The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-07-20

''Dem he Loves he Chases."
(Polk Miller in Nashville Americana
Uncle Ben, a faithful old family SER
want who belonged to one of our prom
inent divines, went to his master just
after the fall of Richmond and said:
Mars M, is it true dat de Yankees
done sot de niggers free?" Yes" said
the doctor, you are as free as am
today We'll, is I boun' to TAX it?
I has been jes' as free as I wants ter
be all my life, an I donlt want TO leave
| my white folks and be a free niger! I
balance O. my days" "All right" said
the doctor, "we4l not turn you off.
but will take care OF o just as we
have always done"
The free negro in the south occupied
a very ~unenviajble position with the
colored race. They felt their social
standing was far above the free negro's
| for the reason that people to whom
they belonged gave evidence of their
| liking for them by keeping them in
the family, while the free negro was
looked upon as a character that was
ST gOod-fOr-nOthing and mean that
their owners set them free TO get rid
of them. I lave heard them tell the
free negro when they We're mad with
them, and for the purpose of insulting
them: You was SO rotten and good
f~or-nothing that your marster set you
| free to get rid of you, an my marster
will nevah do dat with mel"
Uncle Ben stuck to his white folks
until he got so Die and infirm that he
was penSioned and put off in the
| try near the old home in which he had
been raised. Every yea along about
the month of October, he pays the fam
ly a visit of a month. "A comfortable
| is kept for him all the yea round
| and his meals are sent out from the
dining room. His visit over, you may
| see him on the way to the station with
his carpet sack, which was empty when
! he came, now checked full of his mars
ter'S last Winter clothes He entertains
| his peighbors all through the winter
| telling of his visit to his white people,
the good things he had to eat, the
things they gave him, etc.
One evening, after dinner, during his
a. visit, when the family had gath
cred on the front porch Of their sur
burban home, Uncle Ben came mob
bling up leaning on his cam AND Joined
the group. 1t could be plainly seen
that the old mar had something on his
mind that was troubling him. Presently
he said: Don't you all know dat Is
gittin' old?" you are nothing like as
old as father u.s." said one of the ladies
But he isn't got de rheumatic like ]
is! L feels like dis is de las visit I'll
evah pay to you all dis side of de
gravel" "Oh, pshaw, Uncle Ben, YOU
have been visiting us every fall for the
last fifteen years now, n by another
year your rheumatism will have dis.
appeared, and I expect to see you here
agtain just as we always have" MOI
marin, Miss b, dis rheumatic is no
gwine to lef' me. I don't expect II
evan recease to persevere. I lives
hundred miles f'Om here, an I can
git up and down on the c'yars like
use to. I has been had bad luck ir
other ways too. I lives in de woods
ibeUwiZt Farmville am Prince Ed'rl
cOte-hOuese an las Janewary sOmk
'pOSsum hunters come thu dar and so
de woods afire. De fire crope up t.
my house an sot dat afire an when
done come out from dar I nevah save
nothin' but one bare counterpin. I DEF
emit down OF Briery river an got M
a house for a dollar a mont. an
hadn't bin dar morn a week befo'
freshit come down de river and was1
me clean out from dar, too. An den
had some nice pigs an chickens a:
evan you did see. De pigs all died vic
de kOl'ry and de las one 'er dem fine
chickens was token wild de g'yarps
(gapes) In dey died, too. Oh, ya-as'am
1t pears like bad luck is bin followin
Of me all O. dis year.. If 1t warn't fo1
de comfort Hat I gifts out err de Bible
1 would give up intirely!" Il am very
glad to know that you get so mucl
comfort out of the Bible, Uncle Ben,'
j said Miss B. From what portion o.
the Bibl do you derive so much com.
fort?" Laying his index finger on ths
palm of his hand, h / fellow pro.
ceeded as follows: well. de Bible
says. Dem dat de Lord loveth hi
chases!' An f'om de way he Is biz
chasin' me dis year, I know 1 mus b
one 'er his ~favorites."