The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1893-04-07

! HSkeu AllnJ NlcbOry " heInts iuuHer
was dead Laws, no, said she, "las
be left your" said Mrs Temple
"Iie has dat,
"And doesn't Rene want yon to let him
come backY
Aunt Victory rubbed hcl right ear
against her right shoulder with a coquet-
tish gesture, and for the frs Time ! real.
ized that, according to African notions, she
was pleasing woman. "Well, sirl Why,
Miss Freddy, taint my ole man Rene
'jects to, 'cose not Hit am de torrer gen
tleman."
We were too used TO negro morality to
either feel OF show any particular surprise
But It seen cont to inquire whether
the departed husband was divorced from
her. No, OF course he was not That was
why she had come to the Rock, as the Ar
kansans call Little Rock.
II gwine get enforcement TO- fo'ty dol
lar de lawyer man say" she explained
done guy i'm t'irty dollar already, Den
| 20 back y de kentry pntedly does
rave y be In de kentry agin."
"But it's such hard work, victoryi'
suggested, loath to see promising cook
depart.
"Hard wukl Taint muffin T. de stove
wuk. Gimme my hoe an my row an lse
happy. An laws, Missy, it do pear like
caynt breve in dis yere shut up town.
Amt no sunshine yere. does love de
sunshine, All culled folks jes' natchelly
drinks up de SUM-"
1t was easy TO learn her story when she
was In such mood. Sitting at ease, alone
with US, In the kitchen (for Manda, the
'ohambermaid was at colered ball), she
poured out her whole humble tragedy
The ole Miss who had raised" her and
taught her to cook had died After her
death she married II negro and they went
to "making crop" on the plantation.
This negro, Lige by name, accepting her
picture, was very decent man. "Yent
never seen de like er Lige & wuk. He
raise de bigges' crap on de place an he cyar
30 much miEhief wild I too does jes' be
laffin all de time An he done ben pint
edly kind T. me, says dat TO- him, an
nev' did fault his vctuals Alters SO proud
er my cookin wen we all has festival or
a log rolln'l Yas'm, we did give festival
onct an made ten dollars" Perhaps
should explain that negro festivals are
purely private affairs wherein hospitality
isexercised at profit instead of expense
since the thrifty host sells the refresh
ments, after which is dancing at less pious
houses, and games ut the houses Of ''pro
fessors."
AT log rolliugs, however, the dinner is
provided by the host. The logrollers clear
the ground Of felled trees, which they cod
lect In heaps for burning
As Victory's memory recalled the days
Of her past domestic Joys and social tri
jumps we could zee that she was moved
"Yeas'm, Lige new did give me hash
wadss New did raise his haad agin me''-
so she continued, rocking her supple body
to and fro-''onlies' ting | have agin his
behavior, den, l,eu he did be so fond er
coon an possum hnntiu' Mos deonlies'
time ever given him pint blank hard
time ben de time he sisted on gwne pos
sum huntiu' an whilst he ben gone dat
boy, my fnstis chic, ben bawn. oh, dttelI
We, Lige he was struck by datl He did .es'
cry out loud, IN he name dat baby Re
morse, he did, kase 4 bar i'm in mine allus,
an he didn't 40 'p0ssum huntin' for alter
rible long SPELL not tweel say hinder
cravn 'possum meat myself. Oh, he did
ben good man & me
"I'se sorter high strung ln' feery, an
wien de stove didn't bake right, ,oritrain
washday, or my fingers git 80 numb pick
in cotton dat | caynt sew lihe ] ulster, why
! does be sorter i'll like; but, laws, he jes'
laff an coax il outer me Den de tGrrer
two chillen come an die" Her face
changed and qulvered "Ile ben mighty
kind to me, dem times" she said ROr IA
little space she was silent, then with "a
hardenlngof her mellow voice she went,on.
"We got on fine TO- spell. Me an Lige,
we uns done ben raised by white folks--,we
amt no niggers We done wuk hyard an
'sess heap o goods, an live 90 happy an
feel so proud-not biggoty, jes' homes
proud-twell-My Lawdf' look of an
guish keen enough to startle MS came over
her face while the swift flow Of her words
was broken by a sudden sob and she GOV.
cred her face with her hands and screamed,
20 my Lawd, he lef' mel He done taken
up wild nigger 'omanf
Then Just as,suddenly she lifted her head,
dried her eyes and said; 'But by'n-by Lige
he get tired o. her. He ben raised by white
folks, an he come beggin' back to me TO
take i'm in'
"And you took him backs" asked Mrs.
Temple,
The sphinx-lize head was raised again
with indescribable pride, Victory's grand
father was an African prince, she told US
once, and can well believe her
"Me taken him backl Mis- Temple, ben
raised by white folks. He left me TO- a
black nigger. newer take him backl"
"Bnt how did he happen to do such a
wicked lthngP' said Kate Temple
"fIow 4 ,knowl" sullenly, 'she live down
dc ribber, whar he go 'possum huntin', an
she gayly young ting an'-an' dey call hel
mighty hArnsome; an, some way, she 'tice
him off. lie been too shamed come nigh
me, but be SEN wud dat he give me de
mules an eNer'ting, cep' Gully hunderd dol.
lars he have at de sto' An SO he light
| ont hut he ney' did pit no satiafantinn liy.