Middletown transcript., 1895-02-16

hour, several of them would be sure Il
overtask their strength and retire ex
hausted to the friendly shade of thu
nearest .thicket. But they never sue
ceeded In coming up with Phil, or In
so firing him that b. was not ready fol
dance or tramp when night came
He was strong man, rejoicing in
his strength always. but there was
one thing he would not do; namely.
work for himself. His master was one
of those who hoped for gradual eman-
cipation, as many Virginans Gid, and
thought it his duty to prepare his ne
groes for freedom as far as it was pos
sble to do so. Among other means to
his end, he encouraged each to make
and save money on his own account.
Each was expected to cultivate patch
as it was called, of his own, their
master giving them the necessary time
and the use of the mules, whenever
theiEcrOps needed attention. In this
way be thought to train them in habits
of voluntary industry and thrift, and
and some of them. having no necessary
expenses to bear, accumulated very
pretty little boards of cash from the
sale of their crops year after year. But
Phil would not raise a crop for him.
himself.
"What want to raise crop forf"
he would ask. 81 dom want no money
on'y quarter sometimes to buy a
banjo slIing or fish line, an l git
plenty o. quarters pitched at me when
lakes genllemeE's hO: ses. dom
want no money-an' wouldn't know
What to do wild it if l had it. My
mosta takes good car o. means long
as ddr's piece o. meat in de smoke
house Phil knows he's gwine to have
plenty to eat. My m0sta gives me mo-
clo'es IAN kin war Out-an' what de
devil I want to be maxim money for, L
'clar' l dunno"
1t was Of no use to argue the matter.
His mind was quite made up, and
there was no possibility of changing it.
Phil's marital philosophy was rather
unique. He changed wives perhaps
halt dozen times while knew him,
tut one set of general rules governed
nis choice in every instance. There
We're certain qualifications of u rather
singular sort which be deemed essen-
tial IN wife. She must not live on
he plantation, for one thing, or on one
OF thuse Immediately adjoining, 'cause
den we're sho' to see TOO much o. one
anuddtr, an III GIT tired y de range
men,." In the secund place he would
maIIy nune but old women, "'cause de
YOUNG uns Is no count anyway. Dey
don't half take car u dere husban's'
stockln's an things. IF you want
holes III yer stockin's an buttons al
ways off'n yer shut collahs, jes' marry
young GAL" The third requisite was
that the wife .hould be slave, and the
daughter of slaves on both sides.
This qualification he insisted upon even
Ill The choice of masculine associates.
Ills contempt for "free niggas'' was
snpieme-almost sublime. He ne
elected no possible oppul tunity of Wilt
lying them, and practsed no sort of
ecunomy in his expenditure Of invec-
tive upon them.
Most Of the negroes, in Vagina at
least, were very religious. Naturally
their religion was intensely emotional
III its misunderstanding, sombre,
gloomy; and quite as naturally, it was
largely colored with superstition. But
religion of this kind had 10 charm for
Phil, who, as the reader may possibly
have guessed, prided himself upon be-
Ing strictly logical in all his views and
actions.
"Bro' Ben," he said to one of his
fellows one day, "you's done got re-
liglon, heah. Any way yer face IS
twice as long IS it ought to be. Has
you got religion fer shop"
"Now, Phil, l don't want none o.
your wickedness. Bless de La wd, is
got religion"
''Ohl you is got it, is your Now
lem me AK you question or two.
You's got religion, You sayl"
Ben. Yes, rs got religion.
Phil. Well den, you're gwine to
heaven after 'while-when you dies2"
Ben. Yes, rs got de 'surance o
dat, Bro Phil.
Phi. AM you'd "a gone to hell if
you hadn't got de 'surance, as you call
1T, wouldn't your
Ben. If I'D "a died in my sins,
course I'd "a gone to hell.
Phil. Well now, for nigga what's
jes' made has 'rangements to keep
out'n hell an git to heaven, you's got
de mos onaccountable long face l ever
did see, an dat's all about it.
When Ben had retired In disgust, Z
demonstrated with Philip.
what do you tease Ben for, PHILIP"
! asked. You know better than to
make fun of religion"
"Course do, mosta, an dat's jes'
it. Ben ain't got no religion, an L
knows it. He jes' putin on dat SOL
emncholy face to fool de good Lawd
wild. Ben I'll steal, mosta, whenever
he gifts chance. He amt got mo'
religion IAN hog. ShoI What he
know bout religion, goin' down under
de hill to pray, an all dat nonsense ?
Couldn't git him to sing song now or
I l.