Iola Leroy - Shadows Uplifted | Page 3

most unsuspected manner news to each other from the
battle-field. Fragile women and helpless children were left on the
plantations while their natural protectors were at the front, and yet these
bondmen refrained from violence. Freedom was coming in the wake of
the Union army, and while numbers deserted to join their forces, others
remained at home, slept in their cabins by night and attended to their
work by day; but under this apparently careless exterior there was an
undercurrent of thought which escaped the cognizance of their masters.
In conveying tidings of the war, if they wished to announce a victory of
the Union army, they said the butter was fresh, or that the fish and eggs
were in good condition. If defeat befell them, then the butter and other
produce were rancid or stale.

Entering his home, Robert set his basket down. In one arm he held a
bundle of papers which he had obtained from the train to sell to the
boarders, who were all anxious to hear from the seat of battle. He
slipped one copy out and, looking cautiously around, said to Linda, the
cook, in a low voice:--
"Splendid news in the papers. Secesh routed. Yankees whipped 'em out
of their boots. Papers full of it. I tell you the eggs and the butter's
mighty fresh this morning."
"Oh, sho, chile," said Linda, "I can't read de newspapers, but ole
Missus' face is newspaper nuff for me. I looks at her ebery mornin' wen
she comes inter dis kitchen. Ef her face is long an' she walks kine o'
droopy den I thinks things is gwine wrong for dem. But ef she comes
out yere looking mighty pleased, an' larffin all ober her face, an'
steppin' so frisky, den I knows de Secesh is gittin' de bes' ob de
Yankees. Robby, honey, does you really b'lieve for good and righty dat
dem Yankees is got horns?"
"Of course not."
"Well, I yered so."
"Well, you heard a mighty big whopper."
"Anyhow, Bobby, things goes mighty contrary in dis house. Ole Miss is
in de parlor prayin' for de Secesh to gain de day, and we's prayin' in de
cabins and kitchens for de Yankees to get de bes' ob it. But wasn't Miss
Nancy glad wen dem Yankees run'd away at Bull's Run. It was nuffin
but Bull's Run an' run away Yankees. How she did larff and skip 'bout
de house. An' den me thinks to myself you'd better not holler till you
gits out ob de woods. I specs 'fore dem Yankees gits froo you'll be
larffin tother side ob your mouf. While you was gone to market ole
Miss com'd out yere, her face looking as long as my arm, tellin' us all
'bout de war and saying dem Yankees whipped our folks all to pieces.
And she was 'fraid dey'd all be down yere soon. I thought they couldn't
come too soon for we. But I didn't tell her so."

"No, I don't expect you did."
"No, I didn't; ef you buys me for a fool you loses your money shore.
She said when dey com'd down yere she wanted all de men to hide, for
dey'd kill all de men, but dey wouldn't tech de women."
"It's no such thing. She's put it all wrong. Why them Yankees are our
best friends."
"Dat's jis' what I thinks. Ole Miss was jis' tryin to skeer a body. An'
when she war done she jis' set down and sniffled an' cried, an' I war so
glad I didn't know what to do. But I had to hole in. An' I made out I war
orful sorry. An' Jinny said, 'O Miss Nancy, I hope dey won't come
yere.' An' she said, 'I'se jis' 'fraid dey will come down yere and gobble
up eberything dey can lay dere hands on.' An' she jis' looked as ef her
heart war mos' broke, an' den she went inter de house. An' when she
war gone, we jis' broke loose. Jake turned somersets, and said he warnt
'fraid ob dem Yankees; he know'd which side his brad was buttered on.
Dat Jake is a cuter. When he goes down ter git de letters he cuts up all
kines ob shines and capers. An' to look at him skylarking dere while de
folks is waitin' for dere letters, an' talkin' bout de war, yer wouldn't
think dat boy had a thimbleful of sense. But Jake's listenin' all de time
wid his eyes and his mouf wide open, an' ketchin' eberything he kin, an'
a heap ob news he gits dat way. As to Jinny, she jis' capered and
danced all ober de flore. An' I jis' had to put my han' ober her mouf to
keep ole Miss