HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1932-03-17, Page 67r-7."7117-47.7,T,vyvr.
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(Continued from last week.)
,Again the negro looked about for
'an abject lesson, and caughtsight of
a honey bee sucking a white clover
,head in the grass plot at his feet.
"I'I'1 tell you why de honey bee
doan suck red clovah."
,The child repeated her applause,
and the old negro continued:
'When de Lawd make de honey
bee an' de bumble bee. .he make red
and white clovah de s'an'ie moraine.
An' de Laved take de •two bees to de
ciiel' oh clovah an' he set em on de
fence and prepared to gill dein ad-
vice, An' when debt bees see de clo-
veh patch an' smell de ,honey, dey
'doan wait for no more observashuns,
but make a break fo' de blossom's,
leavin' •de ,Lawd standing 'side de
fence; an' dis actin' up make de Lawd
.pow'ful cross. An' he grab at dem
two bees •es 'dey fly away, an" cotcb
de honey bee; but de bumble bee was
too sharp fo' him an' git away, an'.
he hide in de .clovah ,patch. Den de
Lawd- say t' de honey bee, what he
hold 'twiest'his 5nga'hs: 'Yo' cain't git
away till yo' make up yoah mini' to
on•e ab two tings.' De bee ax what dry
wah, and de Lawd spoke .de, word Avid
de bark on it:
'Ef yo' work on week -days, an'
(Sundays, too, yo' cain't suck red clo-
vah. Yo' kin take yoah ch'ice,
"And den de 'bee, he know de
Lawd am in earnest, an' he debate de
subject obah 'til 'de Lawd git tired
oh waitin', an' say: "Ef yo' doan make
up yoah mind pow'ful quick yo'll git
de 'life squeezed out. ob yo'; and he
gib dat •bee a little squeeze. An' deft
de honey bee holiah out da t he
choose t' work eb'ray day o'b de week
Sunday and all. 'So de 'Lawd make
him promise not t' suck red clovah
blos'm, ef he 'law hint t' work on
Sunday, an' de honey bee hab nedba'h
suck a head ab redclovah, nebbah.
But de bumble bee, what didn't make
no promise t' .de Lawd, suck 'bof red
an' white clovah week day ,and Sun-
day." Again the childclappedher
hands, and Carpe 'thrust a fresh leaf
of tobacco into his flabby mouth.
'Tell me another story, Uncle."
The tlegro shaded ' his -eyes with his
unbound hand, and gazed intently ov-
er the distant hill. "Chile, what yo'
see com'if obah. de rise on de String -
town path?" The girl turned in the
direction indicated, and quickly an-
swered: "A man, Uncle."
"Jump clown, honey, run to Aunt
Dinah." 'Cupe arose with this un-
ceremonious dismissal and walked to-
ward the mail, muttering as he did
so: "Perh'aps it is hest if the conber-
sasltun ain't heard by de honey chile;
there hab been bodin'; signs of late,
and it May be best for Cupe to be
alone. Last night when de noon go
clown, de chair and de table creek and
crack, de kettle move on de hart, de
doah push in and out, but dah wasn't
no wind. IDe sign was bad, and Cupe
am sure that trouble am moving
a'bout." He turned back at this junc-
ture, and spoke to the sleeping
hound: "You may •come, Dgewge
Wash'n't'n," and the old dog,' o.bedi-
ent to his :r'aster's word, arose, yaw-
ned and came to his side.
' The stranger was Mr. Wagner,
who was warmly welcomed by tthe
negro. (Well might Cupe hid hem' a
,cordial good -day, for it will be re-
membered that by means of the pa-
tient instruction of Mr. 'Wagner, illit-
erate 'Cupe acquired a knowledge of
.the Constitution of the United States,
and thus saved''hdm'self a term' in the
penitentiary. :The tragic occurrence,
Vivid in the, mind ,of the old negro,
led ,hint, ori meeting the cleric, to ex-
travaganlce o'f speech and to thanks
so prolific as to give the hearer no
opportunity to say a word,
"And to think that 'Gupe distrusted
you when he seed you corrin an :fear-
ed that youbrung bad. news:' Was
dah ebab so mighty a:'stakel Come
into de house, M'a'se acrd take 'a glass
of milk and see de chile what you
gladden wid de sight of Uncle Cupe,
Et ,wah a mighty close shave, Ma'se,,
an to think that Cupe was geared'
you brungbed news."
