Year: 1876

down the river from Memphis in Tennes-
see, before The war


A little girl twelve years old, kept a
journal tie first winter she spent in the
South. was reading it over this morn
ing. That is how / came to think OF this
story. Mamie shall tell ii as she wrote
it in her book. only first you'll want to
know what my hero was like. His name
was Sid. and he was foster-brother OF
Jessie, Nannie's cousin. Jessie was thir-
teen and Sid year older lie had the
roundest, blackest, merriest face you ever
saw, and he loved to play, and ride, and
swim. anything but work, better than any
boy you ever heard of, and that is say
Ing good deal. He could run faster,
and stand on his head longer than any
other boy. At least half of the time was
spent in working out punishment for
some piece OF mischief he had led the
rest into but he would stand on his head
afterward. "to let his feelin's run iu," be
said. and was the next minute ready for
whatever came next. This is what Nan.
ME says:


1t did seem so funny when first ! got
here, to have little black girl always TO
wait upon me upstairs and downstairs all
over the plantation, and even to sleep
curled up in blanket on the floor by my
bed. Bell has one, and Bess, too, and
Jessie and Ben have each little boys
You can get used to anything, and now
/ like Molly very much. They play with
us. too. Uncle says that all the five to-
gether are good for is to help on our mis-
chief, and | suppose that We do good
deal of that, at least Aunt Sally the nurse
says we are awful romps. and haven't a
dress without tear in it, from climbing
trees.


We have 4 play house down by The
river. There is a bridge that the railroad
runs on, just little further down. and q
long trestle- work that goes clear across
the cotton field, and around "A corner into
the woods. The river isn't very deep
now. The boys wade every day, but
there are big stones in it, and they are
all covered. Our play house is under the
great sycamore trees.


Sometimes when the boys are very good
they play with US, and they are doctors
and school teachers and strict fathers. -
Sometimes when they wont play with US
they just go off and leave US alone. But
once in awhile they stay around and say
disagr eeable things. and throw sticks in
the water, and get everything all wet /;
and if we can't drive them away, we have
10 go back to the house. while they sit on
the bridge and scream after US.


Uncle Isaac don't like to have them sit
on the bridge and has told them not to.
When they DO it of course that makes
them feel wicked, so they plague US.


Unc.e has Sunday. school for ell the
children on the plantation. we are so far
from the church All the black people
come too. In pleasant weather we meet
on one OF the piazzas. The Sunday be-
tore Easter, uncle had been talking TO US
for u long time, but no one was tired
He was telling us how Christ had come
down from Heaven TO die for US. as well
rs other people and the servants. even
little baby Sukie, who was crawling down
the steps after butterfly. Christ died
in our stead When he had said that he
took hold Of Sid's chin. and looking into
his face. said very solemnly. "Sid, do
you know that the dear Lord died for you
too?n Sid always had TO stand by uncle
before service was halt over. 1t was the
only place he ever kept out of mischief.
That day he had made rabbit out OF
Jessie's pocket handkerchief. and when
uncle was talking to him It was hanging
out Of his pocket BY string tied TO its
tail.


Guess not, massa. Use no account
niger"


Yes you are, Sid. In His eyes of some
account, and he was willing to die in your
stead. that you might 60 to Heaven if you
try to be good boy. Do you know what
it is to die in any ones stead? II Jessie
had done something wrong that he would
have to be punished for. something that
he might even have to die for, and you
were to say, 4 haven't done this wicked
thing; know 1t was wrong, but | love
my master so much | would rather be
killed and have him live; that would be
dying in his stead. Do you deserve that
He should have done SO ?"


Sid didn't say anything, but he looked
very sober. and after service he had to
turn somersets clear across the lawn
down to the white gate before he was
ready 10 laugh as much AS usual.


But he must have remembered. The
next Saturday we were down at our lay
house. Jessie was fishing, sitting on the
bridge, and he knew he ought not to be
there, for he made Sid watch 10 see If
uncle came into the field.


or course if Jessie had minded. such
an awful thing would never have happen
ed; and how much he did wish afterward
he bad, but what good did that do. just
to wish he had done right when it had all
happened.