Middletown transcript., 1895-02-16

his composition. And what is morf
singular still, was never able to dis.
cover any trace of superstition in his
conduct. He laughed to scOrn the
signs and omens with which the other
negroes were perpetually encouraged
or affrighted. Friday was as lucky q
day as any in his calender. He would
even make his fire with the wood Of
lightening-riven tree, and stranger still
was not afraid, as all the rest were, on
the occasion of a funeral, to bring
away the shovels used in The church
yard, without waiting till the moon
and stars had shone upon them.
"How is it, Phil" l once asked him,
"that you don't believe in any of the
luck signs?"
"Do you b'lisve in 'em, mostap" he
asked in reply.
"No; of course not. But all the
black folks do, except you,
"Mosta, amt you foun' out yet dat
niggas is bawn foolsp When my Massa
wants de hogs changed from one piece
o. woods to anudder, he don't 60 to
maxim blin' signs at me, but he comes
and tells me what he want; an de
good bnok an in all de wuld, He amt
gwine to make no blin' signs nuther.
He's done tole us in de good book an
in all de wuld around US what to do.
He's put sense in our heads to under.
STAN what He means, an He aint
gwine to govern de univarse wild a lot
of luck signs, like a nigga would do it.
'Sides, rs done all de unlucky things
heaps o. times. an amt new er had no
bad luck yet"
When the war came Phil was
staunch Southener in all his feelings,
and held firmly to bis faith in the sue.
cess of his side, even 10 the end. The
end crushed him completely. When
his master explained to the cOlored
people their new con dition of freedom,
and proposed to engage them for wages
Phil shoutly refused.
''De udder folks may do as dey
pleases, mosta, but Phil's gwine to be
your nigga jes' as he always was. |
amt gwine 10 be free nohow. amt
got no free nigga blood in me. 1 never
saw no free nigga what wasn't hungry
an l don't know no free nigga what
won't steal, more IN dat, l never
know'd free nigga what would't
sneak up on birds an shoot 'em on de
grown. tell you ain't gwine to BE-
one o. sich folks as dem. rs yo, nigga
an rs gwlne to be jes' dat. I'll do my
wuk, am won't take no wages, an
you'll take carr - me jes' as you al
ways did. on'y don't never call me y
free nigga. rs slave. is, an rs
got de bes' mosta in old VirginDy, an
l amt fool 'nuff to want to change de
sitiwation."
His master explained TO him the ne
cessity of the the case, and showed
him how impossible it was by any mu-
tual agreement, to altar the fact of
freedom or to escape it's consequences.
You must accept wages, Phil for l
may die, or 60 into bankruptcy; and
you may grow old or get sick; and if |
should be poor or dead then, there
would be nobody to take care of you.
You must work for wages, and take
care of your money, so that it may
take care of you"
'.MOsta, do you mean to tell Phil dat
de law makes me free nigga, whed-
der or no?'
Eyes, Phil"
'.Den stick yo' fingers in yo' yeahs,
mosta, cease rs gwine to swear. Damn
de law. Dat's what l say bout dat.
An now rs jes' gwine to die, an dat's
all about it.''
The poor fellow walked away with
bowed head and tear-stained face. The
broad stalwart shou .ders were bent be-
meath the weight of responsibility for
himself. He was strong man physi-
cially, but the merest in character, land
the feeling that he no longer had any
one but himself to lean upon was more
than he could bear. The light of
cheerfulness and good humor went out
in his face. The joyousness of his ma
ture disappeared, and before the snm-
mer had ripened into autumn, poor
Phil laid down and died of broken
heart. GEORGE CARY EGGLEsTON