The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-09-18
"PM JES' A WAITIN'."
How n Faithful Negro Watches For His
Young Mistress to Come.
I

Inc bvenlng Lamp,i
In the alluvial region of Louisiana the
forest foliage is almost impenetrable by
sunshine, and the underground of weeds
and vines is as dense as q tropical jungle.
Leaving a clearing and going into the
woods is like a sudden transition from
midday to twilight. Near bayou in this
wild section stands a white frame house,
one story high, with long roof whose
slope is so gradual it would almost seem
the rain would not flow from it. Years
ago it was tenanted. Now it has no dwell
ers, for the place is haunted.
The spirits of pure girl and brave
soldier need not create fear. But people
are superstitious; besides, these ghosts are
never seen, only heard. They moan in
the garrett they call each others names
in the parlor; a wall comes up from the
bayou; but those who make these sounds
are never visible.
The old quarters are deserted by all,
save one. He saw his young mistress
leave home one still morning in autumn.
She told him she would return at noon.
She never returned, and he is waiting for
her still.
Eyes, marster," he said, Use heah yit,
an heah I'll stay till de Lawd taps me on
de head an SAYS, Come erlong, Rufus. i
KANT lebe. / couldn't eff | tried. Sposen
she'd come back some evenin', who'd be
heah ter take keer OBJ her? She wuz so
good an so sweet; 1 kin mos see her
now. skippin' erbout de house an er sing
in like er mockin'- bird. Cap'n Herndon
come down dat mawnin' ter tell her good
bye, fur he wuz er gwine ter fight de Yam
KEGS, you know. He wuz a mons'us fine
man, ez stout ez er giant, but ez kline
hearted ez Miss Lucy herself. Ez dey
come out en- de parlor, Miss Lucy, said
she, turning to me:
Rufus, we're goin' ter take a skiff-
ride
81 seed i'm hep her inter de skif, an
won't never fergit how proud he looked
an how purity she looked. He pulled out,
an dey shot up de stream like an arrer.
1t wuz er laung pull, mos ha'f er mile,
fore dey reacht de ben, an | stood on de
bank an wactht de skiff cut fru de water
lilies till dey got outen sight. l sot down
an waited. Dey didn't come. Itgrowed
dark, an de moss on de trees swung its
arms like ez if it wuz stressed erbout
sump'n. Dey didn't come. Erbout mid
night de empty skif come er floatin'
down. De whole plantashun turnt out
ter hunt fur 'em. Mex day. erbout mile
up de byo, ole marster spied sump'n white
LAWN on er water lily. He rowed out an
got it. 1t wuz er piece oh paper, on which
wuz rit desc words: George Herndon.
Lucy Milburn. Miss Lucy don dat. 1t
was pinned ter de leaf by er gop brespin
whut she wore on her purity white frote
dat maWnin'.
"But we nebber seed 'em no mo-. IF
dey were drownded dey got cotch ter de
bOttom-dat bvo's fearful deep an full OBJ
bresh an trees-an' dey won't rise ergin
till de sea GIBBS up its dead. Ole marster
died. De las words he said ter me wuz;
Rufus, don't quit lookin'.' An | hain't
frum dat day ter dis. Use old an tired an
my han tremmels an my face is full oh
turner's, like er coulter makes in er new
groun', but heah I'll stay till de Great
Oberseer makes me lebe. Is de house
haunted? Yes. But / wouldn't be
afeerd ter stay dar eff l could see 'em. Ell
Miss Lucy's sperret wuz ter come ter me
I'd take it in desc poyr ole arms OBJ mine.
De wailin' an de moanin' cut my heart
clean in two, so l keeps away frum dar.
Ebery ebenin' STAINS an looks up de byo
tell black darkness fops its wings ober de
stream an de scritch-owl cries like er los
chile.
"Den I goes back home an lights er tai
Ter can'le whit burns all night. Lucy
mought come, an case she did she'd see
de light an say: Uncle Rufus is lookin'
fur us, George. Seer Fur eff dey do
come dey'll come tergedder. IF dey went
ter de bottom OBJ de byo dey went terged-
der, an dar dey'll stay tell judgment,
when devil stan by de right han OBJ do
Lawd arm in arm"