The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-11-12
LIGHTS AND SHADOWS.

x * X * y * = * x x
en the Moon Flowers Bloomed.
tie, white cloudlets flew east
eh, the sky, the bee with ms
sack scurried on with his stol-
assures. en- route to his hive.
= he cold Of roses caught round
ct. From over the distant, dark
meadows drifted the faint TIN
COW bells, and the tramp OF
came nearer and then died out
kline wended their way home.
The tall, spear-like cedars held
mysterious shadows in their feathery
depths of green, casting wlerd snafts
Of darkness on the grass, and hoat-
ing up from the negro quarters came
j. in rhythmic cadence, a voice OF pc
: culiar sweetness singing, ''The
moons got his eye on you" just
as that subject rose, like a huge
hall Of silver above the silent pines.
A bar or two of the song was sung
and then the singer ceased abruptly
All was still, with that intense
Stiffness that visits the earth at
sondown on a summer evening.
Around the corner Of the great
white house came squatty, bent hg-
nre. erouching and darting here and
there as if in search Of somethlng'
Finally it Strengthened itself and 5he
clear, yellowish whites Of Black
James eyes could be plainly seen IN
the faint moonlight.
Fer a. moment she stood with her
arms akimbo, and then shaking her
head from side to side she eJacula-
ted:
tsHi-ti, dey amt come yit. Dem
yil'nous, no o'count things. But wen n
dey does COM, I tell yer, dey ain {
gwin' be no fooIn'."
She seemed to be addressing her.
self to a vine that clambered up
against a big, white pillar, ana
waved its graceful leaves in the gen
Tie simmer winds. What possible
connection this vine could have with
her murmurings, we will doubtless
find out.
E.oh enccessive night Black Jane,
black as the deuce-the deuce OF
spaaes-made her way around the
:, corner Of the house and stood con-
templating the harmless, pretty Vlne'
and at each time she went away NUT
tering imprecations, and predicting
all sorts of Ill that would befall the
place and its Inhabitants. No one
dared molest her in these evening
deyotions, and often times one could
see host Of kinky heads and yel-
low-soled feet flying pell-mell across
the yard seeking a hiding place IN
the kindly shadows, lest Black Jane
should catch them Watching ner'
Former experience with Black James
muscular arm had taught them DIS
eretion, and though each evening
she had an audience, while she kneh,
metaphorically, at her temple sne
firmly believed herself alone. And
all through the day Black James u.s.
INV kindly face wore an elongated
expression, and she moved about
with an air of being in possession OF
more than usual knowledge. Every
darkey in the negro quarters remem-
bered the, cuff that was administered
to Dad Ben, the old coaehma1 rs, ears
when he asserted that "Jane ain 4
bin wore no siah orful face senee de
day wen she got 'hgion,'' and every
nusky inhabitant Of the quarters
prcfted by Dad Ben's experience and
let Black Jane don whatever express
ion she wished to wear.
"There's evidently something
very wrong with Black Jane," salo
Missie to Little Missie, and Little
Missie could probably have set her
mind at rest by saying, "there IS,
and I can tell you what it is,' but
Little Missie had devout respect
for Black James condolences which
she had had whispered in her ear
since early days of lullabys, and tales
of the Sand Man, and she kept. 81
lent, like the rest of Natures beau
tiful children, for she was beautiful,
this wee slip Of a child, with eyes as
blue as larkspurs, and mass Of toss
ing eurls. Little Missie could curve
her red lips until they dimpled at the
corners, and sill at the same time,