The Portland daily press., 1896-04-04
time of all times to LET me hear it. -

Cross war libln in dis big line fahm
now, he's son ter de oberseer whar yo'
gran 'pappy. Miss Francis pa, had. Harp
Cross he older'n her, dough, free, fo'
years older. Dee growed up on de same
plantation. Yo' gran 'pappy he wus de
bes' manager roun 'erbout yere. He des
had oberseer ca Sc he think hit look bet
ter, seein he's sech er big gentemun.
Bimeby he gin de Crosses sech er good
show an larnt de ole man sech er much
fahm sense de oberseer gut 'bove hese'f
an set in ter buy Ian an niggers OBJ he
own. But soon as he gut um folks
foun' out, dough he had larnt ter wu'k,
he amt larnt how ter treat he black
folks. Dee ootcht de whup fer des any
an ev'y thing, an whuppin p'intedly
want lowed on we all's plantation.
Ole marster he laugh an tell his mig
gers he amt gwine bodder hese'f whup-
pin um eff dee wanter be triflin, an eff
dee wanter steal, why, be smart an hide
hit, SO he won't be made shame er dee
by fln'in hit out. Lord knows 'twa'n't
nebber nobody had de 'casion ter steal
dar. 'Twus des ak an hab, an de ve'y
same way at Marse John Ant'ny Nor
rises. Dem two places. dee laid sorter
cattawampus ter one norrer. Ole man
Cross she had somehow gut hold er Ian
right in de notch or de two
t'Fust off ole marster metty glad OBJ
hit. He hepped dam folks lex dee r'al
viii folks-loant um money ter pay
on de Ian an gin de ole man er fine
saddle mar. He wisht um we'll, an dee
'peared ter him ter be right smart sort
er folks, oonsiderin de wus borned in
de little short sort. But pretty soon he
found out he been settin er bumbly
bee aest right under he nose. De wus des
always quoilin bout som pm, SO he try
ter buy dee Ian an swade dee off ter de
Eellenoy, whar de res er de po' whites
wus gwine.
"But dat amt suitin den Crosses
no fetch hit amt. Dee wanter tuhn
quality right dar what der been born
an raised. By dat time Miss Francis
come IA an 'ginned ter ride her own
hawse an saddle ter meetin slider goin
in de Ca iage wild her ma An den, sho'
as I'm libin, dis yere Harp Gross he
had de inshorunce ter try an ride long
side OBJ her, lex Marse John Ant'ny
Morris er any er de other gentemuns.
Always dee wus two, free er dems
coined home wild 'er fun meetin. Harp
he low he gwine come, too, but he aim t
TUX no count er Marse John Ant'ny. On
de road him an Miss Francis CANT say
muffin. 'Twus de Harp Cross road des
much as hit wus deirn But when dee
coined ter we all's big gate Marse John
Ant'ny he hilt hit open, an Miss Fran
els she rid though, sayin ober her
shoulder, 'Goodby, Harp, an den dee
gallops ON ter de house, nebber turnin
dee heads.
"Oowe, WANT he madl Mad as
Tucker hit made all er dam dar Crosses.
Ole man he whup is niggers so hard he
gut right skeered on um. Den he sot
Harp an some mo- lex him ter ridin
patter rollers. No, dee didn't hab no
law fer hit. Dee want lex de county
patter rollers neider. Dey wus mans
whar had de sense ter have deese'fs,
nebber totcht yo' eff yo' des said yo'
had er pass an nebber axed fer hit eff
dee knowed yo' er yo' whi folks. Dam
Cross patter rollers dee wus diffunt.
Whoeber dee cotcht often he own grit
dee wanter tie him up right straight an
glib him 80 lashes. Fust off dee rid in
fur neighberhoods. Dee wus too 'feard
ole marster ter go roun 'erbout we alls
house. Sometimes dee wus out all night
long, dashin up ter de cabins whareb-
ber dee seed light No matter whut hit
wus bout-company, setting up wild de
sick er de dead, Ter Weddin, er candy stew,
er eben des er pra 'ar meeting-dee bruk
hit up nebber akin fer passes ner sayin
nothin tall but des swish, swish FUN
Mr.. Cowhide.
Zone night, dough, dee cotcht er mig
ger too many-er Morris nigger-Sam,
whar waited on Marse John Ant'ny.
He wus big an black an likely as he
could lib, black as tare, but Marse John
Ant'ny he des as soon yo' hit him as
ter hit Sam. When dam Cross patter
rollers come, de res dee runned erway
fas', but Sam he stay dar an stretch
hese'f an say, 'Whut yo' pledjure, gen.
temuns?'
Niger hide, dee say. 'Whar' yo'
pass?
'Den Sam he stan tiptoe an say,
sorter gyarpin 'hine he han lex he tired
er dee talk:
Hits at de cote 'ouse, suhs. I'ze er
Morris niger. My marster he done tole
de cote Morris niggers kin come an go
as dee pleases. Nobody amt gut no
call ter stop dee He answer dee ain t
doin no harm ner muffin but min in dee
own business er else dee marster's.'
'shet up, yo' black rascalr say
Harp Cross. 7 gwine whup yo' ca a'se
yo' is er Morris nigger. Eff yo' marster
open his mouf, I'll gin him some er de
same. Yo' oughter hab er hundred
lashes. We ain gut time ter gin yo'
but 80.
PLEASE yo'se'fs, gentemuns, Sam
say, ca SO he amt wanter glib dee no
souse ter him mo-. He gut home bout
de Earn er day, an when Marse John
Anti come ter hear dat tale de wus
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