The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1910-12-29
<sUNCLE
stephen"
BY Alice Lucinda Wynn

before the hills just in sight Deyond
the fields. The small boys of the
neighborhood looked upon him with
kind of superstitious awe, and as they
bathed in the cool stream or SHE'D
pebbles at the frolicsome little perch
that could be seen in its clear water
they told each other in low tones that
Uncle Stephen" long, long years be-
fore, had "dug out Sandy creek and
piled up the hills on tie other side.'
Like most of the old negroes,
Uncle Stephen" did not know his
age, but always reckoned time from
some event that greatly impressed
his simple, superstitious mind When
asked the number of his years he
would say: Il dunno 'zactly, but
was IL de same year dat de stars
| fell"
He was a comical figure on Sun
days and holidays, when dressed in
| his best clothes He wore an old,
brown, battered beaver hat. and, on
warm days linen coat that had once
| been white. When my mischieVous
| young brother remarked upon the
superannuated appearance of this
coat, he said, half playfully: Go way
chile, dis coat was in circulation befo'
! you was BON"
He prided himself on his fine man
ners and whenever a lady addressed
him, took off his hat, and, bowling
solemnly and profoundly, held it in
his hand until she had passed on.
He was in a constant state of thank
fulness, and would say: Il thank you,
sir" for a scolding as well as for
favor.
Passing through the yard one day
| saw him sitting motionless with his
head bent on his hand. He had been
saving wood but, having become
weary, was resting upon a large
hickory log. A crepe myrtle cast its
shadow over the gray figure, and
showed its pink petals slowly down
until they rested upon the brim OF
his old brown hat He had enter
tanned us often with stories OF his
life "befo' de war" and | wondered
if he were living over, in dreams, the
years when he was young and strong,
when he was spoken of as the best
hand on the place." the moonlit eve
nings, when he sat in the door of his
little cabin Tin the quarters" singing
the fayorite plantation songs to the
accompaniment of his banjo, While
his wife sat nearby rocking a little
one to Sleep keeping time to the
fathers music; those days when his
voice swelled strongest and sweetest
in the church gatherings, the bap-
things and the camp meetings.
Now the limbs were stiff and mac
tive, the voice weak and treble, and
the wife of his youth had lain for
many years in the graveyard on the
hillslope.
l went up to him and said, softly:
are you well today, Uncle Stephen?"
He looked up, smiled, shook his
head and said: mo, Miss Alice;
| Is got de misery in dis old back
agin, and | was settin here restin
and wonderin' if de Lord would for
give a poor old niger like me at de
last"
In surprise | said: "Why, Uncle
Stephen, are you not Christian?"
He replied: mo, miss; Use a
backslder. ! used to be 'zorter,' but
| done let my 'ligion drap. De church
went too deep in my pocket. | would
a bin willin to glib Is cents month,
but dey wanted me to glib dollar.
No, sir"
Uncle Stephen was faithfulness
itself to the family he served.
Though too old to work in the field,
he was invaluable in the yard and
garden. He knew how to raise the
very finest of sweet potatoes and
| watermelons. Proud was he when
they were praised as the largest
and best in the country. Honest
truthful, trustworthy, we never felt
| uneasiness about the home If left
In Uncle Stephens care. One sum
mer all the family were away for
| two weeks. The nights We're spent
in sleepless yigils by Uncle stephen
for fear some midnight marauder
might visit the fowlhouse or the
barn.
/ had been attending school and
when ] went home last summer for
the vacation | missed the old, bent
| figure and CHEEKY salutation. One day
| the winter before he failed to appear
| at the usual time, but as he sometimes
went away to spend several days
with his married daughter, the family
| did not wonder at his absence After
| three days had passed, however and
| he had sent no word, some one went
| to seek him in his little house, where
| he lived all alone.
They were grieyed and conscience
| stricken to find that the poor old
man had lain sick for three days
with no medicine or food. He was
made as comfortable as possible, q
physician was at once sent for and
| all that kind friends could do was
| done, but their care was of no
avail
He died after a few days of suf-
fering. His last words We're ex-
pressions of thanks to the good white
folks" whom he had loved and served
SO long.
In death he seems to keep watch
still over the home whore they dwell
Ills grave Hes nearby on the green
hillside. under a tangle of jessamine