News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-03-05

blanket from the bed, and dashed cut
into the wet dark night
Oh, If I could only reach the over
seers house before that door gave wayl
But the quarters were half mile OF.
the night as black as pitch, the road "A
slough Of mud and water. On floun-
dered, straining my babe desperately to
my bosom, sinking ankle deep at every
step, my slippers dropping of, my
clothes saturated with wet, clinging
tight TO my limbs and impeding every
motion.
All at onco ! stumbled over some
thing lying in the path, and rearly fell
forward on my face. In the pitchy
darkness | could see nothing, but /
heard moan, and STOPPING down
passed my hand over PROSTATE form
that by the turbaned head and hand
kerchief crossed on the breast 1 knew
TO be a negress.
Aunt Sukeyw l exclaimed at n
venture.
..Dat s..ss, Arf-s nEs.s.g gfs.--- a.
| Lawdt 7 fraugft ycr Nurt Suiteyasa
! time done come, deed did ], child.
Dat owdacious runaway nggcr, Sam
\ Halter, come 'crost me dcs when /
gwine after dc oberseer, m he des top
pied me ober wild he fist m knock my
po' old haid gin er stump n mex me
seed starsl ben layin' yere ebersence
'spectin' blessed Marster call me eb'ry
minute"
"Are you hurt very bad. Aunt Sukeyl
Can't you get up and go with me TO the
quarter2 Sam Halter is up at the
house with Sally. I've got them locked
up, but they'll break out and kill us
all, know they Wilt Oh, do get up
and come alongl Make haste!'
"Cain't, chile; deed cain't /, honey.
/ 'Fo my gracious marster, / bleeves bofe
my leigs done bruk Off clus up ter de
knees, dey hut so. You 60 long, Miss
! Nan. Yergotter TEX keer cr dat blessed
baby. S'pose Sam Halter knock ole
oman en- de haid, wat diifunce it gwine
mel1' You run long n git out'n dc
way, chile"
ooh, can't leave you here like thisl
The wet and cold will kill you, if Sam
Halter doesn't Oh, listen!-they'Te
breaking down the door! They will be
here in a minuter'
"Hush, honey, don yer mex no fuss.
! Gimme dc precious lam Now TEX holt
er my arms n hep me in de fence cor
ner. Dar's bushes dar ter hide ahint
| Yer cudn't git ter dc oborsecr's now 70
dey cotch yer, but mebby de good
Lawd won't let 'cm fine us.
With my help Aunt Sukey dragged
herself painfully behind the screen Of
bushes, where / quickly joined her.
We kept as still rs mice, and it was inn
possible we could be seen, but, oh,
heavensl If the baby should wake up
and cryl His sleep had been miracu-
lousy sound hitherto-surely his guard
ian angel was hushing him in drcamsl
But il he should wol.cl Never in my
life have l prayed for anything as 1
prayed then that my boy might sleep
on undisturbcd.
The noise OF tho crashing door had
been distinctly audible, and now w,
I. heard footsteps racing down the road
! As thcy got ncar our hiding pinoo W,
: heard sam say:
'IIcr cnt done gottcr de quarter
a'rady, knows. Run fas' n Wen
cotch her 10 she git dar. Ef des had
my flippcrs on her froat!"
They rushed on while we remained
crouched in our narrow refuge, shiver-
ing with cold and shuddering with fear
lest some untoward accident should be-
tray us. We dared not even whisper
when we heard the wretchcs returning,
more slowly this time, and disputing as
they came.
II done tole yer" cried Sally, "tent
er bit er use sarchin' fur her en- de
dark. She cnt ben ter dc quarter, case
eb'ry ting quiet down dar She done
cut crost dc fier ter dc neighbors, en-
hidin' som'ers in dc dark, N you mout's
we'll s'areh fur or needle en- er hay
stack. Come long N less git dc stuff n
clar out TO dey cotch us.
The fellow growled a horrible inn
precation on his bad luck in missing
the prime object of his foray, but they
went on without stopping until tho
sound of their voices died in the dis
| tance.
Now, honey" said Aunt Sukey,
''des clip it ter de quarters n skeer
'em all up fur ter cotch dem owdacious
williams. Leah dc precious lam longer
me- Yer CANT run fas' wild him on
yer arms Ole mammy'u take good
keer on him. Hes warm ez er toas',
N des ez SCUM ersleepl Tuck up yer
coats m scoot, chile"
! / did "scoot, " and reached the quar-
! ters out of breath and minus slippers
and shawl Ii took but a few minutes
to rouse the plantation, and not many
more to surround the house, but we
were too late 10 casch the thieves.
They got off, but in their hurry left
most of their intended plumber behind,
| so | was we'll content TO let them go,
only too thankful to have got rid of
them so cbeaply.
My robust health prevented my feel
ing any i'll effects from my midnight
adventure, and as for my boy he slept
persistently through the night, and
woke up as fresh and bright as tho
glorious autumn morning that followed
the storm.
But poor old Aunt Sukey, though
she had no broken limbs to complain
of, paid for her exposure to the wet
and cold by long spell of rheumatic
fever, through which | nursed her as If
she had been my mother Ii was the
least could do in return for the devo-
ton TO me and mine that had nearly
cost her life "A. G.. Garfield in New
Orleans Times Democrat.
'
Must Give Horseshoe.