The Somerset reporter., 1894-04-12
DIANA'S VISITOR.


TN thor wraps. The doors Were shut and
the window, pulled down. The yiolets
were hiding THEN purple petals under
the broad green leaves; the golden bios
som of the Siberian shrub that, almond
like, hung on its leafless branches
seemed to be shivering. Only the brave
snow white Roman hyacinths out i'll the
yard stood crectin the cold, clear air and
brought thoughts of pure eyed Faith,
white handed Hope and towering angles
grit with golden wings" Queer faneies
about the old doctrine of the transmit
grafton of souls seemed whispered by
1he tiny tinkle of one white bell, while
the tintinnaoulation Of another limited
that the spirit Of the lady in Comus had
come again to earth and was yisibly
embodied III this beautiful flower.
The unattending ears of Mrs. de Lam
cey, however caught none of these
sounds as she trudged past the stately
old Graham place, where the hyaoinths
stood in the yard in great groups. Far
other thoughts engaged her mind, while
her eye sought her own cabin home on
ode turr side de great house. How
long have you been living out hereg'
asked her companion, a straight, 1.-the
chestnut colored young man we'll dressed
and with certain self respecting air
that was unmistakable.
Ever sence de beginment of de war
times | bin liv dar. Oar whar all my
chillern wuz horned. Hit gwine on -
year sence de las one come. jos been
see dat gal, kase she saunt after me-
She 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 talkin bout when
dey dress her | name her Dromaky,
arter de pictur ole merstcr had bout
Hector and Dromaky' hangin up in de
dinin room, but she say dat "A mighty
ig'nant name, and she done change to
Ruth calls her Dromaly, an dat what
! 'spect to call her. IZe IS year ole, de
boss say, an you cyan't teach old dog
new trick. Amt dat so?'
A kindly smile rested on the face Of the
young man who was so courteously carry
ing Mrs de Lanceys black, shiny yalise.
His answer was an indirect one: Il think
Ruth is beautiful name. Dromaky,
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 l sot eyes on .you when
de train stop dar you wuz u quality mig
ger bedout you openin your mpnf. Now
you done toto my cyarpet bag and done
show de 'havior of 4 gint man, | know
you bin fotch up right. | amt got no
disparagcmcnt' bout you. | knows quail
ity folks when | sees 'em. Dat de kind
rbin 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 ain t 10
more shame NV me dan Of | wuz IA high
learnt oman lack de black folks is desc
days. | fotch Dromaky UPRIGHT. When
she want to he runnin round Wild lack
some de black chillern an de white chill
lern, too, does, took holt NV her. did,
an checktise dat gal tell rcctify her.
Dat huccomc 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 II smooth,
brown hand to take the rough, horny.
age vcincd hand of Dromaky's mother
and assist her in stepping across mud
dy place in the path that turning aside
from the big road, led bya nigh cut
to the whitcwashed cabin among the
clustering pines.
rs the nearest house your home--the
one with the honcysuckle clambering
over it and the jonquils in the yard?
How pretty they look !"
'Dey blcedged ter look bright, dem
blooms is, 'kaze Dromaky sot dem
out when she want knee high to q
duck. She a mighty chile fur loyin
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 Dromaky wuz
de white folks fa.orite an de black
/ folks favorite too Wharsomeyer dat
chile go she 'taches folks to her She
ain misconceptions an bigoty like some
gals, an she got heap IA 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 daffv down -dillies dancing
in the February brcezos, and like the
face of Lady Una making sunshine in