The Broken Sword; Or, A Pictorial Page in Reconstruction

by D. Worthington

  CHAPTER IV.

  TYPES AND SHADOWS.

  The development of the negro, educationally, has been embarrassed bynatural causes that he has been unable to overcome. In a great varietyof instances he has failed to be actuated by an intellectual orbenevolent reason. In the evolution of the negro from a savage to aslave, from a slave to a freedman, and from a freedman to a citizen,only in exceptional instances has he been able to originate a theory orexperiment that has been profitable to himself or others. No high stateof civilization has ever originated from them. History teaches us that anation may pass through an ascending or descending career. It may, bylong-continued discipline, exhibit a general, mental advance; or it maygo through other demoralizing processes, until it descends to the verybottom of animal existence.

  Man is distributed throughout the earth in various conditions: intemperate zones he presents the civilization of Europe and America; intorrid zones the ignorance and nakedness of the African. It was out ofthe stew-pan of the equator that the negro was fished--with all thefeatures and instincts of a barbarism, from which he is slowlyemerging--by cruel and irresponsible traders. The religious ideals ofthe negro are vague and indeterminate. They are intensely superstitious,and believe, as their ancestors before them, in sorcery and witchcraft.Although their powers of origination are inefficient, they readilyimitate the manners, customs and idiosyncracies of their masters, andfrequently exhibit a superficial polish. They are emotional rather thanpractical in their religion. They are not naturally revengeful orvindictive, and they have shown a sentiment of gratitude that greatlyendeared them to their owners. When war was flagrant, and they felt thatit was waged for their emancipation--that the institution of slavery wasmenaced by Federal arms, in unnumbered instances they held in sacredtrust millions of dollars worth of property and the lives of thousandsof defenseless human beings, who held over them, without challenge, therod of domestic government.

  Under all exasperating causes up to and during the war, hundreds ofslaves remained loyal to the interests and authority of their masters.

  Conditions, however, highly inflammatory, developed passions that madethem brutish, dishonest and cruel. Their emotional religion and theirprejudices acted concurrently. The carpet-bagger found these unlightedfagots distributed everywhere throughout the South; he had only toentice them by delusive promises; he had only to say to them, "Will yoube slaves, or freedmen?"--to put into their hands a new commission, andinto their hearts a new faith, differentiated from the old in order tokindle the fires of hate and revenge.

  The Freedman's Bureau in the South was the nineteenth centuryApocalypse--a revelation truly to the poor negroes, who had devoutlylonged for its coming. The event, they thought, would be distinguishedby their sudden enrichment; its huge commissariat would leak from everypore with the oil of fatness; officials, patient and sympathetic, wouldstand at its portals to distribute pensions and subsistence, and thestar-spangled banner waving from the masthead would bow its welcome toall who came. Something for nothing was their great law of reciprocity.Four million slaves fastened themselves like barnacles upon this odiousinstitution, an extremely partisan agency, deadly and inimical--hostileto the peace of the South and the interests of her people. These slaves,maddened by their misery, looked back upon the ruined plantations, andlaughed when they felt that the whirlwind of retribution had swept overthe land.

  Aleck, a former slave of Colonel Seymour, but whose rebellion to theslightest authority had latterly been shown by expressions cruel andinsulting, and who affected a social equality with the carpet-baggers,halloed over the picket fence in the small hours of the night, to Johua,who was now eighty years of age:

  "Hay, dar, yu franksized woter! hez yu heerd de news, ur is yu pineplank ceasded? Hay, dar, Joshaway! De bero man is dun und riv wid demunny, und he lows dat he is ergwine ter penshun off de ole isshuniggers fust."

  "Aye, aye!" exclaimed Joshua, almost mechanically, as he aroused himselfwith an effort, and rubbed the sleep out of his dimmed eyes, "Don't youheer dat, Hanner?" he asked his old wife. "Ergwine to penshun off de oleisshu niggers fust! Grate Jarryko! Who dat er woicin' dat hebbenlypocklermashun outen dar in de shank o' de night? Haint dat yu, brudderWiggins?"

