Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1889-04-03
POOR UNCLE IKE.
Patiently Watching and Waiting
For His Mandy"


his humble, old-iashioned way.
"Miss Lucy, will you do me de favor
10 read dis letter TO me-" he asked,
fumbling awkwardly in his pocket as
he spoke, and presently bringing TO
view a dirty yellow envelope, which
he held out TO me with trembling
hand.
why, who can be writing TO you,
Uncle Ikep" l asked, smiling ut tho
look OF expectancy on his black face.
Oats jes' what Tse been akin my
SET ebber sence de postmaster glib me
dat letter." no exclaimed, in n voice
that shook with excitement. "Now,
wus tinkin', as I como up from de
cabin, dat may be hit mought be from
Mandy. ! drempt last night dat seed
her a-comin' along do little lane yonder,
jes' as material as she ebber looked in
her life, an somehow / can't git dat
dream outen my mind. When / woke
up dis mornin', 'clar TO gracious II /
didn't 'spect TO see Mandy bustlin'
aroun' in de cabin, dat dream wus so
plain bcfo' my eyes! An when ] got
dis letter, so onexpccted-like-dc very
fust ebbcr got In my life--I said 10
myself: Maybe DIT dreams a-gwine to
come true Maybe Use gwine to see
my Mandy sho 'noughr But read de
letter, please, Miss Lucy, fur Use jes' on
nettles TO know what's in itr'
opened the letter little gingerly II
must be confessed, for II had the odor
of onions and tobacco clinging to 1t, and
looked as II IL might have been fshed
out OF some rubbish pile. Uncle Ike
leaned eagerly forward, his mouth wide
open, and his dim eyes fixed intently
on my face. waiting for mo to begin.
IL was very remarkable letter-re-
markable in more ways than one. In
the first place, IL was not dated nj all,
and the words were jumbled together in
manner that would have puzzled an
expert at letter reading. However, by
dint of hard study and frequent pauses,
] managed TO decipher the most OF II,
and, as nearly as l could make IL out, 1t
ran thus:
mi deer husban TAX mi Pen in han
to Rite yu Few lines'to Lett yu no
That Am vel an Hop when yu reeve IL
VIII fine you enjoyin The Same blessin
Man frum logan county WINS up hero
q da or to ago an Tolc Nee that WI wus
Livin down Thar nm that he Seed yu TO
weaks Ago am Comm TO yu rite Strate
When can PAX my Cloes haint thot
Nv Margin no more an l am Gla'ld TO
here yu haint. yu can Look for me
emmy Day so fair the we'll an no moro
Frum your Troo wife mandy folds the
rose is redd the vilcts blue candy is
sweet and so Is yu."
81 said hit mought DO from Mandy ~
cried Uncle Ike, when l had finished.
Ho was rubbing his wrinkled hands to-
gether, twisting his black face into all
sorts Of shapes, and acting altogether
In such a ridiculous manner, that l
dropped the letter, and laughed till the
tears ran down my checks.
"Why, Unclo Ike" / said, when
could find voice TO speak, II didn't
know you had n wife anywhere in tho
world l was under the impression that
you had strong notion of counting
Dinah. notice that you go TO tho bot
toms nearly every week."
"Sho |! Miss Lucy, docs you tink I'd
be fool enough TO marry dat moon-eyed
niggerp Why, dat Dinny couldn't hold
a candle to my olo oman !" and Uncle
Ike gave sniff OF contempt. II amt
a-courtin' OBJ nobody down In dem
swamps, honey. Lord Lord how my
ole heart docs beat wild JOY dis mawnin'!
To t'ink dat Mandy haint forgot me in
all desc long years, an dat she's alibe
an we'll An dat las line bout de rose
is rcd, do vi'lct's blue, was allus Mandy's
fnvorite po'try. used TO say dat berry
varse to her ebry time ! went to see
her, when ! was a-courtin' OF her, an
she haint forgot hit yit Brcss dc Lord!
/ feel jes' like gittin' down on my knees
right heah, an offerin' up pra'ar."
"An' now, Miss Lucy, II you amt in
no hurry bout sowin' dem fower-seed,
I'll jes' run back to de cabin nm go TO
fixin' up t'ings little. Mandy allus
was de peartest oman ebber sot eyes
on, an / don't want her to find speck
oh dirt down DIR. reckon / better
hunt up pane oh glass for de windcr;
dem rags an papers docs look mighty
onnery."
'But stop a moment, Uncle Ike" ]
said, as he turned away. you must
tell me something about Mandy. Why
have you been separated so longp"
"'Scuse me. honey, for not 'splainin'
things, but hit pears as II Use clean
lost my senses cbber sence you read
me dat letter." and Uncle Ike removed
his hat again, while the smile on his
face dcepened into broad grin.
"You scc," he went on, when mo
and Mandy was sot free, we had no
money wort talkin' bout, so Mandy
she said maybe Id better run de ribbcr
awhile, an she'd hire out somewhat to
cook, SOS We could sabe little. Well,
j agreed, an went of on the ribbcr, an
was gone six months. ~ was token
with fever down in New Orleans, an
had no chance 70 send any money home.
When I did git back, found that Man
dy had been gone away nigh on T., four
months. She went of to Ioway wild
some white folks. who wanted her for
nuss, and dat's de las ] ebber heercd
OF my ole oman till today. use roam
ed round heap sencc den, but l haint
nebbor come across Mandy, nor foun'
anybody dat knowcd whar she was, An
70 tiuk dat Use foun' her after all desc
years-hit jos seems too good to be
tricw -
IN seems that she has found you.
Uncle Ike | said. "for there Ii moth
ing about the letter 10 tell where II