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

out what he say, an she seed Miss Sally
war gettin' excited, so she bundles Marse
George right out ob de room. An Lummy
don t reckon dat Miss Sally slept a wink
dat night,
"Howeber, she finally got well an came
downstairs. an do her music an her
fancy work jes' like de oders. But she an
Nurse George don hardly speak to one
anoder, an Cap'n Green hold her worsted
an get her fan an pick up her handler
chief, dem days. An Marse George goes
out shooting all day an all night he waits
on his mother. An he get pale an his
eyes get bigger an bigger. An when
waits on de table | dun notice dat both of
'em makes out to live on mighty little. An
when / member what a mighty smart eat
er Marse George used ter be, | suit MY
does feel worried. About that time de
Colonel began to talk about de Christmas
party. De Colonel allus give a big time to
all de pore folks Christmas. an Marse
George hab been mighty interested odder
years. He ailus tends ter tr1mmin' up de
house wild greens, an he I'D GO to town
for eberything de missus asked for, an
act like he couldn't do enuff. But dis
yeah he didn't seem ter hab no spirit in it.
Nh lady kinder joke him, an say she mus
drive him every step, and she told Miss
Sally ter make him work.
Me an Efiwum Sylvanus draw'd a
right good loado o holly an ground cedar,
el reckon bout two weeks before Christmas.
an Marse George an Miss Sally an NH
lady all help make wreaths an dey twist
long strings OBJ cedar together to put
around the banisters an such. One day
we wal workin in de half-circle an NH
! lady had comp'ny come, so she went down
to the parlor a while. De vine we war
putin up wal too short, an Miss Sally
war piecin' it out, an / stood up On de
ladder holdin' de oder end. Marse George
began talkin' low an earnest like an she
war tremblin' right much, | could tell by
the vine she war holdin'. But she spoke
kinder peart. like she couldn' t bear to talk.
"At last | hear him speak right out an
say, Sally, l can't stand this; don't you
sect is killing me? An | do believe it
will kill my father too.
Den Miss Sally drop the green's an flung
herself down on de stairs wild a bitter
moan, an cried like her heart would
break, and I heard her say: oh, have
mercy! Oh, my love, pity me! Oh, God!
pity US both Oh, if death would only
comet
Den he war down on de steps beside
her an he war crying too. 'Twar gettin'
dark right fast an dey forgot all about me,
an dar was | on top Oh be ladder, up ober
DER heads, an | didn't know what to do
more dan a statue oh foolishness standin'
up dar.
Pretty soon he moves a little, and she
murmur: Don't touch me, George. It
is a sin to even think of me. Oh, God!
how wretched | am. an then she appeared
to be praying, an he seem to be cursing
somebody, an all at once it struck me dat
it war de strange gentlemen at the party.
Twar him dat somehow done all de mis-
chief.
''It cum ter me so sudden dat | kinder
jump on de ladder an de both heard me,
natchelly. An Miss Sally ran off right
smart, l tell you; I had to laugh to see
her scamper, do | were right much scared
too. For Marse George turned on dis
pore niggah like a lion. l nebber got
such a settin' up-no, sab, not chen III
slavery days. An in de end pore Marse
George fell in a fit like, an | hab ter tote
him off ter bed.
Den we send for de doctor an tele-
graph for de CoIonel-he war gone to
Richmond-an NH lady an de doctor, an
Lummy an me, we sat up putty near all
dat night. De doctor say he hab a high
fever an mus be KEEP quiet. But Marse
George fight at the medicine, an say he
want ter die, an cry for Sally, an act like
he had no sense. NH lady scold him, but
dat don't do no good: All day Sunday he
war no better an Sunday night be never
slep' a wink. Monday de Colonel came
an he sat by de bedside a spell, an Marse
George didn't seem to know him. but KEEP
on crying for Sally An de Colonel
look at NH lady, an shake his head, an
groan.
Monday night de fever was higher
dan eber, an | heah de doctor say: This
must be stopped. Another night like this
! will kill him Den he ask me about Miss
| Sally. an [ tole him. De doctor stayed
all dat night an lay down ON the lounge
In Marse Georges dressing-room An all
night long the poor boy roll his head from
side to side and humble queer words, an
cry for Sally.
Toward mawnin', I reckon bout 5
o'clock, | war doing In a chair, fur | wus
tired right much-an' | walked up sud
den, an Marse George war out o bed an
jes' wild-he said he mus go to Sally,
Sally call him, an he mus go. Well, it
took tree oh us to get him back In bed,
an den de doctor wrote on a piece OBJ
paper an tell Lummy to take that to Miss
Gresham, and bring back an answer, an
in bout two minutes de door opened an
in came Miss Sally.
"She hab on a long black gown dat
trailed along the de mating, an her hair
am braided in a long tail way down her
back, an she hab white slippers on her
little feet. She walked up to the bed an
took Marse Georges hand in both oh hers
a minute. Den he tried to pull her down
to him, an she slipped onter her knees be-
side the bed, an put her face down close
to his an whispered somefn', an he seem
happy an contented-like, an pretty soon
he kinder close his eyes an doze off like,
an she look at him an cry, for he sut'nly
do look dreful bad. When de doctor GO
away de mex mawnin' he call her out an
speak to her right serious, an den he went
down stairs wild de Colonel, an she jes'
stood wild hands clasped an hanging
down before her, an her eyes looking UP
like she were prayin' an Lummy heard
her say: My God! What would life be
without him.
when she came back she didn't look
scared a bit, but jes' smiled real cheerful
at Marse George, an joked me bout nay
white wool, an drove me off to bed, an say
dat Lummy an she would nuss Marse
George. He took his medicine from he1
widout any trouble an | thought he would
get well sho huff.
"Well when I got up an looked in de
bedroom, it 'peared to me dar was a bad
change. an he dun tole Miss Sally he wal
dying, but she tried to laugh it off an she
say to him, Don t be a baby, George.