Free Joe and Other Georgian SketchesHarris, Joel Chandler
General
Free Joe and Other Georgian Sketches
Harris, Joel Chandler
Georgia -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
"Well, suh, I wuz stannin' back in de big hall, en we'n I see Marster
gwine on dat away my knees come mighty nigh failin' me, suh. Dis de fus'
time w'at he reckermember anybody name, an de fus' time he do like he
useter, sence he bin sick wid de polzy. Mistiss en Miss Lady, dee come
'long in atter w'ile, en dee look like dee skeerd. Well, suh, I des
far'ly preach at um. Yes, suh; I did dat. I say: 'You see dat? You see
how Marster doin'? Ef de han' er de Lord ain' in dat, den de han' ain'
bin in nuttin' on de top side er dis yeth.' I say: 'You see how you bin
cuttin' up 'roun' dat sick w'ite man wid yo' biggity capers, en yit de
Lord retch down en make Marster soun' en well time de yuther w'ite man
tetch 'im. Well, suh, dey wuz dat worked up dat dey sot down en cried.
Yes, suh; dey did dat. Dey cried. En I ain' tellin' you no lie, suh, I
stood dar en cried wid um. Let 'lone dat, I des far'ly boohooed. Yes,
suh; dat's me. Wen I git ter cryin' sho' nuff, I bleeze ter boohoo.
"Fum dat on, Marster do like hese'f, en talk like hese'f. It look like
he bin sleep long time, suh, en de sleep done 'im good. All he sense
come back; en you know, suh, de Tomlinsons, w'en dey at deese'f, got
much sense ez dee want en some fer give way. Mistiss and Miss Lady, dee
wuz mighty proud 'bout Marster, suh, but dee ain' fergit dat de yuther
man wuz Yankee, en dee hol' deese'f monst'ous stiff. He notice dat
hese'f, en he want ter go 'way, but Marster, he 'fuse ter lissen at 'im
right pine-plank, suh. He say de dead Tomlinsons would in-about turn
over in dee graves ef dee know he sont a cripple man 'way from he
'ouse. Den he want ter pay he board, but Marster ain' lissen ter dat, en
needer is Mistiss; en dis mighty funny, too, kaze right dat minnit dee
wa'n't a half er dollar er good money in de whole fambly, ceppin' some
silver w'at I work fer, en w'at I hide in er chink er my chimbly. No,
suh. Dee want er half er dollar in de whole fambly, suh. En yit dee
won't take de greenbacks w'at dat man offer um.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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