The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-05-30

dat ole man on de stepW
"Yes, I'VE answered. "Who is he9"
She did not reply, but continued to
moan and stare into vacancy with
wide open, tear dimmed eyes. Pres
emily she got up, went to the little
window and looked at the old fellow,
then came back murmuring, cts
him, it's him, after all desc yurs, it's
him"
"Roxie," came the plaintive cry,
"oh, Roxier
She staggered to her feet, then
sank down again.
Oats somebody what ulster
know" she whispered cautiously,
back in Tenn'see long go. OATS
all, honey"
Perhaps it is not him." we said,
thinking she would rather be brought
to believe herself mistaken.
"Dis ole woman's sutten en- shot,"
she returned. "Ain't l done toted
dem luks in my head all desc yurs1
Ever day says ter myself, Dere's q
gray ha'r, Ell dere's a wrinkle, en-
dere's a crooked laig, en- dere's a
stopped bac', en- it's all so. OATS
de same ole niger Tze been totin
roun in my head en- studyin over
all desc yurs."
She went to the window again,
then came back and sat down.
Tell us about it, we said, land
perhaps we can help you"
"Yuse done done all, she announc-
ed. You brung him here, ] know"
That was startling. We wanted an
explanation.
Hit wuz dem pieces ter de papers.
Dat wuz de reasin l wrote EN-, SOS
doin well. En- OATS where Roxie
Scales kems in, whut you argified SO
much over. l wuz Scales, en- is a
Scales-Friday is ole med up name.
But l didn't reckin he'd KEN trackin
down hyur when he'd de paper sont
ter him"
why don't you go and speak to
him, Roxie2 He has come long dis
tance to see you. Go, Roxie."
II wudn't speak ter him fer dis
yeth'' she cried. Oats ole mar.
ried niger"
Roxie was a rigid moralist, but here
was something we could not under
stand.
KEN, sit down" she said at last
~ see l halter tell ter set my own
kerrickter street. Long go wuz
young, en- I b'longed ter a gemman
In Tenn'see. So did Jabe. OATS him
out dere. We co'ted en- married en-
wuz so happy, en- bom-by a baby
KEN. Bout dat time we TUX Tumpy,
whut didn't hev no nanny, ter raise
She wuz 10 den-10 yurs ole. ! kin
hear dat lump singin yit, a-rockin de
crib, wild de baby a-squallin en- her
a-pattin ter drown de yells, en-
me a-wukin in de feel close by,
long de row, side o Jabe's. Den
lump wud bring us water in de long
ha'dle gourd, en- I'd drink fust en-
Jabe mex. Den lump would skeet
bac' wild basket on her head ter
keep de br'ilin hot sun off, en- dancin
Juba un'er de shade. We sorter KEEP
ter ourselves, kase Jabe wuz counted
lakly, en- we wuked de patches of
COOLERS en- watermilluns by de
branch, en- de gyardens, en- de ticklish
wuk dat old mistis wudn't let nobody
else fetch. But one day ole mawster
went en- died, en- Jabe fell ter de son,
Mawse Aleck, en- fell ter Miss Sallie.
En- Miss Sallie she married, en- her
man nuver blieved in ownin niggers,
but he b'lieved in sellin 'em en- putin
de money fer 'em snug in his peck
etse He sol me, en- l wuz kerried
way off ter Mis'sippi. I begged him,
en- Miss Sallie beg him, but she wuz
leetle, en- he was big en- domineerin
en- med her pass her cawnsent.
"'Fo' goin went ter de crib en- TUX
a long LUX at dat po' leetle sleepin
baby, whut wudn't soon hev NO
nanny, en- Jabe was cryin fit ter
die, en- lump wuz yellin on de do
step. 1t wuz wuss'n dyin stiff dead,
but whut KEN way after dat wu2
wuss yit. luked bac' long ez cud
see a sign of de cabin or de smoke, en-
bout de time wuz gittin outer sight
I heard de baby cry, en- day cry
rung in my head fer yurs en- yurs,
en- l hear it yit. 1t wuz lax il
say, KEN bac', nanny, en- l cried
en- cried, too, en- when de s'render
KEN dat cry med me plod bac' tel
ole Tennsee. wanted ter see JADE
en- lump en- all, so I wuked hard en-
saved money, den started ter 'em.
wuz happy 'nough on de way bac
ter do me a lifetime.
when I got ter de old neighbor
hood wunst mo-, flew lax I he'd
wings, l wuz so j'yful. I walked
FUN de railroad out, fer I'd spent
mos Of my change fer presents fel
EN- all. De quaters wuz mighty
nigh empty, but l see smoke kemin
outer de chimbly whut he'd been
ourn, en- l knowed Jabe wuz dere yit.
En- mebby leetle Judy he'd got big
'nough ter cook, fer I'd been GAVIN 1C
yurs, en- wudn't she be glad ter see