"Yes, my missus, I neber see sech a judgment on de tree! De big pine 'ood is lebel down, en I had to climb for get yuh, but I ain't hab a nail, en de fench bin down, en me tetta, en me little crap o' corn bin dey open, en ef de Lawd didn't bin dat mussiful dat night en confuse de critter mind, all 'ood a gone. Yes, my missus, eberybody fench bin down, but not a cow nor a hog ain't eat nothing. Ain't yer see? De Lawd confuse dem mind to dat; Him is mussiful fer true. Dat night, my missus, de house shake en rock so, tell me en Tom git up en set down by de fiah, en we pray, en we pray, but de fiah cu'dn't burn, kase de rain po' down de chimbly. We de pray, en de house de rock en de shingle de fly, bam dis way, en bam dat way, en Tom cry out en 'e say, 'Yes, my Lawd, we is sinna fo' tru, but spare we dis time,' en den I teck up de disco'se en I say, 'Lawd, I know I is wicked, but gi' me anoder chanst.' En de wahter gone through de house, en de shed blow off, en de wedder-boa'd blow off, en de tree all round de crack en de fall, en, my missus, w'en de mawning come I was susprise w'en I see Tom de day, en me de day, en de house de day, en I hol' up my han' en I cry, 'My Lawd, yer is too mussiful, yo' jes' trow down de boa'd en de shingle, now ef dat bin a man, strong like a you, him 'ood a throw down de hol' house.' Yes, ma'am, I'se tankful to de Lawd," and with a deep courtesy she went to mend her fence.
September 20.
Harvest is going on at Casa Bianca—the much-tried River Wragg field is being loaded into the flats, in spite of its being soaked in salt water in July and swept by the gale last Tuesday. I cannot help hoping it may make something, it looks so pretty and golden as it is being "toted" into the flat. The night of the gale I thought it would be completely destroyed, because it was dry, but a tremendous tide rushed over the banks and topped the rice, thereby saving it from complete destruction. The June rice, however, fifty acres of which was very fine, has been greatly injured by the topping tide, for it seems the water was brackish, and the rice was just in milk. Marcus was bragging about this rice, and my hopes were high, but now he shakes his head and looks solemn.
Some years ago a lady in Saratoga said to me: "The Lord does not seem to have much respect for you rice planters." I answered: "I think Job's friends and acquaintances said the same thing to him."
Certainly it behooves us to imitate that worthy's patient endurance of the calamities which fell so thick upon him for years, and his firm faith in his Maker.
In the Old Testament the promise of worldly prosperity as a reward of obedience to God's law was very distinct, but in the New Testament it is different—sorrow, adversity, tribulation, are mentioned, and the promise is of peace within, of power to be undismayed by seeming disaster, strong in the faith that He doeth all things well.
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform,
He plants his footsteps on the sea
And rides upon the storm.