The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-07-05

Before becoming my fathers slaves
in Virginia, he and his wife, Aunt
Magnolia, had lived on plantation
near New Orleans. Their early mar
rled life was soon gladdened by the
coming of a sweet baby boy whom
! they named Reuben.
Uncle ALI seemed never to tire of tell
ing us of their life near the great gulf
city; and the old mans style of MARIA
ton was SO simple and vivid that Ethel
and could live it all in our own
imagination. If it had not been so we
might have envied them their peaceful
memories of those far-off times.
AS the dear old negro sat in the shad-
ows of his cabin, in the winter DAYS,
with the Pickering CLEANS from the
hearth playing Enthusiastically among the
wrinkles of his face, he had many and
many story to tell us; and to all his
tales, even the most marvellous, Aunt
Magnolia nodded and said: Eyes, hon
eys, dat so, jes' ez Unc' ALT say, dat jes'
de way it happened"
There were all the elements Of the
bright side of slavery in the stories; the
kind ''marster" and 'mist'ess;' the Jun
lIeting and mirth; the marriages cele-
brated with much tinsel and pomp.
But amid all this warp and wool of
golden memories the brightest thread
was the loving recollection of their dar-
ling boy.
Yes, chin, jes' reckon Aunt Mag
nolia n me lowed we wuz in Helm or
monty nigh de gate. reckon de good
Lawd could'n hep SEEM dat eff He
leave us so, we never gwine ter keer
fer anything better'n this yearth; so He
boun' ter stir us up; an He jes' struck
whar 'twuz hkeliest ter hurt widout
actiwaliy KILN us.
EFF He'd taken Reub and opened de
do oh Helm even eff it had been
through de grave, I'd said: DE Lawd
gave an de Lawd TEX way, Dressed be
the name oh de Lawd.' Den l cud a.
looked mp an said: 'Reub's shinin' IN
de kingdom, bright ez any star, he free
fereber mo-.
But he warn't taken dat arwav. He
warn't snatched away by de angels; he
wuz kidnapped by some bad men an
carried up de riber on a boat Least
ways OATS ez near es we cud fin out.
Marster say dey wuz 'litionists or some
thing OBJ dat kind.
How we gwine ter know him? Why,
'cose he's growed ter be a man now,
but dar's scar ober his lef' eve, whar
he done got cut by stone. He'll WAR
dat ter de cen oh his life
The old mans voice would tremble as
he spoke and the tears would trickle
down his cheeks, and Aunt Magnolia
would say gently, as she wiped her
eyes: Yes, chin, OATS so, jes' ez Unc'
Alf tell YOU"
Then she would point to the split
bottomed" chair which always stood
empty by the hearth.
I'VE amt glib him up yet chin, now
how; dar's his cheer waltiu' for him.
an Aunt Magnolia she knittin' him a
power oh socks an he'll hab shoes. too,
fer he amt no common niger. Yes.
we keeps a-lookin' fer him all de time.
l tell Aunt Magnolia dat ef de Lawd
cud fotch dem backslidin' Jews through
de wilderness he kin bring Reub home
ter his daddy an NANNY"
How Ethel and l wept over the lost
boy, and how dumb we felt in the pres
ence of Uncle Alf's grief. words cannot
express. Father and mother encour-
aged us in all our efforts 10 comfort the
old couple, but told us that in all prob
ability Reuben was dead. aud would
meet his father and mother only in
Heaven.