b'longs ter him yit." His
voice touched me, interested and aroused my
curiosity.
"w lat is your name, uncleP
"Dan'i, boss
| swell, Daniel, want to see this planta-
ion to morrow, and II you can give me .
| place 10 stay over night ! shall not only
tha.lk bus pay you"
"'cour,e kin. Ill git 'Vinie ter fix up o
room III ,ic big house fur you. l doan want
no pay. aiar,e Garlan' he turn ODER in his
| grade ef he wuz ter know anybody paid ter
stay on dis place
! THANK you; l accept your Kindness"
said aloud, "aud also your reLuke. thought.
"Yes, sab, Wine. dcts my WIFE, sal; she
Ill hab good place fur you, too DE house
| jes' e Lit wuz years an years ago. She ill
jes' air lie sheets an blankets, an' den, dar
| you il al fixed up"
BY this time we had traversed the wide
fields, skilted the houseyard fence and came
to a halt bcfore little cypress log cabin in
the rear OF the mansion which looked 20 big,
white and ghostly III the moonlight The
door latch of the cabin was lifted at our ap-
proacb, Gid intutively l guessed that was
~ I'M who welcomed me. Tired, sore and
stiff f'lA Icing so long in the saddle, how
w.lcoric how snug did the interior OF that
little cabin look to me. Aunt Vine" hustled
sat down to supper, consisting Of coffee,
"brazed duck corn cakes and sweet potatoes,
while the old couple waited on me, pressing
me to eat moro. Niteiiius at his table groan-
ing under tho weight Of delicacics from
every quarter Of the then known world, never
supped as regally as on that night When
supper was over and Aunt Vinie' had left
the cabin to go over to the big house to ar
range for my accommodation for the night,
lighted my cigar and taking a comfortable
chair asked Daniel to tell me the story OF the
Garlands and the cause q the house being
| deserted
Daniel, sitting in the corner Of the wide,
deep, open fireplace, in which blazed and
cracked huge pile Of logs, in answer to my
request. slowly took out u pair of iron bound
''spccs,r carefully wiped them with huge
bandana kerchief and thus began a tale that
was tender and pathetic.
Hits err mighty long one, boss. an l amt
ed muffin ter enybody bout tie doins oh dis
hyar bi-oh place the pronounced 'bayou'
thus, FER err many err long day. | wuz
bawhn on dis place an Marse Garlan', he
owned VIIie an me bot. | tended de HOSES
an druv de carr y-ase, an Vmie, she wuz ole
missus house gal Ole marse he had
two clillerii, Miss 'Ouise an little Marse
John. Den ole n,arse's nefew, er orphan, he
| lived Lyar too. Ole niarse's sister, up ter
Memphis, ,he tuk'n died an lef' dis boy ter
biin. lie wuz lie hansomes' chile, his h'ar
looked ies' like gold an his two eyes wuz jes'
d nelor Of a hazel mt arfter de secon' fros'.
Little Marse John Garlan' wuz as brown a
dat gum log. His eyes wuz black phi he had
er pow'ae mean way bout him. Miss Ouise
she used ter run ter her cousin Reggie stanton,
wheneher Marse John treat her bad. An
little Marse Reggie he up an tole Marse John
he'd knock'n de mischief out'n him II be doan
use his little sister better. ! seen dat boy
slap his sister oncest in d. face an Mars
Reggie jumped right on bis back an Gone gin
him err pow'ne bastin'. Bre8 your heartl
dem chillern jss growed up right round dil
cabin doh used ter keep dem boys frum
fifteen many . time, cas Mare John allsrl
rilin' Mis- 'Ouise an Mars Reggie, he allers
tux up fer her. DEN d.r wuz er little ga
frum de nex' place dat wus wid EN- all d.
day long. She wus Mis- Florie Lscour.
She wux de prettiess little gal in oil
dis op'ninL Bof dem boys resked deli
necks dusen times Or day fur dat little chile
Miss Florie she'd larf an sing an darnce d.
whole day frew. An ef she'd say % dem
two boys nd cline de hi'ess trees artes
squirls or git on de wiLles HOSES on de plaza
An ef dey didn't do what she done tole 'eu
ter do. she'd jos stomp her little feet an den
| gray eyes oh hers d jes' sparkle an darncs
like dat fire dar. an g;t jes' like de blob dc
when de sun gifts down benin de treeA An
| when dey done hit, she'd jes' mile an show
dem sharp teeth Oh hers in er heaheulv smile