Igt
56 lines✦
FOLKS FROM DIXIE “T reckon you would n’t think that my folksever owned slaves; but they did. Everybodywas good to them except me, and I was youngand liked to show my authority. I had a littleblack boy that I used to cuff around a gooddeal, altho’ he was near to me as a brother.But sometimes he would turn on me and giveme the trouncing that I deserved. He wouldhave been skinned for it if my father had foundit out; but I was always too much ashamed ofbeing thrashed to tell.” The speaker laughed, and Nelse joined him.“Bless my soul!” he said, “ef that ain’t jes’the way it was with me an’ my Mas’ Tom —” “ Mas’ Tom!” cried the stranger; ‘ man,what’s your name?” “‘Nelse Hatton,” replied the Negro. “Heavens, Nelse! I’m your young Mas’Tom. I’m Tom Hatton; don’t you knowme, boy?” “You can’t be—you can’t be!” exclaimedthe Negro. “JT am, I tell you. Don’t you remember thescar I got on my head from falling off oldBaldy’s back? Here it is. Can’t you see?”cried the stranger, lifting the long hair away 192 NELSE HATTON’S VENGEANCE from one side of his brow. ‘ Doesn’t thisconvince you?” “It’s you —it’s you; ’t ain’t nobody else butMas’ Tom!” and the ex-slave and his formermaster rushed joyously into each other’s arms. There was no distinction of colour or condi-tion there. There was no thought of superior-ity on the one hand, or feeling of inferiority onthe other. They were simply two loving friendswho had been long parted and had met again. After a while the Negro said, “I’m surethe Lord must ’a’ sent you right here to thishouse, so’s you would n’t be eatin’ off o’ none0’ these poor white people ’round here.” “T reckon you’re religious now, Nelse; butI see it ain’t changed your feeling toward poorwhite people.” “JT don’t know about that. I used to bepurty bad about ’em.” “Indeed you did. Do you remember thetime we stoned the house of old Nat, the whitewood-sawyer ?” “Well, I reckon I do! Wasn’t we awful,them days?” said Nelse, with forced contrition,but with something almost like a chuckle in hisvoice. "3 193
✦