The visitor entered the cabin and
partook of a drink• of fresh butter=
•milk, but notwithstanding Cupe's.
cordial welcome .seemed ill at ease.
'At last he sand: "Cupid, you are
aware, are you not, d'hat'.1 am appoint-
ed' guardian for this little girl?
Wh'et's her name?"
The - cou'n'tenance of the negro
changed in an instant, and he gave
expression to the oft -repeated sen-
tence of surprise.
"S'poke again, Mase. De name atm
Susie."
"I have been appointed guardian
for Susie."
"You have moah to say; go on."
"You know, Cupid, that this is not
an appropriate place to bring, up a
child. You and Din'ali have not the
opportunities necessary; to the edu-
cation and cultivation of the girl. She
is the heir of this large farm, and
should have the advantages of a
good education, and the company of
playmates befitting her s't'ation..
The shrewd negro intuitively grasp..
ed the meaning of the pointed words
of Mr. Wagner.
"And why doti't you let de nigger
go to de pen'tensh'ry if you ',tend' to
take away de chile What for you
lead 'him back to 'sorra'h? Stand up,
'Dinar and beg for de sake of de
honey death.' You doan mean it,
Ma'se Wagnah, you doan meanit;
you ant jokin' with de poor ole -man.
You shouldn't take de bios'm, you
shouldn't.. cave in de heaht of de two
ole fo'ks?"
"Cupid, I am in earnest. The ohild
must remain in my care in .String -
town. Judge Elford appointed' Inc
administrator."
/The old slave .fell upon itis knees,
and with uplifted hands, with all the
force and extravagance of the negro
language, begged for the child he had
raised. "De honeyam our chile, I
found de baby and it's mother half
starved on de grave in Bloody Ifiollah,
We wa'hnt it by de fire, we sit up in
de night, watch obeli it in de ,day;
we promise de ma'se whet wah :to
care for it ef, it wah de baby chile of
de mase hisse'f. You won't take de
pretty •chile 'way, it am delight of day
to de two ole fo'ks who hain't puffin
else to lib fo'."
"rt must be, Cupid: for the child's.
sake, it is best: However, you need
not _ feel disconsolate. Aunt Dinah
and yourself 'will have oppor'tunities
to visit Susie often, and she can carate
to the cabin occasionally. (Remem-
ber, this is her cabin and land, you
and !Dinah' are her slaves, and you
may have the care of the land and
live here."
,But explanations and soft words
made no. impres's'ion on either of the
ieegroes. IAlthou'gh Cupid did all the
supplicating, it could be seen that
Dinah was not less heart -stricken,
She stood by Cupe's side and silently,
wept, clasping the frighrtene'd. child,
Iwho did not understand, yet realised
that' she was concerned in the trouble
that had fallen an her two friends
the only friend's she knew in. the
world. • !Weeping she clung to the
neck of the old woman.
'But the scene' finally came to an
end, and Mr. Wagner insisted that the
child be given to his care. "You may
bring her 'clothe's later, Cupe," he
added.
De _ale's will come befo' da'k "
replied the old man, "but yo' betta'h
lett de chile change dem, ole see:melts
fcf %de slow pale. De' ;nasi:'pert on fo'
de purpose db de dente." The change
Was made, and then Cope offered no
further o'b'jection to the decision •f of
the Court.
OGlasping the frightened little girl,
in his arms her un'cou'th; but kind-
hearted benefa'c'tor, retreated along'
the pall by which. he came. 'T
sobbing chino no made , he,
resistance
nor outcry. Cupe stood . in the'
cabin door, the violin lay at his feat:
the flick of du'eks jabbered, 'beside
tee 'fence, but were unheard, the'
burnable 'bee 'buzze'd in the clover,
patch, but 'unseen. There wasno:
song now in the 'heart Of the forlorn.
aitan, no music, no folidere"stories in
his soul„kkis eyes followed 'the re,_
treating figure ef the lank officer
wf'th Phe child in his arms, until to-
get'her they vanished beyond the.
crest of the distant; hill, 'Then his
gaze` tuned upon the 'Ocala spot'
'where, a short time before, Susie
lied danced to the tune of 'his merry
violin, and a tear `. sprung to his eyes
and rolled down` his wrinlcled cheek'
—the first tear he had shcd during
the sorrowful interview, Old George
!