Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-05-23

hade dat his pretty dark curls looked
like dey we're don got dipped in de rail-
water barrl.
DE missus take his ham an say:
"'Nebber mine, de lovin' Jesus know!
jes' what We want to say an would
help him ter make her nstan', anyway
she would dun find out who his folk
war an write 'em all about how he Fl
an died duin his duty, or what ht
thought war his duty.
Den he kept looking at his pool
ragged clothes, dat was a hangin' whal
he could see 'em, till missus takes de
hint from his appealin' eyes, and goe:
and hunts through de pockets. She dur
found nothin' but a little Bible, an wher
she bring it to him his eyes jes shine
lake de stars in de night, an missus
opened it an a leetle tintype of a putty
young thing a holdin' a little baby Ell
about a year old drapped out, an Their
he looked so glad Missus axed him ei
dat war his wife an baby, an he nodded
vas, an den missus say: L kin find den
by 'vertisin' in de newspapers, an l tinB
| dun know what We want me to tel
dem, an den she see dat he was salts
fed, an his poor eyes was loosin' deli
light She dun took his ham in hers, an
sang lake an angel dat pretty hymn
about:
"'All my trus' on de is staid.'
Oar was two or three verses, but
disremember 'em. Anyway while sht
was singing de gates OBJ glory opened
and tux dot poor boy in.
Ell he war fightin' on de wrong side
he dident dun know it. He just die
his duty as he had learned it from Older
hades. So de missus had him laid to res
up in de grove back of de house, an
cherry Decoration Day she dun put posie,
on dat lone grade, rain or shine, sick OIL
we'll"
Did she ever advertiser" asked Jen
ME. wiping the tears out of her eyes.
Deed she did an fur years she wal
tryin to fine dem folks OBJ hisen, till i
went on fur nigh on ter fifteen years. d,
wah was dun, de niggars all free, Nasal
Carter loss an arm a fghtin' agin it
an his only chile, young Massa John
war growed up to be a man, an like hi
ma, as putty as picter, and dat smar
dat he run de plantation his own self
He hired de niggahs to work dat wa
good fur anything, an let de trifin
ones go.
wall, der used to be lots of company
allus a comm up from Charleston, an
one day in May dar war Massa John.
cousin. Miss Liddy Carter, dun come ou
to de plantation ter make a visit, an
she brung erlong a young school friend
Nellie Munson, an she was as putty a.
picter, with eyes as black as de nigh
when de moon don't shine, an de colo
OBJ her cheeks war like de roses in d.
gardin.
wall. such time as dem young crtter:
had. Day was boatin' an fishin. an
hossback ridin' cherry day OBJ der lives
Wal. one sweet, putty morning my oil
missus say, dis is Decoration Day; e
you young ladies want to so wild me t.
put flowers on my grade, l would like
yer company. Miss Liddy she jes' dun
streach herself outen de hammock on d,
veranda. an she say:
"'Scuse me, aunty. I'm awful tired o
dat grade; eber since l was a baby
recolmember it
But Miss Nellie she dun jump up an
say:
please let me go. I've dun hear how
good you war to dat poah Sojier an
know some day you will git your re
ward So she an missus walked of
in de bright sunshine. de bees war
hun:min' and de birds a singin', and de.
car lied a great baskit of posies-de hun
ne1J suckle an roses. an jasmine, an