The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-09-29
ENVION
BY ARr1ISTEAD c. GORDON

eudNe. l1uFIObs
"Yes, sah."
sit in my shirt sleeves by the crack
ling wood fire and, strap the razor which
/ have taken from my travelling port
manteau while | await Envlon's return
with the hot water. l am one of those
civilized Nomads of the nineteenth
century known in their own phraseclogy
as comm ercial tourists-in the language
of the rabble as "drummers." Envion
Is servant in this little dlngy, rickety
hotel-the best inn, however, which the
umble-down country village of G.
contains.
| have been here once or twice before
with my sugar and spices-not that
ever succeeded in making many good
bargains hers, but for the reason that
there is pretty country girl near by for
whom | have n penchant. Envion al
ways waits on my room at the hotel. and
few hali-dollars judiciously bestowed
have made him my friend for life.
In few moments Envion returus with
the hot water. and as | proceed to lather
my face stands by the chimney place
with his arm on the mantel and watches
me intently. Outside 1t is raining in tor
rents, but the little room with the red
curtains, it's rag carpet and its blazing
hickory fire, looks CHEEKY enough.
Done changed right smartly sence you
was here befo'. sab. Beard done got
heavier like, an yous stouter'n you used
ter be-
''Yes, we frequently change greatly in
few years time, Envion," | reply, as
the razor touches my face.
''Eunno so much about dat. PENS al
together on who you is. Ez for me. IL
spec l looks bout ez young ez l did
when | went inter de wah wild Marse
Berkeley
Although full fifty years have passed
over Envion's head, there ara no gray
hairs there, and he is as erect as an In
dian. l go on shaving, and Envion, who
seems to be in communicative frame of
mind, continues: Never knowed Marse
Berkeley. did you? No, of cose you
didn t. | spec you wasn't nothin' but
a boy when he got dat shot down dar at
Manassas-fus' battle o. Manassas when
we licked de Yankees SO turribe. Me
an him was boys together Ole Mars ter
used ter whop us wild de came switch
cause Marse Berkeley was orful young
rascal when he was small boy. an
back wander, long afo' de wah, when we
used ter go ter school down dar at Hill
ardsville ter ole Mr.. Jeffers. Dey warn t
neither on us mon twelve year ole den.
an Marse Berk went dar ter GIT he les
sons. an l went dar ter tote de snack
basket. Oats ole Mr.. letters was o con-
gerer. Umph! | amt done forgit up ter
dis day dat time he tuk'n put dollar on
sheen he had down dar at de school
'ouse. Wild passed. o. bottles an wires
an things.
''Envion, seq he. wild mighty grin on
dat ugly ole face O. his'n, 'wudden ye
like ter have a silver dollar?'
~, Lee
Well dar it is, seq he, 'jes' help
yesrse'f.'
Il stretched my han out fer ter take
dc money an de fus thing | knowed dat
ar man had done put de devil in dat dol
lar an doubled me up inter bow knot. !"
An electric battery, Enyion." l sug-
lgested as | dip my brush into the mug
of hot water.
es, sab, eggsactly, sab, a collectrical
nars ole bd ne s ass aags afs an
buttin' wild down dar in de Willow mead
er back O. de Gre't House. warn't q
patchin' ter dat thing. Marse Berk he
like to bus hisse'f a-laughn' dat day, an
all de tother chillun laughed an hol-
Tered. But let dat ar mans silver dol
lar alone arter hat, 1 tell you'll"
Watson. de preacher, were down dar ter
de school house a-ridin his sor'l mar.
Wheh he was inside a-talikn' to Mr..
Jeffers, an me an Marse Berk tuk'n
tied a thorn bush ter de mars tail. Mr..
Watson was sort o. im-sighted an never
seen de bush, 'twel he had done got on
de mar an started off. Sech IA rim
an a-kickin' an buckjumpIn e7 dat
ole mar did carry on! An de fus'
thing we knowed Mr.. Watson was flat on
he back in de mud puddle. Lordy, what
times we USED ter have down dar at dat
school house, sho huff. Allays some
daevilment or mother ,goin,' on, an Mars
Berk he a-bossin' O. de job. Mr.. LETTERS
"a lick HIM, an den ole marster git
hoIe on him when we went home an den
whop me ter keep his han in. Po' ole
marster-he's six foot deep under dis
here red Albemarle sile desc many years,
but lbs was good man ter all on us, spite
OBJ de FAC DAT he was fond OBJ maxim de
peach switches whistle roun' me an
Marse Berk's jackets. He was powerful
stern man, sab. l seen him onst alter
Marse Berk had done got ter be about
sebenteen var OLGA great big stroppin'
feller--
:" You, Berkeley, sab, come here.
sab SEE ole marsJer. Marse Berk come
an STAINS up befo' him. sort O. defiant
like, you know.
- Berkeley. sab, I'll have you ter
understan', sab, dat eff dat thing is re-
peated' Il don't know what it were he
had been a-doin' dat didn't suit ole mar
ster-'ef dat thing is repeated, I'll whop
you, sah.'
" 'Whop me. sab? why. san, I'm too
big ter be whopped, sab, SEE Marse Berk.
marster. 'Ef you do wrong, sab, I'll
whop you Ell yo is ez tall ez a pine tree
an ez big ez hogshid.'
AN, ten minutes afterwards, when
Marse Berk was out o. siglt, | seed two
Sfan I'm Ia 81
mans eyes.
But pshaw dat warn't it what was
startn' out to tell you bout You orter
khowed Marse Berk's wife, Cunnu Toll
vers daughter. from down in tidcwater,
bout Glorster pint. | went down dar ter
de weddin'- Chris mas time, sah-all de
niggers on de place were spruced up in
der Sunday go-ter-meetin's, a-loafin'
around ub about de greet house to sec de
young man what was gwine ter marry
Hiss Agnes Toliver an ter carry on at
% weddin. Well, sab, Marse Berk was
i,@kin' ez fine ez a fiddle bout dat time,
Veil you fer a fac. He was some two
,Hnes tallern you is-six ieet far Seen
biask broadclof an white weskit, sech
shiny boots ez he had on dat night
Dese here very hans polished up dem
boots 'twel you could ia rly Sc, yer face
IN en-. An de young lazy looked like
she hai jes' drapped out o. heaben-
ceptln de wings must ha' been tucked
away uhder dat long trailin white veil
via ue grange flowers all over il. Dat
was lesla few months fo' de wah, an
every thilg look cheerful-like an happy.
Dey Keep prime fires down dar bout
Glostc p'nt in de winter time-none o.
yer little norrer fire places where yer has
10 cut yer Wood half q yard long ter git
II IN, but got big holes in de chin bleys
what manlcould stan straight up in.
INF nvI ~ 1,