Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1894-04-17
DIANA's VISITOR.

seemed so in Georgia, for the men had
all put on their overcoats and the wom-
en- their wraps. The doors We're shut and
| the windows pulled down. The violets
were hiding their purple petals under
| the broad green leaves; the golden bios
| som of the Siberian shrub that, almond
like, hung on it's leaf1ess branches,
| seemed to be shivering. Only the brave
snow white Roman hYacinths out in the
yard stood erect in the cold, clear air and
brought thoughts of ''pure eyed Faith,
white handed Hope and lowering angles
| girt with golden wings" Queer fancies
| about the old doctrine of the transmit
| grafton of souls seemed whispered by
the tiny tinkle of one white bell, while
the Naturalization of another hinted
that the spirit of the lady in Comus had
come again to earth and was visibly
embodied in this beautiful flower.
The unattendinS ears of Mrs. de Ian
cey, however, caught none of these
sounds as she Tudged past the stately
old Graham place, where the hyacinths
stood in the yard in great groups. Far
other thoughts engaged her mind, while
her eye sought her own cabin home on
''de turr side de great house" ''How
long have you been living ont here?'
| asked her companion, straight, 1.-the,
chestnut colored young man, well dressed
and with a certain self respecting air
that was unmistakable.
Ever sence de beginment of de war
times bin 1iv dar. Oar whar all my
chillern wuz borned. Hit gwine on 10
year sence de las one come. I jes' been
see dat gal, kase she saunt after me.
She a smart gal, she is, an she teachin
school down in Atlanta now. De chile
done change her name so dat doan'
know who de folks talliin bout when
dey dress her. I name her DromGlly,
arter de pictur ole merster had bout
Hector and Dromaly' hangin up in de
dinin room, but she say dat a mighty
| ig'nant- name, and she done change to
Ruth. calls her Dromalzy, an dat what
'spect to call her. I'ze 5S year ole, dc
boss say, an you cyan't teach old dog
new trick. Amt dat so?''
Aldndly smile rested ON the face of the
young man whowas SO courteously carry
ing Mrs. de Lancey's black, shiny valise.
His answer was an indirect one: "I think
Ruth is a beautiful name. Dromalky,
too, seems beautiful when it means
Ruth. -
''Whar you come f'om, man? You
talk sorter proper, like my gal do.
know'd soon as sot eyes on you when
de train stop dar you wuz a quality mig
ger bedout you openin your mouf. Now
you done tote my cyarpet bag and done
show de 'havior of a gint'rnan, know
you bin fotch up right. amt got no
disparagement bout you. I knows quail
ity folks when 1 sees 'em. Dat de kind
I bin use ter all my life. Dat de kind
Dromaky bin use to, but Us doan talk
alike, 'kaze she got de vantage of eddi-
cation an book larnin more dan her
NANNY is. But she got good horse
sense, too, dat chile is, an she amt no
more shame NV me dan eff wuz high
learnt oman lack de black folks is desc
days. fotch Dromaly upright When
she want to be runnin round wild, lack
some de black chillern an de white chill
lern, too, does, 1 took holt Nv her, 1 did,
an checlStise dat gal tell rectify her
Dat huccome she so spectacle and 'spon-
sibled now. Chillern got ter be check
tised, mani"
Again that pleased, quiet, happy smile
played over the face of the young man,
who had Just reached out a smooth.
brown hand to take the rough, horny,
age veined hand of Dromalzy's mother
and assist her in stepping across mud
dy place in the path that, turning aside
from the big road, led by nigh CUT
to the whitewashed cabin among the
clustering pines.
rs thenearest house your home-the
one with the honeysuckle clambering
over it and the jonquils in the yard?
How pretty they lookr'
'tDey bleedged ter look bright, dem
:
out when she want knee high to a
duck. She mighty chile fur lovin
flowers, an ole miss gin her dem roots,
'kaze de pig yard done overgrowed
wild 'em, an she want mo- room for
her hyacinths what you see bendin an
wavin bout yonder Dromal1y wuz
de white folks favorite an de black |
folks favorite too. Wharsomever dat
chile go she 'taches folks to her. She
ain misconceptions an bigoty like some
gals, an she got heap fun bout her. -
By this time they had reached the |
gate of the little yard with its clumps |
of pines, its patches of tender grass, its |
great bed of daffy down-dillies dancing
in the February breezes, and like the |
face of Lady Una making sunshine in a
shady place. The young man held the
gate open for Diana to pass in first, hesi-
tated moment, then went in himself.
saying, II will put your valise on the
porch. +"
You got ter eat snack wild me,
man. You done act de gentleman ONE. |
You must er come from de low country.
De black folks and de white folks bofe |
down dar got raisin's and behavement.
Dey amt got no righteousness an de |
disparagement dat de folks got up hyar
in dis part de worl. Us used ter live
down dar after we coined f'om Freder-
iclsburg, fore we coined up hyar. Come
long in an eat snack wild me Igwine
meek some coffee an fry some meat, an
Dromalzy done stuff dat balise plumb
full nv good things on one side I gwins
give you some, kase you got sich good