The Republican., 1894-02-01
SHE FOUGHT WIND AND WATER.
An Old Woman's Experience of the South
Carolina Storm.

An Old Woman's Experience of the South
Carolina Storm.
For days after the recent southern
cyclone the sufferers on st. Helena
fiocked by hundreds to the principal
merchants begging food With the
starving came not few who were able
to pay for what they wanted, and as
the supply was not equal to the de-
mand, vigilance was needed that only
those who We're in want should be fed.
Hence the following incident:
rs Mistah Wilkins here?' | looked
up from my desk and saw Aunt Rina
standing in the doorway.
NO" | answered. Wont l do as,
well?'
"You won't do dis time, Mistah Mac;
| cum to hab it out wild Mistah Wilkins;
he suited me-"
You must be mistaken, Aunt Rina;
Mr.. Wilkins would not insult you; you
are one of our best customers"
81 ever been good customer, but
Mistah Wilkins when he see me las
Monday along O dem gang O people
begging bittle, he call out: Nothing
here for you, Aunt Rina; you got money
in de offs | amt answer him den,
for l hab respec' for white people. l
hab manners an l say noting befo'
all dem niggers, but feel hurt, dough,
an | cum to-day to hab saterfaction."
"Well, Mr.. Wilkins has had his hands
full since the storm, and he thought
you came to beg with the rest"
81 cum den JUS for what | cum to-
day-to draw my money an buy some
tings."
''How did the storm use you, Aunt
Rina?"
''If you believe me, Mistah Mac it
used me coarse. | nebber had no sich
coarse usement sence | bon. Dat was
a night for true! l pray Rina nebber
lib to see nudder like him. What you
tink of poor me, lone all myself, in dat
big storm? Dat day, yes, de day befo'
de win blow, an dat morning when
get up | say, Look like Rina' IL hab
bout getting to church. Well, de win
blow harder an harder, an | couldn't
go to chu'c an bout good afternoon
he begin for rain. He rain hard,
| dough- but | amt tink much. | see
many storm befo, an | not scared.
jus befo' dark my heart fail me lit
tie, for | dom member win an rain
like dat befo, an de tide berry high.
go in de house, an shet de shelters
an do, an sit down in my cheer. | say
| been lone, but hab little boy dat
stay wild me for comp'ny, but he sleep.
De win roar, an de house shake, an
| say. What | must do?' | pray de
| good Lord to TEX care O me, but de
roarin outside def me ears. | step to
de window, an crack um little bit,
an what you tink | see? People tell
bout de tide-I amt see no tide, see
de whole ocean, an my heart mos
! stop What | gwine fer do, run out an
leave de house? Dey amt nowhere to
go. | say, If Rina die, she die in her
, own home De boy sleep on de flo. [
| grab him up an say, How you kin
, sleep an we gwine fer drown?' De boy
| jest grunt. | shake him, shake him
good, but when l drap him, he head
| fall on de table, an he gone again.
say, Well, boy, yo' better off to sleep
/ De fus' ting l know de win an water
nails, nail um. Fas' as l nail um on
de top he loose at de bottom, an when
nail um at de bottom he loose at de
, top again. l put my back to de do an
, brace back De do push me, push de
do; dat was rassle, Mistah Mac, but
l say, 'Rina, hol on, an if yo' mus
| die, die in yo' own house 1 call on
God to help dis poor widow woman,
, an He help me; but de worse amt
/ cum. De waves lick de house, an de
win lick um, SO he rock jus like cra-
die. l steady do pray De mex ting 1
know off cum de roof, | say, 'Rina,
yo' time cum but l amt give up. De
rain burn me, he rain fire. | amt see
de fire, but he burn me ebery time he
, strike. De water under me feet lick
me, an de rain from Heben lick me,
an if daylight amt cum JUS as he did,
Rina ne bber been here to tell you bout
! um. IN. y. Tribune.