"
"Papa," urged Phil, "that's my----"
"Shut up, Phil! Well, uncle, did this interesting old family die out,
or is it represented in the present generation?"
"Lawd, no, suh, de fambly did n' die out--'deed dey did n' die out!
dey ain't de kind er fambly ter die out! But it's mos' as bad,
suh--dey's moved away. Young Mars Henry went ter de Norf, and dey say
he's got rich; but he ain't be'n back no mo', suh, an' I don' know
whether he's ever comin' er no."
"You must have been very fond of them to take such good care of their
graves," said the colonel, much moved, but giving no sign.
"Well, suh, I b'longed ter de fambly, an' I ain' got no chick ner
chile er my own, livin', an' dese hyuh dead folks 'pears mo' closer
ter me dan anybody e'se. De cullud folks don' was'e much time wid a
ole man w'at ain' got nothin', an' dese hyuh new w'ite folks wa't is
come up sence de wah, ain' got no use fer niggers, now dat dey don'
b'long ter nobody no mo'; so w'en I ain' got nothin' e'se ter do, I
comes roun' hyuh, whar I knows ev'ybody and ev'ybody knows me, an'
trims de rose bushes an' pulls up de weeds and keeps de grass down
jes' lak I s'pose Mars Henry'd 'a' had it done ef he'd 'a' lived hyuh
in de ole home, stidder 'way off yandah in de Norf, whar he so busy
makin' money dat he done fergot all 'bout his own folks."
"What is your name?" asked the colonel, who had been looking closely
at the old man.
"Peter, suh--Peter French.
Pages:
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38