The Real Hard Sell

d, midstream, trying to think out his prob

groped, as many a wiser has done, for a comforting, common-sense understanding of faith,

rose, as was her habit, to see who might be coming over so late, she dimly perceived two men approaching

she could find voice of fear or question, Israel had dr

nah! Heah Ma

ced a realization of faith, and believed herself confidently awaiting her ma

le man? Don't practice no j

ack as she spoke. But even while she prote

'indurin' devil'-?" (This had been her last, worst

ntified him, but the shock had confused her. When at last she sobbed "Hu

were about

presently, wiping her eyes, she stammered: "Wh

rms, pressing her into her chair, but retaining her tr

to Israel. For answer, a clarion note, in no wise muffled by the handkerchief from which

had rallied, and was pressing Harold from

as dat flaxion curl o' yoze I got in my Testamen'. I was lookin' at it only

t is whiter than yours. I have lived th

was taking no note of their speech, wh

ean 'crost de flood, you made game o' me, an' I say I mought have need of it? But of co'se I didn't ca'culate to have it ac-chilly call Mars' Harol

Harold

n't collect my ferriage, did you? I

l chu

le times? Dey don't charge nothin' in dese ha

ou happen to bring that old horn with

rit off de wall-all in dat deluge. Hit's heah in de cabin now to witness de

uc high-step, but I didn't. I jes felt his tread, an' s'luted him for a gentleman, an' axed him for Gord

'Whose horn is dat?' An' I 'spon', 'Hit's my horn, sir.' Den my conscience begin to gnaw, an' I sort o' stammered, 'Leastways, it b'longs to a frien' o' mine wha' look like he ain't nuver gwine

uc, sir, Ha

dat was Mars' Harol' settin' up dar listenin' at me callin' his name

hars. An' wid dat he sort o' give out a dry laugh, an' den what you reckon he ax me? He say, 'Uncle, is you married?' An' wid dat I laughed. 'T war n'

ime de skift bumped de landin' he laid his han' on me an' he say, 'Unc' Isrul, whar's Mammy Hannah?' An' den-bless Gord! I knowed him! But I ain't trus' myself to speak. I des nachelly clawed him

g with the only people living who could tell

So the old woman, when she turned her mental search-light backward, "beginning at the beginning," which to Harold seemed the end of all-the day of his departure,-recounted every trivial in

ce in the story relating to the baby. Her description needed not any coloring of lo

to have

" Hannah gasped, her quick ears

ve the little one drowned. But I don't blame you. I

d to her husband an

srul!" she

all night an' listen at me talkin' all

door at her back. As she pulled aside the curtain

e, steadied by its passages through

r hand upon

p!" she cried. "Yo'

pened a pair of great blue eyes and looked from Mammy's face to the man's. Then,-so much

r a moment, for the agony of his joy was beyond tears or laughter. But presently he lifted his child, and, sitting, took her upon his lap. He could not speak yet, for while h

y; and then, turning to Hannah, "And how care

er, by hook or by crook. Of co'se she ain't had no white kin to christen her, an' dat was a humiliation to us. She didn't have no to sa

le forehead, an' made her eat a few grains o' table salt. He done it straight, wid all his robes on, an' I g'in him a good dollar, too. An' dat badge you see on her neck, a sister o' charity, wid one o' dese clair-starched ear-flap sunbonnets on, she put dat on her. She say she give it to her to wear so 's she could n't git drownded-like as ef I'd let her drownd. Yit an' still I lef' it so, an' I even buys a fresh blue ribbin for it, once-t an'

Numitarium; so every time a preacher'd be passin' I'd git him to perform it

ch one it was, I better git 'em all, an' only de onlies' true one would count; an' den ag'in, ef all honest baptisms is good,

s a dozen side-nations wid blood to tell in all de branches,-well, hit minds me o' dis ba'm of a t

ord deprived her, for a season, of her rights to high livin' an'-an

A

y, Mars' Harol'?

far, an' dat's all de further. She was jes as much a blossom befo' she was christened as she was arterwards, so my namin' 'er don't count. I was 'mos' tempted to call out 'Agnes' t

nobody wouldn't s'picion she was clair white an' like as not try to wrest her from me. An' one time, when a uppish yo'ng man ast me her name, I said it straight, but I see him look mighty cu'yus, an' I sp

. He jes sort o' whistled, an' say I sho is got one might

hold it in, too,-an' she says her own little blessin'-dat short 'Grace o' Gord-material binefets,' one o' Miss Aggie's; I learned it to her. No, she ain't been handled keerless, ef she

nto no bureau; I keeps 'em all in her

er faith seemed to suffuse her soul, and as she proc

I 'spec' she had de firmes' faith, arter all, de baby did. Day by day we all waited-an' night by night. An' sometimes when courage would bu

lderness. All we river chillen, we boun' to stay by her, same as toddlin' babies hangs by a mammy's skirts. She'll whup u

Mars'

ered he

ent many a dark night together under de stars, an' we done talked an' answered one a

some'h'n' about de River, Ma

n a book! We been th'ough some merac'lous time

ericle mys

r, an' she'll spin yo' boat over her breast. You dive down into her, an' you come up-or don't come up. S

ten her, one way an' another; but yit an' still, she ain't nuver flustered.

she reaches up wid long onvisible hands

common breastp

takes what she wants, an' s

for her face, an' de

ight or midday, every change s

to stop or to look or list

f eve'ybody

udy over it an' ponder befo' we started

to row 'crost de water, an' she felt Wood-duck settle heavy on her breast, an' she seen da

to call-an' to answ

illing to have it stop here. But a tale of the riv

bringing fresh chips. He had been among the wood

ng his face and his hand. Then, running off, he barked at Israel and Hannah, telling them in fine dog Latin who the man was who had come. Then he