  "Yaw," Aleck replied, "dis is me, sho. De bero man hez dun und sont meto norate dis pocklermashun to you und Ned."

  "Grate Jarryko!" exclaimed Joshua, again excitedly. "Hanner," hecontinued, "ef yu ever seed a cricket hop spry 'pon de hath, jess watchdis heer ole isshu jump inter his gyarments."

  As the negro was groping about in the dark for his ragged clothes hesaid half parenthetically, "Dat dare voice fetches to my membrunce descriptur agen, whay hit says "Fling yo bred into de warter und hit isergwine to cum out a ho cake." Yu is er shoutin', sliding-baccurdmefodis Hanner und don't pin yo fafe to providence but to grace, undgrace is ergwine to keep you perpendikkler in Filadelfy meeting-house,but hit haint ergwine to fetch no horg meat nur taters nudder, dis sideof de crick. Hit wur providence dat fotched dat bero man into desouf-land wid de munny to de ole lams of de flock. Don't yu see?"

  "I sez ole lams," snapped Hannah; "ef day wuz de onliest wuns gwine tobe penshunned off, yu'd be stark nekked as er buzzard, kase yu is dun unbackslewed wusser dan a scaly horg."

  "Grate Jarryko!" ejaculated Joshua, "How's a mishunnary ergwine to backslew, tell me dat? Kase you jined Filadelfy church, you haint got all deliggion in de world. Dare's Zion und dare's Massedony und dare's debaptizin crick und den dares fafe und providence. Don't you see Hannah?I'm ergwine to ax yu enudder pint rite dare," continued Joshua. "Who datway back yander in the dissart, dat de good Lord fed wid ravens, when derashuns gin out? Pend upon it, dat woice out yander imitates de woice ofthe proffit Heckerlijer, dat flung his leg outen jint, er tusselling widde harkangel."

  "Twant Heckerlijer" answered Hannah sharply, as she threw a splinter oflightwood upon the embers. "Yu's allus a mysterfying de scriptures whenyu's er spashiatin erbout dem proffets; yu haint never heerd no such apassage as dat from de circus rider, nur de slidin elder nudder; ef datcum outer de scriptur, hits by und 'twixt de misshunaries, und day isfell frum grace same as yu."

  "Now yu's acting scornful agen de misshunarys" replied Joshuacontemptuously, "Ef you ever gits to hebben, let me pete dat ergin; Isez, ef you ever gets to hebben yu's ergwine to hole a argyment wid depossel Joner, und den yu's ergwine to be flung outen de gate."

  "Whay did yu get dat possell frum?" asked Hannah with irritation."Whicherway is de sebben starrs Joshua?" She asked as she changed thesubject.

  "Day is skew-west over yander," said Joshua as he went to the door tolook out into the night; "Und bress de Lord" he continued, "peers lakday is a nussing de bero man und de munny er standin' disserwaypurpundikkler, fo und aft?"

  "Is yu ergwine to de town und hit pitch dark?" enquired Hannah. "How inde name of Gord is yu gwine to get to de tuther eend of de crick, und yubline ez a sand mole flung outer de ground?"

  "Now yu's er flingin' a damper on my ambishun ergin. How's I ergwine tofetch de munny back epseps I gits to the tuther eend?" asked Joshuacrustily. "Duz yu speck me to slew frum wun eend to the tuther lak askeeter hork? Tell me dat."

  "Lors a massy" he cried out in pain, as he danced around the room on onefoot, "fur de hebbins sake fling dat ole free-legged cheer outer dishouse into de mash. Grate Jarryko! de debble has sho got hisself tangledup wid de harrydatterments of dis house. Yu mouter knowed dat pizenedcussed impelment was ergwine to cum in contack wid sum of my jints."

  "Yu jess nuss dat ole hoof of yourn in boff hands lak dat," said Hannahprovokingly "twell I strikes a lite und den I'm ergwine to clap fur yuto dance er misshunery reel."

  "Don't tanterlize me no mo Hanner wid dem reels und me in all dis rackund missury! Grate Jarryko! Dis heer ole happy sack haint ergwine tohole all dat munny," observed Joshua, after a moment and still groaningwith pain.

