The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1905-06-16

least effect on Uncle Ishe's reappear
ance. According to the old mans &C
count, his poverty is always tempo.
rary accident.
Hard times? No sub! TIE, he, he!
Hard times don't no moren's ketch me
by de foot, an OATS jas when l hab
nv roometiz. You nebber see dis
niger long but what he's laughin'.
Boss Gin confidential importance), /
haul mo- trunks week TO- las dan any
udder man in town-,ceptin', in
course, de transfer men-but my ole
horse-yas, sub; vas, sub, de same
one," straitening in proud defense OF
her, "des a grabble in her foot, boss.
an hab to res her-dat's all. She'll
be all right. A cook, boss? Vas, sub,
l knows plenty dat wants to cook, an
calls deyselves cooks, an mighty
peart to take de money for cookin',
but dey's not fifteen to cook for you.
Desc var good-for nuthin', no-'count
young niggers dat lazes round all day
an trolloys rum all night, a,jinin' de
bruddcrs er dis an sisters tudder, ez
fitten for muffin tut de pei item sheary
er dc bad place. D,y han slip, boss.
Vas, sub! An you won't be shore uf
muffin in de house fun de ice in de
freezerator ter Mis- Virginy's new fine
close. 1 like to 'commodate you, boss
"a flash Of Chester feldian courtesy }.
an kin sen en- roun' ter you-an' l
will ettia } GU say so-but dry's not
what you wan"
But mere frequent now that this
meeting is a sudden summons from
Uncle Ishc to the young doctor among
the descendants of sole Marse" All
is done that can be done, but on the
street corner, in the office, store and
courtroom there is a moments pa
thetic pause at the announcement that
Uncle Ishe: old Uncle Ishe, faithful
remnant OF departed day, is dead.
There is big funeral among the ne
groes, and all is over but tender
memory with his old white friends.
Outside of Charleston the old negro
now is the only stubborn aristocrat in
the South His pride in his owners
family is the same as when he served
in the parlor as a slave, arts tocratic
by reflection. The family may be
poor, the sons and daughters working
for daily bread, but the old servitor.
he is still ode quality" and the store
or office where he works is transform
ed in his mind into a sort of social an
mex to the old South's elegance.
Nearly every Southern family has
some such old negro to call around
yearly. If not the old man, the old
woman in her stout caps or SEARCHED
sunbonnet, and whatever the weather
the inevitable umbrella, her badge Of
responsibility. She refuses to take
the chair pressed upon her unless she
is 80 old her feeble limbs accept it as
a necessity before she brings her call
to an end.
The visit formerly was cheerful,
greeting cole Miss and seeing who
the grandbabies "favored''; but cole
Miss chair has been empty many
years, her daughter is grandmother
now, on whom the ends of life have
come. The babies are grown and are
marrying, and death has chosen the
brightest and best. Lack of commun-
ication between the old negro's alley
and her "white folks often leaves the
old woman pitiably ignorant of grea,
changes in the household.
"De las time y she quavers, hang
ing over her umbrella for support, her
eyes bleared with age, she looks on
the familiar faces, all sad, "you tole
me your cousin Ches'sr wuz gone! He
my baby honey" the old voice break
ing. II nussed him, an den I cook
fer his ma twel he done growed inter
breeches. l ulster run him roun' de
house TO he cut his curls-he ma curl
'em all ODER he head-an' l run to
ketch i'm and kiss i'm. An whenfI
lay hole on i'm" reminiscent chuck
lie, "he sho did squeal lax little pig
cotch in de fence. But l hab to hab
my pay fer all dem batty cakes he
done stow away. Sence he groMed so
big-he's more'n six feet, want he,
honey?-I jas see i'm on de street
some time.
can dis time, honey" (the life pass
ing out of the old voice) you tell me
yore little James been gone light
nigh year. De cook tell me IN de
kitchen, an just sot down dere-
'peared lax l couldn't git no fudderl
He de baby OBJ you all, an yo' ma de
no hx, oh olo Mics ia milv Ho hod his