Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-03-31


He look as kin TO Ray, he nd ride
him on be bay myar an bring him cam
dy, and sometimes be nd crack he
hickernuts when he pick 'em up. lie
knowcd / know what he dom an he
nuver say nuthin' pleasant to me sence
lie see how | love 'ay.
Onct he axt Marster fur bout a thou
sand dollars to pay ne debts, an when
he pa fuse him, he want to know
de wharfore, an marstcr tell him
as how he done spint his'n an
de rest longs to Ray. He were rale
mad. but he never rared up none he
jes bit he lip till de blood come an he
never say nothin'.
study not to let delitt chap git outen
my sight arter dis, Gaze ! knowed sump-
in nd befall him ef did.
Mars AL. he nuver change he kline
to he little brother, dat make me 'spi-
cious all de mo- dat he tryin to git Rays
birthright outen him.
Well, one day it come. i WIS at work
in de shop an Ray come down dar an
set down on de shayin's. | member
how he tuck de shavns as dey fall from
de plane an farstened EN- in he hat an
let EN- fall roun' he face an neck. he
called 'em he curls Pres'ny he Ak me
why don't take de work to de bench in
de shade hind de shop. Thought what
a smart, likely chile dat we're, an pick up
de planks an went out dar in de breeze.
| He followed me an set down in broken
place whar two or three palms was of
ON dc lower Ledge. l kin see now
how be little foots look as dey dangle
down. an eve'y now an den be tech he
toes on de groun'. He hat were sot on
de back o. he hade, an he ysllow Ia r
peep out an look fur all de world like de
rays OF de sun roun' dat precious baby
face. When | look up l see Mars Al.
comm cross de yard. he holler to me
fur to ketch he horse freely. |
cit de bride an axt Ray eff he don't
want to go an ride de mysr back. He
say yes, he want to 60 but he brother
/ tell him to wait, he got some candy fur
him.
As went long l look back ober my
shoulder an see 'em jest as | lef' EN-,
only Mars AL. he were handin' Roy
sumpin'. | git de horse quick as /
could, an as l come back by de old slate
query, as had not been used fur years
Gaze twere daneersome, l 'sprized to see
/ Mars Al. dar. He flung a little bundle
o. sumpin' in dar amongst de rubbish
an walk away quick as he lagos conld
/ cyar him. He know | see him, an he
( know see him 81 Ray sumpin' too.
When / Git back TO de stile | throwed
de lines ober de hook, an run back to de
shop. an dar lay nv baby on de shayins
by de workbench, he face all twitchin,
aud he never say 'cep' one word, an dat
were Mamma. Jes' as 1 pick him up an
start fur de house old Marster an Mis-
an Mars Al. come q ruDnin' ont, an she
tuck him way fom me. Marster tell me
90 fur de doctor, but Mars Al. say L
warn't to leave de plantation, an sont
Jack std o. me. | run in de house wild
/ 'ern. an Ray look just as white as dem
lily flowers as grows by de garden palm g.
whar Mistis love so well. Presny he had
blush look 'roun' he little mouf, an he
never say nuthin' tell arter de doctor
come an help him some. Den he AK he
Ma to sing to him.
/ Poo Mistis so stressed Gaze dey say
her baby gwine to die. She 'mence
singin but her voice brock down, an she
cry SO de baby tell her to "let Pompey
sing"
| most crazy wild sorrow, but coughed
de tears ont my throat an sing him
CANCELS meet me at de cross roads an
"Swing low sweet Chariot, come fur to
cyar me home" an de chariot on he way
den, fur Ray had three mo- hard spells
an den he shut he blue eyes and
straighten heself out an was dade.
AFTER while dee lay de little fellow
in he little crib an spread white kiver
over him, den dey pult down de curtins
an make it dark au' all go ont an lef'
him by heself. / know he amt never
like to stay all lone so / tuck my seat
on dc flo by dat crib. L couldn' think
he were dade an raise up de kiyer an
look at him an tuck he little white han
in mine. He was as col as Ice. AFTER
set thar some time the Doctor come in
to look at bin.
Jest as soon as he eyes rest on him he
say eyes, de chile sho' was pisoned. !"
When Mars Al. hear dat word he up an
ak me mighty loud what kind O candy
dat give Ray at de shop. Den he run
ont an look in de shavins fur de candy,
whar drap out Rays han. | didn' say
nuthin' an he tell Jack to lock me up in
de smoke-house.
De candy dey say wuz pisoned wild
stry chniDe.
stay dar all night an de rats run up
an down, an roun' an roun, an o
course i couldn' git no sleep. | lay in
thar on do lorgs as hols de barrels o
'lasses an vinegar an SIGH. De time
seem like 'twould stay dar furever, it SO
long. Pres n y de BOOSTERS crow fur day,
an way off yonder at Miss AIMS hear
her ROSTERS answerin' our'n; dey KEEP
it up till spang sunrise When it GIT
light 'nough fur me TO see / see de rats
run roun' on de jice Dove me; dey ud
come to one place whar dey could
see me wild dey little bright eyes. an jes'
as il dey see me fur de fust time dey I'D
tu'n roun' an split back in deys holes
an lei' dey long tails stickin' out hind
'em.
Dey done dis thousand times, /
reckon. How | members dem rats now
All dat long night dar was dem words
soundin' In my years whar hear Mars
ter say so often at prar's bout greater
love has no man den dis, dat man lay
down he life fur he frien's, so l say to
myself, "Pompey, you hear dat You
got to do all dat, Pompey." Den /
thought O all de stories f'om de Good
Book dat | done ben hear Mistis tell
Ray bout de baby Jesus whar was born
at Christmas time, an how he live to be
a man an den die fur po' sinners. So L
git on my knees an pray de dear Lord
TO hep me. an den | say, "Pompey
love de Lord. de Lord love Pompey, an
he gwine to hep me. so 1 amt gwine to
tell on Mars AL, an [ never is toll till
now" / say it's better fur dis niger to
die den fur Nistls to have to grieve arter
two her children, sides seem like life
amt worth nothin' sence my little lamb
gone. Pompey don't mind gwine too.
Mex day KEEP my eye at the chink
in de wall, an see de folks when de
come. and Mars Al. pear sometimes
wild he hankerchy to he eyes Den dey
4,,cL In littla whita oofss, an dow ox,ar ~