Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-13
A N 0 P t | NJ | S T :
Of,
AMI CROW, FARM HAND AND
WRITTEN FOR THg EVENING STAR BY
JEANETTE l. GLIDER.
CHAPTER /.
PHILOSOPHER.

am afraid that with his limited knowledge of
what he described as ''dixonary words" he
would have thought that / IVES calling him
hard names. AEIzi was old cOlOred man
who lived with his family in Rosetown and
farmed ION sheers'' for the Widow Hance, who
owned a weil-kcpt farm on the Recklesstown
pike. Ever since she had been lett widow
Mrs. Hance had had a great deal Of trouble
with her farm. All the good farmers in her
neighborhood had farms OF their own which
kept them busy. 80 she could get none OF them
to help her. When she put on her best silk
gown and got her Last years bonnet ont of its
box in the big mahogany wardrobe in the
spare room. and went to Philadelphia in
qnest OF help. she always came home COM
pletely discouraged The advertisements that
took her to Philadelphia we're the most alluring
that would b. imagined. but when she saw the
competent farmer" who could take .'entire
charge. she usually found him to be an incom-
petent person who could not be trusted to do
more than drive the COWS home or scare the
crows from the field.
Her success nearer home was little better
She hired and his wife from Reckless
town. and found some comfort in the arrange
ment. Tor the wife was an excellent cook and
faunt~esS. The husband. however as the hus-
bands Os so many Woodworking women are
was lazy. and never did anything that he could
sh.rk: still BE was n man In the house. and that
hdH NDIlCtill(s uTS I1duCt WAS q pretty gOOd
overseer. and she got along fairly wen while this
arrangement lasted, but that not for very
long.
One stormy winter evening she was sitting
alone IN her little front parlor listening to the
pattcrinc of the rain the tin roof of the lean
To across the hall. when she heard a stumbling
step on the piazza. and then q thud as though
some heavy body had been thrown against the
iron; doo-. The cat that shared the genial
warmth Of the fire with its mistress sprang into
the corner and arckcd its back to the limit of
Its skin. while Mrs. Hance dropped her knitting
and stood as If rooted to the spot. She was en-
tIreiy alone in the house, Martha having been
called away b. the illness of a daughter and
DAME! having gone into Recklesstown to make
some purchase. the next day being Sunday.
MS lance was not as great coward
some women. nor was she "a brave as Others
and she told me. in narrating the incident
tnat u Was several minutes before she could
maze up her mind to go 20 the door. Even
then she had moi the courage to open it, but
called out IN her most impressive voice. who's
there: There Was a sound of something
heavy rolling about She repeated her ex-
elama ton, and then thick, uncertain voice
replied:
Its Danl-yOur protector"
~ first she was inclined to leave him outside
IL the storm. bat her humanity got the better
OF her judgment and she opened the door.
Whereupon her ''protec tor rolled in upon Ne
mat the most thoroughly intoxicated man that
Mrs Hance. with her limited experience, had
ever Sttti- u lOek no little ingenuity and
strength To get him into the lea n-tO where she
locked him up securely as the primitive
fastenlugS permitted Then. trembling in
every limb. exhausted and thoroughly alarmed
Tor she dld nos know what man in his condi-
non might be- capable of doing she locked her.
self in the parlor and sat there throughout the
longest night Of her experience.
Win the hrSt breaking of dawn she stepped
out into the hall. where she was greeted by the
deep. heavy breathing of the intoxicated man
m he. ham b4ttva H.
went out over the wet grass to the barn and
there hitchiEt, old Kitty to the farm wagon she
drove To Reeklesstown for the constable That
fGnctIonary returned with her, much against
M Will ana WIN the assistance of another
man. got I)anl into a cart and drove him to
the town house, leaving Mrs Hance for the
time being without protector.
IL vas about a week after this episode that
she heard Of AMI Crow HE is the salt of the
earth. said DR.. Bloo1gOod. who recommended
him TO her, land he has the great merit of al
WAYS seeing the bright side of things" Mrs
HaEce had about made up her mind that she
would never have another colored protector"
but what she heard of AMI was so attractiye
that she determined to send for him and zee
how be impressed her.
lie came up to the farm one evening as soon
as he had .'tidied" himself up bit after hard
days work He had on white trousers that
we're very tight about the thighs and yery
loose about the ankles. They did not reach
the tops of hiscalfskin shoes by several inches
and as socks were a luxury he did not indulge
II summer. there was a good deal of broSyn
SKIN exposed to view as he walked. His coat
might have been almost any color originally
but II had faded TO an olive green. On his
head WAS we'll worn derby of a low-crovned
wIde-rlmmed pattern which had once been the
mode 1t was battered and greasy beyond
description. but almost defaced bv contact with
AmZis wool. the name of a fashionable New
York halter could be made ont in the crown.
Perhaps II was because some one had told him
t.at THIS makers maine WAS good one or be-
cause the hat had been given him by DR.
BlOodSoOds hrother-in-law a New York man
That ANN was so much attached to it, When
ne came INTO Mrs. Hances kitchen he removed
this hat carefully from his head and held il
tenderiy IN his hands while he talked with her.
she was favOrabiy impressed by him at once
Tor though he could hardly have been called
handsome man. even of his race, he had an
honest, open countenance. particularly about
the mouth His nose was the broadcast of its
klnd-a dlscouraeiHg nose for the influenza /
should say, but admirably adapted for scent
ing neW-mown hay. or any strong odors about
the mousse Not particularly keen nose but a
hGlnely, useful nose that made up in breadth
"ha' II acked IN prominence. His eyes were
not large and their whites had that pecuI-
lar reddish yellow color noticeable in the ewes
OF negroes. but their expression was beneyo-
lent. Amzls figure betOkened strength rather
Than elegance He was tall and brawny and
his arms were unusually long Ordinar,Iv no
gentle as child. should think that If uniustIv
attacked those long arms and sinewy hands Of
ms would be deadly Is a poriIla's
There was a great deal of gray in his hair and
IN his scraggy beard. One belief in the par
wlnlan theory was strengthened by his appear-
ance. and cannot say that his intellectual
development altogether contradicted it. Rut
ne was good man, and did his duty according
10 his light.
well, Ami" said Mrs Hance 81 hear good
accounts Of you from DIR. Bloodgood."
hank ee, ma am. replied the negro twist
ING his hat. DIR. Bloodgood he's a good word
70 say fer every one. He don't 'spise man
cause he pore, no, he don't-he don't 'spise a
man cause he's pore, DR.. Bloodgood don't
that's So he don't"
How long AMI would have gone on with his
reflections there Is no telling. Ii was a trick of
his TO slowly ring the changes on his last words
but Mrs. Hance, who always liked to get to the
point without waste of time. began at once to
explain what his duties would be if he came to
her He listened attentiveiy and then replied:
I'D like to try, Mis- Hance; I'd rather have
one steady job than half dozen unsteady ones.
j would. i don't like unsteady Jobs nohow
they're mighty uncertain, they are-that's so
mighty uncertain: but" he added as though
ne hadn't been quite fair TO them, there better
than nothin- Yes, an unsteady Job is better
than no job-that's so. I'd like to take your
farm on sheers. Miss Hance cause it's a big
iarin- an half a big farm is more'n half a little
one. so IL is
i shall want You to sleep at the house
AMI, SAID Mrs. Hance. How can you ar
range that. and you a married MANI"
can range that, Miss Hance, easy 'nough.