Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-01-04
LARKIN AND MARIA.

darby haint got feelln'S DIES de same ez WhlGe
folks tells UNI bout Ria en- Larkin Amt
none Nv UNI gwine ter spute wild me den; no,
sab, dey cayn' git roun' dat pint.
ssYou 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.
eve all b'longed to Marse John Paxton
den. ,twuz long 'fo' de war, way down in
middle Geo'gia. He had SO many niggers he
halter ak um sometime is dey hlsn or 90
dey blong ter somebody else.
! s.Larkin wuz DIES de fines young darby on
de plantation De wuzn't muffin lat any
body lay dey hans to at he couldn't beat UNI
aft it. He wuz erhead wen it come ter
maxim shuck collars, en- door mats, en- brooms,
putin in split bottoms in chairs, en- mendln'
shoes. Marse John say time en- ergin at no.
body 'cep' Larkin kin half sole his boots fur
Jim.
about dis time Larkin shyin' his eye
mighty 'spicious at Ria, de purity yaller gal
,at waits on de table in de big house. De
Nuzn't no doubt in my mind 'at Ria wuz
willin', 100, for she mighty ready ter hang
back wild i'm after meetin' broke up eve'y
Sunday.
"Well, sub. Marse John tuck US all by
,sprise one day. 'Twuz DIES after de family
had eat er big watermelon in de dinin' room
en- der preacher wuz in dar wild UNI.
stMarse John SEN fur Jim en- Luke en- lobe
an Dave en- Larkin. Den he call fur Ria en-
70, 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 UNI feard 'at dey gwine git de lash fur
sompen wurr dey DONE
Gwen day all stan'in' two rows, tax
Marse John put UNI, facin' one nurr DIES like
dey gwine dance de Firginey reel, Marse
John say:
"sFolks, de is gotter be some marryin' done
on dis plantation-de is too many Ell you peo-
pie living by yose'ves. Des cast yo' eye at
big May dar, she's fat en- forty, en- amt
nuver knowed wat 'twuz ter have er husban'.
En- lobe los all 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
ners.' Wild dat Marse John gin ter count,
zone, two, free, fo', five, ski den he boiler
out:
l. "'Choose yo' partners
"'En he haint no MON got de wods out'n
his mouf 10 Larkin en- two mo- niggers jump
at Ria lax dogs at er bone. Ria scream LAX
you stickin' er knife in Ter, en- jerked away
from UNI all 'cep Larkin, en- put her head
ergin his breas en- KEEP on cryin'.
sOr Marster seem lax he feel kinder sorry
for Ria, fur he quit laughin' all at once, en-
order Dave en- Jim ter STAN back. Den he
say
"tLarkin, does you want ter marry Ria?
''En Larkin 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 Larkin?'
En- Ria say, 'dout lookin' up:
"'Yes, Marse john
seWell suh I amt nuver yit seed white
folks look so serious over er trifin' matter.
Ole miss put er Handkerchief up ter er face en-
Miss Lucille, my young mistis, wuz actuly
cryin,.
''Den Mars John look lax he try ter make
light Nv it en- couldn't, fur his voice trenholm
mighty strange wen he say:
"sWell, 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 OFF tell mex week en- den have big
time en- plenty t. eat
s'En wen de time 'riv 'twuz er gram we'd
din en- infare. Ria WIZ dressed out in er
fine silk dress en- Larkin had on bran new
broadcloth Ell calfskin boots. De supper
wuz in de big house dinin' roonl en- dar wuz
:, ,nugh feat fur a regiment er soldiers After
dey done married dey all tu'n loose ter
dancin' in de barn, en- hit lasted tell mos
day.
ssNow I'm gittin purity OIL en- seed consid-
er'ble married people, bofe white en- black;
but dem two wuz certenly de mos happies'
ever come er croSt
s.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 d.
trouble fur us all.
'sMarse John got ter speculatin' say
he not satisfied wild wat he had, en- want tel
git rich. He wuz erway in New Orleans ful
er mont after time. One day we all hear al
de'plantation en- us darkeys all gwine ter be
sold ter pay Off Marse Johns debts.
SOP mistis mos 'stracted, en- Miss Lucille
walkin' de flo en- cryin' lax Ter heart broke
De Ian en- slaves halter go; de wuzn't Nc
way gittin' roun' hit. Judge Bacon WIZ
pinted receiver by de Law. But all dis didn't
come up ter wat we halter went thoo w'er
de day come fur us slaves ter be sold on d.
block at de court house. De wuz powfu
big croud f'om all sides; DIES LAX hit wuz el
hangln'.
'.Tm tellin' you de trufe. wuz more sor-
rier fur Larkin en- Ria AN wuz fur myself
reckon 'twuZ kase dey take on so.
'Dar wuz er niger trader f'om Louisiana
ready ter buy six ur us; en- he WIZ 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 f'om 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
eight fifty. 'Twuz ergin de rules fur UNI ter
open der moufs while dey on de block; but
Larkin clean forgit de rules; en- wen dey got
ter biddin' hot en- high on i'm, his eyes got
plumb full of water en- he tar open his shirt
at de neck en- twis' his hat twix' his hams LAX
'twaz er rope-Larkin pear LAX he gwine tel
die wild er spasm
"En wen de trader say eleven hundred dol
1ars,' Larkin DIES bend down tods i'm en- beg
Jim
"'Now, marster, eff you buy me you mus
buy Ria, sub; she's my wife. Oar she is wild
de red head cloth on
''De woz considerable talkin' 'mongst de
white people, en- er farmer wild er plantation
jinin' we alls bid 'leven hundred en- fifty.
Larkin look at i'm powful glad, dem de trader
say:
'''Twelve hundredr
''Larkin look at i'm ergin en- say:
"'Ef you buy me, sub, fur God sake take
Ria, too, sub. Wouldn't be no count doubt
Ter, en- she is er mighty faithful woman; az
Ter mistis, she tell you So
''De auctioneer tell Larkin ter dry up; but
twusn't no use; ev'y time de trader raise de
bid Larkin beg 'en ter buy UNI both. Twixt
UNI all en- de 'citement, dey run Larkin up
ter sixteen hundred dollars en- de trader got
Jim.
''Larkin jump off'n de block en- git on his
knees TO de man en- pied wild i'm ter buy
Ria too. Dat trader des kick de POI darby
LAX he er chunk er wood, en- say:
"'Git erway! DON'T 'sturb me! haint
here to buy women; des got orders fur
men,
"Larlin look LAX he stark, ravin', 'stracted.
He went ter Ria en- dey cry togerr lax
chilern.
s'Dey halter take Ria ter de block by main
fo'ce, wen hit come her time, en- den she
couldn't STAN up she SO weak Marse Sam