The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1905-10-13
THE HEROlSM
OF MARTHY
By LISSIE C, FARMER

VII ARl 111, come mere.
wi An awkward. overgrown negro
girl OF about Is years of age presented
herself before her mistress in answer to
the call.
''Marthy, I'm going to town and will
be gone two or three hours, and you
must look after Beatrice while I'm gone.
Don't let her get into any mischief"
please, ma'am, what am mischief?'
"Oh, we'll, don't let her do anything
she oughtnt to while I'm away"
Please, ma'am, what oughtnt she to
do while you'se gomez
Well, she oughtn't to do anything to
hurt herself; and you must stay right
with her-mind that, now, Marthy-you
must stay right with her all the time.
Don't let her be away from you, rot even
for minute.'
Yes, ma'am," responded Marthy, du-
tifully.
Half an hour later she was alone with
Beatrice, while Mrs Hagen was speeding
away over the Kansas prairie to the
nearest town.
Come heah. Honey Lamb" she called
to Beatrice. rs gwine to take awful
good cab OBJ you while you'll ma S gone.
/ amt to let you out OBJ my sight fob
minute-you mind dat-Eot eben fob
minute
"Whatll We do, Marthy. while man.
mas gone? You tell me stories, Mar
thy
So Marthy told some of the wonderful
stories that had come down to her from a
former generation of dusky darkies, and
beatrice listened till her curly, golden
head began to nod, and she slipped
away from Storyland to Dreamland.
Nov don't see no hahm' solilo-
Quized Marthy, lin me takin little
nap, too. I'll stay right beside dis
Honey Lamb like as Missus Hagen said,
and l amt gwine to sleep real sound
jos take a little cat nap, kase it's so
wahm and sleepy like The black
woolly head was soon still in slumber
beside the golden one.
"Oh. Narthy. Marthy! Wake up!
There's terrible storm coming"
Marthy rubbed her eyes and jumped
up on hearing this call from Beatrice.
Come to the window, Marthy Isn't
that awful?'
Marthys big dark eyes bulged out in
terror
Its a sly coon comm, Honey Lamb.
and what in de worl' is we gwine to do?"
What is sly coon, Marthy?'
oh you blessed Honey Lamb. don't
you know? A sly coon's a terrible big.
powerful win dat takes up houses and
trees and blows dem clean to nowhah.
and it'll jes' take you and me and blow
cherry bit Of hath clean Off of Duh heads.
"Oh. Marthy, will it blow mamma
away? On, l wish mamma was here"
and Beatrice began to cry.
so do l. Honey Lamb, but don't YOU
cry promised you'll ma dat Id stay
right beside you. and dar won't no sly
coon get you away from me-" She
caught Beatrice up in her arms Just as
the first force of the cyclone struck the
house.
Don't you cry, Honey Lamb. don't
you cry she admonished, but Beatrice
heard not word of what was said. for
the horrible noises of the cyclone swa1-
lowed up all other sounds.
A huge mass of living and mani
mate things was rolling and churning
about the house. Horses neighed. cat
tie beloved, dogs howted and snarled
Wild creatures, torn from their haunts
and borne along with their enemy.
man, to the same destruction.
screeched and screamed and walled
and growled and whined; women went
and moaned, and men cried out in
agony. Stately trees that had grown
through long years to hoary age of
dignity suddenly grew young and
frisky, and dancing and gamboling
through all their boughs and leaves,
ca'oened away skyward. The prince
of the power of the air was taking his
subjects on lightning excursion from
nobody knew whence to nobody knew
whittier. aad they had no choice but
to bend to his iron will.