The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-04-12
"A FAVOR RETURNED.

luxurious looking. A picture of life
and activity such as one will find only
under these conditions.
The house, big, snowy white struc-
ture, with tall porch pillars reaching
upward two stories in height. stands at
the intersection of two driveways,
which curve upward in somewhat irreg-
ular fashion from their respective gates
in the long. rambling white board fence
that surrounds the grounds.
A small darky boy, clad in very nom
descript garments. is generally to be
seen on one or the other Of these road
ways, grubbing away. not very ener-
getically. I'm afraid, at the accumula-
tion Of creeping vines and weeds that
threaten to obliterate the hard clay
roadbed unless speedily dealt with. He
is there this very afternoon. but, alas
and alack. the SUMS rays, slanting
through the live oaks, with their long
boards Of southern moss, shine in vain
upon his defenseless. woolly head, from
which much torn old straw hat has
fallen, and the creeping vines on the
roadway get fresh start in life. Billy
is fast asleep.
But Billy must not be too severely
blamed. It is siesta time all over Re
serve, as the plantation is called. The
wide. front door Of the mansion stands
invitingly open. it is true, yet every
where about there is quiet, and only an
occasional muslin curtain, at some up
Der window, futters out into the soft
southern breeze to tell Of some fair
slumberer perhaps within.
A faint, insistent sound comes across
the field to the rear of the house. Here
issthe small sugar press, and here an
old darky, mounted on an equally an
cient mule, is monarch Of all he surveys
this afternoon. Round and round he
goes, every now and then STOPPING to
gather up the cane from convenient
piles and feeding it into the press,
which creaks and groans like rusty
well sweep.
A long stalk Of the cane serves him
both as whip for his steed and refresh
ment for himself. He alternately chews
at one end and vigorously slashes at the
mule with the other, tossing the stalk
into the press. when under this double
duty its condition becomes somewhat
dilapidated.
There are cotton pickers way out in
the wide fields which belong to the
wealthy mistress of Reserve many of
them-but they are out of the view,
and not even their rich toned, monot-
onous melodies come waited on the
breeze.
The whole place is quiet, and the
sun. giving up his struggle with the
sleeping darby boy by the roadway,
takes dip toward the west.
Suddenly Billy sits bolt upright and
thrusts out his bare foot in vigorous
kick. A small yellow dog of the plain
dog variety is shifting and nipping at
his legs, with its owner coming along
the road behind it.
He is forlorn looking fellow-the
dogs master-a young peddler, with
his pack carefully rolled in piece OF
sacking and strapped to his back. His
clothes are torn and frayed, his hat is
stained and wcrn by time and many
showers, his face is streaked with per-
spiration and dust, and there are dark
circles under his eyes and lines about
his mouth that to the close observer
might tell of hunger and much fatigue.
He comes wearily up the driveway
and halts beside the darky boy, who is
engaged in brisk argument with the
yellow dog.
..Who lives here, boy?' he questions
who's your mistress p
41Mis' Hamilton, she done lib heah.
What yuh want tub know foah?, IN
terrogates Billy in return, a note Of i'm
pudence coming into his voice
The peddler shifts his pack. 81 have
some things that maybe she would like
to buy-she or somebody about the
place. Is that the way to the house?'
pointing up the drive. SIS your mis-
tress at homer
But Billy has taken to his bare feet
and flown across the grass in the dlrec-
tion Of the negro quarters.
It takes but few moments fer him
ito rouse two or three men and boys,
who, shirking work in the field, have
been sleeping within on this balmy fall
afternoon. They now emerge from the
cabins and. led by the important Billy.
advance to meet the peddler:
.sHeah wha yuh doin heah, now
his Hamilton, she don low no tramps
.roun dis heah plantation. Go long,
now. git out n heah. quick. now says
a burly field hand, advancing toward
the peddler in a threatening manner.
Cant see your mistress for g mo-
n,ent or some of the women folks about
the place? Maybe they would like te
buy something out Of my pack, says
the lad Che is no more), his eye travel
ing about the group of darkies in searci
of a friendly face.
But not one does he see. The grouI
becomes re-enforced by two or three
more, who come running from thu
cabins, drawn by the unusual excite
ment, and everywhere he sees hostility
..No. yuh can stay roun heai nj
longah, . replies the spokesman. "Yul
les make tracks as fas' as yuh kin, o
..yuh'll git intuh trubbil producing