Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-10-22
Jes Waitin'.

In the alluvial region OF Louisiana
the forest foliage is almost impenetra-
BILE by sunshine, and the underground
of weeds and vines is as dense as
tropical jungle. Leaving a clearing
and going into the woods is like a sud
den transition from midday to twi-
light.
Near a bayou in this wild section
stands white frame house, one story
high, with a long roof whose slope is
so gradual ii would almost seem the
rais would not flow from it. Years
ago il was tenanted. Now it has no
dwellers, for the place is haunted.
The spirits of pure girl and a brave
soldier need not create fear. But
people are superstitious; besides, these
ghosts are never seen, only heard.
They moan in the garret; they call
each others names in the parlor; q wall
comes up from the bayou; but those
who make these sounds are never visi
BILE.
The old quarters are deserted by all,
save one. He saw his young mistress
Z leave home one still morning in au-
tuInn. She told him she would return
at noon. She never returned, and he
is waiting for her still.
"Yes, marster," he said, "I'se heah
yit, an heah I'll stay til de Lawd taps
me on de head an saws, Come erlong,
Rufus kain't lebe. I'couldn't eff
tried. Sposen she'd come back
some evenin', who'd be heah to take
keer OBJ her? She wuz SO good an so
sweet; kin most see her now, skip
PIN erbout de house, an er singin' like
er mockin'-bird. Cap'n Herndon come
down dat mawnin' ter tell her good-by,
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
kine-hearted ez Miss Lucy herself. Ez
dey come out en- de parlor, Miss Lucy
said she, turnin' TO me:
~ Rufus, were goin' ter take skiff-
ride
Il seed i'm hep her inter de skiff,
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 lsung pull,
mos ha'f er mile, fore dey reacht de
BEN, an L stood on de bank an watcht
| de skiff cut fru de water lilies till dey
got outen sight. l sot down an
waited. Dey did't come. Erbout
er midnight de empty skiff come er
fioatin' down. De whole plantashun
turnt ont ter hunt fur 'em. Mex day,
erbout er mile up de byo, ole marster
spied sump'n white layin' on er water
lily. He rowed out an got it. 1t wuz
er piece OBJ paper, on which wuz rit
desc words: George Herndon. Lucy
Milburn.' Miss Lucy don dat. 1t was
pinned TO de leaf by er goP bresstpin
what she wore on her purity white frote
dat mawnin'.
"But we nebber seed 'em no mo-
Eff dey were drownded dey got cotch
ter de bottom-dat byo's fearful deep
an full OBJ bresh an trees-an' dey
won't rise ergin till de sea gibs 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 ole an tired an
my han tremmels an my face is full
OBJ furrers, like er coulter makes
in er new groun, but heah I'll stay till
de Great Sberseer makes me lebe. Is
de house haunted? Yes. But l
wouldn't be afeered ter stay dar eff /
could see 'em. Eff Miss Lucy's sperret
wuz ter come ter me I'd take it in desc
poor ole arms Oh mine. De wailin'
an de moanin' cuts my heart clean in
two, SO keeps away frum dsr. Ebery
ebenin' l STAINS an looks up de byo tell
black darkness fiops its wings ober de
stream an de scritch-owl cries like Ell
los chile.
"Den L goes back home an lights er
taller can'le what burns all night. Lucy
mought come, an case she did she'd
see de light an say: Uncle Rufus is
lookin' fur us, George. See' Fur ef
dey do come dey'll come tergeddes. Ell
dey went ter de bottom of de byo dey
went tergedder, an dar dey'll stay tel
judgment, when dey'n STAN by dc
wight han OBJ de Lawd arm in arm.n