Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-12-19

as it is by the last wife's ~fortuneJ. My
client was a babe in long clothes when
Reuben and Lummy received their free
dom. Now he is a grave portly gentle
man. with the air of a soldier, a kind face,
a slight limp (caused by a Yankee bullet
in his left FOOT, which somehow does not
distract at all from the dignity of his ap
~pearance, and very small hands and feet
which seem to become him, though never
admired those things In a man.
He received me Hospitality, standing
bare-headed in the p doorway as we
drove up, the rudy light from the big
FIRE (opposite the door, throwing his
shadow, wavering, distorted, and ~unnatur-
ally large, far out on the frozen lawn. As
we approached the house Reuben had sung
out, "E-fwuml Aw. E-fwum! E-fwum
Sylvanee! Aw, E-fwumi Come an ten
ter der coItsl' And just as we jumped
out Ephraim Sylvanus lounged up and
took charge of the team. while Reuben fol-
lowed me into the house, and receiv-
ing a nod from the colonel, waited IN the
background while we talked.
The Colonel told me that Reuben would
be my attendant during my stay. He IS
old, said the Colonel, but he will serve
you better than any young darkey on the
/ place.. OHg uOH ltG ulhn Odlh gou "
death"
SO pretty soon Reuben took me to my
room. First, we went up the broad stairs,
then round a half-circle of hallway curv-
ing to the left, Though a curtained arch
and a narrow high passage lighted by little
s~ky-lights, up a flight of four or five stairs
into a handsome wide gallery and across
this and up another set of stairs into the
room assigned to me. Goals glowing IN
an open CRATE in the half circle, and a
large log fire In the gallery, only half-lit
the way. | caught the CLEAN of white
statues In inches In the wall, and the CLINT
of armor from a pedestal in the gallery, d
dinted scabbard and a musket over the fire
place, and one or two misty portraits in
furnished frames. All so dreamy and in
distinct that | found myself wondering
how | should find my way downstairs
again if Reuben left me.
This. however, was not In the mind of
the white-haired retainer. He lighted a
pair of the candles for the bureau, and an
other for the mantel. Then he solemnly
and slowly replenished the fire, and with
great deliberation unpacked my bag.
Something about the old mans slowness
and soberness impressed me. All the ser
wants down here are slow, but none of
UIlcll dTt Sdu. anu 1t SIuCh IlC lOlC1DlN
that this air of sadness had fallen on Reu-
ben as soon as he entered the room. Think
ing of this | stood for a moment looking
back through the half-lit gallery, and
vaguely noticed that there were branches
of cedar and holly and pine over some Of
the pictures and arches and doors, and
over the scabbard and musket that hung
above the fireplace. And they gave ii
wholesome woodsy fragrance to the air.
But while | noticed things | was dis
tinctly conscious of Reuben's movements
behind me, and his heavy signing as he
put my things in place. Presently | heard
soft laughter in another part Of the house,
a scampering of feet, a faint strain of
music, then a sound of closing doors, then
silence. And somehow that silence made
me SILVER. And the negro shivered. too.
Well, | never yield to any such uncanny
influence as felt then, so [ turned to
Reuben and tried to make my voice sound
perfectly natural as | asked, House full of
company?'-to which he replied rolling
his eyes around the room uneasily. and
standing back against the WALL
''Wall sab, no, sab. We mus hab
some young folks, OBJ cose, for Miss Virgin
la and de young genelmans. But nothin'
like when Marse George war alive. When
he war home 'tseem jess like dey couldn't
hab comp'ny enuff. Ebber see Marse
George, sah?"
knew that the Colonel had buried his
oldest son few years before, but | had
never met him. Sol pulled a chair up to
the fire and made Reuben sit down and tell
me about him.
''Marse George" said Uncle Reuben,
"Marse George war ies as handsome, an
10, az, GOOD a., 40 7 ord o1,ouo HonuUC how
tomake. He was tall as me, and wide cut
square, jes like de picture ob de ole squire,
out dar in de gallery. And his blue eyes
look out kinder stern under his black eye
brows, only when he smile, den his eye
jes laugh. An his hair curl like a grape
vine, only he keep it too short. Marse
George warn't afraid o muffin In natuI ;.
He'd swim da river In der spring freshets.
He broke In de wust colt we ebber had on
de place, he'd ride his boss ober any fence
or hedge aroun' hyar, an if anybody offer
ed to tech one of us" (meaning the blacks)
he'd fight like de debbil. Marse war
main fond oh de ladies, too, all but Miss
Sally, yer couldn't tell muffin about Miss
Sally.
Miss Gresham-dat's Miss Sally-war
a northern lady dat war down heah de
yeah Marse George died. | usel to
bliebe she trick Marse George, fur ies' es
soon as she come, all de obber ladies war
ies' nowhar. An yet she warn't noways
handsome either. But she jes glance his
way, an he foller her like a lamb. NH
lady war mighty taken wild Miss Sally, too.
She brought her home wild her when she
cum from de mOuntings. You see, NH
lady, she alwus war somefun of a intidel,
dat is, not a infdel isactly, but she allus
( goaway a-lookin' for her health cherry
summah. Sometimes she go to Virginia
Beach an Ocean Grove an ter de Springs
or ter de mountings. Wall, dat yeah she
2 dun TUX it inter er head ter go ter de Cat
: kills,-wherever dey is | don't know, nc
morn nafin, but dat's whar she went an
: Lummy an Cindy went wild her. An
2 when dey cum back dey brung Drought
Miss Sally.
Il member jes' as well de nigh dey got
. yeah. T'war rainin' jes like Noah's rain.
= storm, an it thunderl an it tighten! an
: de roads war ies' like a river. Marst
George an me-, we went to de train fer tel
! meet de ladies, an | held de bosses, cast
dey rear so, an Marse George go into de
cars to help the ladies. Dey was al
. bundled up. for t'war mighty cold an yor
2 couldn't tell which war white, an which
war black. Nh lady made Lummy helI
=, her ober de puddles, an Cindy brought
e car of Miss Sally. An | saw Miss Sally
e a little screech, an Marse George, he ketcl
e her les in time an he pick her right VI
an tote her along ober de stones an mud
g az no pabar cot bar down fill be Our he,