The record-union., 1896-07-19


well guess. Had 1 not seen Cunning
ham, with his big frame bent close to
the desk and his forehead beaded with
perspiration, toll all through the half
hours writing period to make one row
of letters on his copy paper So fin
ished a production as this, made while
he was at Hampton, would have cre-
ated a sensation among his teachers.
Needless to say that / answered at
once with encoura ging words, and the
more substantial aid of box of books
ma agazines, papers and such tools of the
trade as l could collect and Hampton
could spare. For it had many such calls.
And again Cunningham was out of our
minds for a time
In the middle of June was obliged to
take a railway journey farther south.
On my return, when within a days ride
Of Hampton, l missed a connection, and
found myself stranded at a desolate
junction, with no possibility of getting
away until the next day. Fortunately,
/ remembered that the junction was the
nearest station to Cunningham home.
After engaging the least Objectional
room in the squalid hotel over the rail
road station, and eating the most objec-
tionable dinner ever tasted | began to
look about for conveyance to take me
to Baptist Hill.
The outlook was not promising. The
station, painted hideous orange color,
with white trimmings, stood alone in
the scrubby pine woods where hardly a
squirrel track was visible. The few
loungers that always mysteriously ap-
70 tol, l,. a
disappeared as mysteriously No one
remained about the place except the tel
egraph operator, who was also ticket
agent, baggage master and hotel-keep-
er, his wife, a colored maid-o all work,
two shepherd dogs, a gray cat Gnd my
self
After two hours of this agreeable So
ciety, the sight of a steer-cart plodding
through the woods was most welcome
one. / hurried out to see if the colored
driver would take me to Baptist Hill
''Ya-as," he said, meditatively, "ef yo'
kin hang on. Use gwine thar"
The cart consisted of a pair of wheels
with single plank from one hub to the
ether, whereon the proprietor sat and
swung his feet in dangerous neighbOr-
hood, as | thought, to the heels of his
vicious-lOoking steer AS there were no
accommodations fer freight of any
kind, inferred that this simple vehicle
was intended for pleasure driving only
With an inward shudder | gathered my
skirts In my hand, and mounted the
narrow seat.
There, with the wheel on one side and
my charioteer on the other, could only
nv a111to ,oJo
with both hands, and give my whole
mind to hanging on" attending but
slightly to my talkative driver
L have dim conviction that the road,
after we left the woods, was lined with
holly trees, which even in summer had a
peculiar witchery for me- and that
these We're aflame with the sturdy trum-
pet flower clambering over them at ram
dom. saw here and there a stately
magnolia in belated glory. But for the
most part that four mile drive is a
blank as regards what l saw or heard.
Like all things good and bad, however,
it had an end.
"Heah yo is,' said my friend.
TO my Inquiries for his name he had
glinned broadly and said: 'Dey mostly
calls me Puhsimmons, miss" And with
the name Persimmons ! contented my
self, owing to the difficulty of carrying
Oh conversation.
Dat young Cunningham, he made
right smart OBJ a change roun' heah,
miss. Dis yeah am de place"
We had driven into bit of a settle
ment that looked as little as possible
like my notion of what Baptist Hill was.
IN haI xoI
with garden rake, so clean it was.
Every poor little hut, hanging like
BIRDS nest to its big outside chimney.
was cleaning with whitewash and sur
rounded by a rude whitewashed fence
The store" had, of course, it's group
of loungers, but I could see man hoe
ing behind one of the cabins, another
mending plow near by. and best of all,
half dozen women, smoking to be sure,
but washing and hanging out clothes
in the yard of the largest cabin. One of
them answered my inquiry for Cunning
ham.
Reckon he's right ober yander in de
schoolhouse, miss she said, grandly
"cnless he's ben SEN foh toe Fo' Co'ners
But dat ain likely, cos dey ain no
chillun roun'.''
1 had not noticed any building that
seemed to be a schoolhouse; but follow
ing the woman's gesture, 1 saw one of
the whitewashed cabins distinguished
from the rest by a bench holding a tin
basin on one side of the door, while on
the other side hung an immense brown
towel. This was a good beginning.
1 stepped across the road and stood at
ba Ind toto
pathetic little room went to my heart
There was not a sign of furniture in it,
save a row of upturned boxes and pals
for seats. Even these had given out,
and were supplemented with huge log
rolled in from the woods, whereon were
uncomfortably percned between fifteen
and twenty colored children from 6 to 16
years old. Every eye was soemnly
fixed on the teacher, and the teacher
was Cunningham.
He had tackled upon the wall a large
sheet of brown paper, and with a piece
of charcoal in his hand, was equipped
as with blackboard and chalk.
Thomas Jefferson" he said, ''how
much am five and three?"
Thomas Jefferson rose and began to
count something in his hands. Then
saw that each child was counting, and
using for counters-what but pine nee
dies. Thomas finished his calculations.
"Seben,' he said gravely.
There were shocked faces all around
at Thomas failure, and eager hands
went up to correct him
"Calliny Johnson" said Cunningham,
in precisely Miss Thurman's school
room manner.