The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-08-02
AFTER THE WAR.
Freedom or the Abercron7-
bic PlaDtaticD.
BY Joel Chandler Harris.


~ a signal, and all the Inules and
.o.,cs and live stock that had been
a. III away by the foragers were re-
.i..ncd in jiffy; he had lifted his fin.
~. and !: Gordon Of soldiers was plac-
%. around the house and the outbuild-
.rs. Everything was in it's place. Su
III. rs the eye could see war had fOrci-
by taken 30 tolls from the plantation.
nevertheless when on 4 misty morn
H.: in November the Federal com.
Nandrr bade the place goodby and
r,.>llcd his army southward along the
Millclgcville rOaI he left the planta-
.on in very bad shape SO far as Buster
Iohn and Sweetest Susan were coll
cerncd. Something was wanting. The
mace wasn't the same. The silence
that fell upon everything when the
amy clink clanked out Of hearing was
something terrible. The horses and
miles stood under the big shed and
snvcred dumbly. The cattle iiiii!tsic.i
lcgcther OH the western side OF the
s;Mlousc. for the wind was from the
east and blowing with penetrating
,naisture that was more than cold
There was no'gosslp among these an
imals that people think are dumb.
T,ey had been badly frightened by the
hu.ly burly that bcsct them. They
ms!lt talk about it after awhile when
the sun shone out or when the grass
cane, but meantime the east wind was
blowing, and no matter how intelligent
al animal may be. lie can never tell
what that wind will bring after it has
begun to blow. Now, the grass eating
ANNALS know very well when n storm
is coming. The flesh eaters merely
grow frisky and nave Il frOlic, but the
grass eaters make for shelter, and If
tlcy have n home to go to they go
there. Bit the east wind-wcll, that is
tlcir problem. as it was Aaron's, only
The son Of Ben ALI never allowed it to
blow on the back of his neck, so that
wien other people were going about
complaining Of rheumatism or neural
gin OF were In bed with pleurisy or
pneumonia the son Of Ben All was
usually on his feet and in fairly good
health.
Well. on this remarkable day the
animals in the horse lot and in the pas
turc were quiet and morose. They had
been shaken up in the first place with
their strange experiences. having been
driven helter skelter two or three miles
from home in the wind and mist and
helter skelter back again, with drums
heating and bugles blowing and nobody
/. to explain it all. Old June, the milk
COW, thought she had lost her calf, but
after awhile she felt It running along
BY her side, and it was standing nnde..
aef now shiverlng, shaky, shaggy
thing that looked more like q ba- -ba
black sheep than a respectable calf.
Anyhow, they all stood on the shell
tered side Of the ginhouse and were
very quiet, as the steam rose from
their backs and the fog issued from
their nostrlls. They were not In play
ful mood. There was nothing about
| ttem to interest Buster John and
Sweetest Susan, when later In the day
these young adventurers paid them
visit Of inspection. Old June moaned
at them in familiar way, but that
was all the welcome they received.
| 4 do believe they've been fed" said
Sweetest Susan, with a sigh.
Why. OF course not" exclaimed
Buster John. "Aaron can't do every
thing"
| Where's Simon and Johnny Bah
ter:' the little girl asked.
( Sure enough. where were they?
E'Where were all the men and women
and boys and girls who used to make
lne negro quarters gay with laughter?
Where was old Fountain? Yes, and
I where was Drusilla This was the kind
( OF day when there should be fire
blazing on the hearth of every cabin,
II only TO keep out the dalnphess, but
smoke vas coming out OF only one
|enimney, and even that was not a free
and friendly smoke. 1t was n thin,
|Saverlng ribbon OF blue, hardly visible
Until the wind seized it and. tore it to
tatters.
1 don't know what you are going
'c do," said Sweetest Susan, s'but 1 am
Going 10 find Drusiila. haven't seen
|her since last night
Sweetest Susan went toward the me-
$50 quarters, followed by Buster John,
Z = 80 my WS4At sttOAE thCy "GkG SScu
Wore and more impressed with the 81
Nnce that had fallen over everything.
on all rainy days, except this particu-
..ar day, SO far rs they could remem-
Der, they couldn't go within a quarter
o. mile OF tile quarters without hear
Esns singing and loud laughing or the
sound of negroes scuffiing and wres-
lung. But now the whole place SEEM
ia to be deserted. Big Sails cabin was
Ehe first they came to- The door was
|epen. and they entered. For q mo-
|aaent the interior was SO dark that
|tney saw nothing. but presently they
eould see Big Sal hitting on the floor;
|arding out her gray hair. z Usnally ahe
|sore it in wraps, but they were now
Issntwlsted, and as she cnrded them out
|saey stood at right angles to her head
|tnd gave her very Wild and ferocious
|sppearance. 81. i3s :. -.
She neither turned nor paused in the
sarding when the children stepped
|somewhat timidiy to the door. People
AID she was stllen, but she was very
|sensltiye and tender hearted and al.
says fanishing for some one to love.
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