The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1900-01-11
The Stanton COachman
BY Paul Lawrence Dunbar.

4
old-fashioned Virginia church with
glory, while in the shadow of its vine-
covered porch an old negro alternately
mumbled to himself and dozed.
It was not yet time for the service to
begin, and as stood watching the bees
60 in and out of the honeysuckle vines
there came up the road and halted at
the door a strange equipage. Side by
side upon the one seat Of an ox-cart sat
negro, possibly so years of age, and an
old white lady. No one could have mis-
taken her for one of the country women
coming in from any OF the adjoining
farms, for she was Enthusiastically lady,
from the white hair which crowned her
high-bred face to the patched and
shabby shoe that peeped from Under
her dress as she alighted. The black
one hand the ropes that did duty as
reins, helped her tenderly to the
/ ground.
The grace and Difference of his man
ner were perfect, and she accepted his
service with certain genial dignity
that bespoke custom. She went her
feeble way into the church, and l was
surprised to see the DOING old negro
wake into sudden life, spring up and
doif his cap as she passed. Meanwhile.
at the heads of the lazy oxen stood the
shabby servitor. erect and tine-looking,
even in the tattered garments that COW
cred his form.
The scene would have been ludicrous
If there had not been about 1t an air of
dignified earnestness that disarmed rid
icule. You could almost imagine that
black tattermedalion there u coachman
in splendid livery, standing by the side
of his restless chargers, and the OK cart
with its one seat and wheels awry might
have been the most dashing of vic
torias. What had l 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 nap, but 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," l 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
OF Mis- Stanton"
"And the black man there?"
"Dat's Haison; dat's de Stanton
coachman. l reckon yo' aim f'on
hyeah?"
mo, but should like to know about
them"
"Oomph, hits wonder yo' ain't
nevah hyeahd tell O. de Stantnns.
dom know whah yo' been at, man. Why
evahbody knowed de Stantons roun
bout hyeah. Dey wuz de riches folks
anywhah round"
"Wen to do, were they?"
"Well to do! Man, whut yo' talkin
bout? I tell yo', dem people owned
neahly all de dahlsies in de county, an
dey was'n' no him out people, neithah
I didn' long to dem. but allus wished
did, case"
"But about Harrison?"
"Ez were a-goin' to say, my OIL mas
tab hi'ed me, an l wuz on de go mos
all dc time, case I sholy wuz spry an
handy dem days. Ha'ison. he wuz dc
coachman, an proudah, Nina h-dressed
dahky yo' nevah seed in all yore bon
days. Oomph-um, but he wuz sta'chy!
Dey had his ho'ry made at de same
place whah dey made de OIL cunners
an de young mastah's clothes, an dey
wuz sights. Such gor 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 6
procession when Haison come ridin
downde 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 d.
missus' face inside, an she wuz allui
beautiful an smilin', lax q real lady
ought to be, an sometimes dey'd have
de a,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 evan, an yo' couldn' ,
tor wheddah he knowed de footmaI
wuz a sittin' side O. him er not.
''Dey wuz mighty good to all dt
| people, de Stantons wuz, an dey faihly
id'liEed dem. Why, eff Miss Dory hat
a-stahted to put huh foot on de groun
any time she'd had a string O. mig
gers ez long ez f'om hyeah to yandar
a-layin' daihse'ves in de paf fu' huh tc
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' aftat
while de cunnel tu'n 'roun' an th'ow
'em whole lot O. coppers an fps, an
bless yo' heat, sich anothah scram'lin
an a-rollin' an a-tumblin' in de dus' 70
nevah seed. Well, de cunnel, he'd stan
thar an des natchelly crack his sides
a-laffin' ontwell dey wuz thoo fghtin'
den he call up dem dat hadn' got muffin
an give 'em daih sheer, SOS to see 'en
all go off happy, a-hollerin': Thanky
Mas Slant, thanky, mastahl' Ireckon
any fps dey gifts now dey has to scratch
fu' wuss'n dey did den. Dem wuz wun'
nerful timesl
"Den comes long de time O. de wah
an den. o co'se oughtn' to say hit,
| but de cunnel. he made a great bir mis-.