Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-05-17

quverng in his hands, as he slowed away
his things in an uncertain, shunling fash
ion in that wagon, which betrayed a reluc-
tance to this proposed move, a lingering
tenderness over the belongings Of half a
century, as if even the exposing them to
outside air were a PROCLAMATION.
ole gittin childish" " Flora whispered 10
Mrs. Randolph as her father carried a
handful Of china cups and saucers and de
posted them loosely in large basket in
the wagon, where they would certainly be
broken at the first start Of the mules.
"Never mind father let me do it,
fixing them after him.
Then he pegged by her with his cane in
to the house and after a short time came out
with a long blue bandbox, which, minus
cover, revealed bent, moth eaten hat Of
majestic proportions.
The lady, glancing at it, said "What on
earth are you going to do with that hat
Uncle Mercury 1t isn't fit for anybody
but scarecrow 10 wear. The general
has a great deal better one you can have" "
"What, dat hat, Miss Sally :" indignant
ly lifting the insulted hat out of the box,
and holding it up for us to look at as
though TO let it speak for itself. 81 amt
wantin' TO ,cdr it; wants to Keep it. Dat
was Marse Williams hat he glib it to me
when he go to de Mexican wah. | 'bleeged
10 hol on 10 dis hat while de brefs in desc
ole bones' Then he gave it a sort of hug
before placing the valued relic by the side
of Pomona's mothers chest, in a position
where the danger was imminent of its
being speedily crushed into a nonentity if
the latter should tumble over.
Next he came out Juggling picture in
snowy gilt frame. l expected to see Lin
coin signing the emancipation proclama-
ton, or Sumner speechifying before the
United States Senate, and was surprised to
recognize the characteristic figure on horse
back of the Confederate hero. Stonewall
jackson.
"Why, Uncle Mercury" | could not for
bear exclaiming, chow is it you haven't
got Lincoln's picture there instead of Jack
sons y
How come dat Why, Gin1 jackson
war ole marster's man, so he my man, but
| always speaks 'specful o. Marse Abe Lin
colnn-touching his hat Then he drew a
long breath after he rid himself of the bur
den, and said querulously, as he wiped his
face with the back of his hand 81 'car to
| Cord dis movin' am mighty pesterin'. De
ole place II do for Merc'ry; he done lib
heah, an P'mona lib heah, and she die heah,
an it good enough for Merc'ry TO die in,
reckon but Flora she"
go long father you knows l needs
mo- room, now is clear starchin' an iron
in for so many white folks down at de
town, let lone de family at de mansion
whar | always wash for, You'll like de
new cabin after yo' gifts settled, an 'tain't
much farther from de Ginl's watermlion
| patch den we is heah
Uncle Mercury pulled himself together
] .,,..1 r,F Tan.
! though gratihed at the mention of a field
| wherein his services were still indispensa
! BILE.
II ain had no chance 10 look after dem
watermions dis blessed day Dem rap
scallons from lie town n get 'em ef dey
don see me comm. Dey was pretty peart
! yestiddy gittin on fine Hiss Sally, ef de
sun II stay out hot.
Ieke and the mule were needed elsewhere
before long, so it was decided to leave the
beds and a few other necessary articles un-
til tomorrow they would sleep one more
night in the old house. After a festive
evening at the mansion, where the spirit of
the ancient hospitality shone as brightly as
ever, if its material part was less redun-
/ dant, | noticed from my window about
midnight light still burnin' in Uncle Mer-
| cury's room all the others in the servants
quarters were extinguished. Then, al
though it was early in September, one Of
those swift, unaccountable changes peculiar
to the Atlantic coast both North and South
came over the air, and the morning that
| followed was crisp and cold.
''There must have been hail somewhere"
the general remarked at breakfast and
| afterward when he started for his daily
tour of the premises he said, 81 hope the
cabin is thoroughly dry for Uncle Mercury
TO go into it would be bed for him to get
another spell of rheumatism"
Our host soon returned with changed
face. One could see something had stirred
a deep current of feeling during his short
absence We were all standing on the
porch.
Uncle Mercury has moved already" he
said, quietly. 'He was found dead in his
bed this morning. Flora wouldn't let them
tell me till after breakfast
Later ON | accompanied the mistress to
the house of mourning. Flora, completely
crushed by this sudden bereavement, and
abandoned to all the luxury of woe, was
seated in her own room, surrounded by
band of solemn faced negroes, members of
the burying society from the neighboring
town.
The burying society was an excellent in
stitution for helpless and infrm negroes
who belonged TO themselves, and the de-
| ceased had been a member of it for years.
If he had had a protracted illness, both
money and nurses would have been sup
piled weekly, but Heaven had been merci-
full in granting him the blessing of a sud
den dearth and now it only remained for
them to do well by him in the shape of
worthy funeral for this representative of
''ye olden time"
Father done gone to glory, Miss Sally, "
said Flora raising her face out of her
handkerchief 81 wouldn' 'sturb him dis
mornin' | thought de ole man mus be
tired after packin' an movin an he would
go down to dat watermilion patch de las
thing fo' supper in de cool OBJ de evenin',
when he war all het up an perspirin', an
when | went into his room bout eight
o'clock dis mornin', dar he was a-lyin' jis
like innocen' babe wild a smile on he face
but twas de will O. Cord, OBJ co'se" Then
a glow of affectionate pride passed over
her sad countenance, and she added;
"Twarn't nobody like him on dis pauta-
ton, an de ginl he always promise to glib
him fust-class funeral He too much oh
ge'man to bury a aged saint in flat top
coffin. An de Seal Order OBJ de cullud Ma
sons sends two hacks an 'cession O. mourn
ers. Miss Sally, is got airy Grape veil for
me to war y Presently she rose in a meas
ured, stately way, and the sisters and breth
rem of the burying society rose with her,
as she said to us, II wants you to see faith
er-he do make such beautiful corpse"
The door was open between her room
and the next, the inner one dim and silent,
with the indescribable aspect which an
apartment, in palace or hove, always wears
when thus tenanted. The furniture was
all gone save the bed and an oblong old
fashioned looking glass over the mantel in
which the scene was reflected There he
lay, separated from all his cherished pos
sessions "We brought nothing into this
world, neither can we carry anything out
of it" The lonely mirror over the mantel
was cracked from one end to the other.
Dat happen in de night" whispered
Flora, meaningly. DER war no crack yes
tiddy. .'-Hd,pey's Weekiu