Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-05-17
UNCLE MERCURY'S "MOVIN'." ."

his mother gave him never coming to light
except when he deposited his vote at the
polls on election days as John the Baptist
Randolph" He was an aged man now
known all through the neighborhood a.
"Old Uncle Mercury over at the Ran
dolphs" His wife. "Aunt Pomona had
| been dead for some time she too, without
herself being aware Of it, had called upon
the Olympian dynasty for name for her
daughter This "onliest chile was named
Flora, nor was she very well pleased with
the selection "Flora amt nothin' but a
dog name nohow, she declared on one oc-
casion when shooting party came to stay
at the mansion, and one Of them had fine
setter called Flora Now that her dancing
days were well over, she developed in her
middle age an unusual spirit of thrift and
enterprise for one Of her race, saving the
pennies she had earned until she had dollars
enough TO buy piece of land and build a
cabin on it.
Standing over her wash-tub she gave me
one day graphic sketch of her efforts and
/ successes
"You see tell yo' how it is. Mis- Ran
dolph she mighty good to me, she glib me all
de clo'es | war, an de Gin'l he glib us plen-
| ty TO eat, an father gifts some o his old
] 'lO eS, luouBu utN ; a nedp loo DlB lot MN
! you could put two o him into one o. de legs
| o de Gin'ls pants, but | makes 'em fit well
'nough don have TO put none o. de mon
! ey makes on me nor in me, so | save it
and buy'd two acres of land from Mr..
! Syme, jis t'other side o dis farm, an done
build me a cabin o my own, whar me an
father kin spen' de res o our days, an git
our things all together. We got more
things n yo' ever seen, all pile up here
roun' us, under de bed an everywhar
| them what grandmother 'gueave % us, an
mothers things jis like she ef' 'em when
| she die, an what de ladies gihs me ! washes
/ for got elegant yaler silk dress wild
| a long sweepin' trail dHr in dat trunk. Mis-
Mabel Tayloe she glib me dat yaller silk
cause | done flute her ruitles so nice Hg
| hutin don squash none, | tell yo' Is
married | been married oncet dey don't
catch Flora agin burnt chile dread he fire
| | ain gwne II ; port no more good for
muffin men. Why dat Jim muffin warn
/ iittin fur to tech me when he war court
| in but after we was married he was a
warrin' agin me from mornin till night.
an a tryin' to keep my nose to de groun'
Mans lub do change SO quick At las he
| glib way to his wicked temper 50 oncessaut
dat he token crazy, an dey had to take
| him away an put him in de saloon asylum
| for fear o. We all's lives jim done gone
fo de Jedge now, an glib him a real nice
| funeral | wouldn't slave for nary nuvver
nigger in ole Fahginny. Dat ain savin' if
de right man come long | wouldn't marry
hints ordain OBJ de Lord, you know,
miss tain for us to he wiser'n He is, an
keepin' dat yaller silk for my weddin
dress. Flora too ole to war white de
] l.. 2 =
money to buy dat land an build from Mis-
Randolph got it mos paid now | tell
her dis summer she ought to take deedin'
an trustin' on my land till she git it all
but she say neber mind, | kin 20 ON doin
up de cloes for de family till it git paid.
What do father do He jis watch de Gin'l's
watermilion patch he war de likelies sar-
want ole marster had oncet, but he aint
good for muffin no mo but smoke he pipe
out at de do, an go down to dat patch
twice day to look after dem watermil-
ions, and thump em to see if day ripenin
fas', an keep de boys from stealth em.
ak him today how de millions comm ON, an
he say, Pretty peart, ef we don have
'nothar wet SPELL
Flora had firm, thick set figure, with
powerful muscles in her arms disclosed by
her rolled-up sleeves, as she gave these
items in her family chronicles over the
wash-tub her bright pink calico dress con
trastlng hhely Win her dark shlhy SKIN ahu
keen black eyes. She had quick, rest
less glance, a hasty toss OF the head, anc
one could not help suspectlng that III the
warfare with jim before he Token crazy
and was sent TO the saloon, her weapons
may have been quite as sharp as his, so She
was at least able to defend herself credlta
bly,.
'No ought TO a been heah to de groun
clearln 10 we buld de cabln. twas I
gret time, tell yo. we Vlte de hands OF
all de plantations roun an dey cut de
trees down ON my land '-explaining this
custom with vigorous WIRING OF some
bodys garment she dlsdained the use
patent wrlngers-'dey was IN de way
somehow. II baked de Olgges dinner 1ol
EN- eoer seem ell DO say II. Dey don
ak no wages Tor clearln' de groun, we Jl
leeds EN- wen VIA de Des de country
lords, an makes trohc Oh II. had cab
bage an pork an possum and buttermilk by
de gallon, an gret cakes corn bread al
brown so dey look like poun cakes. On
twas a mem able day, sho miss Now d
cabin all ready for us we gwine to move
day after tomorrow. got beautiful
!
chickens, an suntiowers planted IN de from
yard, an de do is all painted white till yol
can mos see your face shinln IN 1t. /
you gwine to he heah To de movn' in =
couple OF days after this there was I
great hustle IN front OF the quarters wher
Uncle Mercury had hved longer than any
servant now on the iarm could remember
the old ones having died OF, and many o
the former slaves having gone to the North
land OF promise after the war, to try thei
fortunes
mule wagon was drawn up at the door
and Flora was running back and forth
giving her orders to several small negr
boys who had been pressed into her service
and were now 'toting" sundry pieces o
furniture from the rooms inside to the cart
The mistress from the mansion house, Mrs
Randolph, was also standing ON the grass
advising and suggesting, but Uncle Mer
curry was respectfully having his own wa
about the removal of his effects There h
stood, leaning ON his cane, his once tai
1.-the figure bent way over from repeate'
attacks OF rheumatism, his wrinkled fac'
and still abundant grizzly hair showing
from under broad brimmed straw hat, hi
pipe now in hand, and then back in hi
mouth. Ills costume was an incongruuu
mixture; the generals baggy trouser
were surmounted by an ancient dress coat
which was too short wasted for him, It
swallow.talls almost lost sight of in th
amplitude of cloth below. This coat h
had probably preserved most carefully fo
years, only bringing it out for ceremonia
occasions, but by slow stages it had com
at last to daily duty among the watermel
ons, and resented its changed fortunes b.
bursting forth at the armholes. 1t wa