Bricks Without Straw

pter, Nimbus turned away from the gate near which he had been standing, crosse

an' fought fer freedom. I've got my house an' bit o' lan', wife, chillen, crap, an' stock, an' it's all mine. An' now I'se done been registered, an' when de 'lection comes off, kin vote jes' ez

ugly-built log cabin. The heavy wooden shutter swung back over the bench. On the other side of the room was a

leather loops secured by tacks, as is the custom of the crispin the world over. On the right was a table whose edge was several inches above the seat, and on which were some books, writing materials, a slate, a bundle of letters tied together with a piece of shoe-thread, and some newspapers and pamphlets scattered about in a manner which showe

n where all degrees of admixture were by no means rare. A splendid head of black hair waved above his broad, full forehead, and an intensely black silky beard and mustache framed the lower portion of his face most fittingly. His eyes were soft and womanly, though there was a patient boldness about their great brown pupils and a directness of gaze which suited well the bearded face beneath

weakness and suffering had left its indelible stamp upon the habitation which he occupied. Yet so erect and self-helping in appearance was the figure on the cobbler's bench that one for a moment failed to note in what the affliction consisted. Upon closer observation he saw that the lower limbs were sharply flexed and drawn to the leftward, so that the right foot rested on its sid

chair by the door and fanned himself

re did you get dat name?" he asked at length, raising his

rybody want ter call me by ole Mahs'r's name, an' dat I can't abide nohow; an' when I kicks 'bout it, dey jes gib me s

e to have dis one-Wa

, an' I 'spute him, an' sez I, 'I won't hev no sech name'. Den de boss man, he shet up Marse Gleason purty smart like, and he sed I'd a right ter enny name I chose ter carry, kase nobody hadn't enny sort o' right ter fasten enny name at all on ter me 'cep

imbus; but didn't you promise me

but they all 'llowed I got te

old mahs'r's name, like de rest

knows thet I won'

y not,

t ain't nuffin now; but I ain't gwine ter war his name ner giv it ter my chillen ter mind 'em dat der daddy wuz jes anudder man's critter one time. I tell you I can't do hit, nohow;

his excitement and now sat dow

e you for dat

eah no 'buts' 'bou

on't want dem to be different f

a name, an' I mus' hev one ter gib 'em, but how's I gwine ter git one? Dar's nobody's got enny r

ered 'Liab, "but yourse

de law married us all, jes out of han' like, it orter hev named us too. Hit mout hev been done, jes ez well's not.

at it ef he had," sai

t I does hate. Oh, my God, how I does hate it, Liab! I hates de berry groun' dat a slave's wukked on! I do, I swar! When I wuz a-comin' home to-d

s. Just think of me. Warn't you bet

ed times wuss off ner you, an' free,

reedom is worth to you. He

not a word, till dis bressed minit. Why didn't yer say nuffin' 'bout bein' registered yo'self, eh? Yer knowed I'd a tuk yer ef

r make ye no trouble, nor take the mule out

!" said Nimbu

swear, Nimbus,

tter ner dat. Now see heah, 'Liab Hill, yer's gwine ter go an' be registered termorrer, jes ez sure ez termorrer comes. Here we thick-headed dunces hez been up dar t

ll, and can't afford to spend a

l take keer on't. Let him alone fer dat. Yis, honey, I'se comin'

es ter supper wid us. Luge

rinking away. "I can't! You jes send on

ldin' an' abusin' me all dis yer time, an' now

the door

ildren, "Oh, Axylone, jes run inter de kitchen, son, an' tell yer ma ter p

nderly as a mother over the cradle of her first-born, clasped his arms a

around him, and leaning across the stalwart breast of his friend so evenly distributed his weight that the other bore him with ease. Entering his

wife; "kase I see'd he war gettin' inter de dumps like, an' I 'llo

aid the bright-ey

" queried

ab don't come of

H'yer, you Axylone," he continued to his eldest born, " fo'd up yer han's while Bre'er 'Liab ax de blessin

Bre'er

p young wife crossed her hands demurely on the bright handle of the big coffee-pot by which she stood, and "Bre'er 'Liab," clasping his slender fingers, uplifte

ed and giggled with laughter as he sank to his evening couch with the thou

into his canvas-covered wagon, in which, upon a bed of straw, reclined his friend Eliab Hill, and drove again to the place of registration. On arriving there he took his friend in his arms, carried him in and

on, nodding good-naturedly toward Nimbus as h

ed the officer, wi

together. I expect he's at the bottom of all the black nigger's perversity, though he always seems as smooth and respectful as you please. He's a deep one.

remarkable man,"

reedom he and Nimbus together rule the whole settlement. I don't suppose there are ten white men in the county w

ave? What is

among them, and while he did a power of praying for you Yanks, he always counselled the colored people to be civil and patient, and not try to run away or go to cutting up, but

know more of him,"

is here, I'll get him to tell you all about him, at noon. If