Valentine Democrat., 1907-05-30

his handsome black eyes an roll down
his cheeks dat was as white as de sheet,
an de sweat lay so cole an thick on his
hade dat his pretty dark curls looked
like dey were don got dipped in de rain
water barrl.
| "De missus take his ham an say:
| "'Nebber mine, de lovin' Jesus knows
jes' what ye want to say an would
help him ter make her en'stan', anyway
she would dun find out who his folks
war an write 'em all about how he fit
| an died duin' his duty, or what he
thought war his duty.
Den he kept looking at his pooh
ragged clothes, dat was a hangin' whar
| he could see 'em, till missus takes de
hint from his appealin' eyes, and goes
and hunts through de pockets. She dun
found nothin' but little Bible, an when
she bring it to him his eyes jes shine,
lake de stars in de night, an missus
opened it an leetle tintype of putty
young thing a holdin' a little baby er
! about a year old drapped out, an then
he looked so glad. Missus axed him eff
dat war his wife an baby, an he nodded
yas, an den missus say: I kin find dem
by 'vertisin' in de newspapers, an l tink
dun know what ye want me to tell
dem,' an den she see dat he was satis-
fed, an his poor eyes was loosin' deir
light She dun took his han 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 l
Il oha
was singing de gates OBJ glory opened
and tux dot poor boy in.
EFF he war fghtin' on de wrong side
he dident dun know it. He just did
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
ebery Decoration Day she dun put posies
on dat lone grabe, rain or shine, sick or
we'll"
did she ever advertiser" asked Jen-
ME- wiping the tears out of her eyes,
Deed she did an fur years she war
tryin' to fine dem folks OBJ hisen, till it
went on fur nigh on ter fifteen years. De
wah was dun, de niggars all free, NASSAU
Carter loss an arm a fghtin' agin 1t,
an his only chile, young Massa John,
war growed up to be a man, an, like his
ma, as putty as a picter, and dat smart
dat he run de plantation his own self,
he hired de niggahs to work dat war
good fur anything, an let de trifiin'
ones go. =.
Wall, der used to be lots OF company
allus a comm up from Charleston, an
one day in May dar war Massa Johns
Mice d,,, oo,oo 1,.I
to de plantation ter make a visit, an
she brung erlong a young school friend,
Nellie Munson, an she was as putty as
a picter, with eyes as black as de night
when de moon don't shine, an de color
Ob her cheeks war like de roses in de
gardn.
Wall, such time as dem young critters
had. Day was boatin' an ishn', an
hossback ridin' ebery day OBJ der lives.
Wal, one sweet, putty morning my ole
missus say, dis is Decoration Day; eff
you young ladies want to go wild me to
put flowers on my grabe, | would like
yer company. Miss Liddy she jes' dun
streach herself outen de hammock on de
veranda, an she say:
'Scuse me. aunty. I'm awful tired of
dat grade; eDer since l was baby l |
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 mssus walked off |
in de bright sunshine, de bees war a |
hummin' and de birds a singin', and dey |
carried great baskit of posles-de hun
ney suckle an roses, an jasmine, an |
Miss Nellie de prettiest flower of all in |
her white frock and sky blue sash.
Miss Liddy she lay dar swingin' in |
de hammak, and Massa John, after a lit |
tie, gifts up and starts for de grove, too.
Den Miss Liddy laEs and sails kinder |