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Show lG ROEBUCK. (Yet Uncle V nlentinc, when that \vhite .be:trd gro·ws n. littie longer I :un r~oins to ha:·c yo.ut~_IHcinrc t:tken to be huno· np bc:--ide IllY grnudfaLhcr . " y o~u rrrandfather, he was cle {i r ·t Co lone1 Freacrick. vVl~en he tnk lllC to dv anny ~·of his bo~.ly sarvant, he rode de English hoss l~over, and \Vhen we coine to d e camp " -- out "Telllne about t l 1U t t o-n1 0 I TO\V. N 0\V COl11e1 f . here into the sun ·hine. Let me carry your stoo or you. There-goo<.l-bye." . "IJorJ. bless la.t boy," said the ol<.1 Inan, ns h!s nlastcr rode away, " nnd bless old nutsicr, too ; but he's gone afore Inc long ago to Abralu'::; l>o ~oln, thank de I..~ord for all !lis tuareics." , At a later hour, n.nu in another part of the pia.ntn- Ln.tion, the Colonel . rt\V n. negro fe1l~w jmnp '-:P iro~~: the (rround \vhere he hacl been lytng on lns b:w. with 0 his face turned to the sun as dnly as .a c·u~fiowcr. lie ran towards a gate through \\rlueh lu~ tnastcr \Vt\S about to p~~s aucl held it open. lie \Va~ very black. Jiis head nnLl heels boLh stood out ro~rward a:~rnost as far n.s his hips, and his nose lay 1n :.nnLush behind his lips. An elaborate bow aud a sheepish twinkle of his eyes dcnolell to .the Colonel that Ben \Vas 'V<titing there to ask son1c in.vor. "vV ell, lion," he said when he CUlUO to tho g!lte, "\vhat do you \vant '?" "N ntlin, l\1astor." "You do \Va~ t son1ething ; \vhy can't you toll the truth?" . " D~t's it, ~fn.sL0o1:," repliocl Ben 'vith a gnn, show-ing 1noro red than white, "no nigger don't toll tr~Lh,! on'y you's found Den out, and yoa knows he hcs. Ben o-io-o·led as if he relished his own satire, o1· 'voulu bob ln.uo-h his master into favorable hutnor. 0 n D.~ B U C::K .. 17 " Whnt do yon want, Ben ?" "I bin a thin kin', l\Ia tor, n1aybe you'd like to sell this 'ere lazy, 1yin' njg(Yer." " S0ll you! Do you \Vant to bo sold?" "Yes, J\Iaster. I can't keep from lyin', an' I ain't good (\nough for you." " Thnt's not your reason ; but what master have yon choRcn ?" "J)ar's qniro Anderson, maybe ho mout buy me, 'ca e he don't kno·w much about me~" " Tell n1e, Bon, '\rhy yon 'vish to be sold? Aro you 'vorked too hard •? Arc you not ,veil treated 1 lias the overseer" clone anything to you?" "No, :1\-Iaster, de God's truth is, it's jis my 1vife." " Yon \Van t to get rid of Nancy 7" "Dat's a fac' ." "Why ?" "'Ca. o she's done got religion, and I can't bide her no ho,v." "When did she get religion, Ben?" "She done come through ln. t Sunday ni(Yht.'' "R 1· . 1 b "e 1g1on s tonld make her a bettor wife." "~ o, Master, beg your pardon, religion ain't good for nigger 'von1en. She goes }H'ttyin' and sincrin' and b . b eggw' among them religions feller , and ·when she co1ncs ho1ne from de prayer-1neetin's she goes a rollin' on de floor and kickin' up her heels, and \Von't co 1110 to bed all night. She never gives me a good ,vord no 1no,·o, on'y poor sinner, poor sinner." "And 'vhat hnvo you dono?" . "I d. ono s·witch her t\vo, three tl1nes' but de r cl i-g1on a1n't s'vitchecl out of her yit. I can't stand it lVIaster, indeed I can't. l's afeard I'll drow·n myse·/ and you'll lose dis nigger ef you don't sell me." ' |