Iola Leroy Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (classic literature list txt) đ
- Author: Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
Book online «Iola Leroy Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (classic literature list txt) đ». Author Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
âNow, Bob, you senâ word to Uncle Danâel, Tom Anderson, anâ de rest ob dem, to come to McCulloughâs woods nexâ Sunday night. I want to hab a sin-killinâ anâ debil-dribinâ time. But, boy, youâd better git out er yere. Ole Missâll be down on yer like a scratch cat.â
Although the slaves were denied unrestricted travel, and the holding of meetings without the surveillance of a white man, yet they contrived to meet by stealth and hold gatherings where they could mingle their prayers and tears, and lay plans for escaping to the Union army. Outwitting the vigilance of the patrollers and home guards, they established these meetings miles apart, extending into several States.
Sometimes their hope of deliverance was cruelly blighted by hearing of some adventurous soul who, having escaped to the Union army, had been pursued and returned again to bondage. Yet hope survived all these disasters which gathered around the fate of their unfortunate brethren, who were remanded to slavery through the undiscerning folly of those who were strengthening the hands which were dealing their deadliest blows at the heart of the Nation. But slavery had cast such a glamour over the Nation, and so warped the consciences of men, that they failed to read aright the legible transcript of Divine retribution which was written upon the shuddering earth, where the blood of Godâs poor children had been as water freely spilled.
II Contraband of WarA few evenings after this conversation between Robert and Linda, a prayer-meeting was held. Under the cover of night a few dusky figures met by stealth in McCulloughâs woods.
âHowdy,â said Robert, approaching Uncle Daniel, the leader of the prayer-meeting, who had preceded him but a few minutes.
âThanks and praise; Iâse all right. How is you, chile?â
âOh, Iâm all right,â said Robert, smiling, and grasping Uncle Danielâs hand.
âWhatâs de news?â exclaimed several, as they turned their faces eagerly towards Robert.
âI hear,â said Robert, âthat they are done sending the runaways back to their masters.â
âIs dat so?â said a half dozen earnest voices. âHow did you yere it?â
âI read it in the papers. And Tom told me he heard them talking about it last night, at his house. How did you hear it, Tom? Come, tell us all about it.â
Tom Anderson hesitated a moment, and then said:â â
âNow, boys, Iâll tell you all âbout it. But youâs got to be mighty mum âbout it. It wonât do to let de cat outer de bag.â
âDatâs so! But tell us wat you yered. We ainât gwine to say nuffin to nobody.â
âWell,â said Tom, âlasâ night ole Marster had company. Two big ginerals, and dey was hoppinâ mad. One ob dem looked like a turkey gobbler, his face war so red. Anâ he sed one ob dem Yankee ginerals, I thinks dey called him Beasâ Butler, sed dat de slaves dat runned away war some big nameâ âI donât know what he called it. But it meant dat all ob we who comâd to de Yankees should be free.â
âContraband of war,â said Robert, who enjoyed the distinction of being a good reader, and was pretty well posted about the war. Mrs. Johnson had taught him to read on the same principle she would have taught a pet animal amusing tricks. She had never imagined the time would come when he would use the machinery she had put in his hands to help overthrow the institution to which she was so ardently attached.
âWhat does it mean? Is it somethinâ good for us?â
âI think,â said Robert, a little vain of his superior knowledge, âit is the best kind of good. It means if two armies are fighting and the horses of one run away, the other has a right to take them. And it is just the same if a slave runs away from the Secesh to the Union lines. He is called a contraband, just the same as if he were an ox or a horse. They wouldnât send the horses back, and they wonât send us back.â
âIs dat so?â said Uncle Daniel, a dear old father, with a look of saintly patience on his face. âWell, chillen, what do you mean to do?â
âGo, jisâ as soon as we kin git to de army,â said Tom Anderson.
âWhat else did the generals say? And how did you come to hear them, Tom?â asked Robert Johnson.
âWell, yer see, Marsterâs too ole and feeble to go to de war, but his heartâs in it. Anâ it makes him feel good all ober when dem big ginerals comes anâ tells him all âbout it. Well, I war laying out on de porch fasâ asleep anâ snorinâ drefful hard. Oh, I war so sounâ asleep dat wen Marster wanted some ice-water he had to shake me drefful hard to wake me up. Anâ all de time I war wide âwake as he war.â
âWhat did they say?â asked Robert, who was always on the lookout for news from the battlefield.
âOne ob dem said, dem Yankees war talkinâ of puttinâ guns in our hanâs and settinâ us all free. Anâ de oder said, âOh, sho! ef dey puts guns in dere hands deyâll soon be in ourân; and ef dey sets em free dey wouldnât know how to take keer ob demselves.âââ
âOnly let âem try it,â chorused a half dozen voices, âanâ deyâll soon see whoâll git de besâ ob de guns; anâ as to taking keer ob ourselves, I specs we kin take keer ob ourselves as well as take keer ob dem.â
âYes,â said Tom, âwho plants de cotton and raises all de crops?â
âââThey eat the meat and give us the bones,
Eat the cherries and give us the stones,â
âAnd Iâm getting tired of the whole business,â said Robert.
âBut, Bob,â said Uncle Daniel, âyouâve got a good owner. You donât hab to run away from bad times and wuss a cominâ.â
âIt isnât so
Comments (0)