Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-05-28

swer, and when It came--disappoint-
ment. The boy Edmund had been sold
south. They could not tell anything
about where or to whom. The owner
had died, the estate had been settled up
and Edmund had been sent with num-
Der of other slaves to the plantation
that was all.
II do believe it will break her heart"
said the doctor. at will be more than
she can bear. How can we tell her?"
Don't let's tell her." said his wife.
ut will be better for her to hope on"
| "She will think SO meanly of me. She
will distrust me-" said the doctor.
THAT will be better than her despair"
said his wife, and SO they told her moth
ing.
1t was pitiful, indeed, after this when
the good old soul would come more and
more hesitatingly and ask: "Moster,
amt you ready YETI" and he would an
swer: "Oh, Aunt Lefty, you see what
family have to look after! I am so
sorry for you. 1 would gladly get your
boy for you, but can't do it now. Don't
be discouraged. He must be great
| nne telloW by TINS time.
my baby, moster, just seven years
DID," she would answer, and it is doubt
| full if she ever thought of him as any
other than the baby boy she had parted
| from.
| For 81 years that faithful servant
cooked for the family with skill so un-
erring as to make them forget there
| oorI1 ha c,,ob fb;p burnt ZOO ~.
bad bread in the world. For 81 years,
till the babe in the cradle that day Of
her coming had cast his first vote, and
grandchildren who had come to bless
the house had slept in that same cradle
and were now in turn wheedling and
coaxing Aunt Lefty, she had served,
bearing about with her always her UNI
abated longing to see her baby boy, but
still bearing her burden accomplishing
ly and without reproach. Never once
did she say: "Moster, you promised
mel" but always: "Moster, amt you
ready yet"
| Many times her mistress had been
tempted to tell her, it became so pitt
full at last, but on second thought, had
always forborne, lest the truth and the
end of hope would be more than the
poor mother could bear.
Before the end of those long years Of
service and of dumb, patient waiting
the war has come on and for three years
she had been free. When freedom
broke out" as the negroes express it.
she never thought of leaving her home
or of doing anything but staying right
On and cooking for her folks.
Free, free!" she said. "What's free?
I always been free. My old moster al
ways good to me and my young moster
always good to me. Humph!" But
she insisted that she must go to the old
home to see Edmund. Then the time
had come when she must know the
truth. 1t was with ill-concealed tears
in the eyes of her master and tears
streaming down the face of her mistress
they told her the facts about her boy
how they had written and written in the
hope of finding him; how they had
thought again and again they were on
track of him, only to find their hopes in
vain.
The old black mother said not a word.
She did not cry. She made no sign, but
turned away and went about her work,
a little more silently, perhaps, but that
was all.
Her boy she never mentioned again.
and they were glad to think she had for
gotten.
Forgottenl Does n mother ever for
get?
1t was at the end of her 81 years of
service that she went one day excitedly
into the house and said: "Mistiss, I
gwine have some good luck! Old Tabby
she come down out de pigeon loft and
she bring me one of her kittens and
laid it down under my frock at my feet.
Then she went back and got another
and laid that down, and then another
and another, till she brung me four.
Sumpin gwine happen, know it's.
AS if to crafty the old woman's SUI
perstition, it was but few days after
this when a tall, strong young negro
man called at the door and asked if DR..
Morton lived there, then if a woman
named Lefty Mitchell was still living.
1t was Edmund.
He had gone through the war, faith
full to his southern master, then had
made his way back to his first home.
intent first on seeking his mother, but
had married and settled and had just
now set out in search of his mother,
whom he could hardly hope to find
living.
Oh, the JOY of that meeting! 1t is
something talked about in the family
to this day, and how Aunt Lefty, even
in her happiness, seemed to miss some
thing in finding Edmund a great grown
man, instead Of her baby boy, whom
she could fondle on her knee.
Still, if there was ever complete hap
piness in human hearts it was then in
the reunion of that mother and soma
happiness alas, overbalanced by the sor-
row that filled the hearts of the family
when they learned that Aunt Lefty must
leave them to go and live with Edmund.