  "Den you mout take de bofat, und de blu chiss, und den dare's de wheelborrer und de steer kyart. Fetch all yu kin Joshaway, f
ur me und yu isergwine to need hit every bit und grane. Dat ole beaver of yourn wid detip eend er flipperty-flopity disserway und datterway, same ez a kyte inde gale is jamby gin out, und den dares de lan, und de grate house, undde hosses und de kerrige, und de peanny forty, und de kalliker kote, undde snuff, und--und--"

  "Don't fling no mo unds--unds--at me," interrupted Joshua in disgust,"epsep yu aims fur me to drap rite back into de bed, whay I wur wen deproklermashun isshued."

  Hannah made no answer to this effusion of temper, but going slyly to anold chest in the corner, she took from it a bottle containing a gill ormore of ardent spirits and giving it to the old negro, said, "Anint datole jint wid dis good truck, Joshaway, hit will swage de missury."

  Joshua looked up with a countenance beaming like the full moon comingout of a black cloud, and playfully said to his old wife, "Honey I kinswage de missury mo better disser way;" drank it down and thenexclaimed, "Bress God, dat sarchin pain is dun und gon."

  "Dont you forget honey," said Joshua again, patronizingly as he wasabout stepping out of the door with his stick and haversack, "dat nexSaddy, arter dis Saddy cummin, dem dare high steppers dats gwine to cumhome wid me dis arternoon is ergwine to raise a harry kane 'twixt dishouse und de federick sammyterry whay old Semo und dat secesh gubberneris ergwine to preach de funeral of ole Ginurul Bellion, lately ceasded,und when me und yu gits into de kerrige, great Jarryko! I'm ergwine tohole dem rones disserway, und whern day gits 'twixt de flatform und oleglory, I'm ergwine to histe 'em up on dare hine legs, jess so, see!"

  Old Hannah clapped her hands with joy and laughed again and again"Bress Gord" she exclaimed with excitement; "yu is same ez a yurlingcolt yoself Joshaway, I'm ergwine to give yu a moufful of fodder andshet yu up wid de steer, kase de way yu's a histing up yo rare legs under chompin' de bit, yu's ergwine to eat up de gyarden sass same as desteer."

  Joshua looked scornfully at his wife and observed with a fierce scowl,"Day haint no passifyin' wun of dese backslewed mefodiss epseps yu's ertotin every bit of de strane yoself, fo I gits back wid de kerrige undde hosses," he continued quite earnestly "Yu mout move all de harrydetaments outen de house, ready fur de grate house, und yu mont rent dishouse to ole Semo pervidin' he pays de rent, und you mout turn de munnyover to de darters of de sammytary siety."

  "Ugh! Ugh! I heers yu; fetch dem nales und de snuff Joshaway!" Hannahhalloed as Joshua now in a good humor limped away in the darknesssinging merily;

  "When I was ergrwine down de field, De blacksnake bit me on de heel; Und ez I riz to fire my best I run ergin a yaller jacket's nest.

  "Yaller jackets indeed" echoed Hannah as she proudly tossed her agedhead, "when Joshua fetches dem rones und kerrige, dare haint ergwine tobe no yaller jackets on me ur him udder."

  The village was thronged with the black wards of the government, whenJoshua arrived wearied and hungry. Allured by expectations that hadbeen most wantonly excited, the negroes flocked into the town withtrunks, valises, travelling bags, some of them of the most primitivedescription, within which to put their pensions. Flattering expressionscame from truly loyal hearts, when the agent of the freedman's bureauascended the court house steps to address the freedmen. His verypresence was like the sunlight over the darkened land, but alas; he wasthe man who was to pass out to each and all of the misguided negroes thecup of disappointment and bitterness, and they in their nakedness andstupidity would drink its lees with the desperate resoluteness offanatics.

  Joshua stood with his old skinny hands clasped upon his bosom, lookingup in an attitude of reverence.

