The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-13

had FOUND MaSSa Jedge'S long lost
boy had preceded us, for Hosea had
arrived six weeks before. and great
was the excitement. Aunties who had
carried me in their arms when 1 was
babe, yet older "mammies," "aunties"
and "uncles" who remembered when
my mother, father and uncle were
"chillun," lined the winding drive from
the highway up and raised their voices
in vociferous welcome. 1t reminded
me somewhat of the reception accorded
a band of Iroquois hunters or fisher
men from distant lakes, except that
there was here more noise of human
voice and less Of dogs. However, my
aunt was an admirer Of mans most
faithful friend" and even this sound
was not entirely lacking, two great
deep voiced house dogs of the mastiff
breed, and a large and noisy pack of
fox hounds lending their efforts to the
general commotion and racket.
The house, though sitting low on the
ground, was larger than Sir Williams
own, with wide front and rear veran-
das, immense stretch of sloping roof,
and with ample slave quarters, stables
and hay and tobacco barns stretching
away to the rear. The beauty of the
slipping grounds and the neatness of
the white painted buildings showed the
thrift as well as the taste of this ca
pable mistress, and the freshly fur
| rowed fields stretching UP back from
the little river proved also that she
knew how to so organize her Deepen
dents, that business should go on,
whether or not the presiding genius
was present. AS we gave our horses
to the half dozen boys" who tumbled
over one another to assist, and mount
ed the steps to the great deep veran-
da, my aunt turned and looked out
through the vista the bending trees
made. Her shining, moist eyes, even
that one brief instant seen, proved to
us her deep love for this magnificent
estate and I fancied that I detected
a shade of regret on her face as she
babe me look on my own. 1 must have
BEEN mistaken, however, for turning
quickly, she reached up, drew my face
down to hersf and kissed me, then
kissed Edith, and, taking an arm Of
each, led us into the wide hall running
through from front to rear. At one
side, just beyond the stairway, a huge
open fire was blazing. Before this she
stopped and, looking up into our faces
again, said Thank God, my children,
for this home coming. TITS truly the
happiest have known in % long years.
I can never tell you how heartily I
L
She declared we should be guests that
evening and so she presided at the
board The following morning, how
ever, she called in all the so retainers
at the home plantation, and as they
crowded about with wondering eyes, |
she led us in and solemnly installed
me as master, Edith as mistress. Hear
you ALL" began her solemn proclama-
ton, ''and let your children know,
that l, so long mistress here, do declare
this, my son and nephew, Duncan
Christopher Fisher, head of this house,
and his wife, Edith Darrah Fisher,
from the Most High guide and direct
these dear children of ours, and may
the blessing of God be with them, their
descendants and with us ALL"
Every head was reverently bowed
as she finished and deep and fervent
"Amens" arose from all sides. Then
filing past us as we arose in our places
each individual shook our hands, and
more than one pair of dusky lips
touched Edith's shapely fingers.
"An' we uns'll allus love de ole Missy
jess de same!" ventured one old white
wooded uncle, as with hat held close
against his broad chest, he paused be-
fore her
THAT you must, uncle! That we
all will" 1 shouted, as I threw my
arm about her and shook hands with
PA Bijah" once again. And there
amid those Datriarchal surroundings
my domestic life began.
1t has always seemed to me that no
man on earth had a more pleasant
home circle and few as pleasant, and
never in all the succeeding years have
I spent a night away from it, with
out, as when at home, calling down
the blessings of God upon it. Hon
ors, riches a large portion of earth's
blessings have been ours. Children and
grandchildren, kind and considerate,
have blessed our prime and nurtured
us in the decline of our lives. Aunt
Sally is no longer with US; all that
was left to us of her, save a tenderly
cherished memory we laid in Christ
Church ground many years ago. And
there we shall probably be laid, when
our time shall come to join the vast
majority. How soon or where that
time shall find us, makes but little diff
ference. We trust in the mercy Of God
and hope that we are prepared. 1t is
! the way of all earth, and our lives
have, even now, been prolonged be-
| yond the lot of most men and women.
We are thankful for this, for it insures
US but a short separation. Whoever
goes first will leave the other but a lit
tie time to wait.
And now, while waiting, we have to-
gether written these memoirs. By rea-
son of their truth and the harsh truths
we have been obliged to state of many,
whose descendants of the first genera
ton are yet living, we have decided
that for life time at least these shall
not appear in print. 1t will not be I'M
| til long after we and those they may
affect are dead and gone, that the
world shall know all we have written.
| When having written all but the last
| half of the last chapter, the other
evening, we looked them over and re-
viewed the past they told of. 1t was
then that 1 turned to my Edith, a sill
yer haired, sweet faced old lady now,
but my sweetheart still, and 1 said
Dear one, is there anything in this
record you would changer"
Nothing, Quedar," she whispered
softly, unless it be that you make
more prominent the fact that the good
Lord intended us for one another, and
| that He gave to me the best husband
ever woman had"
And to me the best and truest wife"
| I replied, as l drew her to me. And
there sitting on that old settee, we two.
| lovers all our lives and lovers yet,
even in our eighties, looked into the
] freight and saw faces and forms that
we had known and loved long, long
ago,-that we confidently expect to see
and love again. The faces and hands
of those gone before, even more than
the faces and hands of the living, seem
beckoning us. We have lived our lives,
attaining blessings such as are accord
/ ed to few in this earth. By Gods mer-
| cy we hope and trust that we shall re-