Graham guardian., 1902-03-28
Foraging or Stealing!

crate Veteran, published at Nash
vii e, Tenn, is wei worth reading:
The prosecuting attorney sat
down. AS be mopped his brow,
be gazed triumphantly at the Judge
and at the lawyer who represented
the prisoner.
The prisoner was an old darkey.
His face was RS black as the ace of
spades and as wrinkled as a piece
Of crinoline. In his kinky hair
strands of white outnumbered
those of black.
During the trial of the case his
eyes had never left the Judge.
"Fo' de Lawd, eff dat aint Marse
Jim" when brought into the court
room by stalwart deputy. And
two long, regular rows of white
teeth bad been revealed by his
pleased smile,
The testimony Of the witnesses
had been of no interest TO him. He
laughed scornfully when the young
lawyer who had been appointed
by the court to represent him
poured forth college rhetoric. The
prosecution had been ignored
"Ol Marse Jim gwine ter fix hit"
he whispered softly to himself.
Tie judge Strengthened himself
and wiped his glasses solemnly
1.-The prisoner is found guilty as
charged" he said, and be adjusted
his gold-rimmed glasses on his
nose. "HaS the prisoner at the
bar anything to say to show cause
why he should not be sentenced?"
In his turn the d rkey straighten
ed up The stern look of the
court caused his face to fall. Then
he stood up His eyes were spark
ling with indignation.
Eyes, sah;" he said, II has
somepen ter say, an Pse gwine ter
say hit. Ef dey's trouble comm
doan you blame me, case you asst
me ter talk. Now, looky heah,
Marse Jim, you knows me JUS as
well as knows you. Pse known
you eber since You was knee high
to a duck, an you amt nebber
done nothin' right mean till jes'
now. Dey brought me in heah an
tole me l stole a shoat But L
didn't tink nothin' oh that; an
you nebber did beto' till jes' now.
l come heah aftah justice an l
thought | was gwine ter git hit
case you was jedge. But | fms l
is mistaken. IfPd er known I'd
got ter make a fight fer hit, l
wouldn't er had nothin' ter do wild
dis here piece of pizen-faced white
trash ober heah-Pd er got a
lawyah. He amt none OBJ de
quality l knows, ease my folks
beforah de wah was de right kim.
But / didn't know dat, an now
you axe me if Pse got anything
TO say. Yes, sab! | have some
thing ter say, an, as l tole you,
Pse gwine ter say hit. Marse Jim,
doan' you member dot l was yo'
body servint durin' de wah?
Didn't l use ter russle fer grub fer
you an yo' chum when de ration
got short? An didn't you use ter
smack yo' lips ober my cookiD'
and say, Jim's er powerful good
fnrager?' Why l stole chickens an
turkeys an shoats fer you clean
from Chattanooga ter Atlanta,
Geory! An eber time you got a
squah meal, which was most gen
orally; 'casionally you en- yo, chum
'ud say Jim er powerful good
foragerp You didn't say nothin'
agin' hit then. No, sahl An 1
wants ter know if hit was foragin'
then, huccome hit stealing nowY
can doan you member, Marse
Jim, when you was shot an de
Yanks took you prisoner at Chan
cellorsville? Didn't you glib me
yo' gray uniform and lock oh yo'
hah en- yo' word, an didn'l you
say kinder hoarse like, Take 'em
ter her?' An didn't | take 'em?
l toted dem things through the
bresh a hundred miles, an when l
come to de front gate dan stood
Miss Emily. She's daid now, an
God knows, Marse Jim, dat dare
ain't no purer nor whittier angel up
erbove de cl uds dan her! En-
when she saw me, didn't she hug
dat little baldheaded baby dat you
was so proud of, up close an cry:
Hes daid, he's daid; my Gawd,
he's daid' En- when l up and
says: No, he amt daid, he'll be
home bimeby; didn't de tears OBJ
JOY come pourin' down an wash
de tears OBJ grief erway?