  "Grate Jarryko!" he said to himself; "Ef dis bellion hadn't upriz de oleisshu nigger mouter been way back yander a totin' de grubbin hoe furJeff Davis, de secesh, und de ole bull whup er natally cryin fur de poniggers meat. Ef Hanner seed dis site, she'd jine de mishunary's, kaseshe mouter node dat providence had sont dat bero man und hit is mobetter dan grace."

  The old negro saw the diamonds glittering upon the enameled shirt bosomof the agent and he said again in rapture.

  "Day is same ez de starrs in de hellyments."

  He saw a huge chain dangling from his neck, and he exclaimed.

  "Grate Jarryko! ef de ole ship of Zion wur to git shipracked in Galilee,yu mout grapple her wid dat dare chain und hit mout hole twell deharrykin swaged."

  The old negro was lost in wonder, and at last overpowered by fatigue,and the press of the throng, he dropped out of line and fell asleep uponan empty crate. How long he slept does not enter into the chronicle.There were mischievous boys then as there are now, and whilst he sleptthey collected from old bureau drawers one hundred dollars of brand newconfederate treasury notes of the issue of 1864, and placed them looselyin his beaver and covered it over with his red pocket handkerchief. Uponawaking, Joshua rubbed his eyes, and then his knees and his elbows;looked around dazedly, and exclaimed.

  "Consound my buttons, ef de bero man haint dun und penshuned off deniggers, und gon; und dis heer nigger a drapped back to sleep, lak aidgeot, wid nary cent of de penshun. Grate Jarryko! I knows what Hanneris ergwine to say; she's ergwine to ax me erbout de hosses, und denshe's ergwine to aggravate me wid providence dis, und grace dat, undmishunary heer, und meferdis dare. Ef yu'd pervided yoself wid sum ofdat grace down at Filadelfy meetin' house Joshaway, she's ergwine tosay, you mouter fotched de rones und de kerrige too. Grate Jarryko! hitpeers lak provedense hez dun und flung de fat in de fire arter all."

  Taking up his old hat, the confederate money went scurrying here andthere; the old negro looked around him suspiciously, and exclaimed in anexcited way.

  "Grate Jarryko! whicherway did all dis munny cum from? hit wurprovedense dat time und no mistake; now yu sees Hanner which wun of demmeeting houses is got de under holt; Yu's dun und hilt to grace, und meruns wid fafe, und whicherwun is got de munny? Tell me dat?"

  Whilst Joshua was sleeping, Hannah was busy hammering and packing thescant furniture for its removal to the great house, and at high nooneverything was out of doors. The squealing pig was fettered like aconvict, and old Boatswain, the coon dog, was tied and howling like acatamount. Joshua placed the money into his haversack, with the nailsand snuff, looked up at the setting sun, and said to himself.

  "I mout let Hanner pick out dem hosses, und de kerrige, kase she moutnot like de rones."

  The old negro struck a bee-line for home with the further observation.

  "Grate Jarryko! ef hit warnt fur Ganderbilt, I specks dis ole niggermout be de richest man on de top side of de yurth."

  He paused for a moment and said.

  "I dun und forgit; I'm mo'est sho Hanner is ergwine to ax fer sperretsfur her griping missury."

  And he stepped into the nearest groggery and purchased a pint or morewith the money an old friend had given him.

  "Now den ole town, I bids yu farwell twell yu sees me und Hanner in dekerrige."

  As Joshua was going on toward home his mind became speculative. Greatschemes in a crude way were thought of, and he said to himself.

  "Now dat de munny is dun un riv, ef I ketches Hanner wun mo time wid ahoe in her hands, I'm ergwine to git a vorcement. She mout take lessonson de peanny-forty from dat white gal in de grate house und play dehopperatticks arternoons arter me und her hez driv over de plantushunund seed to de craps. When I gits home I'm ergwine to berry dis munnyunder de tater hill und I haint ergwine to let Hanner spishun whay Ikeeps hit, kase she'll buy all de hosses in de Newnited States undfinely hit will all be gone. I'm ergwine to fling de whup und pull deribbuns myself, und ole Semo de secesh jess got to git outen de gratehouse. Lemme see how dese sperrets tastes," he said. And he reached inhis ole haversack, got the flask and put it to his mouth. "Gurgle,gurgle, gurgle; umph," he said, smacking his lips, "dat is sho goodtruck. Is yu got gumpshun nuff ter count dis munny, specks it oversizesyour judgment, ole hoss," and he began to count upon his fingers, "fivehundred, hundred fousand, hundred million. Great king! what am I gwineter do wid dis munny; ef ole Mars Linkun cud see Joshaway now, wid hisfre
edom und de grate house und de plantashun und de hosses, he wud larfund larf frum wun eend of his mouf to the tother. You see's now Mr.Bellyun what yu is dun und dun fur yosef crackin de whup ober de ponigger."

