The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-01-01

mother cum, an we TUX him to de grabe-
yard under de cedars an ole MISS she
read de service. an we all stood aroun.
and sung the hymn Marse Randolph ioVeu
and taught US he self-for Marse Kan
dolph allays lubed TO hear us ing-'De
Lam of Pure Delight'--and den we low
cred de pine coffin / made wild my own
hans. an piled up he clods via our
spades. n sobbin' and a weepin' an wall
in. an den we had to leabe him dar
alone just as de sun was a. goin' down
behine de hills. an all de sky was yal-
Ter an red like de oaks. an de naples
In de woods dat October evenln', an /
cast my eye up. an thought ! could
mos see de golden gates n shown thro'
de clouds, an de angels a greetin' Marse
Randolph as he went i'm thro' 'em to de
golden streets. An so we went home
solemn-like. an a sort o. quiet. But,
when l come back dar at night to see If
all was right, / was struck wild a cold
chill TO see a heap o. something piled
up on de grade, an / was right much
skeered, for you know hdunts VIII come
about g~rabeyards. Kitty had seen many
a one. dere, she said. so ! came nigh
rather slow. an dere was pO' little Ran.
still a cryin'. wild his arms wrapped all
aroun' ole Jack. Marse Randolph's dog,
who was whinin' sorter pitiful-like. l
Jun mn away III ItF III ms OIL JUS
him to Kitty. who sat by him. holdin'
his han an singin' TO him all night long.
All! them was sad, sad days. But time
went on. an bime by Miss Alice began
to try TO smile a leetle. an take an in
trust In things for young Rams sake.
1t 'peared like he begun TO take his
fathers place some wild her. for he was
CROWN to be de very spit oh Marse
Randolph. and she began to lean on him
an lanL tn . q btu, gnf oil a.. fguahLEr
tole her he was such "A scollard, an goin'
10 be a great man some oh desc days-dat
she must send him to de Varsity TO learn
law-but Miss Alice couldn't git her own
consent TO part wild him, tell she saw
Ran himself was sot on goin', an den
she sib In. But Kitty held out, an begged
him not TO leabe us. for all our hearts
were bound up in him. pintedly Kitty's
an mine. an she tole me Ran knew too
much now. he'd better stay at home.
manage de plantation. settle down, an
marry purity Rose Carroll. who owned
CAROLS Neck. an lubed de very groun'
he walke on-~eberybOdy could see"
But he went. howsumever, mos de
pity. an all our hearts went wild him.
an arfter he had kissed Miss Alice an
de gyurls many times, all oD EN- a cry
ing, be warn't ashamed-big. grown lad
dat he was-tO put his strong young
aims roun' Kitty's neck, huegin' her
tight wild tears In his eyes, ssyin' Good
bye, dear old mammy-no matter how ole
| git. or how wise, I'll allays be de
same Ran TO YOU an he allays was,
sab,
whole place seemed lonesome wild
out him. Eben de horses an dorgs SEEM
ed 10 miss him, an up at de house twas
mos as mouruful as when Marse Ran
dOlph died - G. de letters began to come.
an Miss Alice she read EN- to Kitty, an
Kitty tole me how de 'fessors all wrote
he was doin' fine, an head of ebeybody,
an gwine TO make his mark, an so we
were all mOughty proud an glad. But,
one Christmas, | neber sail forsit It, sab
Ctwas de fust Of oh our fears an trOu-
bles), dere was SO much egg-nog an
wine a flown like water, dat Ran, our
man Ran. sab, drunk too much, an had
to 80 to bed. an stay dar all Christmas
day, an we were SO shamed. Kitty an
me, We tCle stories for him an pc Miss
Alice neber 'spicioned nothin'-she
wouldn't hardly a believed us Of we had
tOle her de trufe. When he got all right
| come 10 his room, an talked 10 him,
for l felt 'spcnsible for him; Marse Ran
dolph had lef him to me, an / tole him
dis would neber do, he mus promise me
he wd. neber do so no more, ii would
kill his ma ef she knew it. all her hopes
were sot on him, an she had nothin'
else on arth but him TO lean on, an ne
promised faithful dis should neber happen
agen; he was mighty sorry an ashamed,
an 'fessed to me he lubed his tOddy too
much. and when he begun 10 drink he
didn't care for nothin' 50 he got enuff.
Arftor dat ! neber was easy bout him,
but l tole nobody but Kitty, an Kitty
shook her head an grOared hard, Tor,
she said, ii run I'm dc family 10 drink
hard, an it seemed like when dey begun
dey couldn't stop. Marse Randolph al
lays TUX a plenty hisself, an handed o
de tase, an row, ef Ran got at 1t ned
neber stop Tin he Kill hisseif, sure, an
wouldn't take him long neither. Dtdnt
allays tell We, Jerry, not TO fool wld
slow pigen' SEE she. you an Marse Ran
dolph bofc. an now IL struck " TO &c
heart. stingin' We like de viper de Bible
say IL is Well, to make a long story
short, sab. Kitty was riSht. Our boy
went on from bad TO wuss, an MISS
Alice, bein' bleeged at las To fine it all
out. just sunk to the ground under her
load oh grief an shame; she'd set up
night arter night, a prayin' to God to
hab mercy on her. an sabe her boy,
an sin i tell Kitty how she was thank
full Marse Randolph had not lived 10 see
what had come TO his only son. Ran
was a. practicin' law in Richmon, a
goin' out TO parties, an a great tease, dey
said. when he would keep straight, but
he was moughtily changed when he come
home. s0rter nervous an gloomy, an
like our Ran used TO be at all.
Miss Alice grew paler and thinner ebry
an her eyes began TO hab a hunted
look in 'em, like de deer's, when he is
shot, an de houn's hab him at bay. She
an besought him to come away
from de town whar dere are SO many
snar's and temptations, an TO stay at
nome wild her, an make hisseif nj 10
marry sweet Rose Carroll, who lubed him
still. spite Oh all, like we all did, an lie
her he surely would try to
come directly aTiter Christ mas; ne
,ouId't come 20 den, cause he had to be
bes' man 10 his frien', and had all his
1lzness 10 settle up beside, so MISS Alce
heart, so she were moughtlly feared
Christmas. Christmas was not dc
time il used 10 be, but full OF
g;cat uneasiness an anXiOusness.
mis- Alice sent for Miss Rose, an dey
two talked an cried togedder a long tine,
an de purity color come back TO MISS
cheeks, an ebrytins seemed 10 be
a iookin' up, an a waiting an a hopln'
Miss Alice had Rams room fixed up new
m nice, de men all busy n paperin' an
a p%aintin'. and Kitty was the busiest o
all. a s%courin. an a ~cleanin, ana dustin,
ali her aprons an caps done up white as
snow for Marse Ran sake, an l had all
lie horses shinin' so you could see your
faces in 'em an | rode for de mail reg
lar twice Il day-an' one day, sah"-the
old man choked up and turned away, IN