Evening star., 1899-04-08

.~N0 ~ QA~WU u AS
chimney. and it left its damp print. He
looked at the children, and pointed to the
wet place. Il tuck it's dagarrytype,' he
said. Johnny Bapter had once lived in
town, and his adventures there, as he made
them out. would have filled book; and, at
times. they were interesting.
Il hope you all been WELL" said John
Bapter; I'm sorter middlin' peart myself"
"Whar yo' been? asked Jeminy.
Kinder see-sawin roun', follerin' de
bans, an keepin' off de boogers.''
"9o didn't go wild um?'
nc um not me; I seed dey had plenty
comp ny. Mo dan dat, l seed um hit OF
man Fountain dar whack er two an l
| lowed dat ez dey done come dis fur an no
body amt hurt um, maybe dey'd git long
all right. Dey amt offer me no money fer
ter go long and take keer un UNI. I wuz
over dar at de camps las night, and I see
niggers fightin' over scraps, an 1 hear
chlllun cryin' fer bread after de lights done
put out. So wild me. it wuz Howdy, and
Goodbye, an 1 wish yo' mighty we'll
What mo- kin ngger do?'
Oats so," sighed JENNY ''Whar de
Balance er our folks?"
oh dey'll come back in de due time"
SAID Johnny Bapter. laughing. "One'll turn
pack at one branch, an one at anudder;
an, dem what dom turn back at de branch
wlli sho' turn back at de river. Dey'n all
be home 'fo' de weeks out"
Buster John and Sweetest Susan listened
to all this, but said nothing. Their minds
negroes were wrestling. They were free if
they went away Would they be free if
they stayed? 1t was a very serious mat
ter.
What dey gwine do when dey come
back Jeminy asked
Work. exclaimed Fountain. Yes. Lord.
work frum sun-up to sun-down.''
An dey free, too?' suggested JENNY.
She wanted to get at the bottom of the
matter.
Johnny Bapter laughed. why. in town,
whar l stayed de free white folks work
harder dan niggers. De clerks in de sto'
come rushin' ter dinner an fling der hats
on a cheer, snatch mouffle er vittles an
rush out; wuss'n eff de overseer wuz hol-
lerin' at um.''
rs dat SOP replied JENNY
-Dess like 1 tell yo'.'' said Johnny Bap-
I've looked at it UP an down." re-
marked Fountain. ''an' it's dis away-de
man what eats honest bread is got ter work
Dat what de Bible say; maybe not in dem
words.
1t sho is So remarked Johnny Bapter,
laugning.' III work all day an half de
blow
Just then Big Sal, who had fixed up her
mar ana was quite presentable, having put
on her Sunday clothes, came into the cabin
and stood over against the fireplace.
WuZ dey many er we-all wild dem ar
white folks?" she asked.
'Wel!'um, 1 should sessor' exclaimed
fountain; too many, lots too many: more
den dey'l find rashuns fur eff l amt mighty
much mistaken
What dey all gwine long fur?' asked
Big Sal.
"Dey er feared ef dey stay at home dey
won't be free. Now, how bout dat?" sue-
gested Fountain
Why, grandfather and pap both say the
negroes are free, whether they go or stay
sald Buster John. "Grandfather saws he is
mgnty glad the black folks across the
creek are free
.Dey L,s been zee prayin fer it long 'nuff," re-
I'VE all is free ruff" said Johnny Ran
ter, but who gwine ter feed us?'
Dat Is So; dat is sho' one way fer ter
look at it, exclaimed Fountain, nneasily.
Well" exclaimed JENNY, Il know one
ting, an dat amt two I'd ruther starvt
right here, whar 1 been born at, dan starve
way on In de woods whar nobody don't
know me-"
A shadow darkened the door. and tbere
stood Aaron, his right hand raised. "Weli,
well! What's all this? Everything to do
and nobody to do itr' He whistled low
under his breath. Horses and mules to
teeo' hogs to call, sheep to salt, calves to
take away from the cows. Well, well! l
near calls for meal, meat, sirup."
Hits a fac" assented Fountain
1o hear my min workin',' said Johnny
Bapter Make me hoss out'n meal, meat
an slrup, an I'll eat i'm up TO yo eyes,"
He rose, stretched himself let one side of
his face drop with affected sorrow. while
the other side was laughing, winked at the
children and darted out into the mist and
rain. Presently the children heard him
calllng, first the hogs, and then the sheep.
Aaron and Fountain followed more Sc
dately, and in the course of half an hour
the horses and mules could be heard tear
ing the fodder from the racks and rnunch-
ing the ears of corn. By dinner time ac-
cord1ng to Aarons report, there was but
one hand missing from the place; and as
he had been hired from the Myrick estate
1t was not expected that he would take up
his abode on the Abercrombe plantation
The fact that all the men, women and
children came back after taking short
holiday would have been somewhat puz-
Zling to the childrens father if he had been
at home; he had imbtbed some of the mod
ern ideas of business. 1t would cost some
thing to clothe and feed them during the
winter months, and all this would be clear
loss since their labor would not be profit
able until the planting season began. But
there was no problem in 1t for the white
haired master, the children's grandfather.
He looked forward to period of chaos and
confusion, when labor would be hard to Sc
cure. Besides, as he said, the negroes had
helped to make the ample supply of pro-
visions with which the smoke house was
stocked, and they We're entitled to a share
of it, especially if they were willing to re-
main. Moreover, nearly all were born at
the place and knew no other home.
And the plantation seemed to be very lucky