The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-08-02
AFTER The War.
By Joel Chandler Harris.
Ereedor7 on the Abercron7-
bic PlaDtatiop.

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General Sherman had done the best
he could for the, Abercrombie place.
He had waved his hand, and grim war
shr,1nk away out of sight; he had Civ
en- a signal, and all the mules anu
horses and live stock that had been
taken away by the foragers were re-
turned in jiffy; he had lifted his M
ger. and q Gordon of soldiers was plac-
ed around the house and the outbulld-
ings. Everything was in its place. SO
far as the eye could see war had forci-
bly, taken no tolls from the plantation.
Nevertheless when on misty morn
inr in November the Federal. COM
nander babe the place goodby anu
pushed his army southward along the
Milledseville road he left. the planta-
ton in very bad shape so far as Buster
John and Sweetest Susan were con-
ce-ned. Something was wanting The
Mace wasn't the same. The silence
that fell upon everything when the
army clink clanked out of hearing was
something terrible. The horses and
mules stood under the big shed and
shiyered dumbly. The cattle huddled
together on the western side of the
sinhouse, for the wind was from the
east and blowing with a penetrating
moisture that was more than cold.
There was no gossip among these an
finals that people think are dumb.
They had been badly frightened Gy the
hurlv burly that bcset chem. They
might talk about it after awhile when
the sun sbone out or when the grass
came. but meantime the east wind was
blowing, and no matter how Intelligent
an animal may be. he can never tell
what that wind will bring after it has
begun to blow. Now, the grass eating
animals know very well when storm
is coming. The flesh eaters merely
grow frisky and have a frolic, but the
grass eaters make for shelter, and If
they have a home to so to they so
there. But the east wind-well. that is
their problem. as it was Aaron's, only
the SON Of Ben Ali never allowed it to
blow on thu. back Of his neck, so that
when other people were going about
complaining Of rheumatism or neural
gia or were in bed with pleurisy or
pneumonia the son Of Ben Ali 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
tare, were quiet and morose. They had
been shaken up in the first place with
their strange experiences. having been
driven helter skeIter two or three miles
from home in the wird and mist and
helter skelter back again. with drums
heating anu 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 under
her now, a shivering. shaky, shaggy
thing that looked more like ba-ba
black sheep than respectable calf.
anyhow, they all stood on the shell
tered side Of the sinhouse and were
very quiet, as the steam rose from
their backs and the fog issued from
their nostrlls. They were not in q play
ful mood. There was nothing about
them to interest Buster John and
Sweetest Susan, when later in the day
these young adventurers paid them q
visit Of inspection. Old June moaned
at them in a familiar way, but that
vas all the welcome they received.
II do believe they've been fed" said
Sweetest Snsar. with a sigh.
'sWhy, 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:
Where were all the men and women
and boys and girls who used to make
the negro quarters gay with laughter
Where was old Fountain? Yes, and
where was Drusilla? This was the kind
OF q day when there should be fire
blazing OH the hearth Of every cabin
Il only to keep out the dampness, but
smoke vas coming out Of only one
chimney, and even that was not free
and friendly smoke. 1t was thin
wavering ribbon of blue, hardly visible
until the wind seized it ard tore 1t tC
t2tters.
II don't know what you are s0ln2
to do" said Sweetest Susan, "but an
going to find Drusilla. l haven't seer
her since last night
Sweetest Susan vent toward the ne
60 quarters, followed by Buster John
and as they went along they were ever
.Y17-re and more impressed with the 81
leEce that had fallen over everything
OF all rainy days, except this particu
lar day, so far rs they could remem
bcr, they couldn't so within quarter
<:ee a mile Of the quarters without hear
ing singing and loud laughing or thu
sound Of negroes scu6ling and wres
Ting. But now the whole place seem
ed to be deserted. Big Sails cabin wa
the first they came to. The door wa
open, and they entered. For mo
..nent the interior was so dark tina
they saw nothing. but presently the,
could see Big Sal sitting on the foo
carding out her gray hair. Usually sh'
wore it in wraps, but they were nov