The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-04-22


At night word came that everything
at the "home house, the palatial
residence Of Mrs. Baldwin and daugh-
ter had been swept away by fire. Cage
heard "dat old miss and specially
young miss, done glib dose people some
powerful slack jaw and dey sho nutf
burned the house, the barns and de
gin house, wid everlastin bit of dat
big pile Of cotton.'
Without ceremony, the two ladies
moved into young Mrs. Baldwin's
house, taking full charge of every
thing, as if all that had been saved
we're their individually. The proud
young wife, taunted the life out of
the sorely distressed widow, With
cruel insinuations Of sold honor. This
was the unindest cut Of all. May
would laugh sarcastically, and speak
Of "poor trash" chastity and let the
venom Of her tongue loose on the in
vaders and women who "would buy
safety and security with violated
honor,' an act no woman in the whole
Southland was ever guilty of.
So uncomfortable became the vitriol
poured out upon the head of Caro-
line," she would say, "what can do,
deserted negro cabin there living
for a time upon the charity doled out
to her and her child by the naughty
and soured mother and daughter.
To Cages, "dog my cat if I'd stan
dis, case dis is all yourn, Miss CAL
line," she would say, What can I do,
the will Of old Mr.. Baldwin gave it
all to them. Ny father is ruined as
well as myself. I have no friends
able now to help me, 50 what cant
be cured must be endured. ~
Then came Appomattox and the
Confederacy was buried in the ceme-
terry of lost nations. After that the
deluge, freedom and reconstruction.
The poppin joy that Miss May had
married returned from the war, or
rather from bomb proof Office, and
finding the vast wealth of his father
had slipped away he too took up
quarters at the home Of the Bald
wins. There had long been talk Of a
more recent will, old Mingo had Oft
en- told Cage in secret that Mar5e
Jake could yet be all right, that his
old master had told him Of his max
ing Of another will Of which he
should tell his young master at his
fathers death.
But old Mingo had run in the
way of a falling limb and was killed
the same year his master died. So
it vas all considered as "nigger
talk" as no record could be found
in the archives at the county court
house. No witnesses ever mentioned
the subject, so all the talk Of another
will seemed a myth.
Now here comes facts that could
scarcely be credited, but many peo-
pie now living can vouch for its
truthfulness. It is a fact, too, that
is impressive Of the Great Fathers
care of the widows and fatherless.
Matters were going along in fashion
for some months after the war, but
crisis came when the husband Of Mrs.
May began making preparation to
move off the sixty or seventy bales
of cotton. Cage protested with
vehemence to "Miss CalIine" at such
injustice, declared it an outrage to
"take We-uns cotton, dat We worked
to make.'
To all Of which she could only re-
ply, "It is theirs, as we'll as all the
land and stock, according to Maj.
Baldwin's will" She had to get
her a home for next year and would
try to teach a school for a livelihood.
Cage pondered many times at the
unfortunate turn Of affairs, then he
too had an inspiration. He knew
young officer in Columbia, who had
been a classmate, and a member of
Marse Jake's regiment, a bosom
friend of his master. To him he
went. With hat in hand he told the
officer Of the injustice and cruelty be-
ing done to his dead masters wife
and child, declared his belief in a
will being in existence, and his be-
lief in it being written in Columbia,
the time Mingo and old master sold
the cotton, that if his masters friend
would help his widow, Cage would
work for him till he was paid. The
young officer believed in Gage, for it
seemed impossible for a father to dis
inherit so good man as Jake Bald
win, and he would do every thing pos
sible for his widow.