by Jack Thorne
CHAPTER IV.
Mrs. Amanda Pervis.
"Whew! dis here win is er blowin pow'ful col fer Octoby. Ther ol sow waser tot'n straw yistedy and that means winter aint fur off. Shoo there! Inever seed ther beat er thet ol hen; make hase ter gulp her own co'ndown ter driv ther turkeys way from their'n." Thus spoke Mrs. AmandaPervis as she stood in the door of her humble wooden dwelling onKidder's Hill a brisk morning in October. "Thanksgiving haint fur off,an turkey meat's er gittin high. Shoo ther yer hussy!" "Who air yu ertalkin ter Mandy?" said her husband coming to the door and peeping overhis wife's shoulder. "I tho't er trader er some sort wus er passin." Thewife turned and looked astonished at her husband. "Why fer ther lansake, what's er comin over ye Teck Pervis? I tho't yer'd be fas er sleepafter bein so late ter meetin las nite. I tho't yer'd tak yer res beinyer haint er goin er fishin!" "I felt kinder resliss like, and I tho't Ijes es well be er gittin up," answered Teck, plunging his face into thebasin of cool spring water that his wife had placed on the shelf besidethe door. "Well hit won't tak me long ter git breakfus reddy," and Mrs.Pervis darted into the kitchen. Teck Pervis dipped his hands into thebasin, poured the cool water on his head until his gray hair hung inthick mats over his face then leisurely drawing the towel from the nailbeside the door, lazily wiped his head and face. The smell of friedbacon and delicious coffee arose from the kitchen; the rattling ofdishes was to him sufficient token of the putting of victuals on thetable. Teck Pervis sauntered in, sat down folded his arms upon thetable, and sheepishly watched his wife as she flitted from place toplace in the humble little kitchen. Mrs. Pervis paused, and her eyes mether husband's gaze. "Well what in ther wor'l is ter matter Teck Pervis?Why air ye gazin at me so dis mornin, turn yer cup and tak yer coffy.""We uns had er interestin meetin las night," he said meekly. "Well musyer put on er graveyard face ter day bekase yer had er interestin meetinlas night? Don't put so much gravy on yer rice, hits ergin yer helth.Maria Tappin tol me yestidy thet her brother Tom was to be nitiated lasnight with er good meny other uns, an I 'lowed I'd here erbout hit, asmy husban was er goin. Now yer air talkin erbout er interestin meetinthe candidates muster all bin on han." Teck Pervis looked pleadingly athis wife. Mrs. Pervis went on: "I am glad yer went ter loge meetin; erlot er them Red Shirt Varmints cum er roun las night er lookin fer yerto go with em ter that wigwam, and I was proud ter tell em that myhusban' was not in politicks when it cum to killin colud folks ter gitinter office, an that truth hit em so hard dey sneaked." Teck shuddered.During a series of revivals in the Free Will Baptist Church during thesummer Teck Pervis had professed religion. A fierce struggle was goingon 'neath his rugged breast. Must he tell the truth. The best whiteswere there even ministers of the gospel; but then preachers are notalways on the right side; and Teck Pervis had promised his wife thathe'd not allow himself to be a tool for hungry broken down aristocratswho only wished to use the poor as cats' paws. He took a big swallow ofcoffee, drummed nervously with his fingers upon the table. "I jes eswell tell yer ther plain truth, Mandy," he said finally, "I got wi therboys las night and went ter ther Wigwam, an was made Cheerman ov thermeetin. They lowed thet hit wus ter be ther mos importent meetin in thercampain, an hit wus time fer white men ter be er standin tergither.""Teck Pervis," exclaimed the wife, "Hev I bin er rastlin'in prayer anpleadin ter ther Lawd in vain? Didn't I beg yer not ter fergit yerreligin in jine-in in wid sinners in doin eval?" "There aint er goin terbe eny killin done, Mandy, we air jes er goin ter skeer ther Niggers wayfrom ther polls, an keep um frum votin." "I know all erbout hit," brokein Mrs. Pervis. "Hit will en' in murder, for yer know thet Niggers won'tbe drove." "Why all ther big guns war there Mandy; merchints, lawyers,docters an ev'n preachers." "Laws e massy me!" exclaimed Mrs. Pervis."An if ther shepod wus ther, yer kaint blame ther flock." "Teck Pervisdid I understan yo ter say that--" "Don't git excited, Mandy, yer jes eswell git use ter ther new tern things air takin. Them preachers war tharbekase they sed hits time fur white uns ter stan tergither. Radicul rulemus be put down." Mrs. Pervis crossed her hands upon the table andlooked