Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-05-20
stan right ober de chist OBJ gold. and Dol
L.

Streakin' de blue, blue seal"
And here the old story-teler attempted
to sail out TO sea in one Of the numerous
Colonial legends of the famous pirate that
linger still along the lower Potomac;
but, being with difficulty overhauled and
lowed back. so to speak. she resumed
the main course of the theme.
"BImeby somebody tell de Cun'l dat In
de full oh de moon Sans tongue git loose
and he kin talk, so de ole marster wait
fur de moon to git full and look at de
book as de moon gin to git shape OBJ an
egg, an one ebenin' he rod to de POGO
sin an amt say nothin', but sot by
Sam, an bofe ON 'em watch to see her
rise; an presindry she cum up out o. de
water oh de bay in de east, an Sam
gin TO trlmble, an when she clare up
out de water he gin to humble, an den
Sam say:
oh, ole marster, de debbirs got me-
but he got 10 let go me tell de moon start
down fun de top O. de high Heben. ole
marster, call on Him and axe Him to
save mccall on Him fer me. / dasn't
do II, 'cuz de long moccasin-snake, soon
as l go to sleep, will crawl round my
neck and stick him sharp tail in my
tongue fer calm His name
de ole Cun'l war powerful shook up
in his mine TO see Sam go on dat way, an
he say:
Sam, / know what you mean, and I'm
gwine to call on de Lawd fer yer night an
day. You know how l have to go long time
befo' you, and II He don't come TO you
befo' dat time when / cum befo' de throne
OBJ grace 1 shall axe the fust thing 70
set you free jes as 1 had done down here
Sam start to tell de ole marster how
much good dis talk do him when de Cun1
ak him whut de matter wild his hands, and
Sam say dat Liza sum TO him cherry full
moon and one time she had him up to de
churchyard gate and beckon him to cum
in, but de ole debbil slam de gate to and
Sam scratch at de iron bars like n dog
tell he fell down in fit and amt cum 10
hisself tell daylight. And by lie Time he
tell all dat he git up and say; Cunt,
yander she now; and dar war de spirit
oh Liza and she sat in de head oh de
Gunner and Sam take and sail up do
creek talkin' like he war talkin' to Liza
sho' 'nuff. Ebery time de moon gwine to
cum up out OBJ de bay at shutdown de ole
Cun1 go down and see Sam, and 1t pear
to comfort de poor creeter; and so 1t
went on tell de war cum up and de ole
Cun'l say he gittin' ole, but he gwine and
fight de Yankees long as he can sot on
Sur George-dat war his horse. So he
rid off, and went clare beyant de Mis-
slssippi river wild Genl Hubby Sniff, and
nobody amt see him tell de war done
over and de colored folk was free. one
day he cum back. and fust thing he say
is 'Whar is Sam?
Sam didn't know nothing bout de
war, but he was powerful glad to see de
ole marster.
"De years go rollin' by, and de Cunl
gin to get ole. He done los his son In de
war and de ole missis is dade. but he
console hisself wild de oder chlld'en. On
a winter night, when do wind howl and
none round Mount Stuart, de ole CunI
wake up In de midnight and say: 'Oh.
good Lord. hab mussey on all sufferin
creeturs dis cole night, and specially sam
'Jes' a mont ago de Cunl feel his time
done cum, an he lay hiss'f down peace
ful an say he's been here too long, any
how: and he ruther go. 'cuz he had made
his peace long ago, an aint been no great
sinner, no way. He call all his child ell
'roun' him an talk to 'em; den he fall
on sleep, but to'a'ds daybreak he wake
up an gin TO scratch wild his hands to-
gether de he'd coverin and he say:
Children. it's gittin' mighty cole;' an
den arter awhile he say; And dat minds
me 10 tell you all not 70 forgit po' Sam
An dem was his las words. When dey
put him in de ground an was sayin de
las words over him. somebody say: oh,
jes' look yander'; and dere was Sans
head poked out OBJ do bushes over de
fence; but when dey wen TO lead him I'm
10 see de las OF his ole marster, he war
gone. De shepherd say dat de light will
cum to de po' creetur befo' he go and
glib him time TO git de grace oh de Lord"
month after the writer had listened
TO this crude, but pathetic, narrative, a
fisherman, sailing out on the bar TO
tend" his trap nets at twilight saw
the old dugout canoe drifting out in the
light OF the rising full moon, and remem-
bering that it was Sans hour OF fate,
he changed his course, and bore I'D 10
give the old darby kind greeting. but
was shocked TO find the canoe empty.
He held IL moment by the gunnel, then
let 1t go, and as 1t drifted away I'm the
gathering darkness, he murmured softly:
Poor old Niger; the cat have got his
black body, but may the Lord give his
distracted soul better time in the next
world"
But Sans parting hour brought the
dawn OF reason. and united his tongue to
call on the name that the terror OF the
''cunjur' had silenced for nearly fifty
years.
When the sexton opened the gates OF
the church the next morning, which was
Sunday, he saw a draggled and ragged
figure lying on the last-made grave, but,
supposing 1t to be a vagrant tramp, plous-
ly left him undisturbed. and IL was
not until the congregation began 10
gather that some one went to examine
the object; and. turning up the face. re-
c0snized old Moccasin Sam; dead. but
still warm, with his hands locked to-
gether. as II In prayer. The kind-hearted
old preacher, who had never seen the
great world. and to whom the poorest
object OF pity was more sacred than the
corpse OF the greatest hero, made the
sexton bear the body into the church on
the stretcher and pronounced the beau
tiful Episcopal ritual over the dead va |
grant, knowing that the usual service |
could not be so solemn and soul-moying /
At dawn that morning the colored |
inmates OF a cabin a half-mile below the |
church had been awakened by the whin- |
ing OF the dogs. and saw the figure OF /
the old negro standing in the door. his |
trembling hands uplIftsd to give a bless
ing but his worn countenance illuminated |
with a smile OF divine hope.
May de good Lord bless all good folk |
and forgib all sinners. and turn dere
hearts, and praise to Him forever mo-
dat He lift de curse and turn de light /
On dis po' ole 'stracted head, and let me
call His name befo' l go. For de ole |
has set me free.
Il don't see Liza no NOR. but know
she's watchin' on de other side de river; |
a.. II tn "A ri hllf NJ In