Mower County transcript., 1900-02-21

wake into sudden life, spring up and
dof his cap as she passed. Meanwhile,
at the heads of the lazy oxen stood the
shabby servitor, erect and fne-looking,
even in the tattered garments that COW
cred his form.
The scene would have been ludicrous
if there had not been about it an air of
dignifed earnestness that disarmed rid
icule. You could almost imagine that
black tattermedalion there q coachman
in splendid livery, standing by the side
of his restless chargers, and the OK cart
with it's one seat and wheels awry might
have been the most dashing of VIC
torias. What had I stumbled upon
one of those romances of the old south
that still shed their light among the
shadows Of slavery?
The old negro in the porch had set
tied himself again for a nap, but I dis
regarded his inclination and, the serv-
ice forgotten. approached him:
"Howdy, uncle"
"Howdy. son, howdy; how yo' come
on?"
'Oh, I'm tol'able peart," answered.
falling easily into his manner Of speech.
II was just wondering who the lady
was that went in church just now"
He looked questioningly for . min
ute, and then being satisfied Of my re-
spect, replied: dat uz de Stanton lady
or Mis- Stanton"
"And the black man there?"
'Dat's Ha'ison; dat's de Stanton
coachman. I reckon yo' ain f'om
hyeah?"
mo, but should like to know about
them"
"Oomph, hits q wonder yo' amt
nevah hyeahd tell O. de stantons. I
don know whah yo' been at. man. Why,
evahbody knowed de stantons roun'
bout hyeah. Dey WIZ de riches folks
anywhah round"
'Well to do, were they2" i
"Well to do! Man, whut yo' talkin'
bout? I tell yo', dem people owned
neahly all de dahkies in de county, an
dey was'n' no him out people. neithah.
didn' long to dem. but 1 allus wished
I did, case"
"But about Harrison?'
"Ez were a-goin' to say, my OIL mas
tab hi'ed me, an wuz on de go mos
all de time. case sholy wuz spry an
handy dem days. Ha'ison, he wuz de
coachman, ana proudah, fnah-dressed
dahky yo' nevah seed in all yore bon
days. Oomph-um, but he wuz sta'chyl
Dey had his ib'ry made at de same
place whah dey' made de OIL cunnels
an de young mastah's clothes, an dey
wuz sights. Such gop buttons. an long
coats, an shiny hats, an boots" The
old man paused and shook his head,
as if the final glory had been reached.
"Dey amt no mo- times lax dat" he
went on. "Hit used to be des lax
pu'cession when Haison come ridin'
down de road on top O. de Stanton ca'ige.
He sot up thar des ez straight, de hosses
a-prancin', an de wheels a-glistenin',
an he nevah movin' his naik to de right
er de lef', no mon eff he wuz froze.
Sometimes yo' could git glimpse O de
missus' face inside, an she wuz allus
beautiful an smilin', lax real lady
ought to be, an sometimes dey'd have
de ca'ige open, an de cunnel would come
a-ridin' down 'longside o hit on one o
his fine hosses, an Ha'ison nd sit
straightah dan evah, an yo' couldn' =
tol' wheddah he knowed de footman
wuz a sittin' side o. him er not.
"Dey wuz mighty good to all de
people, de Stantons ,wuz, an dey faihly
id'ized dem. Why, ef Miss Dory had
a-stahted to put huh foot on de groun'
any time she'd q had a string o mig
gers ez long ez f'om hyeah to yandah
a-layin' daihse'ves in de pat fu' huh TO
walk on, TO- dey sholy did love huh. An
de cunnel, he wuz de beatenes' man.
he couldn't nevah walk out on de plan
tation 'dout whole string o picca-
ninnies a-followin' aftah him. Dey
knowed whut dey wuz doin', fu' aftah
while de cunnel tu'n 'roun' an th'ovv
'em a whole lot O. coppers an fps. an
bless yo' heat, sich anothah scrnm'in
an a-rollin' an a-tumblin' in de dus' yo'
nevah seed. Well, de cunnel, he'd stan
thar an des natchelly crack his sides
a-laffin' ontwen dey wuz thoo fightin',
den he call up dem dat hadn' got muffin
an give 'em daih sheer, SOS to see 'em
all 60 off happy, a-hollerin': 'Thanky.
Mas Slant, thanky, mastahP Ireckon
any fps dey gifts now dey has to scratch
fu' wuss'n dey did den. Dem wuz wun-
nerful times! <-~ -.>E@& t.-
Den comes long de time o de wah,
an den, o co'se oughtn' to say hit.
but de cunnel, he made great big mis-
take: he freed all de nirpahs. Hit
wuz des away; de Stantons, dey freed
all daih sarvants right in de middle o
do wah. an o co'se nobody couldn'