CHAPTER VII. BILL WASHINGTON. "PLEASE, Miss Brooklyne, a boy wants to see you," said an aged negro woman, opening the door of the room one morning where the family sat at work. Mrs. Brooklyne was engaged trimming, or frilling, or making one of those small robes suitable for the adornment of little strangers, whose appearance is expected at no distant period. Maud leaned languidly over her mother's chair, pouting her pretty lips, for Maud had met with some slight annoyance, and, as she said "Disliked to be contradicted." Lilly and Alice, side by side, reclining on the floor of the room, surrounded by remnants, patches, ribbons, and flowers, doll-dressing. Ida, with a book in hand, on the couch. Amy, at a small stand-table, making wax-flowers. "A boy, mammy. Is he a darkie?" questioned Mrs. Brooklyne, hebbens are in a black norther." "Well, tell him to come forward, Mammy." 'Specks em hab to clean em boots afore I surmit em make em appearance before de white ladies." "You mean permit, Mammy, do you not?" asked Lilly. "Perhaps I do, ehil', perhaps I don't. You should no speak so to your olders," said Mammy, with a grave shake of her turbaned head. "Never mind, Miss Lilly," interposed Mrs. Brooklyne." "Tell the boy I will see him, Mammy." "Lilly, you must be more careful, my dear, how you address servants now; they will not take as much as they would in slavery times." "Why, mamma, Mammy is only a nigger," answered Lilly, shaking out her long, fair hair, and looking utterly astonished. "Can I not speak just as I like to a nigger?" "No, love, it is not wise. They are very revengeful, and are fully aware now that the Northern troops are stationed here to assert their liberty." "A Union soldier might grant help, if needed, to a freedman, but he certainly would not sanction a negro doing wrong," said Amy, willing to take up the gauntlet in the cause of liberty. "No, dear, but war policy put down slavery, and the iron heel of military despotism grinds us poor conquered Southerners to the dust." 66 Well, I would rather be dust-Southern dust-than a Yankee," exclaimed Lilly, with flushed cheeks and flashing eyes. "Hush, you little rebel," said Mrs. Brooklyne, laughing. "I will speak just what I like, mamma. America is a free country, and I am a Texan." "As wild as a prairie mustang," answered her mother. “Oh, do not I wish that my pony, Stonewall, would come down from the country. Papa said he should as soon as the cotton season was over.' Indeed, Lilly, I scarcely dare venture such a thing as allow you to ride unchecked in Galveston. Why, you would frighten our citizens if you attempted to make your horse swim across the Bay, as he did the Colorado river." "It was glorious fun, mamma. when I made him take the water. nearly as fearless as the General I every bit as strong a rebel as is the greatest enjoyment in life. the land that gives a woman the likes." Stonewall never flinched Dear Stonewall, he was called him after, and I am Jackson himself. Riding Hurrah, say I, for Texas, right to do just what she "But, Lilly, you take too great license therefrom," interposed Maud. 63 "Just you hush, Maud. I never interfere with you. You may sit upon your horse as you choose, take as long a time as suits your purpose to arrange the folds of your habit, hold the reins as prettily as possible, sit as lady-like as possible, look as elegant as possible, have as handsome an escort as possible, only don't trouble me with any lectures, for I neither care for bit or bridle, saddle or cavalier, if I only had my mustang pony, Stonewall. I would mount him, and if I mounted him Stonewall would go like the very wind, and I would sing our brave Rangers' song 66 'Up, up with the crimson battle flag, Let the blue pennon fly; Our steeds are stamping proudly, They hear the battle cry. "The thundering boom, the bugle's call We strike for God and native land, "Then spring into the saddle, And shake the bridle free, For Wharton leads through fire and blood, And with the last words upon her lips, Lilly Brooklyne left the room in order to discover why the dark boy so long delayed. "You must, I fear, be shocked at Lilly's wild strain of conversation," said Mrs. Brooklyne to Amy, "she is so different, I dare say, to English girls of her own age-a regular Texas child. Robert was proud of her free, fearless spirit, and during the war she kept us all from desponding. There was little she could not do, still less that she would not. For instance, when the Union soldiers marched to take possession of the capital in Austin, and we, the defeated, kept silence while they passed, Lilly, with a certain rebel General's daughter, contrived to slip from the house, mounted a wall, and sung Confederate songs denouncing Lincoln." 66 "And what did the Union soldiers do?" inquired Ida. 'Why, my dear, what do you suppose they did?" "Nothing terrible, I dare say." Simply smiled, and the officers raised their hats, which courtesy proved the greatest annoyance they could possibly have offered to those staunch, little rebels." 66 Mamma, mamma," called Lilly and Alice together. "The boy that wanted to see you is Bill-Bill Washington himself." The Bill in question was a smart negro youth of some eighteen years of age, perfectly black, with a very wide mouth and a very fine set of white teeth. He wore a jacket that had evidently, at some period, belonged to a Northern soldier; a belt was fastened round his waist, that likewise bore marks of having come in contact with gunpowder. A cap of military form was lifted from his head as he entered the room. The remainder of his dress was civilian, and brightly-polished boots gave notice Mammy had fulfilled her word, and "made em clean em." "Good morning, Bill," said Mrs. Brooklyne; "I am glad you have got out of the calabouse." Bill bowed, and responded "I mighty glad too. Guess Massa Robert would have paid ten dollars to fetch poor nigger out." "How was it poor nigger got in?" asked Mrs. Brooklyne. "Mighty easy matter dat same thing. You mind Bill getting scared ob Yellar Jack." "Yes, yes, I remember." "Well, Bill, leave Missie Brooklyne's service. Mighty sorry now," and the poor fellow dashed a tear aside. "Massa Feels like I hate Well, den, I come Robert die, and Bill away up country. being such a coward; scared ob fever. down in steam-boat, land on wharf, anodder nigger boy-em vex me. Devil den get into Bill; he feel like em go mad, and fling de odder nigger into de water. Police put dis boy in calabouse, and Yankee genilman be at mighty trouble to get de odder fellow out ob de Bay. not preciate de privilege ob being for em kick mighty hard and em were a white genilman. lates, for if dat nigger had only had de religion to die quietly, Bill had not been put in gaol. All dat ten dollars good money be thrown clean away, all along ob dat darkie's impudence, making de noise he did in de water." Specks dat black nigger drowned in clean water, shout. Lors! em shout as if Dese be sad times Bill calco "Very likely the boy did not want to die, Bill," said Maud. "Den dis child like know wat religion be good for. Dat dere nigger we talking bout go church most Sundays, and speak mighty grand ob de kingdom dat be a coming, just as if he were sick to be dere. Den when I try my best to send em in quick and spectable style, he roar out 'Help, genilmen! help! dis poor nigger drowning,' and in consequence I got put in calabouse for my endevors to liberate a fellowsinner from de hard times in dis present world, and send em direct to de kingdom he talk bout." "You were rather too hasty in your conclusions, Bill. It appears your companion did not thank you for the trouble taken to send him from this world." "Fact dat dere. Missie Brooklyne, it was disgraceful de way dat fellow howl and scream. De irons made Bill feel bilious. Lah! em arms ache yet; but em calcolates he give dat hypocrite a duck some beautiful night when de hebbens be dark." "Then you most certainly will be put in gaol again, and punished severely," remarked Mrs. Brooklyne. "Well, perhaps de calabouse be anything but comfortable; but, perhaps, de consatisfaction ob serving de enemy mak de difference, and rectify all de punishments on de side of dis nigger, now addressing a spectable company." "Poor satisfaction, I should think," said Mrs. Brooklyne; "but you have not told me how you got clear of the calabouse." |