resigned. "Teck, do tell me what preachers war they?" "Why ef yoown minister wus'n thar hiself I hope er hoppergrass may chaw me." "TeckPervis, do ye mean ter tell me thet Brother Jonas Melvin wus at thetmeetin?" "Yes, and Hoosay too, thet Presberteen man thet sines his namewith er dubble D hung on ter ther een." "Jonas Melvin is er windin uphis kerrare in Free Will Church. We'll hev no sich men fumblin wi therwerd ev God in our pulpit. I never did think them Presbyteens hed enyreligin no way. They air full of book larnin, but havn't bin tech witther sparit. This Hussy is lik ther res er these hi tone preachers thethang on ter this docterin thet ther yerth moves insted uv ther sun.""Hoosay Mandy. Why don't yer tak proper! Hoosay!" "Well, he jes oughterbe named Hussy, fur he is er hussy. When ole sat'n meets them two at thecross-road thars er goin ter be er tussle now I tell yer." "Well now yerknow thet ther scripter says cussed be Canyon, least wise thets the wayBrother Melvin splained hit tother night, cussed be Canyon means cussedbe Niggers." "Now Teck Pervis, wher is yer proof thet the scripter mentNigger? I aint rusty un ther scripter ef I am er gittin ole." "Now,Mandy, yer know ther scripter reads thet Canyon was the son er Ham anwus cussed bekase his daddy laffed at ole Noey, bekase when he layeddown ter sleep he didn't pull the kivver on his self proper like. Whende ole man woke up the tother boys tole him what Ham hed done, he cussedCanyon Ham's son, and sed sarvant of sarvants shill he be. Ham wus therNigger boy in ther family, and we uns air carin out ther edicts of therscripter when we try ter keep the Nigger cussed. Sarvant ov sarvantsshill he be, an we air--" "Hol on, Teck Pervis," exclaimed his wife."Let me git in er word kinder catiwompus like et leas. Now we air allther time er lookin fer scripter ter back us up in our devalmint. Therscripter don't say thet God'l mighty cussed Canyon, it says thet Noeycussed him, an ef Noey hed kep sober an b'haved hisself he wouldenterhed ter cuss at eny body. Whose teachin air we er follerin? Ole Noey'ser our Blessed Lawd an Saviour? He sed all things what soiver ye woodthet men should do ter yo, do ye evan so ter thim. Have yer back slidedan fergot yer religin erready Teck Pervis?" Teck was dumb. "Yo Red ShirtsRuff Riders an broke down ristecrats kin go on an do yer devilment butmark what Mandy Pervis says, God'l Mighty will giv yu uns ther wurk eryer hans." "Why, Mandy, yo ought ter git er license ter preach, why youkin spit scripter lik er bon evangilis," and Teck Pervis reached overand slapped his wife upon the shoulder. This compliment from her husbandstimulated the old lady to more earnest effort. "Now look er here," shecontinued. "What do them risticrats kere er bout the likes er we? Inslave times we war not as good as their Niggers an ef we didn't get outther way on the road, they'd ride their fine critters plum over us. Theyhed no use fer we uns unless hit wus ter use us fer somethin. Whan therwar broke out, of course they wanted der po'uns ter do ther fightin, anthey kill me ole daddy bekase he would'n jine em. He didn't think itright ter tak up an fight agin the Union; an I can't fergit thet you'nswho did go ter ther fight ware promis'd er Nigger an er mule. But didyer git em?" Teck Pervis winced. Mrs. Pervis continued. "Now sich es oleWade an Moss Teele an uthers air hungry ter git er bite at ther publicgrip, so they throw out bait fer yo uns ter nibble; an yer air foolsernuff ter nibble. Jane Snow tells me thet all ther big bug Niggers ergoin ter be driv out, and we uns will git ther property and wash up inther churches." "Thet wus promused," broke in Teck. "But who hes therrite ter tek them critters property an giv hit ter yo uns?" replied Mrs.Pervis. "Teck Pervis yo may mark my words, but jes es soon es thembroken down ristocrats git er hol of ther gov'mint, jes es soon es yo pofools help them, then yer kin go." Teck Pervis glared at his wife like afierce beast at bay. He was Teck Pervis of old, the defiant,blood-thirsty rebel in the rifle pit glaring over the breastworks at theenemy. "Wese got ther guns!" he thundered, bringing his fist down uponthe table, "an ef they dont give ther po' uns er show when ther city istook, why! we'd jes es leave kill er ristercrat as er Nigger, and we unswill do it. Wat yo say is right frum start to finish. We uns air watchinum; wese got ther guns, an we uns'll h
old em till we see how things airgoin ter wurk. Reach up there an han me my pipe Mandy."