Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-05-21

kansans call Little Rock.
81 gwine get a enforcement TO- fo'ty dol
lar de lawyer man say" she explained,
"done guy i'm t'irty dollar Already. Den
/ go back t. de kentry. | pintedly does
rave t. be in de kentry agin."
But it's such hard work, VictoryP' |
suggested, loath to see "A promising cook
depart.
Hard wuk Taint muffin t. de stove
wuk. Gimme my hoe an my row an Pse
happy. An laws. Missy, it do pear like
caynt breve in dis yere shut up town.
Amt no sunshine yere. | does love de
sunshine. All culled folks jes' natchelly
| drinks up de sun"
| ID was easy to learn her story when she
was in such mood. Sitting at ease, alone
with us, in the kitchen (for Manda, the
chambermaid. was at a colored ball), she
poured out her whole humble tragedy.
| The ole Miss who had raised" her and
taught her to cook had died. After her
death she married negro, and they went
to making a crop" on the plantation.
This negro, Lige by name, accepting her
| picture was a very decent man. Vent
never seen de like or Lige t. wuk. He
raise de bigges' crap on de place an he cyar
so much mischief wild i too, does jes' be
| lafiin' all de time. An be done ben pint
eddy kind T. me, | says dat TO- him, an
new did fault his victuals. Alters 30 proud
er my cookin' wen we all has festival or
a log rollin'l Yas'm, we did give festival
onct an made ten dollars" Perhaps l
should explain that negro festivals are
purely private affairs, wherein hospitality
isexercised at profit instead of expense,
since the thrifty host sells the refresh
] t.b =. 40 l...,
houses, and games at the houses Of PRO
fessors."
At log roIlings, however, the dinner is
provided by the host. The log rollers clear
the ground of felled trees, which they col
lect in heaps for burning
| AS Victory's memory recalled the days
of her past domestic joys and social tri-
jumps we could see that she was moved.
"Yeas'm, Lige new did give me hash
wuds New did raise his hand agin me-
80 she continued, rocking her supple body
to and fro-"onlies' ting | have agin his
behavior, den, ben he did be so fond err
coon an possum huntin'. Mos de onlies'
! time ever given him a pint blank hard
time ben de time he sisted on gwine pos
sum huntin' an whilst he ben gone dat
boy, my fustis chile, ben bawn. Oh, | tell
/
cry out loud; an he name dat baby Re
morse he did, kase t bar i'm in mine allus,
an he didn't go 'possum huntin' for a ter
rible long spell, not tweel l say l kinder
cravin' 'possum meat myself Oh, he did
ben a good man e me
"Pse sorter high strung an feery, an
wen de stove didn't bake right, or it rain
washday, or my fingers git so numb pick
in cotton dat caynt sew like ulster, why
docs be sorter ill like; but laws, he jes'
laff an coax it outer me. Den de torrer
two chillen come an die" Her face
/ changed and quivered HE ben mighty
kind to me, dem times" she said. For a
little space she was silent, then with a
hardening of her mellow voice she went on.
| I'VE got on fine TO- spell. Me an Lige,
we uns done ben raised by white folks-we
amt no niggers. We done wuk hyard an
'sess heap o goods, an live SO happy an
feel so proud-not biggoty, jes' homes
proud-twell-My Lawdr a look of an
guish keen enough to startle us came over
her face while the swift flow of her words
was broken by a sudden sob and she COW
cred her face with her hands and screamed,
/ 20 my Lawd, he lef' mel He done taken
up wild Niger 'omanp'
Then just as suddenly she lifted her head
dried her eyes and said. But by'n-by Lige
he get tired O. her. He ben raised by white
folks, an he come beggin' back to me to
take i'm imp
And you took him backt" asked Mrs
Temple.
The sphinx.like head was raised again
with indescribable pride. Victorys grand
father was an African prince, she told u,
once, and can well believe her.
me taken him back Mis- Temple, Der
raised by white folks. He left me TO-
black Niger, never take him backp'
But how did he happen to do such ,
wicked thingg" said Kate Temple.
"How knowl" sullenly, "she live down
de ribber, whar he go 'possum huntin', an
she gayly young ting an'-an' dey call he
mighty harnsome; an, some way, she tic
him OFF. He been too shamed come nigl
me, but he SEN wud dat he give me d.
mules an ever'ting, cep' only hunderd dol
lars he have at de sto'. An SO he ligh
J ont, but he new did git no satisfaction liv
in wild her. She cudn't no mo- cook
meal o. vituals dan she cud match me pick
in cotton, an she taken e goin' on might,
bad wild torrer niggers; so dey painted an
Lige came straight T. me. Mist Thomp
! son, he say Lige done make mighty sho' h
, git me back. Huh-huhr'
| somehow inferred from her consciou
, air that Thompson was the other man IL
I the case. asked her, and she admitte,
! that he WAS. He was mighty pleasant
good man" preacher, with a gift TO
E prayer, and all the sisters admired him.
, said, But didn't it ever occur to you
] Victory, that Mr. Thompson nigh. be
pejudiced witness against Sandensf"
How dat, Missy
l "He wants to marry you himself, yo'
9 know; mightn't he tell lies about Iiger
: Nom. He's plumb good man. Da
Amt no SIGH prayin like his'n in de kentry
: He done hab revival er 'ligion sence b
come"
But hasn't be another wife some
wbcre" said Kate, who has cynical nc
r tons about negro pastors.
: Dat jes' Reme's meannessr' declare
Aunt Victory vehemently. "Brer' Thomr
, son swsr { me dat jes' de talk o. dem OF
merry, pusillnnimous niggers in Dogtowr
!, dat wudn't give muffin T. de chu'ch. M
: an RENE, we give five dollars. Dat RENE
be il a good boy. but rse consarned abou
him, kase he wont got meet5n's nur
: chu'ch nur muffin an says lat Mist
0 Thompson amt a mor'l man. He is pre-