  A distance of two miles had been placed between the old negro and thevillage and he had two more miles to go. One mile ahead ran with a swiftcurrent the black waters of Chowattuck, but there was a substantial footlog thrown across it, and it was ordinarily safe. Joshua had gone but alittle farther when he wanted to sample "dem dar sperrets agin," "Penupon it, I nattally feels dat ar truck er oozin outen my toe nails." The"tikler" was turned up again, and gurgle, gurgle, gurgle sang the fieryspirits. The money now had greatly multiplied; the trees upon theroadside were somersaulting, and the road itself, like a serpent, wastwisting in and out about his tangled legs. Joshua stopped in sight ofthe water with the observation.

  "Hole on dar ole hoss, what is yu ergwine ter do, dis munny aint ergwineto tote yu ober dis crick; ole glory back yander aint gwine ter heer yuhollow, what is yer gwine to do?"

  He put his hands upon his old knees, and rubbed them down, brought hiscoat sleeves with a fierce swing across his cavernous mouth, fetched agrunt or two, then planted his feet upon the foot-log.

  "Studdy yosef ole hoss, studdy yosef, ef yu draps inter dis heer crickund gits drounded, it's ergwine to bust up ebery scalyhorg in dersouf."

  Three times he tried to walk the log and as often fell off beforereaching the water.

  "Konsoun de crick," he muttered, "hit hadn't orter be heer no how, erpesterrin fokses er cummin und er gwine; pears lak now de bellion is dunund fell dere is a dratted crick at ebery crook in de rode; blame myhide ef I aint gwine ercross ef I has ter crawl lak a santypede; I kinstraddle de dratted fing un I kin git ercross arter a fashun, but whatis I gwine ter do wid de happy-sak und de munny? I is bleeged ter usebof hands ter hold on to de dratted log when I slips und slides, und Ikaint tote de happy-sak in my mouf, kase I haint got but one ole snag inmy hed, and hit is in de furder eend; consound it, whay it hadn't orterbe no how. I kin tie de happy-sak to de kote keerts, und den ole hoss,yu und me kin land on de tother side of de crick lak a kildee. Ef I wasergwine tother way dar wud be a passel ob kaarts cummin dis way; dey isallus gwine de rong way at de rong time." So argued Joshua as hefastened the haversack to the only button on the back of his coat.

  "Now den ole buttun, ef yu was ter brake loose, un drap yu wud werkbigger strucshun dan a yeth-shake, dat yu wud. Provedense is ergwine todo hits part ef Hanner is dun und dun hern."

  Slipping and sliding, the old negro was approaching the other end of thefoot log; his heavily weighted coat skirts thumping against his shanks,when he was sliding along under an overhanging cypress bush about midwayof the deep channel, "kerchunk" some heavy object dropped into thewater.

  "Grate Jarryko!" exclaimed the old negro alarmed, "what a tremenjousmockisun snake dat was a drapping off dat dar bush; I'm ergwine ter giterway frum dis crick, sho yo born."

  Slipping and sliding he finally got to the end, and with theobservation "Peers lak I feels mity lightsum in de hine parts," he puthis hand behind him to feel for his haversack, and found it gone.

  The loss of the treasure for the moment confused the old negro, then hebegan to cry and swear, until his grief at last found expression in theexclamation:

  "Grate Jarryko! Dem passages o' scriptur erbout fafe und erbout graceund erbout proverdense got twisted und tangled togedder into a loblolly,und bress de Lawd, dis heer happuning is de eend of it all."

