Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-01-18
SEMIWEEKLY BANNER, FRIDAY, JAN. 18, 1895

back yander say us halter come dis
way eff Marse John Ant'ny Morris, yo'
pappy up in heaben, kin see whit gwine
on down yere terday 1 spec he try ter
git up outen de grade fer ter stop hit. F"
"Why?" Tony asked, taking a firmer
grip of her rope reins ''Do you think
he would hate so to see his daughter
doing honest, necessary work? 1 hope
oh, SO devoutly-my father was not
such a snob as that. Tell me, is there
any reason
''Reasonl Reason" Nanny broke
in. "Whar yo' eyes, chile? Yo' ears?
Ev'ything? Don't you unnerstan' halter
be suppin metty powerful ter set me off
on dis yere traipse wild yo'. My heart
git up in my froat cherry time dam
mules back dey ears, but yo' sha;n't
come long yere by yo'se'f, not eff l
knowed fer certain my ole neck gwine
git bruk fer nit. No won'er yo' amt
nebber seed dis yere road. Hit run
tn 'ough de Harp Cross plantation.
When us git in sight er de house dar, l
gwine dribe eff it gin me de heart bust,
an make yo' lay low in de wagin.
Date dar sateful ole sinner shain't hab
de sati faction er seein yo' dat wus
borusd de bes' quality in dis county do
in Niger wu'k."
~ don't mind work nor if the presi-
dent saw me at it," Tony said, sitting
very upright Nanny groaned again.
81 dom h'leeve de chile know half
whut she talkin bout" she said. as
though speaking to herself 81 know |
ain t nebber tole her, but sho'ly Miss
Francis
"Miss Francis has never told me any
thing All 1 know is Mr.. always used
to bemoan the fact that she was not
friendly with the Crosses. He said it
shut him out Of their elegant hospitali-
ty, ," Tony said, her lip curling a lit
tie, $50 if there is anything to tell,
Nanny" she went on, ''now is the
time of all times to let me hear it."
dee is er tale, sho' 'nough," Mann
my returned. GAS nigh as knows hit,
hit begin sorter dis way. Dis yere Harp
Criss war libin in dis big fine fahm
now, he's son ter de oberseer whar. yo'
gran 'pappy, Miss Francis pa had. Harp
Cross he older'n her, dough, free, TO-
years older. Dee growed up on dc same
plantation. Yo' gran pappy he wus de
bes' manager rOun 'erbout yere. He DIES
had oberseer ca 'se he think hit look bet
ter, seein he's seCh er big gentemun.
Bimeby he gin de Crosses seCh er good
show an larnt dc ole man sech er much
fahm sense de oberseer gut 'bove hesof
an set in ter buy Ian an niggers oh he
own. But soon as he gut um folks
foun' out, dough he had larnt ter wu'k,
he amt larnt how ter treat he black
folks. Dee cotcht de whup fer DIES any
an ev'y thing, an whuppin p'intedly
WANT lowed on we all's plantation
Ole marster he laugh an tell his Mig
gers he ain 'tgwine bodder hese'f whup-
pin UNI eff dee wanter be triflin, an eff
dee wanter steal, why, be smart an hide
hit, so he won't be made shame er dee
by fin'in hit out. Lord knows 'twan't
nebber nobody had de 'casion ter steal
dar. 'Twus DIES AK an hab, an de vey
same way at Marse John Ant'ny Nor
rises. Dem two places, dee laid sorter
cattawampus ter one norTer. Ole man
Cross she had somehow gut hold err Ian
right in de notch er de two.
''Fust off ole marstor metty glad OBJ
hit. He hepped dam folks lex dee raj
viii folks-loant um money ter pay
on de Ian an gin de ole man er fine
saddle mar. He wisht um well, an dee
'peared ter him ter be right smart sort
er folks, considerin de wus horned in
de little short sort. But pretty soon he
found out he been settin er bumbly
bee nest right under he nose. Dewus des
always quoilin bout som pr, so he try
ter buy dee Ian an swade dee OF ter de
Eellenoy, whar de res er de po' whites
wus gwine
But dat amt suitin den Crosses
no fetch, hit amt. Dee wantcr tuhn
quality right dar what der been born
an raised. BY dat time Miss Francis
come IA an 'ginned ter ride her own
hawse an saddle ter meetin slider goin
in de ca'iage wild her ma. An den, sho'
as I'm libin, dis yere Harp Cross he
had do inshorunce ter try an ride long
side oh her, lex Marse John Ant'ny
Morris er any er de other gentemuns.
Always dee wus two, free er dems
coined home wild 'er fun meetin. Harp
he low he gwine come, too, but he amt
TUX no count er Marse John Ant'ny On
de road him an Miss Francis CANT say
muffin. 'Twus de Harp Cross road des
much as hit wus deirn. But when dee
coined ter we all's big gate Marse John
Ant'ny he hilt hit open, an Miss Fran
els she rid though, sayin ober her
shoulder, 'Goodby, Harp, an den dec
gallops on ter de house, nebber turnin
dee heads.
"Oowe, want he mad Mad as
Tucker hit made all er dam dar Crosses. |
Ole man be whup is niggers so hard he
gut right skeered ON um. Den he sot |
Harp an some mo- lex him ter ridin |
patter rollers. No, dee didn't hab no
law fer hit. Dee want lex de county |
patter rollers neider. Dey wus mans !
whar had de sense ter have deese'fs, |
nebber totcht 90 eff yo' DIES said yo' |
had er pass ar nebber axed fer hit eff |
dee knowed yo' er yo' viii folks. Dam
Cross patter rollers dee wus difTunt.
Whoeber dee cotcht often he own grit |