The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-11-25

charm the dead to life, as the girls ad-
mirers say, it can, at least, arouse the
death stricken. Blind Tom regains sit
ting posture, and rolls his eyes wildly
around.
who dat sing'n' in marser's voice?
moluncholly, he allus sing Lorena. Dere
it is, agin; de voice wild de origin note
in it; dere neber wuz no udder sing'n' lax
it. Lemme git t. my marser,' he con-
cludes, struggling impotently.
Quiet, old fellow; it is lady singing.
It's the old song that's mixed you up.
And your 'marser' deserted you in your
blind old age, you know
''Nossir, he neber," replies Blind Tom,
with the little energy left him.
LIT WIZ ME dat .couldden reich him
wen de railroad axident put my eyes
out. l speck he wait'n' fo' Tom right
dis minute i'll Texas, wey he run to after
he kill dat bad Cap'n Banks. All dis
t'irty year bin wear'n de cap'n's jewelry
stones 'roun' my neck tel kin AK marser
wat t. do wild um."
1t is the white mans turn to start.
what are you saying? To which
Mansfield did you belong! Speak quick
"W'y. ledge Tom Mansfield, in co'se.
Ain I bin tell'n you? Wen Ise big
boy he gle me t he son Tom, kasc it
WIZ custom o. de family. DEFY wuz
allus two Mansfiels, one wife, one black,
t. intrance de wull (world) t'gerr, foot t
foot. But me en- narser is de lass; free
dom done change dat, too.'
The concluding sentence is partly
guessed. for he is very low. Courrier's
face lights I'D with new intelligence, a
well-founded hope.
''!'ll be hack in second" he says, and
dashes into the little cottage without re-
fn
not in one second, but in ten. Though
the long-looked-for cart at last comes
lazily up the street, he only has the driver
to assist him in carrying the invalid to a
latticed piazza in the rear, where they
place him comfortably on a hastily impro-
vised pallet, and gets his promise to send
the nearest physician. "What can do?''
asks the young lady, bending pityingly
over the poor negro.
Have you wine. broth or anything to
give him? 1t is case of absolute, slow
starvation. You see how weak he is.
yet more depends on him than you dream
WINE and have long been strangers.
But ne can have my soup"
She brings it, and Courier cautiously
feeds it with excellent results.
'"Tanky., missy; t'anky, boss. I feel
heap 6ettah: You ain gotter fotch no
wine, kase dey ain muffin de mattah wild
my drinketite. Hongry is de p'ticklaress
allment W at all me. Mussa bin q year
sence hab mo- dan one good eat in two
days. After l come out de hawspittlc I
stay III the po'house some time, en- ress
myself holm de blind mans tin cup on de
street: l know 1 cain neber git t Tex
as SO sot my face dis way. l dess got
here: You mussen blame it on marser.
Hit de black MANSFIELD wat desert de wife
one dis time, dough ain mean t. do it,"
The girls exclamation is checked by
her lovers warning gesture.
How was it, Tom? Tell US ali about
Hit all staht FUN Cap'n Banks. Gle
was cap'n O blacklaigs, but he got Il mon
sous pile o snake sense, en- pass heseff
Of on de quality fo' sho-nuff cam,
.Marser meet um i'll BaltimO', in de dis
tructlum days, wey he wuz sow'n he
VII oats befo' settlin' down t. study law.
Tie wuz on'y 10 wen he come out tle
wah, en- had no chance lax he bruders
had. En- seem lax dem VIII oats rotter
be sowed: Ole lnarse could gic um buff
money TO- de sOw'n, kase he wuz one O.
de long-haid mems wat pile up cotto froo
de Wah en- mex he fortune OH it after
wards. la, .., :. -
"Cap'n Banks en- he sister. Miss Ruby,
wuz newcomers, but dey fotch letters fun
&c Fairbankses, en- dat wuz huff said
lowed by dey names dat dey wuz half
kin. Co'se dey wuz 'vited 'Toun', en- Wat
a swell dey<< did cut-firt'n', danc'fl',
play'n kyahds en- gwine on fun noon tel
midnight ev'y Dressed day dat come. DE
ole folks ain. like it; dey shy hit too much
Nv a good ting, Gu de young'ns say dass
dey ole-fashion notion; dis wuz de New
Souf en- dey wuz CROWN up in it. Time
Ruby, after break'n' UNI up wild ley own
good true sWpetheafts. SINK nm nff IaL