  He then looked back upon the raging flood, utterly forlorn, andplaintively addressed himself to his situation:

  "Now, whot's Hanner gwine ter do erbout dem hosses und de kerrige und degrate house, und dey kivered up in dat sloshy graveyard--drownded to defin de turkle hole? Dat ole button dun und broke loose und drapped in dewerry wustest place on de top side o' de yeth. Now Hanner she's ergwineter say hit wuz de sperrets. Well, den, how did de sperrets git inter debutton? Dat's de pint. She mout say ergen dat ef dem sperrets hadn't gotmixed up wid de ankle jints dat dis nigger mouter slewed ter disser eendund hilt on ter de munny. Well, den, how cum de drotted crick in demiddle o' de rode? Dat's er nudder pint. Dis heer missury dun und cumerbout twixt Hanner und de debbil; dats de how. She er drapped backyander, er singin',

  'Hold de fort, fer I'm er coming'

  und er spectin' de hosses und de kerrige, und bress de Lawd she dun undflung de fat in de fiar her own sef. How's I ergwine ter hole de fortwid de ammynishun in de dratted crick? I haint ergwine ter put de blameon de sperrits, kase hit hadn't orter go dare. She mout er node dat olebuttun warnt ergwine to tote dat strane, und dat hit wus ergwine terbrake loose und drap fust er las. How wus I er gwine ter git ter diseend epseps I had fafe in de button? Now she mout say ergin dat I hedorter slewed across fust und den slewed back und fotched de munny. Bressde Lawd, how wuz I ergwine ter know de munny wuz gwine to stay at detuther eend und I at disser eend? Tell me dat. Twixt de scalyhorgs unddat Mefodis meetin house, dare's ergwine ter cum a slycoon in dis lan'yit."

  As Joshua approached his cabin he looked up and saw his old wife sittingin a dilapidated rocking chair, surrounded by the scant furniture, andsinging:

  "Tis grace hez fotched me safe dis fur. Und grace gwine take me home."

  He stopped abruptly and began to groan and mutter.

  "Grate Jarryko!" he exclaimed, as he vigorously rubbed one foot againstthe other, "Ef yu's spectin' dem rones to tote yu in de kerrige toFiladelfy meetin' house, hits ergwine ter be by und twixt mo bettergrace dan yu's got, ur me udder."

  The old negro looked up again over the broken rim of his beaver, and hebegan to mutter again, "Grate Jarryko! Ef dat fool nigger haint dun undgone und turned de house inside outtards! De debbil hez sho broke loosein de middle ships o' dis ole plantashun, und dem evil sperrets is incohoot wid won ernudder."

  At this point Hannah observed Joshua zigzagging across the field withouthorses or carriage, and her wrath was exceeding fierce.

  "Pend upon it," she exclaimed, "dat ar ole nigger fool de werryeyeballs outen yo hed. Gwine ter fetch de rones und de kerrige! Grateking! Ef de good Lawd spares me twell den, when de jedge cums er roun'ter de kote, I'm ergwine ter git me er vorcement. Mont ez well go intercohootnership wid a billy gote, widout ary moufful o' fodder ez dat oleblack idgeot."

  When Joshua came within hailing distance, Hannah halloed to him; "Whayhez yu been all dis nite Joshaway? Here I'se sot und sot ever sensedaylite down, in de jam of de chimney und every now und den hit peeerdlak I heerd dem rones er plumputy plump down de rode, er cummin same eza sho nuff harrykin, und bress Gord heer yu cums ergin wid de drunkenreels lak er ole hoss, wid de bline staggers, mommucked up wusser dan akadnipper; Look at dat ole bever hat, er layin' dare pine plank lak aturkle trap sot bottom uppards."

  Joshua heaved one or more sighs as he blurted out in a drowsy way; "Demdare hosses yu heerd down de rode, er blickerty blick, dun und gotdrownded to def in de crick last nite."

  "Grate king!" exclaimed Hannah wrathfully; "ef de good Lord spares metwell den, when de jedge gits to de kote, I'm gwine to git me avorcement."

  "Und me too;" ejaculated Joshua as he stretched himself upon a plank fora nap.