The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-08-02
oooS. ana ut times rney We're ,me,est-


eluse'f"
"Whar yo' been!' asked JENNY.
Kinder seesawin roun, follerin dc
bans an keepin of de boogers."
"Yo' didn't go wild unr?"
Noun; ne: me. l seed dey had
plenty comp'ny. Mo- dan dat, 1 seed
um hit ole man Fountain dar whacl
er two, an lowed dat ez dey done
come dis fur an nobody amt hurt um
maybe dey'd git long all right. Dey
ain't offer me no money fer ter go
long and take keer un UNI. WIZ over
dar ut de camps las night, an see Mig
gers fightin over scraps, an hea' chill
lun cryin fer bread after de lights done
put out. SO wild me it wuz, 'Howdy
an goodby, an wish yo' mighty we'll
What mo- kin IL niger do?"
Oats So" sighed JENNY. "Whar
dc balance er our folks?"
"Oh. dey'll come back in dc due
time" said Johnny Baptcr, laughing
"Onell turn back ut one branch, an
one at anudder, an dem what dom turn
back ut de branch will sho' turn back
at dc river. Dey'll all be home TO dc
weeks out"
Buster John and Sweetest Susan lis
tened to all this, but snid nothing
Their minds hardly grasped the prob
lem with which the negroes We're wres-
tling They were free II they went
away. Would they be free if they
staid? 1t was very serious matter.
What dcy gwinc do when dcy como
back?" JENNY asked
ttWOrlSW - CyrluftunJ y,n,,,+oi,,
Lord, work from sunup to sundownw
AN dey free, too?" suggested Jcmi-
ny. She wanted to get at the bottom
OF the matter.
Johnny Baptcr laughed. "Why, in
town whar staid de free white folks
work harder dan niggcrs. De clerks
In de sto' come rushin ter dinner an
fling der hats on Il chair, snatch q
mouffle er yittles an rush out wuss'n
ef de overseer WIZ hollerin at um."
''Is dat 500" replied JENNY.
"Des Hike I tell yo','' said johnny
Baptcr.
'I've looked at it up and down." re-
marked Fountain, ian it's dis away
de man what eats honest bread Is got
ter work. Dat what de Bible say;
maybe not in dem words"
''It sho' is So" remarked Johnny
Bhpter. laughing. 'I'll work all day
nm half de night, but I don't wanter
hear no bugles blow"
Just then Big Sal, who had fixed up
her hair and 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 follss?" she asked.
"Welrum. should sesso" exclaimed
Fountain. "Too many, lots too many;
more den dey'H find rashuns fur eff
amt mighty much Mistaken
"What dey all gwine long fur?" ask
ed Big Sal
"Dey er feared eff dey stay at home
dey won't be free. Now. how bout
dat?" suggested Fountain.
"Why. grandfather and pap both say
the negroes are free whether they go
or stay." said Buster John. Grand
father says he is mighty glad the black
folks across the creek are free"
"Dey been praying fer it long nuff,"
remarked Big Sal.
Eve all is free nuff." said Johnny
Bapter. "but who gwinc ter feed us:"
'Dat Is 30. Dat Is sho' one way fer
ter look at It," exclaimed Fountain un-
easily.
"Well." exclaimed JENNY, II know
one ting, IN dat amt two-I'd ruther
starve right here whar I been born ut
dan starve way OF in de woods whar.
nobody dent know me-.
<,I-
there stood Aaron, his right hand rais-
ed. "Wcll. well! What's all this? Ev-
erything to do and nobody to do itw
He whistled low under his breath.
"Horses and mules to feed, hogs to call,
sheep to salt, calves TO fake away from
the cows. Well, well! hear calls for
meal. meat. sirup."
"Hit's fac'." assented Fountain.
"Yo' hear my min Vorkin,n said
Johnny Berter. make me hoss ont,n
meal, meat an sirup, an I'll eat i'm up
TO yO' eyes," He rose. stretched him
self. let one side of his face drop with
affected sorrow while the other eide
was laughing, wlnked at the children
and darted out into the mist and rain.
Presently the children heard him call
ing. first the hogs and then the sheep.
Aaron and Fountain followed more
sedately, and in the course Of half IN
hour the horses and mules could be
heard tearing the fodder from the
racks and munching the ears of corn.
By dinner time, according to Aaron's
report, there was but one land 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 Abercrombic plantation.
The fact that all the men, women
and children came back after taking u
short holiday would have been some
what puzzling to the chlldren's father
II he had been Mt home. He had i'm
bibed some of the modern ideas of
business. 1t would cost something to
clothc and feed them during the winter
months, and all this would lie clear
loss, since their labor would not be
profitable until the planting season be-
gan. But there was no problem in it
for the white haired master, the chill