The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-02-13

Plato was very wise negro, consid-
ering his opportunities, and as he sat
on the edge of the veranda next day
near the window of his young masters
room, he shook his head and wondered
whether he had acted for the best in
coming home-whether it wouldn't have
( been better e his Young master had
been left to take mis- chances with the
rest in the rude field hospitals.
For it was perfectly clear to Plalo
that the home people were thoroughly
! demoralized. 'Ol misS''-this was
Jack mother-a woman of as clear a
: head and as steady a hand as any
body in the world-a woman OF unfail-
ing resources, as it seemed to her
/ friends and dependents-was now as
nervous and as fidgety and as helpless
i as any other woman. Young mistress
/ this was Jacks sister Flora sirl
/ with as much fire and courage as are
given TO Women-waS in a state of col
lapse. Now, if it had been somebody
elSe'S son, somebody else'S brother,
who had been brought TO their house
wounded, these ladies would have been
entirely equal to the occasion But it
was Jack, of all persons IN the world
II was the son, the brother. Courage
ned like a shadow, and all resources
We're dissipated as if they had been so
much vapOr.
The wounded man had slept fairly
well during the night, but in the early
hours of morning, his fever began to
rlSe-aS was to be eXpected-and then
he became delirious. He talked and
laughed and ratified away with his
JokeS-he was noted for his dTy hunOr
and occasionally he paused to take
breath and groan- And all that the
resourceful Mrs Fitzpatrick and the
courageous Flora could do was to sit
ana gaze at each other and wipe their
oNerhoWlng eyes with trembling hands
Plato was sent to the village. nine
miles away, for the family doctor. but
he returned with a note from that fat
ana amlable old gentleman, saying that
he mad just been informed that the en-
TIRE federal army was marching to sur
round the village, and, as for him. he
proposed to stay and defend his family
ms news went TO Aunt Candace the
plantation nurse, in short order. Plato
was her son. and he felt called on to
tell her about it.
Aunt Candace made no comment
Whatever. She knocked the ashes out
OF her pipe, leaned it in a corner. of
the fireplace, frightened up her head
hahGkerchlef and waddled off to the
big house. Plato knew by the way his
nanny looked that there would be a.
fuss, and he hung back, pretending
that he had some business at the horse
lot
''Whar you gwine?" asked Aunt Can
dace, seeing he was not coming.
I'm des gwine''-
Youer des gwine long wild me. dat's
Whar you des gwine. An you better
come on. Eff 1 lay my han on you.
you'll feel it, mon.''
Yessum, I'm COMM" replied Plato.
He was very polite when he knew his
nanny had her dander up.
Aunt Candace marched into the big
mouse with an air of proprietorship.
Whereabouts is dat chile?" she
asked in tone that a stranger would
have described as vicious.
He's in here, Candace," replied Mrs
Fitzpatrick, gently.
Candace went into the room and
stood by the bedside. The weather was
emily and she placed her cold hand on
Jacks burning brow. Instantly he
stopped talking and seemed to sleep.
God knows, honey" she said, "dey'd
set here an let de green flies blow you
befo' dey'd git up out'n der cheers an
hep you"
Mrs. Fitzpatrick and Flora forgot
their grief for a moment and stared AFT
aunt Candace with speechless indigna-
ton This was just what the old ne
gro wanted them to do.
Plato!" she cried, take de AK an
run down ter de branch an git me yo'
double han'ful er dogwood bark-not de
outside; want de skin on de inside
An L want some red oak bark-a hat
1ul- An don't you be gone long. need
er- Keze eff I halter hOller at you. I'll
jump on you and gi you a fraiIin'
Now, ef you don't believe it, you des
try ne"
But Plato did believe it, and he went
hurrying off as rapidly as he used to go
when he was a boy.
"Whar dat house gal?'' asked Aunt
Candace, abruptly.
III call her" said Flora, but the
girl that moment appeared at the door
Whar you been, you lazy wench?''
cried Aunt Candace. Go get me a pan
er col water an a clean lowell don't
keer ef it's a rag, eff it's a clean rag
Then she turned her attention to Jack.
God knows, honey, eff you can't git no
body else ter do nothin' fer you. OF
Candace'll do it. She's nussed you befo'
an she'll do it again"
Aunt Candace's words and manner
were calculated and intended to exas-
perate her old mistress and her young
mistress.
If you think I intend to submit to
your impudence''-Mrs Fitzpatrick be-
gan, with as much dignity as she could
command under the circumstances. But
Aunt Candace was equal to the emer-
gency. Before her mistress could say
what she intended, the old negress rose
from the bedside, her eyes blazing with
wrath.
Whose imperdence? Whose imper-
dence? Eff 1 felt dat away, I'd a sot
down yacder an nussed my own sick
ness an let dis chile die. He's 70 chile: /
he amt none er mine; an yit yoer set
tin dar holm your hands an wipin'
yo' eyes. whites de fever fair burnin'
i'm up.
He amt none er my chile, yit eff he
amt got none er my blood in i'm, it's |
kaZe niger milk don't turn to blood |
don't keer what you say; don't keer !
what you do; you can't skeer me, an |
you can't drife me. I'll see you bore in |
torment, an go dar myself befo' I'll set
down an see Jack Fitzpatrick lay dar
an die You hear dat, don't you? Now, |
go on an do what you gwine ter do" |
Here was defiance, revolt, insurrec-
ton ard riot-and yet somehow Mrs |
and Flora felt relieved when |
the explosion came. Aunt Candace was
very much in earnest, but it needed |
something of the kind to rouse mother /
and daughter from the stupor of help |
less grief. They began to move about |
and set things to rights, and in little |
while all their faculties came back to /
them. The house girl returned with cold |
water and a towel, and Aunt Candace,
entirely recovered from her outburst of !
anger, said to Flora:
EFF you want ter do sump'n, honey
set on de side er de bed here, an fol- |
dis towel UP, an dip it in de water, an
wiring it out, an lay it on yo brer's
forrerd. HoH yo' han on il. an soon
as you feel it gittin' warm, dip it in de