The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1895-12-20


which we could see dimly outlined in
the deepening dusk. The negro was in
advance of us. He turned at the colo
nel's remark. and / say his white
teeth cleaning. Ain no use'n er man
tryin ter hide his mind frum Mars
Lem" he said, jolting himself with a
laugh. "Not er bit er use, Gaze he gwine
read er mans mind like one teze yere
books wild er luther kiver ON 1t. F"
"Go ON, you scoundrel!' the colonel
replied.
"Yas, sab dat's whit I'ze doin."
Anything been going ON since ]
left?'
mo, sab; not much. Sam Purdy an
Jim Bates got inter or squabble, an Sam
stabbed him, an de doctor say he ain
gwine lib. F"
"That sof''
"Yas, sab, an Miles Parker wuz flung
be er colt day befo yistidy, an da say
dat one O. his laigs got ter come of. I"
"You don't tell mei'
"Yas, sab, an ole Miss Nancy Lee
trod ON er round stick an fell an broke
her hip, an da low she amt gwine git
well. Gaze she 80 old -
"Whatp'
"Yas, sab, an Cap'n Bowles sont
word ter Mr.. Hicks dat he wuz or bar
face liar, an erbout shutdown seed Mr..
Hicks ridin toward de ,cap'n's house, an
dar's no tellin whut has happened by
dis time.
"Well. you've all had a fine time
since l left. Hop up there now and
drive us home.
The next day was the day before
Christmas, and how dreamily delight
full did find this old place I fancied
that in every corner romance was hid
ing. The loud creak of the old windlass
at the we'll was a cry from the past.
There had been killing frosts. but now
the air was softened with Indian sum-
mer's hazy breath. At early morning
the colonel took me to see his mint bed.
The carriage driver lowered near us,
grim, sly, half laughing. Look like
somebody dun spit tobacker juice on dat
glass;, he said, and the old colonel
turned upon him. "If you don't go ON
away and attend to your own affairs,
I'll take stick To you. But wait a
minute. You tell the niggers that I'm
going to give them an old fashioned
Christmas. Tell them-men, women
and children-to be in front Of the big
house early in the morning. Do you
hear?"
docs I yere?" cried the old negro,
bowling almost to the ground. docs
yere? Did Moses yere it thunder when
he went up inter de mountains, sab
Did Aaron yere de bells dat wuz tied ter
his garments? reckon 1 does yere, an
l thanks de Lawd"
Early the next morning, before the
winter birds began to twitter, heard
the negroes assembling in front of the
house. The invitations had not been
confined to the tenants on the colonel s
place, but had included those who lived
on some of the adjoining farms.
The colonel was early astir. He
brought julep to my room, and hand
ing it to me remarked: "Under amber
glass. Don't let that point get away
from you. Listen at 'em down there.
Happiest people on the face Of the earth
the only real philosophers. Do you
know what I've got for them? Molasses
candy for the children and eggnog for
the men and women. You know that q
negro has always thought that to have
enough eggnog is to catch a glimpse
of heaven. We got up before day and
made wash kettle full of it. Drink
that Amber glass. I'm afraid that you
are about to let that point get away
from you. -
l assured him that l was not. / told
him that it was really better than the
mint that grew along the branch, and
this pleased him. 'Ah," said he, 81
see that you have not lived too long in
the north. Well, let us go down and
open up.
What day that was With yoke of
steers the negroes drew an enormous
hickory log into the yard, bored anger
holes into it, loaded the holes with
gunpowder and Jared the neighborhood.
They ran foot races; they danced and
sang strange songs At noon they were
Toasted and at evening they took their
departure, some Of them wabbling as
they walked.
And now 1 have come to q mystical
part of this recital I have never be-
lieved in the mysterious, have mildly
hooted at Impractical owl, striving to
deal alone with plain realities-but
am impelled, even at the risk Of being
charged with untruth, to tell Of some
thing that occurred during the night
that followed our noisy merrymaking.
Until late the colonel and sat in the
parlor. room which once had been
richly adorned, but which was now
dingy with faded finery admit that