The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1910-09-08
OUT OF THE TRENCH.
BY E. A. MITCHELL

A few years after the civil war two
men met on Broadway, New York
The one wore the long hair and som.
brero that marked him for southern
er; the other was black as the ace of
spades.
20 de Lawd, Marse Geoge" ex-
claimed the negro, with eyes and mouth
open wide.
Ben, yo' black rascal, what are you
doing up here in Yankee land"
VIVA | dom up hyar? l wouldn'
be hyar if you war alivem
But am alive
Don know bout dat Spec yo' may
be 70 ghos'. How come yo be livin'
when de family all tink yo' was killed
at de battle o Sharpsbu'g? If yo' be
Twin, how bout dat awful rakedown
/ got from Missy Alice?"
what rakedown?"
"Mebbe yo' don know dat when yo'
go off to de wah an go with you
orstensnately to take keer O 70 boss
war really set up to go by Missy
Alice TO to take keer O. yo'self. spe-
cially if yo' got sick or wounded. De
night befo' de regiment marched away
Missy Alice she come to my cabin an
she say, Ben, 70 Internal niggah' p
"Oh. no, she didn't"
We'll. emmy way. she said: Ben, rs
mighty glad yo goin' with 70 Marse
Geo'ge. Ii he sick or wounded yo'
write me cherry day. i CANT write,
Missy Alice says. And she says,
says she: We'll. get some one else to
write TO yo' or send me word if he
needs me and I'll come mighty quick
to nurse him. If yo' stick to him an
bring him back safe an SCUM to me
I'll see that yo' git yo' freedom An
says: Missy Alice, | don't keer bout
my freedom. don want my free
dom. is allus lived in this family
an don want to live anywhere else
But III watch Marse Geo'ge TO yo' an
let 70 know if he needs nussin'.
don promise to bring him back safe
an SCUM to yo', but if he gifts killed
or dies O camp fevah or any O. them
sojers' diseases l promise yo' on my
wo'd O. honah as Turnoir nigga dat
AASASa dSNob OClOuSCu " uO uuuGt
family dat I'll bring his body back fo'
yo' to weep ovah an be buried in de
family bnryin' ground
Den Missy Alice she say. Ben. yo's
deblish fine niggah'"-
mo, she didn't. but go on
''She say, says she: Ben. b'lieve
you. If 20 do dat neber fo'git it,
But if yo' don bring him back either
lbin' or dead yo'd bettah nevah been
bon How come yo' up hyar in New
Yo'k. Marse Geo'ge. when 20 war kill
ed mean missin'-in de battle O.
Sharpsbu'g. an yo' cunnel said yo
body was throwed into de trench:'
go on with your story. Never mind
my part of it."
~ hunted dat battlefield all ovah.
turnin' cherry man layin' on his face.
even de Yanks. and didn' see yo' no.
whar. Marse Geoge. Den de cunnel
he sent an orderly To- me an he say:
Ben. yo' mastah he been killed. an
he body must a been throwed into
de trench. Yo' go home an tell his
people bout it. Wha' he know bout
me an dat l war Turnoir niggah?"
81 asked him to do all that Go on.
I'm anxious to hear the rest"
''Yo' tell him to do dat? Wha' TO- yo'
do dat. Marse Geo'ge?"
"I'll tell you my story when you get
through with yours. Go on. say"
.'My story's muffin mo- n de drubbin
got from Missy Alice. ! went home
to de plantation one mornin'. anC
Missy Alice she saw me comm way
up de road. She flied out of de house
an run to me. out O bref. an she
cried out: oh. Ben. Is he dead?
An breaked it softly to her. says
says l: 'Marse Geoge. he wha' he don
suffah no mo-. Missy Alice. Deed he
don't. VIVA is he? she moaned
stagge'n back. In de trench ! say
'Dey throwed him in befo' | could gi
him?'
40 de l.awd. Marse Geo'ge. though
broke de news as softly as ! knew
how. she is' drop right down VIVA
she stan with IL shvah. helped he
up an toted her into de house. Der
when she come to herself she said
with a voice dat sounded lax ham
in de tomb: Ben. go way from mi
an doan' let me evan see yo' agin
Yo's been onfaithful to de trus' re
posed in yo'. Go way. you deblis
niggah. Yo'"-
Hold on. there! Don't put word
you said to yourself into her pur
mouth"
Yes. Marse Geo'ge. said EN-.
heap of en- wo'se an wo'se. An
turned roun'. as de men do when d
battery's sendin out shot an shell an
grape in their faces. an lef' de plan
sation. an hain't nebber been bacl
tar frum dat day to this. An suf
fered all this on yo' account. An yo
wasn't in de trench after all. VIVA
deblish bad luck!"
Ben" said the other, much affected
you've hit it exactly. 1t would hav
been better if had been put into TIL
trench. was stupid enough to be
come the victim of a diaboical story
Trharo o;vI