The Opelousas courier., 1890-12-20

"And from across the branch came
the plaintive sound of negro voices from
Freeman's quarter, and as Tom listened
his heart seemed to go out in sympathy
to the singers. for as they progressed he
slowly raised his head and leaned for
ward, as if to catch the sound, and his
lips moved in unison as the words
z took her hand within my own,
A tear was in her eye,
1 asked her if she would be mine,
Her answer was a sigh.
Oh, Emma, dear, dear Emma,
From the Mississippi vale,
In all this wide world over
There is none like Emma Dale,
swelled upon the breezes. and at the fin
ish he arose from his seat and walked
toward the woods.
"When the niggers got through with
their frolic Tom was gone, and the next
morning when the other niggers went
to work thar want no Tom there, and
it was soon known that Tom was a run
away.
s'Peter and Lucy wouldn't hear toput-
ting hounds after Tom, and 70 he was
not heard from any more, and they had
quit talking about him on the pI9.
Thus it went for a year. The crops were
sorry and Peter failed to pay anything
on his thousand dollar note to old man
Smith, but had to renew and borrow a
little more. Peter was confident and
Lucy was cheerful, and SO they pitched
another crop and resolved to economic
and work hard, never thinking that luck
had turned ergin 'em.
"Erlong in June, though" continued
Plunkett, 1.-THE niggers that Peter had
bought got the smallpox ermong them,
all three of them died and the crop was
lost, but Peter rolled up his sleeves and
worked the harder and Lucy she was jist
the same good little woman, and they
made er pretty good crop and got it
housed, and I don't think airy one of EN-
ever thought erbout luck being ergin
iem.
aBut, continued the old man, con the
Sd day of December-on the night of
that day never would forget it if !
were to live er thousand years, Peters
barn ketched er fire and burned up his
whole crop and all three of his horses,
and the very next morning old Smith
was ver there er pressing him for the
twelve hundred dollars and said he had to
have it or he'd take possession of the
farm. The money would be due on the
Goth day of December, and old Smith
wanted his money or possession on that
day. The prospects for a happy Christ
mas was mighty gloomy for Peter, but
Lucy said:
"sWell, Peter, you've got me and the
children yet.
YES said Peter, and you've never
herd me complain, but I do hate to give
up the home.
THAT was erbout as much to do as
there was erbout it, until at last Christ
mas V night rolled around and the lit
tie children hung up their stockings and
talked themselves to sleep about old
Santa Claus, and Peter and Lucy listen
ed with hidden tears, and all through
the long night they sat until the hands
on the clock pointed to the hour Of three,
and then Peter raised his head and
lowed:
".Lucy, we viii have to give up our
home to Smith
Before Lucy could answer a soft, cat
like tread was heard upon the porch and
the latch string was pulled, and as the
door opened there was revealed to the
sight of the astenished pair:
tsOld Tom, the runaway.
Use worth $4,000 of any mans
money, and that viii pay off old Smiths
mortgage said old Tom as he unslung
a clean pillow case from his shoulder
that was filled with goodies for the little
ones, and that soon swelled the little
stockings that hung on the mantel.
=
with the return Of old Tom came
prosperity to Peter and Lucy, for when
old Smith found that Tom had returned
and If put up for sale would pay the
mortgage he made terms that enabled
Peter and old Tom to go to work upon
the farm and not only get out of debt,
but get rich, and Tom was set free long
fore any Yankees knoWed him, and Pc
ter he went out to Texas and found old
Squire Crawford and bought the woman
what Tom loved and brought her back
TO Georgia on Christmas day, 164-, and
give her to Tom for his Christmas pres
emit, and they live at yonder moss cover
ed log house, and I wish them q merry,
merry Christmas ATLANTA Constitu-
ton.