Folks from Dixie

by Paul Laurence Dunbar

“Dey went into de liberry, an’ Mas’ Tho’nton shet de do’ behin’ him. I could hyeah dem talkin’ kin’ o’ low while I was cl’arin’ erway de dishes. After while dey ’menced to talk louder. I had to go out an’ dus’ de hall den near de liberry do’, an’ once I hyeahd ole Mas’ say right sho’t an’ sha’p, ‘Never!’ Den young Mas’ he say, ‘But evah man has de right to choose fu’ his own se’f.’

“‘Man, man!’ I hyeahd his pappy say in a way I had never hyeahd him use to his son befo’, ‘evah male bein’ dat wahs men’s clothes an’ has a mustache ain’t a man.’

“‘Man er whut not,’ po’ young Mastah’s voice was a-tremblin’, ‘I am at leas’ my father’s son an’ I deserve better dan dis at his han’s.’ I hyeahd somebody a-walkin’ de flo’, an’ I was feared dey’d come out an’ think dat I was a-listenin’, so I dus’es on furder down de hall, an’ didn’t hyeah no mo’ ontwell Mas’ Tho’nton come hurryin’ out an’ say, ‘Ike, saddle my hoss.’ He was ez pale ez he could be, an’ when he spoke sho’t an’ rough lak dat, he was so much lak his father dat hit skeered me. Ez soon ez his hoss was ready, he jumped into de saddle an’ went flyin’ outen de ya’d lak mad, never eben lookin’ back at de house. I didn’t see Mas’ Jack fu’ de res’ of de day, an’ he didn’t come in to suppah. But I seed Aunt Emmerline an’ I knowed dat she had been somewhah an’ knowed ez much ez I did erbout whut was gwine on, but I never broached a word erbout hit to huh. I seed she was oneasy, but I kep’ still ’twell she say, ‘Whut you reckon keepin’ Mas’ Tho’nton out so late?’ Den I jes’ say, ‘I ain’t reck’nin’ ’bout de white folks’ bus’ness.’ She looked a little bit cut at fus’, den she jes’ go on lak nuffin’ hadn’t happened: ‘I’s mighty ’sturbed ’bout young Mas’; he never stays erway f’om suppah ’dout sayin’ somep’n’.’

“‘Oh, I reckon he kin fin’ suppah somewhah else.’ I says dis don’t keer lak jes’ fu’ to lead huh on.

“‘I ain’t so much pestered ’bout his suppah,’ she say; ‘I’s feared he gwine do somep’n’ he hadn’t ought to do after dat qua’l ’twixt him an’ his pappy.’

“‘Did dey have a qua’l?’ says I.

“‘G’long!’ Aunt Emmerline say, ‘you wasn’t dus’in’ one place in de hall so long fu’ nuffin’. You knows an’ I knows eben ef we don’t talk a heap. I’s troubled myse’f. Hit jes’ in dat Venable blood to go right straight an’ git Miss Nellie an’ ma’y huh right erway, an’ ef he do it, I p’intly know his pa’ll never fu’give him.’ Den Aunt Emmerline ’mence to cry, an’ I feel right sorry fu’ huh, ’ca’se Mas’ Tho’nton huh boy, an’ she think a mighty heap o’ him.

“Well, we hadn’t had time to say much mo’ when we hyeahd a hoss gallopin’ into de ya’d. Aunt Emmerline jes’ say, ‘Dat’s Gineral’s lope!’ an’ she bus’ outen de do’. I waits, ’spectin’ huh to come back an’ say dat Mas’ Tho’nton done come at las’. But after while she come in wif a mighty long face an’ say, ‘Hit’s one o’ Jamieson’s darkies; he brung de hoss back an’ a note Mas’ gin him fu’ his pappy. Mas’ Tho’nton done gone to Lexin’ton wif Miss Nellie an’ got ma’ied.’ Den she jes’ brek down an’ ’mence a-cryin’ ergin an’ a-rockin’ huhse’f back an’ fofe an’ sayin’, ‘Oh, my po’ chile, my po’ boy, whut’s to ’come o’ you!’

“I went upstairs an’ lef’ huh—we bofe stayed at de big house—but I didn’t sleep much, ’ca’se all thoo de night I could hyeah ole Mas’ a-walkin’ back an’ fofe ercross his flo’, an’ when Aunt Emmerline come up to baid, she mou’ned all night, eben in huh sleep. I tell you, honey, dem was mou’nin’ times.