Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-02-20

VIC NANNY esh "ih0 WI soy Whoe
amt de truff. Why, boss, I bleege
ter own dat Iso glad Ise free; I jist
bleege ter own hit, boss. You see
dat sassy raskil OBJ markin' bird, q
settin' on de top Oh dat tree ober
yan--jst or twisten, an er turnin',
an or singin', des lax he gwine ter
split he trote9 Now, you tex dat
same burd an kege him up, den you
see dc wing hang low, and de music
al, gone; shore huff, arter while he
will sing ergin, case he gifts uster de
'finement; hits his mater ter sing,
and he will do dat, no matter whar
you put him but you nebber hear
dc kind Oh music dat we is listerin'
ter now-no, sab, hits different. /
say ergin, freedoms de bess ting on
dis here ole yearth eberting wants
hit, an you cain't ,spute dat. But
dars anudder ting bleege ter own,
an dat is dis-an' l tells de truff,
fore do Lord, | does, whom l says
dat when dis niger was fust sot
free, | jst felt de curiousest fact is
! felt jist lax l did one time long
ergo, when | wus polin' de flat bote
'cross de ribber. Des as git rite in
de middle ob de stream whar de
water is de deepest, and goes swish
swash, dc pole slip outen my han, an
dar wus. Pole gone, me on de flat
bote in de middle oh de stream; tell
you whut, | wus skairt! and dar |
stood, an den | see de flat begin to
drift, and dis dMkoy jist sot down
den and dar, and scz /: Oats bout
all you kin do, Caesar, jist let er
drift An arter dat l took tings
easy, an de fust ting dat l knowcd,
she drifted kinder katter corncred
fur half mile down der stream, an
kerchunk we stuck in de bank on
de odder side"
"Arter / knowed | wus free and
wus nobody's Niger any more, den
it wus dat ! felt fustcrcd, and didn'l
zactly know whut ter do next; but
arter while says: Don't bodder yer
brains, Caesar, let er drift -" and at
this point the old man laughed gaily,
and opened his wide mouth good
naturcdly, which showed his one re-
naming tooth, while the wrinkles
around his mouth joined those around
his eyes, and reached back to his
slick, bald pate, that was bare, save
for the little fringe of white wool.
After moment he solcmnly con
tinucs
"But you mcbbe shore | didn',
drift fur frum my white folks. OATS
Narse Charlie's house dat you see
right ober dar ter de right; and dis
here cabin is mine. N[arse Charlie
he gin hit ter me, he did, acordin' tc
old marster's will. Sum of desc yere
educated CHILLED pussons 'round here
alters tellin' me dat it sound lack
slabery time ter call him Marse
Charlie. Well, when calls him
anything but dat, den specs him
ter call me Mr.. Dinkins, Std OF
Uncle Caesar, as he alters does
Why, | followed dat boy all obel
Verginy, cndurin' of de war times
| wus his waiten' boy, wus. Ole
marster he gin me ter him fur da,
very ting, he did. And when dat
chile tuck sick wild de numoney
way out dar, way from home and his
folks, nuss him, an when dc doctor
done gin him out, | jist keep or
prayin' an or workin' wild him til
see he gin ter git better, an artel
while he gifts able to sit up, an den
des carry him home he warn't
nuthin' but skin an bonc--a regula,
skiliton, he wus, but life was still ir
him, bless dc Lord fur dat! AnC
when we got dar!'' The old mans
voice grew husky, and for moment
he was silent; then, with the tear.
trickling down his furrowed checks
be continued
81 can nebbcr furgit tell my dyiu
day de way ole Miss come up tel
me wild dc tears strcamin' obcr hcl
white checks, she put her two white
hans on my shoulders, an she say
You saved my boys life, Caesar
May God bless you forever! An
den ole marstcr he knccl down dcl
an dar, an You jist oughtcr hca
dat prayer he made fur me, and d'
Lord lie knows dat hit wus dc hap
picst mint ole Caesar cbcr see"
For a moment the old man slcntl,
wiped the streaming tears with hi
red bandanna. Then, with a joyou
note in his voice, and faint smil
in his faded eyes, he said:
"Ycss, boss, stayed close ter um
| stayed in sight Oh my people. Kas'
lsc one ob dem ole slabcry darkic
dat he'd good white folks, an
knowcd jlst so long as Mars