Iola Leroy - Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (suggested reading txt) 📗

yer freedom? Well I wants ter pat my free foot. Halleluyah! But, Robby, I wants yer ter go ter dat big meetin’ de wuss kine.”

“How will I get there?” asked Robert.

“Oh, dat’s all right. My ole man’s got two ob de nicest mules you eber set yer eyes on. It’ll jis’ do yer good ter look at dem. I ’spect you’ll see some ob yer ole frens dere. Dere’s a nice settlemen’ of cullud folks ober dere, an’ I wants yer to come an’ bring dat young lady. I wants dem folks to see wat nice folks I kin bring to de meetin’. I hope’s yer didn’t lose all your ’ligion in de army.”

“Oh, I hope not,” replied Robert.

“Oh, chile, yer mus’ be shore ’bout dat. I don’t want yer to ride hope’s hoss down to torment. Now be shore an’ come to-morrer an’ bring dat young lady, an’ take supper wid me. I’se all on nettles to see dat chile.”

XIX Striking Contrasts

The next day, Robert, accompanied by Iola, went to the settlement to take supper with Aunt Linda, and a very luscious affair it was. Her fingers had not lost their skill since she had tasted the sweets of freedom. Her biscuits were just as light and flaky as ever. Her jelly was as bright as amber, and her preserves were perfectly delicious. After she had set the table she stood looking in silent admiration, chuckling to herself: “Ole Mistus can’t set sich a table as dat. She ought’er be yere to see it. Specs ’twould make her mouf water. Well, I mus’ let bygones be bygones. But dis yere freedom’s mighty good.”

Aunt Linda had invited Uncle Daniel, and, wishing to give him a pleasant surprise, she had refrained from telling him that Robert Johnson was the one she wished him to meet.

“Do you know dis gemmen?” said Aunt Linda to Uncle Daniel, when the latter arrived.

“Well, I can’t say’s I do. My eyes is gittin dim, an I disremembers him.”

“Now jis’ you look right good at him. Don’t yer ’member him?”

Uncle Daniel looked puzzled and, slowly scanning Robert’s features, said: “He do look like somebody I used ter know, but I can’t make him out ter save my life. I don’t know whar to place him. Who is de gemmen, ennyhow?”

“Why, Uncle Dan’el,” replied Aunt Linda, “dis is Robby; Miss Nancy’s bad, mischeebous Robby, dat war allers playin’ tricks on me.”

“Well, shore’s I’se born, ef dis ain’t our ole Bobby!” exclaimed Uncle Daniel, delightedly. “Why, chile, whar did yer come from? Thought you war dead an’ buried long ’go.”

“Why, Uncle Daniel, did you send anybody to kill me?” asked Robert, laughingly.

“Oh, no’n ’deed, chile! but I yeard dat you war killed in de battle, an’ I never ’spected ter see you agin.”

“Well, here I am,” replied Robert, “large as life, and just as natural. And this young lady, Uncle Daniel, I believe is my niece.” As he spoke he turned to Iola. “Do you remember my mother?”

“Oh, yes,” said Uncle Daniel, looking intently at Iola as she stepped forward and cordially gave him her hand.

“Well, I firmly believe,” continued Robert, “that this is the daughter of the little girl whom Miss Nancy sold away with my mother.”

“Well, I’se rale glad ter see her. She puts me mighty much in mine ob dem days wen we war all young togedder; wen Miss Nancy sed, ‘Harriet war too high fer her.’ It jis’ seems like yisterday wen I yeard Miss Nancy say, ‘No house could flourish whar dere war two mistresses.’ Well, Mr. Robert⁠—”

“Oh, no, no, Uncle Daniel,” interrupted Robert, “don’t say that! Call me Robby or Bob, just as you used to.”

“Well, Bobby, I’se glad klar from de bottom of my heart ter see yer.”

“Even if you wouldn’t go with us when we left?”

“Oh, Bobby, dem war mighty tryin’ times. You boys didn’t know it, but Marster Robert hab giben me a bag ob money ter take keer ob, an’ I promised him I’d do it an’ I had ter be ez good ez my word.”

“Oh, Uncle Daniel, why didn’t you tell us boys all about it? We could have helped you take care of it.”

“Now, wouldn’t dat hab bin smart ter let on ter you chaps, an’ hab you huntin’ fer it from Dan ter Barsheba? I specs some ob you would bin a rootin’ fer it yit!”

“Well, Uncle Daniel, we were young then; I can’t tell what we would have done if we had found it. But we are older now.”

“Yes, yer older, but I wouldn’t put it pas’ yer eben now, ef yer foun’ out whar it war.”

“Yes,” said Iola, laughing, “they say ‘caution is the parent of safety.’ ”

“Money’s a mighty tempting thing,” said Robert, smiling.

“But, Robby, dere’s nothin’ like a klar conscience; a klar conscience, Robby!”

Just then Aunt Linda, who had been completing the preparations for her supper, entered the room with her husband, and said, “Salters, let me interdoos you ter my fren’, Mr. Robert Johnson, an’ his niece, Miss Leroy.”

“Why, is it possible,” exclaimed Robert, rising, and shaking hands, “that you are Aunt Linda’s husband?”

“Dat’s what de parson sed,” replied Salters.

“I thought,” pursued Robert, “that your name was John Andrews. It was such when you were in my company.”

“All de use I’se got fer dat name is ter git my money wid it; an’ wen dat’s done, all’s done. Got ’nuff ob my ole Marster in slave times, widout wearin’ his name in freedom. Wen I got done wid him, I got done wid his name. Wen I ’listed, I war John Andrews; and wen I gits my pension, I’se John Andrews; but now Salters is my name, an’ I likes it better.”

“But how came you to be Aunt Linda’s husband? Did you get married since the war?”

“Lindy an’ me war married long ’fore de war. But my ole Marster sole me away from her an’ our little gal, an’ den sole her chile ter somebody else. Arter freedom,