The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-07-05

- LA I'LL N~S
dat was fit.
An thar 1 sot prayin' de Lawd eff he
was bleeged to have young Marse
Capt'in, to take him quick; for de
fghtin' was movin' back dat a way,
an 1 couldn't bar to think O. pullin'
an haulin' an hurtin' him. He tried
to tell me suthin' about home an Miss
Lydie; but de words was so rattly in
his t'roat dat I couldn't make haid nor
tail outen EN-. An when he seed dat
he frownt an lay still.
Freshly his comp'ny was ordered
to de front; but SONS Yankees, hid in
de pines, picked off de men so fas' dat
dee fickered an made like dee was
comm back. Den Marse Joe riz up
on his elbow an shOuted:-
Company K nuver gives way !
Forred wild de fag!'
An, sub, ev'y man hearn him, an
de las one galloped forrard, facin'
dem zizzin' bullets des like he was
Marse Captin.
4 = x y
I led Adam-hawse home an den 1
an all de res bIonged to de Rean
cousin. He was a chunky, red face,
stiff hyared man, an his father was a
half strainer dat Miss Judy Kyarter
run off to Nawf Kyarliny wild.
One day I was walkin' his hawse
befo' de ho'. an I hearn Miss Lydie
talkin' to him, an I hearn her say
you know it, an I know it? Mister
Kyarter promised him his freedom,
an Joe meant him to have it,"
"Thar's not a pen scratch on it," he
mUmbled back.
"It' Gawd's truth" says Miss Lydie;
an I couldn't make out de res; but
pres'nly Marse Rean kicked over a
cheer, an SLAMMED out:-"Dam it all!
de niger amt young, but he's with
five hundred dollars! Eff he kin hire
hissef, an pay dat, I'll let him do it,"
Den he strid out an yucked de bride
from me, an laid de lengt' O. de whup
on Pats flank, an lit down de road
he evermo' did.
A STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM.
After he was outer sight Miss Lydie
called me on. de poach. Iain't sayin'
Miss Lydie had been cryin', but she
had a mighty redness bout de nose,
an she blowed it like Gabriel nit a.
bowed dat haun. Law! Miss Lydie's
good heart done TUX her straight
though dem shinin' gates, 'dout her
needin' a poOty face to wu'k on de
angels feelin'sl
She toll me Marse Rean was gwine
to let me rent myself, an if l would
wuck mysel clear she'd free Ritta-my
wife Rita, she blonged to Miss Lydie.
An she got me hire in a livery, where
I had my odd times to make baskits.
Folks was free wild advice. Shifless
nigger's trade is maxim big Gavin
craps in turr folkses' low groun's,
Um-mI Um-m!
Dem days! dem days! [ got good
wages; but it was pintly an aggewation
to wuck in dem mucky stalls, an
curry an rub an fodder dem slabsided
jades dat didn't have no bottom to
bull on. An den to lead out de slick,
pompered mares, an have EN- brung
back lame an gormed wild mud an
sweat, for me to get a cussin'l Dat
was a time, shore as you's bawn.
l want brung up to de baskit maxim,
an my fingers got so raw dee would
stick to de white oak. Den [ USE to
trade some O. my rations to get dem
niggers help me make baskits. But
mum I got dat money. l arnt de last
red cent.
Twas in Gavin plantin' time dat I
went up'n de big house to make de last
payment, an dee toll me Marse Rean
was gone to spen' a week at de ole
plantation. Long as I had KEEP my
min chen wild my wuck I couldn't
waid twill he come back. So I jes'
took my foot in my han an walked
away thar arter him.
THE HAPPY DAY
was one happy niger when 1 sot
out home arter I vas my own man. I
done greed to rent a patch frum Marse
Rean an wuck one O. my same ole
hawses-ole Stoga. He WANT a kicker
an he want a jumper, an want
nothin' but a hawse. I traipsed along
singin' "GIory H~allelujah" an March.
ing Down to Jordan" tel 1 got to dc
! fiat rock dis side de big barn, Den !
sot down to wrop my feet-dee was
natchall wore out on dat rocky road.
By come a string O dem Malloy mig,
gers, an I bawled. Eli! whut you
dom outen de fell dis time o'dayF"
An, dew holIered. "Whar you bin.