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Show "UNCLE STEPHEN" b 'o Luclndn Wynn ' 1 1. When I llrst saw "I'nclo Stephen" ho was so gray, bunt and tobthtcss thnt I could almost believe him when ho told mo that he was In existence before tho hills Just In sight beyond tho fields. Tho small bojs of the neighborhood looked utiou him with a 'kind of superstitious nwe, and as they 'bathed In tho cool Btrcnm or shied pebbles nt the fiollcsotuc little perch that could bo seen In Its clear water I hoy told each other In low tones that 'Undo Stephen," long, long jcnrH be fore, had "dug out Sandy creek and piled up thu hills on tho other side." Llko most of tho old negroes, 'Uncle Stephen" did not know his age, but nlwajs reckoned time from 30ino event Unit greatly Impressed his simple, superstitious mind. When asked the number of hlu jeats hi would say "I dttnno 'znctly, but I was 12 do same jenr dat do stars foil." Ho was a comical figure on Sun-da) Sun-da) s and hollda)s, when dressed lu I tils best clothes He woro an old, j brown, battered beaver hu(, nml, on I warm days, a linen coal that had once .been white When my mischievous young biolher rcmntked upon tho superannuated appearance of this coat, ho said, half plaj full) 'do 'way, chile, dls coit was lu circulation bufo' jou was bo'n " He prided himself on his lino manners, man-ners, nml whenever n lady addressed him, took oft his lint, mid, bowing solemnlj and profoundlj, held it In his hand until shu had passed on. 1 Ho was lu a, constant statu of thankfulness, thank-fulness, ami would say: "I thank jou, nlr," for a scolding as well ns fot a favor. Passing thiough tho jnrd ono day I saw him sitting motionless with his hend bent on his hand. He hnd boon sawing wood, but, having becomo weary, was resting upon n largo hickory log A crope mjrtle cast Its shadow over tho graj llguro, and showed Its pink petals slowly down until thoy rested upon tho brim of i his old brown hat. Ho had enter-I enter-I tallied us often with Btorlcs of his llfo "befo' do war," and I wondered 1 1 r ho wero living over, In dreams, tho (ears when ho was joung and strong, I when ho was spoken of as tho "best hand on tho place;" tho moonlit evenings, eve-nings, when ho sat In tho door of his llttlo cabin "In tho quarters," singing tho fnvorlto plantation songs to tho accompaniment of his banjo, whllo bis wlfo sat near-by rocking n llttlo ono to sleep' keeping tlmo to tho father's music; thoso dajs when his vol co swelled strongest and swoctest In tho church gatherings, tho bap-tlzlngs bap-tlzlngs and tho camp mcotlngs. Now the limbs wero stiff and Inactive, Inac-tive, tho volco weak and treble, nnd tho wlfo of his youth had lain for many years lu tho graveyard on tho hill slopo, I went up to him nnd sntd, softly: Aro you well todaj', Undo Stophon?" Ho looked upr smllod, Bhook his head and said- "No, Miss Allco; I'g got do misery lu dls old back agin, nnd I was settln' horo restln' and wonderln' If do Lord would for-glvo for-glvo a poor old nigger llko mo nt do last." In surprlBo I said: "Why, Undo Stephen, are you not a Christian?" Ho replied : "No, miss; I'so n bnckslldor. I used to bo a 'zorter,' but I dono lot my 'llglon drap. Do church wont too deop lu my pockot. I would n bin w Illln' to gib IS cents n month, but doy wanted mo to gib n dollar No. Hlr!" Undo Stephen wns faithfulness Itself to the family ho served Though too old to work In thu field, he was Invnluiblo lu tho jard and garden Ho knew how to talso tho very finest of sweet potatoes and wntormolons. Proud w,i3 ho when thoy wero praised as tho largest Mid best In thu (ountrj. Honost, truthful, trustworthy, wo nover felt uneasiness nbout tho homo If left In Undo Stephen's care Ono Bum-mor Bum-mor nil the family wero nwny for two weeks Tho nights wore spent In sleepless vigils by Undo Stephen for fenr some midnight marauder might visit tho fowlhouso or tho i barn. I I had boon attending school nnd tvhoti I went home last summer for tho vacation I missed tho old, bent llguro nnd cheorj salutation r'no day tho winter before ho fnlled to appear nt tho usual time, hut as he sometimes went nway to spend several das with his mart led daughter, tho fnmllj did not wondor nt his absonco After three dajs had linssed, however and ho had Bont no word, some ono went to sock him lu his llttlo houso, where ho lived nil alone They woro grloved ami conscience stricken to II ml that tho poor old man hnd lain Rick for threo dajR with no medlclno or food lie was mado as romfnrtnblo ns possible, a physician was nt onco sent for nnd ill thnt kind friends could do was Jono, but their caro wnu of no nvnll. Ho died nftcr a fow dajs of suf ferlng. His last words wero ec prossloiiB of thanks to tho "good whlto folks" whom ho had loved nnd served so long. In death ho scorns lo keep watch still ovor tho homo whero thej dwell Ills grnvo lies nearby on tho green hillside, undor a tntiglo -if JooPni'ilnc linos, whero tho mngiiolln trees drr their i oso colored couos nnd tho mock lug birds sing to each other all the day. |