The morning call., 1893-03-26

Use gone dead blineI Don't yer know ole
Hiram 2"
recognized him at once and heartily
shook his black hand.
We'll. what are you doing here, Hiram ?"
Inquired.
"Oh Use got fine fam little outer
town, WV good big house on it, and Han
nah an THIS bofe dar."
Yes, yes; 1 remembsr now After buy-
Ing your own freedom you paid for theirs"
"Jes' so, sab But l come mighty nigh
losn' oh 'em. Bout q yeah after | got nv
freedom l went back ter LoOsville ter see
bout my folks, but Missus Shattuek died
afore l got dere, an Hannah an Tiny'd
bote bin sold ter man in anoder part O. da
State. 1t tuck me morn a mumph ter hunt
.em up. But / foun' 'em at las, bress de
Lo'd an paid fer dere freedom an brought
'em back wiv me ter Californy. Bout two
yeahs ago l bought little fam down heab,
an am, gettin' long bout as wells /
"You have done well. Hiram, and deserve
world of credit"
"Recolleck de sweepin's, sahP Well, dey
mos'ly ly did it. But want yer ter go out an
see de folks. Is talked a heap bout ye, an
deyll be tiekled ter def eff yer'lI come
If see your folks at all, Hiram, it must
De THIS afternoon or evening, for | shall
leave for San Francisco tomorrow motn-
DE Lo'd save US ! eff l didn't fergit to tell
yer dat Iflly'S gwine ter be married dis
berry ebenin', an yer mus come ter de we'd
d!n'. a lot O white folks III be dere. an
yer up"
As l was a stranger in the village, the in
vitatlon was accepted with pleasure, and
about O'clock in the evening l was taken
out 10 the farm, mile or more from the vii
iage, IN Eight spring-wag0n drawn by a
pair OF stout horses driven by a cOored
lao0rer employed about the place.
The night being dark, l could see but
little OF Hiram's farm, but the family dwell
ing was substantial twO-stOry wooden
struciu ure OF eight or ten rooms, ALT which,
SO lar as mad an opportunity OF observing,
were respectfully furnished.
Hiram received me at the door with a
face. beaming with happiness and 1 was
conducted into a large parlOr in which
were assembled twenty-five or thirty we'll
dressed people OF both sexes and all shades
OF color The ceremony was about to be-
GIN. but 1t was deferred long enough TO enable
Hiram to escort me across the room, and
introduce me TO his wife, daughter and the
man who was about To become his SON
ln-law. ali Of whom were SO extruvagant in
their expressions of good will that
stepped forward and asked if they
were ready for the ceremony. The bride
was large and well-formed girl, with a
pleasant expression and face as black as
SO'b1s no EIOuul WIS Il SthHMlTL young
man II The same color. who could read and
write, and had made himself useful to
HlTam by keeping his accounts as well as
IN sowing and Teaping. 1t was evidently a
love match, and lilly made no attempt to
disguise her happiness.
The bride and groom were Iaughipgly
pushed into position ana the ceremony was
eompleted; and after they had been kissed
by their colored and congratulated by their
"hlte friends, the guests were invited into
an ad1nlnlng room, where two separate
tables were spread with a bOuntiful and
appetIzlng wedding supper. including wines
OF lwo or three varieties. But the color line
was completely obliterated for the occasion
and whites and blacks mingled indiscrim-
lnately together at the tables.
AT the conclusion of the feast Hiram rose
from his chair, and commanding silence,
SAID: "F0lkses, | want yer all ter lissen to
me for minute. Dere'S a gemmen heAh.
an Is lookin' right at i'm now. SOS yer
may know who l mean. dat was fr'en' ter
me Ell needed one. lie Sabe1 my life,
tole me how ter Sahe nv money, and put me
IN de way ob gittn all de tam'ly out o. slab
cry. l owes good deal to i'm, an"
! ITO sweepings" l interrupted, anxious
, to pnt an end 10 hIs speech
'Yahl yaG! yahw laughed the old man.
Oats so. Sweepln's hoped ter do de
business! Heab. Hannah cPar away de
tables, bring in Sam wiv de fiddle, an wen
have Ole-fashion hoe-downl Ise got ter
dance or do sumpun or III j4s' bust wiY
| hapBinessv
| did not wait to see the hoe-down. or
Hiram's threatened explosion in default of
il, but was driven back to the hotel with
the blessings Of the old man and mis- family
following me as far down the road as their
voices could re heard
Hnmbly had they passed through the fire,
and the wages OF their years Of unreuuited
toll were being paid to them at last, with a
sweet usurT OF domestic contentment, leav-
ing them little 10 ask Of the things of earth
which their patience had not earned.
r. NJ. DAG GETT