The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1926-05-06


Long fo' POI Mandy died,
An All miss de fuss an gable
Sittn' by de fiah side
Abs got nah farm an cabin
But nah hearts begin ter
Oh Lawdy, Abs lonesome!
Come take dis niger home!
In the drowsy warmth of a Sunday afternoon the
little cabin lay sleeping in the sunshine; not
single breeze disturbed the eafy shade of the trees
that shielded the little home from the road; to the rear
field of cotton neatly plowed and hoed, was just burst
ing into bloom; tiny garden adjoining the cabin was
spick span with orderly and fruty GROWTH the
little dooryard clean and bare and hardpacked by
countless feet.
The scene was peace personifed except for the
occasional cluc of hen and the cheep of her brood
there was no sound to disturb the silence.
An auto stopped in the road before the cabin, and
benign old darby respendent in Prince Albert coat
descended to the roadway and profusey thanked the
driver the for the lift he had been given And
when the had disappeared in cloud of dust he
turned the pathway that led to the cabin behind
the trees.
Emerging into the yard he looked about and listen
ed as de folks at home ?" he called in a sonorous
voice. Receiving no he muttered to himself
"Wonder effen dat nggers out gallvantn roun SOM
ers" Then he continued around the house.
There in the grateful shade of the cabin tilted back
in hickory chair sat another aged darkey with his
chin on his chest asleep Beneath the chair there
also slept huge fap-eared hound of ancient vintage
At sight of him the visiting darkey stopped He had
had experience with dogs disturbed in their sumber
and he wanted his friend to wake first
"Joshua!" he called. The sleeper stirred and opened
eyes that grey-mmed about the pupils and stared
blankly at the newcomer The dog also stirred anf
opened his huge mouth in cavernous yawn
"Doan yo know me, joshua" asked the newcomer
The chair came down with thump and friendly grlf
of welcome lumined the wrnked face of the occupant
10 Noe he cried
visitor with outstretched hand. "Lawdy! But hits
sight fer eyes yo And there ensued muci
handshakng and sappng of backs as these aged friends
exchanged greetings with sincerity that was touching
"Lemme git yo' a Cheer Joshua finally said as HI
mped his aged legs toward the front door OF the
cabin Hits cooler out dar in de shade"
And after Doe Bloom had been thoroughly shifted
by the dog, who finally became satisfied that he was
friend the old cronies sat down to renew acquan
tances. "Been gwne ten yeahs since All seed 20
Joshua" said Doc -
und de- br siGht g RDs replied the other closet
scanning Docs face "Ah's all by mahsef now; gittir
kinder lonely" And he looked away across the field
cotton that simmered in the afternoon heat his eye
seemed to be seeing far vistas and Doc watching him
knew there sadness in the loyal old heart
"Yeh, All reckons yo is kinder lonesome" replies
Doc with gentleness in his rich bass voice. ode chill
lun all mated an moved erway; an den Mandy dyin'
All thought maybe yod git yo'se'f oman ter kee
house fer yo'
| Joshua's dim old eyes returned to Doc. "Nawsuh
| Amt gwne hab STANCE 'omans roun hyah poster
| in me Doc Dey amt mo- like Mandy An any
way, Abs gittn too old ter kere" And then his eye
| again sought the distance.
In the silence that followed, the faithful old hount
snapped vciously at fly; the mother hen chicke'
drowsily to her brood beneath nearby bush; HON
ing bee buzzed ndustriousy across the open; ant
then silence again
1t was strange scene. Two aged darkeys who hat
been slaves together the plantations had toile'
shoulder to shoulder in the cruel heat of the cottoi
fields; had wandered aimessy and brokeny following
the freeing of the slaves; to the city where hi
sonorous voice and pous philosophy had won him
following a preacher; and his uncanny wisdom o
| growing things had him the weekday job O
gardener at Mercer University.
The other cropping in darkness, had stirred the pit!
of his former master, and had been given plot o
ground and cabin without rent during his life; hac
married a slave girl he had admired from distance
had raised noisy brood of pickaninnies who hat
matured and married and moved away; and then whei
the burden had lessened upon the bowed shoulders o
the kindly old woman, she had been lost, restless he
tired old eyes had of life and the gnarlee
old hands were pitifully empty,
| Joshua had wanted Doc to preach the funeral
but he didn't know how to go about locating him. Do
had heard of it too late; his genial smile had faded
singing salty tears had squeezed out of the faded
kindly old eyes, And today the first chance he hae
had to come to his old friend
1t didn't seem to be necessary to talk; the per
feet understanding of friendship needed no words; Doc
didn't have to explain that he had tried to locate him
Just peace-and silence.
From the roadway the occasional hum of motor
from the barn an occasional ncker from Jennie, the
mule; and an occasional stamp of her feet she
drove away the flies; silence and understanding.
Joshua refled his big corncob pipe from the stick
of Virginia Twist which he crushed in the palm of his
hand; then passed the tobacco to Doc The slipped
below the and left the yard in cool shadows;
rabbit appeared venturesomey from around the corner
garden fence and surveyed the prospect of nib
bling Joshua's growing vegetables the dog raised his
head and shifted and the rabbit disappeared Peace and
silence.
At last, when the shadows had deepened to purple
Joshua knocked the ashes from his pipe and stood up
"De peacefuest time is de lonesomest time" he muir
INJURED slowly.
"Aint nothn' else but" rumbled Doc in response
and he too shook out his pipe and Bu lonesome
or no lonesome, Abs hongry dat nah belly thinks
nah thoats done been cut. Is yo got any rashuns ??
Joshua chucked Gold fried chicken, and lots NV
hit Didn't have apertite fer dinner, but since
yo' been hyah I'm powerful perked up. Come in an
put yo' feet und' de table,
itrht han al N