The National tribune., 1902-05-15


came TO a great road following the course
of the river, from northwest to southeast
As to go the right or southeast woult
take them toward the line of march of The
main army. they turned to the left, hoping
to soon come to road leading more di
rectly nOrthward. They reached a point
marked by Il deserted and closed store
room, blacksmith shop, with the forge
and bellows under n rude shed, and the
anvil under n spreading oak, and a couple
of negro cabins.
Wonder if that's Lcesvile?" said ST
| Two houses together make town down
South, even if one of them is only corn
crib. But l don't see no crossroads, which
we should find at Leesville."
20, this is a Southern town sure enough,
| ST. said Shorty. "A regular Southern
town, with all the modern improvements.
See, there's a grocery where they sold
| liquor, old boxes, all whitfield up, on which
the men set and talked politics. and n
mud-hole in front for the old SOW to wal
Ter in. What more do you want in the
way of municipal advantaGes?'
Say, aunty, has this place a name?'
81 inquired of stalwart ncgress. standing
in the door of one of the cabins. with a
half-dOzen white-eyed. wondering pickanin-
mics clinging around her skirts, their ball
like heads and crooked legs making them
resemble living Interrogation marks.
'Sho', it hab. Fines town in de State.
sah." she answered.
What's it called?'
''Steedman's Post-OfIice, sab
(which is the pOstoffice?'
Hit useter be in MaSSa Stecdman' s
sto', ober dar. Den dey done tuck him
off t de wah an Massa Sawyer he KEEP
hit at his blacksmith shop. He KEEP hit
in dat ole spicc-boX yo' see nailed up t dat
oak, dar. He want t be Postmaster to
keep outen de army. Bein' blacksmith'd
keep him out some, an if he could git t
he Postmaster. too. hit'd keep him out n
hull lot. But bimeby, d'reckly, dey done
said dat dey needed men 50 bad dat he'd
have t go, anyhow, an folks'd have t
shoe DER own bosses, an git DER letters
bes' way dey could fer awhile, ontil de
Yankees WIZ done fit back. Den dey turn
hit all ober t me, an tell me to take keeF
OBJ de whole town. ] keep the papers an
letters heah, in dis ole salt-gOurd, an when
anybody wants blacksmithin' done / goes
out an blows de~bellows an swings de
siedge, while dey does DER own work. so
dat de town gifts along purity nigh as well
as wen Massa Steedman an MaSsa Saw
yer WIZ at home, for dey didn't do much
but drink Ticker, play keards, an talk pol
lertics"
There's Woman's Rights for you" re-
marked Shorty. "a woman, and niger
woman at that, running the whole town,
holding all the offices, doing all the manu-
featuring and business, managing the Ia
Dor interests and running the city gov
eminent. Seems TO be a great improve
ment, too. No drinking, no gambling, no
fighting, no loafing, no stealing from the
treasury. What more do You want?'
m curious to see how the mail serv-
ien 10, caiI
constitute myself inspector of postOfTices.
Aunty, let me see your postofice."
rs you 'spectin' airy letter." asked the
negress. showing that something of the
official manner had been conveyed to her.
We'll. l can't say that l am-that is,
one addressed to me-
Does you lib anywhar round heah?'
mo; not for long at time, thank good
ness
My orders air stric' not to let nobody
what haint 'spectin' no letter. an don't
lib round heah. from meddlin' wild de mail,
on no count whatsOmebber."
'All the same, Aunty, hand over the
postofice to me. l want TO look at it."
Deed / won't, sab. Massa Bob HUNK.
who is de head overseer OBJ de mails told
me wifi his own mouf not t let nobody
NEEDLE wifi de mails, an if any one pes
tered me bout hit t let him know, an he'd
tend t DEM
well, Aunty, we're Yankee soldiers,
and just now we're bOssing Mr.. Bob
Hunk, and all the rest of the Confederate
big-bugs around here. My orders lay away
over his. Just hand that pOstofiice cut,
and say no more about it, for we're in a
hurry"
Yankee sojers, God a massyw ejacu-
lated the negress.
There was something so compelling in
Sis voice and manner that she had to
yield, and handed out rather reluctantly
very large gOurd. with a long neck for n
handle, and which contained n number of
copies Of the Charlestown Courier and of
pamphlets labeled Pub Doc, Richmond,
Va" The wrappers and envelopes were
all old, dirty and frayed, as if they had
been there long time, and much handled.
Folks around here don't seem to be
dead hungry for the news, Aunty," said
ST. looking at the papers TO see if there
were any of them of late enough date to
contain valuable information.
Dem newspapers dey longs t ole Gun
mel Fleming, dat's done gone daid las
Fall, jes' arter cOtton-pickin', she an
swered, recovering her cOmposure and gar
rulity. "Sence dat time dar's nobody
round heah dat kin read nooSepapers, an
nobody t read 'em t. If dey could. sence
Massas Sawyer an Steedman wuz done
tuck away. Dey useter like moutily t
heah dem read, an den 'spute an sw'ar
ober dem, an den ole Cunnel Fleming, he
lay down de law, jes' how hit was. He
fought he know m9re'n anybody in de
worl, an he WIZ alters crazy t expOund
an advise, an dem two men war de only
ones dat keered t hear him talk wen he
got rayle ole an gassy."
At the bottom of the gourd were two
letters, both in homemade envelopes. One
Of the envelopes was clumsy affair, APP
parently constructed out OF a scrap of pa
per found in the lining of a box, and fas-
tened with coarse -four paste, white blotch-
es OF which appeared Oh the surface. 1t
was superscribed in n struggling mascu-
line hand:
Miss Sary jaime Mower. Steedman's
p. o., Lecksington Co, S. c."
The other was an old white envelope.
turned inside out, refastened with white
Of egg, and Inscribed
Lieut.. Jeems Yarnell, Steedman's
Poastoffis, LecsintOn County, S. c."
Dem WIZ bofe brung in heah dis mawn-
in, de fust letters I've had fo' nigh Il
week. De leetle one wuz brung by one oh
Squire Mowers boys, ridin' a broken
down mewl. De udder wuZ fotcht by n
wounded Confedrit soljer, a-gwine home"
Il always hate people who are too curl
Gus about other folkS's business" remark
ed 81, ms he turned the letters over in his
hand, and reached in his pocket for his
knife to open them. But the chap who's
writing TO Miss Mower may say something
that is Of military interest. Then. again,
he may say something that is improper
for young lady to read. Can't tell about
these rebels. III be father TO the young