The National tribune., 1901-03-07


over there by the creek and make them
comfortable" said Col. McGillicuddy.
Don't be at all worried about them. I'll
stand off Gen. Sherman himself, il he
should come around after them
'Thankee kindly, Colonel said 81,
gratefully, and formally saluting.
Much obliged, Colonel" added Shorty,
as he also saluted. Call on us at sight,
any time, for anything you want done.
The tougher the job the better"
The partners hurried their cOntraband
friends off to the place the Colonel had in
dicatcd, and soon had them happy around
a big, blair: fire, at which the food they
had brought with them was cooking. The
boys of the company contributed supply
of hardtack, which the negroes received as
the most marvellous and delicate Wand. 1t
was the first yankee bread" any OF them
had ever seen, and they had had but few
bites of wheat bread in all their lives, so
that it was a double luxury. Better than
all, they were given enough coffee to make
large camp kettle full, and this, more
than aught else, convinced the negroes
that they had really entered the Promised
Land. Coffee had always been the one un-
attainable luxury of the house" where
their master and mistress lived. The mas
ter and mistress and their guests had it in
limited quantity, carefully doled out from
locked drawers, and the best the favored
house servants got was the privilege of
boiling over the grounds. The poor whites
never had any coffee. except by rare luck,
and they, as well as the negroes looked
upon cup of coffee as a cherished pre-
rogatiye of the Weather whites. Coffee
ty1 h. haH nf icfn al
station-and valued accordingly.
Therefore, when Uncle Ephraim and
Aunt Minerva Ann found themselves lord
and lady of a great big campkettle full Of
unmistaknbiy genuine coffee, whose fra
grant fumes diffuscd themselves like the
SAVIOR of good deed, it seemed that life
had little more to offer them.
The proprietary airs they gave them
selves in dispensing the precious beverage
TO their companions were comical. In
their low opinion of these, they feared that
they did mot properly appreciate this
bounty of Heaven and Father Abraham.
"Now, yo' nigGcrs." said Uncle Ephraim
severely, MS Aunt Minerva Ann prepared
to dip out the coffee and distribute it to
each, ''yO' mustn't ack like pigs at a
trough. Yo's now free. an longs 4 Fad
der Abraham an Serg't Klegg, an mus
ack like f1dies an geInmen. Wait yO'
turns, don't jostle one anudder; don't spill
an waste none don't gulp hit down lack
hogs in punkin' field tryin' t. gobble up
afore de rest kin git bite, but
drink hit slowly an revercntiy in de fear
an admition of de Lawd an Fadder Abra-
ham" s1r
An yo' wenches." added Aunt Minerva
Ann, trying to remember all the disparag-
ing things she had heard against the use of
coffee, 'recOlleck dat too much coffee spilcs
de complexion, blackens de skin, rots de
teef, makes yo' lay wake oh nights, an
gibs yo' palpertatiOn oh de heart. Be
monty keerful how much yo' drink"
Ladies' fus', now" said Uncle Ephraim.
as Aunt Minerva Ann prepared to dish out
the steaming beverage. ''No scrougin'
now. Let de oldes' come fust."
'Well, I'm de graycs rat in dc hole,
when hit comes t age" said Aunt Betsy.
coming forward with the biggest gourd she
could find. "Fil hit up. 'Neryy. Don
white mark on me, now. An as fer my
teef, dey's jes' done got { stan hit dis
time. as dey's done had L stan many uds
der t'ings afore dis
And the jolly ncgress laughed loud aud
unctuously at her own humor.
Bets" said Aunt Minerva Ann severe
ly, '.yo' sartinly don't mean L say dat yo'
done tends E drink coffee Outen Il gOurd?"
80" said Aunt Betsy, Il little abashed
"Whyfo' not? Drink water, an milk. an
whisky outen gOurl. Why not cuffee?"
"De occurrence oh dat niger" said
Aunt Minerva Ann, rolling up her eyes in
horror. "An' she wants t be Il free woman.
Who ebbcr hearcd OBJ anybody drinkin'
coffee Outcn gourdI What sortcr
broughten mp has she had? Why, dey'd
done frOw her outen church fer dat No,
Miss Bets, yo' shan't insult de good
Lawd, an Fadder Abraham by drinkin'
none Oh his coffee outen a gourd. Show
yer manners an religion by gittin' tin
cup"
Aunt Betsy bridled at this rigid regula-
ton as to table etiquet. She had always
been restiye under Aunt Minerva AIMS
absolute Cuecnship of the quarters" and
had more than once broken out in open re-
hcllion, generally having to succumb in the
end.
81, who, with the rest, WAS enjoying the
scene, averted the storm by saying:
Here, Aunt Betsy, is my tin-cup. You
can have it. I'll get another"
This favor 10 the sable Elizabeth gave
her distinct lead and aroused Aunt Mi
nerva's jealousy.
What fer yo' give her dat cup?" she
asked 81. angrily. "An' yo' call her
Aunty, too? She no aunty t nobody. She
not raised ON de place. She's only a
bought nigger-tlone bought at vandoo-
done bought at a bankrupt yandoo. when
pluc 1uiinci III pm , HlSSbrS WIZ SOLD Oil,
t pay his gamblin' debts. She no',-
That's all right, Aunt Mincrvy." said
Shorty, anxious To prevent the joIlity of
the occasion being disturbed by Il feminine
row. Heres my cup. Now that starts
you both fair"
But she's not yer aunty, is she?" asked
Aunt Minerva Ann, unappcascd. "Yo'
won't have no aunty bought at IL mortgage
vandoo. will 20? She's only plain Tur-
pins Bets" If
'Thats because she was sold to pay
Turpin's bets" said Shorty. mo. you're
our only Aunty--only, original Jacobs of
an Aunty, name; blown in the bottle, and
fac-simile of signature. All others are
limitations and counterfcits."
This flow of words that she could not
understand satisfied Aunt Minerva Ann.
and she set about serving ont the coffee.
Uncle Ephraim stood by with Il stick 10
preserve order and make every one take
his or her turn.
Soon they all had a large cupful of cof
fee. and their hands full of bread and
meat, and, seating themselves around the
FIRE, began, as they felt the cx-
hiaration of the DELICIOUS beverage. toI
sing, Aunt Minerva Ann leading with her
rich, strong cOntralto, and Uncle Ephraim
laundering III his heavy baritone.
After singing verse or two of her fa-
T0ritc hymu, ION Jordan's Stormy Banks"
Aunt Minerva Ann began to wander off
into the improyisations for which she was
famed, when excited, in which she took
" ell known hymn themes and embroidered
them with additions expressive of her
thoughts at the moment.
The thrilling events OF the day, the pas
sage from slavery 10 freedom. the strange