The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-09

came into the cabin and stood over
against the fireplace.
'Wuz dey many er VEAL wild dem
ar white folks?" she asked.
/ "Welrum, I should sessO!" exclaimed
Fountain; too many: lots too many:
more den dey'll find rashuns fur eff L
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 prayin' fer it long huff, -
remarked big Sal.
I'VE all is free huff" said Johnny
3apter; but who gwine ter feed us?''
Dat is so; dat is sho' one way fer
ter look at it" exclaimed Fountain,
uneasily.
We'll" exclaimed JENNY, Il know
one ting. an dat amt two; I'd ruther
| starve right here, what 1 been born
at, dan starve way off in de woods,
whar nobody don't know me-"
| A shadow darkened the door, and
there stood Aaron, his right hand
raised. well, WE'LL What's all this?
| Everything to do. and nobody to do itl''
! He whfstled low under his breath.
Horses and mules to feed, hogs to
| call. sheep to- salt. calves 20 take away
from the cows. Well, well! 1 hear calls
| for meal, meat, syrup"
Kits fac" assented Fountain.
Johnny BaDter. Make me a boss
| out'n meal, meat an syrup, an III eat
! i'm uD TO yo' eyes" He rose, stretch
/ ed 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 calling, 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
| tearing the fodder from the racks and
munching the ears of corn. By dinner
| time, according to Aaron's report, there
was but one hand missing from the
place, and as he had been hired from
the Myrick estate it was not expected
that he would take up his abode on the
Abercromble plantation.
The fact that all the men. women and
children came back after taking a short
holiday. would have been somewhat
puzzIing to the children's father if he
had been at home; he had imbibei
1t would cost something to clothe and
feed them during the winter months,
and all this would be clear loss, since
their labor would not be profitable un-
til the planting season began. But there
was no problem in it for the white
haired master. the childrens grand
father He looked forward to perio,
of chaos and confusion, when labor
would be hard to secure. Besides, as he
said, the negroes had helped to make
the ample supply of provisions with
which the smokehouse was stocked, and
they were entitled to a share of it. es-
pecially if they were willing to remain.
Moreover, nearly all were born at the
place and knew no other home.
And the plantation seemed to be very
lucky in all respects. There were twer-
ty bales of cotton stored under the gin
house shed. and before Christmas day
were sold at an average of $3.50 apiece
cotton was high directly after the wa.
This put $4,000 in greenbacks in the
plantation treasury, and in that, as IN
other things, the Abercromble place was
more fortunate than any of the other
plantations for miles and miles around.
But Buster John and Sweetest Susan
didn't think so. Everybody was so busy
even Johnny Bapter, who used to
laugh and loaf at every chance he had,
that the children were driven back upon
themselves. They could talk to the
other animals on the place. but that
sort Of thing ceased to be interesting
when you have nothing else to do. They
made signals 10 Mrs Meadows and
waited patiently about the spring. hop
ing to catch a glimpse of little Mrs.
Thimb1e1nger. But all to no purpose.
Buster John was Disguised and said so;
but Sweetest Susan had clearer ideas
about the matter.
What can you expect?" she asked.
IF you were Mr.. Thimblefinger. what
would you have done when you saw
that great crowd of men and wagons.
and heard the drums and the brass
horns. Why. you wouldn't show your
head in a year. And as for Mrs. Mead
ows. one Of the soldiers let his horse
drink from the spring. What do you
suppose Mrs. Meadows thought when
she saw that kind Of a shadow staring
at her through the water2'
well. grandfather says war is the
worst thing that ever happened in this
world" said Buster John, and 1 reckon
it is