Evening star., 1897-05-29
little white house, In Which resided Mrs.

man Delore next wednesday week. Mrs
Meems?' asked Elizabeth.
| Il reckon ,mebbe as I might" said Mrs.
"A darkey man." explained Elizabeth.
veS srs es5ksS "a aSReg zsS sslS Susan g.
| "A very old darkey man who didn't go
to the war" added Thomas.
a suit O. clothes between now and Wednes-
DAY week, If he's who you mean,' remarked
TT is Uncle Sandy, but it's secret" said
| Elizabeth.
II guess Mrs. Mems can keep a secret"
said Thomas, and Mrs Mems laughed.
The seamstress was further intrusted
| with the buying, of the goods, the youth
full Wal1aces insisting that it be of a dull
! respectable color.
| That same day Elizabeth, who was
| searching i'll the garret. came upon a de-
| sirable treasure in the shape of a red artt-
| fetal rose. IF mother gives 1t to me.
she said. ''it will do to put in Uncle sandy's
| buttonhole..
Mrs. Wallace In addition to tho artificial
| rose contributed a pair Of new shoes and
gay silk handkerchief toward the articles
| of adornnent.
Uncle Sandy is just going to get every
| thing" said Susan G. one morning, dancing
! down the broad hall. new clothes and a
| handk rchief and rev shoes and a red
| rose and Richards poetry.
richards poetry is very beautiful. said
| Elizabeth. Il know Uncle Sandy will like
| it."
1t Is the heautifulest poetry In the whole
| world said Thomas.
we will all dress in our hest on Deco
| ration day. won't we, 'Lzabeth?" asked
| Susan G., and Elizabeth Eoded.
On the morning of Decoration day there
| jourreyed a strange procession from the
| cid plantation house to Uncle SANDY
cabin. In the lead was Richard, waving a
flag: next came Thomas. playing march
| on his drum; Eliza beth and Susan e., dress
ed in white frocks, were strewinS rose
leaves about them as they walked. strew-
| ing them very generously as they approach
| ed near the cabin Besides the white chill
| dren, there were six little darkeys, decXed
| out in gaudy Sunday garb. and Melfne,
the cook. and Hannah. the house girl. Two
| of the little darkeys were keeping tin:e
to the beats of the drum on mouth orSaLs
and Meline'S Pete was playing the jews
harp with fervor. Every Eow and tnen'
the three little black girls would sprinkle
| carried. In the eyes of ieiE.e, the cook.
and Hannah. the house g3i. amusement
shone conspicuousiy, though che two We
men walksd side by side seiaie!y.
Oar ain nuttin' to meek fun o in dis
| yer Decoration day, said Mc.ie, in a terse
| whisper when Ea1l.ihs Lily sigg!ed
| she scattered hand of rose leaves TO the,
| winds.
Dis yer Decoration day is sunno kind O.
s'prise Uncle Sandy" SAID Hannah. ''w'ot
I'm totin feels mighty hse s2it o
clothes."
Il got de fiowa chain." said Nellie Laws.
l neva seen scch soin's on. / reckon IS
Massa Richard do look ike de. cunnui now
fo' shore
The door OF Uncle Sazdys cabin was
OPEN the Old man had risen ard advanced
to meet the strange procession. his h.ii-d
over his eyes. lie had heard the music.
| AS the procession came 10 stand5till
song greeted his ears, ii was the song of
the little blue bird.
The song OF the little blue bird, or per-
| hapS il the iigure CT [ nc!c Sandy,
standing shading his eyes listening with
ii pleased sTnlla OF approval. suJdueJ
every inclination Of untiileiy mirth even in
the bosom OF Hannah Scott, and wnen
Richard said: Now IN explain about Dec
| Grafton day" he had an attentive audience
i 1t was d pretty story, that of decorating
the graves Of the dead heroes all over the
country. and the boy expressed himself
| Well but the story of Decoration day On
the old plantation appealed with greater
force to the members of the gay process
; | sion, and Uncle Sandy looked down dub
| iously at his stump of hand.
I'VE are having Decoration day for you,
Uncle Sandy said Elizabeth Don't you
see, you are the brave man Richard is tell
| ing us about" 81
I'm gittin, OLE said Uncle Sandy. dep
recatingiy. "Wot you little chiliens all
dressed up fo'? Wot you aiis meckin' sech
because it's Decoration day." said
Thomas, and because you didn't so to the
Dat so?$- said Uncle Sandy. smiling.
Then he began Le talk. Laws! how could
l go TO dc wah?' he inquired. Il nuttin'
. | but niger wild Hony one hand. l wan
no count IN de worI. De cunnel rode off 10
de fight an Pete along wild him. l on'y got
one hand: all l got do wah to stay home
3 : ar take kcer de plantation an de missus
an de chiAens: l want good 70 nuttin'
else. Eff I'd had two hands de cunnel he d
, vi mt along 70 bawdy-servant. den who
sunno take keer de place? Ef I'd had two
, | hands dey'd wanted me in de wah to stand
UP an fight TO freedom. 1t natchel TO a
nigger to want to fight TO freedom, hut
how l gunno stan up an shoot at de cum
nel?' He put his arm over his eyes for a
: minute. He was young again; ne was
fighting his battle over just once moe in
: the presence of the gay procession, with
Z the flag and the drum. When he looked at
l them he smiling again. 1T wah
mighty easy to stay home and take keer
de plantation an look alta de missus and
5 de chillen,' he said. 1T wah mighty easy
Y wuck."
Now say your piece of poetry, Richard. "
t Richard is going to say a pretty piece OF
poetry to you, Uncle Sandy said Susan
;, g.; 'ha made it up himself.
e Dat SOP" said Uncle Sandy.
3 1T is all about you, Uncle Sandy" said
> | Thomas, Solemny
4 Dat so?" said Uncle Sandy. He leaned
= against the side of the door frame and bent
| his head, listening.
Say it real loud Richard" said Eliza
= beth.
s The living picture of the colonel stood
e erect, his eyes flashing. his cheeks little
v | red, and spoke his piece
''An the country
e The people today
Are trimming the graves
OF the blue and the gray,
a And they talk of brave soldiers
And cannons' wild roar,
:, | But We ii decorate Uncle Sandy
Because he didn't go to the war.
= Bring shoes and flowers
n And beautiful clothes
q silk pocket handkerchief,
. An artificial rose,
J, On this glorious morning
In eighteen ninety four,
IL And Wen decorate Uncle Sandy
s Because he didn't go to the war.
. While the soldiers marching
Away the hill,
He grinding the
s In the old fashioned mill.
e He had only hand,
But he worked mighty hard,
a He plowcd up the cOrnields,
= He moved In the yard.
e He took the plantation,
8 What corld do more?
y So we'll decorate Uncle Sandy
l. Because he didn't go to the war.
p Laws! dat wah putty piece pawtr.