The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-02-14

again. ana the money nau W ue oeho
to him. He did this from simple kind
ness of heart. Car any one imagine
one of the present generation acting in
anv such way? If he happens to
dream YOU owe him five cents, he II
dog your footsteps until he gets it.
FA1THFULNEss TO OWNERS.
1t is pleasant to recall these old
men. Their faithfulness to trust and
loyalty to their owners was something
wonderful and very hard for those who
never witnessed it believed in. l
have often sat among group OF them,
for some years after their freedom, and
listened to their stories of their expert
ences in 'slabery time'-they would
sometimes say teen reb time-and l
never remember to have heard one OF
them speak in disparagement of their
owners, but OTTER in extenuation OF
what seemed like cruelty even to them
selves. have often heard them speak
in disparaging terms of other than
their "white people," and if the ex-
slaves of those white people we've pres
ent, there would be quarrel and per-
haps fight. Th'y seemed to regard
their owners as the better part of their
own lives and loyalty to them sort
of divine command. l have known
negroes who would steal, lie, cheat and
do all sorts of mean things who
wouldn't even listen to a word of dis
respect toward their former owners.
l heard one once, while talking of old
times, say: "De boss has gin me many
cr li>kin' in his time, en- | thought den
er mighty hard ting, but when look
back on it now ! don't b'lieve he ebber
hit me or lick didn't deserve. | see
now it was all done for my good. y
And the speaker was member OF the
legislature at the time. Was loyalty
like this ever eqnaled?
But there Was one man they all
hated and never did forgive, and that
was "de obershcer." All of their suf-
ferings in ''reb time" were, if possible.
laid on his shoulders. To the negro S
mind he is tue man who, since freedom
has developed into 'de ku-kluk," the
ballot-box stuffer, and the lyncher, and
with whom he is waging war OF ex-
termination. The few old ones who
still alag superfuous on the stage"
have the same feeling toward their
owners and ode obershcer."
They feel that their owners belong
to them. Last year an old colored
woman, who still lives on the planta-
ton where she was born, heard an
other, who had moved on the place
since free dom, speak Of the mistress OF
the place as Miss" and remarked in
the most indignant tones of the second
one: H she call Miss Mis- like Miss
b'long TO her! Like she was her Miss!
She amt no sich ting! Miss is my
Miss"
Very few of these old people are now
left; like their old masters and mis-
tresses they have nearly all "crossed
over the river and rest under the shade
of the trees Whenever one is met
now. however, he is recognized at once.
He is always as neatly dressed as his
circumstances allow; if he wears rags
they are clean, and he is always polite.
After listening to one of them for
awhile and his stories of old time, one
feels as if carried back 10 u sort OF
dreamland that he used TO inhabit in
another world. And with a sad smile
on his honest old face and heartfelt
sigh he'll close up by saying: "Well
marser, times is different en- people
amt like wat dey used ter he. Pogerty
poverty is got US en- de po buckra is
got rich, ell desc young niggers amt
no count. | dunno wat gwine ter be.
come er EN-. Dey kin read en- write
but dat don't larn EN- nuttin but
de quickest way ter de penitcntiary
| Good-hve, marser' Charleston 5. CT
Neus.
Two poor, downtrodden peasants
who fancied they had grievance
against their landlord, were waiting
behind a hedge by the roadside, will
their guns loaded, murder IN thcil
hearts and fully determined to have {
shot at the tyrant.
1t is past the time at which he i:
expected to come along. Still they
wait and wait until the village clocl
has struck IL, and at length they be
came uneasy.
"Shure, Pat" says Mike, 81 do hop
nothin has happened to the poor oult
gin,leman.
WHO was that you just spoke to-!
asked the first Chicago woman; "hi
face was rather familiar to me-"
II believe" said the other, ''hi
name is jerks Henry Jenks."
"OL! to be sure How stupid of mt
He was my first husband" :"
Mr.. Laightley Rich-'What! Yo'
want to marry my daughter? Why
you amt able to support yourself"
Young Mr.. Gauley Blugore-"ES
actly. That's the very excuse l CAV
my family for wanting to marry"