The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-08-02
noor ana at times they were lnrcrcst-

"Whar yo' becn:' asked Jeminy.
sKinder seesawin roun, follerin de
bans an keepin off de boogers."
"Yo' didn't go wild um:"
'No'um; not me. I seed dey had
plenty comp'ny. Mo- dan dat, | seed
um hit ole man Fountain dar q whack
er two, an flowed dat ez dey done
come dis fur an nobody amt hurt lln
maybe dey'd git long all right. Dey
ain'f offer me no money fer ter go
long and take keer I'm um. I WIZ over
dar at de camps las night, an see Mig
gers fightin over scraps, an hea' chill
lun cryin fer bread after de lights done
nut out. So wild me it WIZ, 'Howdy
an goodby, an I wish yo' mighty WE'LL
What mo- kin niger do?'
Oats So" sighed JENNY. ." har
dc balance er our folks"
ooh, dey'll come back in dc due
timew said Johnny Bapter, laughing
"One'll turn back at one branch, an
one at anudder, an dem what don turn
back ut de branch will sho' turn back
ut de river Dey'll all be home 10 dc
weeks out"
Buster John and Sweetest Susan lis
tened to all this, but said nothing
Their minds hardly grasped the prob
lem with which the negroes We're wres-
ting. They were free if they went
away. Would they be free II they
staid? 1t was very serious matter.
"What dey gwine do when dey come
back?' JENNY asked.
"Work! exclaimed Fountain. "1es,
Lord, work from sunup to sundown.N
can dey free, too?" suggested Jeml-
nv. She wanted to get ut the bottom
of the matter.
Johnny Bapter laughed. "Why, in
town whar 1 staid de free white folks
work harder dan niggers. De clerks
in de sto' come rushin ter dinner an
fling der hats on chair, snatch
mouffe er vittles an rush out wuss q
ef de overseer WIZ hollerin at um."
"Is dat 500" replied JENNY.
"Des like tell yo'," said Johnny
Bapter.
"I've looked at it up and down" re-
marked Fountain, "an 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
Bapter, laughing. "I'll work all day
an half de night, but l don't wanter
hear no bugles blow"
Just then Big Sal, who had liked 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 WIZ deni
ar white folks?" she asked.
"Welrum, should sesso" exclaimed
Fountain. "Too many, lots too many;
more den dey'll find rashuns fur eft
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 'oout
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 nun,
remarked Big Sal.
1--WE all is free nuff," said Johnny
Bapter, .'but who gwine ter feed us:'
ssDat is so. Dat is sho' one way fer
fer look at it," exclaimed Fountain un-
easily.
"Well." exclaimed JENNY, II know
one ting, an dat amt two-Id ruther
starye right here whar been born at
dan starve way of in de woods whar
nobody don't know me-
A shadow darkcned the door. and
there stood Aaron, his right hand rails
ed. "Well, we'll! What's NIL this? Ey-
erything to do and nobody to do lt!'
He whistled low under his breath.
"Horses aud mules to feed, hogs to call,
sheep to salt, calves to take away from
the COWS. Well, well! I hear calls for
meal, meat, sirup."
gifts fac" assented Fountain.
"Yo' hear my min w0rkin," said
Johnny Bapter. make me hoss out'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 side
was laughing, winked ut 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 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 Eand missing
from the place, and as he had been
hired from the Alyrick estate it was
not expected that lie would take up his
abode on the Abercrombic plantation.
The fact that all the men, women
and children came back after taking L
short holiday would have been some
what puzzling to the childrcn's father
if he had been 1T home. He had lni-
bibcd some OF the modern ideas OF
business. 1t would cost something to
clothc and feed them during the winter
months, and all this would be 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