The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1895-03-30

Hcnrjett& ! was sorry 1or nip+ que
was Gce.born, IS was her mother be-
fore her, and her freedoms was fthe -
mediate jewel,of her soul" Her deter
mination never to marry q slave was rs
well known as her ability to abide by
that decision. So ], was sorry for Joe.
But Joe went on his way as 'gravely,
industriously and calmly as before. !
supposed that my sympathy was mis-
placed, and after awhile forgot all about
it. Joe's memory was better.
1t was fully . year later when he
came to me and asked: "Marse Hinry,
how much yo' reckon Use wuth?"
---''f could sell you Tor fifteen hundred
dollars.' ~ gsieis
'.Humph! OATS a sight O. money!
But yo' got right smar' chance o. money,
dough, Marse ninry. an lam an cat
ties an craps ev'y year, an niggers.
Shot, one niger amt no mon drap in
de bucket. Pears like yo' wouldn
sca'cely miss one niger" -at
"Well, what do you want, Joe? Say
what you have to say, and don't take
all the morning. You're burning day
light"
'.NIarse Hinry, yo' sets heap O. store
by Miss Ell'n?' nodded my head.
: .'Yo' recommended, sab, dat day she
ware drownded an fotch her out?''
t'As if is We're yesterday"
Oats so, hit do pear like faint no
mon yistiddy, but hits nigh onto ten
year. OATS, long time. / spec" and
his voice fell into that caressing cadence
peculiar to- his race, II spec yo' done
forgit what yo' says to me dat day. l
lrecollec's hit, dough; yo' says: Joe, l
gwine sot yo' free Amt dat SO, Marse
Hinry?" I
\ The light was dawning on me, and l
said: 81 remember it perfectly. Have
you forgotten your answer"
Nav, sab. nav, Marse Hinry, 1
haint forgit hit says 'twa'n't with
while TO- to free mel gwine be ole
lmarse's nigger But hit dom pear to
me now dat way. Hit pear like / done
change my thinkin'." .,
s'You have been long time doing
it." / remarked, dryly. "Why do you
want to be free now? Have you had a
hard time? Have / been a hard
master?".ss w algs es,f
Laws. Marse Hinry, dom look at me
like dat! God knows yo' been, good to
me. Yo' gimme what l want; yo' larn
me to be carpenter; done gimme dat
suit wild de brass buttons n long
tailed coat! Dom nobody say nothin'
TIL bout me hevin' hard time! Whar
dat dawg, whar dat gun yo' done
gimme? Amt yo' low me g off huntin',
tother niggers wulxkin' in cawn-fier?
Amt yo' done trest me? Law Marse
Hinry, de angel Gabr'l amt had no bet
ter time N me. Hit 'taint dat. sab! hit
hit faint dat
"Then what is it?"
"Hit's---hit's H-Henr'etta! Henrietta
say dat she ware born free. She amt
gwine marry no slave; but she lowed
eff ware sot free, she low she mout
marry long me. OATS how cum l AK
yo' does yo' member dat drowndin', m
how yo' say dat-I save-Miss Elm life
dat day?"
He was no longer shutting or embar-
raised, but had pulled his loose figure
together and stood with uplifted head
in the unconscious dignity of just
cause.
( He had pleaded his cause better than
he knew. would have freed him on
the spot if it had been possible. But
my estate had been lessened by dis
astrous lawsuit; besides, l was heavily
indebted 1t was out of the question to
free Joe, and thus, besides losing 30
valuable slave, lose the income his
wages brought me-a matter of some
five hundred dollars year.
!, explained this to him as plainly and
gently as could.
He listened silently, and then said:
''Dat's so, marster, dat's so. Hits
cha o. money. Yass, sab, l b'lieve
you a. t ter me eft you could. Good
by, sab. / gwine fin Henrietta" He
walked slowly away with the old shut
fie,. the erectness all gone out of his fig
ure. Poor Joe!
felt SO sorry for him that tried to
think of some way to help him to his
freedom without injuring myself. l
decided to credit him with half his
earnings, and when the credits amount
ed to one thousand dollars to free him,
five hundred dollars to be paid by him
afterward.
Joe accepted this with gratitude. No
man ever worked harder. In four years
/ my books showed one thousand dollars
to his credit, and Joe was free. He got
his free papers and his marriage license
the same day.
The laws concerning freed slaves
were very strict. No freed slave was
allowed to remain in the state longer
than twelve months, except by special
decree of the court for extraordinary
services Henrietta, being free-born,
was not amenable to this law; but
shortly before the twelve month ex-
pired notice to leave was served on Joe.
When he found the law to be inexora-
BILE, he decided to leave and make his
home In a free state. But he had reck-
A q" 81 4