The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-11-27
IS Copyright 1901, a y c. c By Viola Roseboro' {
II ss 81 :: :: 1: IS IS IS Is IS i: IS I

the coaXing voice of Ant 'Cindy's small
granddaughter calling from the big
Grape myrtle tree (she was not allowed
to trespass farther upon the front
Yard: "Janey. Janey! | got pooty
fur ye, Janey" And she trotted off to
bestow her society where it was most
priced.
Jane may not have been blessed with
many ideas, but she, gave profound
attention to those that did visit her.
She pondered all day on the possibility
of Blossier becoming teacher of
French, and after supper she went
over to consult Mrs. Pembroke. about
it.
"Of course" she said after she was
seated on the gallery in the starlight
and had introduced her subject. mo
body can do much with the war going
on, but I'm willing to make some sac
tifices for Janey, and Mr.. Blossy
wouldn't expect much. We could just
share what we've got with him till
times are better. I'm afraid he's been
awful pore lately. And, after all, the
town would "a been most burned down
sure if it hadn't been for him."
Miss Catherine had no little children
to be instructed, so Jane, with difficult
ty and bitches, got out so much sug-
gestion of Strathboro's obligations.
'.That's all true, Jane" replied Miss
Catherine cheerfully, but everybody
amt as anxious to recollect them kind
of things as you and as your mother
was before you. 1 remember now how
she cherished that old Nanny Dinah
of yourn just for the way she nussed
you when you had that terrible ty-
phoid sickness when you was little.
Seemed like she couldn't do enough for
that niggah when she got old and
wuthless. Good niggah she was too."
There was pause, and just as Miss
Catherine was again taking up the
thread of reminiscence Jane interrupt
ed:
"Mr. Blossy amt a niggah and it
seems kinda dreadful to see a white
man live like he does here in Strath-
boro. 1t amt as if he was a real poor
white either. He's got education, I've
heard tell. He reads French newspa-
pers. He's got some now at my house."
"Well, he's a foreigner, you know,
Jane. You never can tell anything
about them like other people. He's
been here doing niggah's work years,
but it don't seem exactly like any other
white man doing it. He's just French
man first or last. and for them that
wants to learn French l reckon that's
what they want. l spose it would be a
good thing for the pore old body, but
you can't do much, Jane, with the war
going on, and the Lord only knows
Then loyalty to disloyalty sealed her
lips against the first expression of
doubt as to the conclusion and after
tale of the conflict. AS to the present
she was right. There was small inter-
est in Strathboro in those days in the
requirement of French by any means
whatsoever. Jane accepted this fact
and went her own way.
Long before poor Andy McGrath,
gaunt and tattered and despairing and
beaten, came back to his home Strath-
boro had become familiar with the
sight of Blossier going about his work
with tiny figure by his side, little
girl with the most marvellous double
rows of brown curls under her corn
shuck hat, curls as stiff and slick and
regular as if they had been done out
of wood with turning lathe Strath
boro admired the curls unanimously,
but an accomplishment of their owner
filled them with an even livelier inter
est. That little thing could speak
French, talk it right along with old
Blossy!
The pair were continually called up
on to demonstrate the fact.
When old Mrs. Farnley came in from
the country to stay with her daughter
in-law, she was not to be convinced by
the ordinary exhibition.
''You, Mr.. Blossy," said she-"you
can clean out there by that there Grape
myrtle and stay there where l can see
you. Janey. you tell Mr.. Blossy when
he comes back to give me my stick.
Tell him in French" Janey was a lit
lie mystified, but she was used to eX-
hiblting her French, so she successfully
performed the feat required of her,
and when Blossier, with bow, hand
ed the old lady her staff more witness
es than one had a new realization that
the strange tongue was not a meaning
less jargon.
Andy McGrath's soul was as much
like James as one cornfield pea is like
another. The Infinite mind doubtless
saw distinctions between them, and
Jane knew that Andy took more sugar
in his coffee than she did, and Andy
knew that she would spank Janey
sometimes when he would not; but,
so far as other human beings were
concerned, they might as well have had
interchangeable identities. When they
got married. Mrs. Pembroke remarked
to Mrs. Kitchens that it was curious
to see two such good, dumb, clever,
say nothing bodies marry each other,
but then, she added, perhaps it would
have been more curious yet if they had
not.
or course Andy accepted Blossier in
exactly James spirit. He felt little at
a loss as to how to conduct himself
with a Frenchman, finding himself
without social traditions ON that point,
but he had the best will in the world
to adapt himself as well as he could to