The Earth Trembled

scarcely more than a cabin, and facing on an obscure alley in Charleston, a rotund colored woman of uncertain age is sitting by the fire with her husband. She is a

on the principles of success, as may be discovered by the reader as the story progresses. She had always been so emphatically the master of the house and

mily, they felt entitled to his surname, and by evolution it had become "Buggone." Uncle Sheba's heart failed him when his wife addressed him by this title, for he knew he was beyond the dead line of safety. They dwelt alone in the cabin, their several children, with one exception, having been scattered they knew n

s hour of the day she was usually very tired, and was accustomed to take an hour's rest before putting her living-room in order for the night. Although the twilight often fell before she returned from her mercantile pursuits, she never intrusted Uncle Sheba with the task of getting supper, and no housekeeper in the city kept her provisions under lock and key mor

greness in his "'lowance," and he had accepted his lot in this instance, as in others, rather t

by a white-woolled negro; again she would "happen in" on a church sister, when, in passing, the odor of some cookery was appetizing. She always left, however, some compensation from her basket, and so was not unwelcome. Not seldom, also, a lady or a

a very substantial supper, and was puffing at her pipe in a meditative aspect. Evident

uidly queried

fin' out. Dey'd s

What 'casion I got

pervider. Somehow or oder I'se g

petite am' failin' in

nts, dere'd be a comfort in keerin'

den you know what 'tis. But who

ssy and de ole Mi

e poah. Dey mus' hab kep'

't much, an' I jus' b'l

tation in Virg

us say herself dat plantation was all trompl'd in

heavy in his lack of interest; "but ole Marse Wall

hen I tell you ober an' ober? You doan keer. Dat's de foot de shoe's on. You know ole Marse Wall

Street, an' dat mus' a brought a heap," pro

ks?' You used to be so hot fer dat ole Guv'ner Moses and say he was like de Moses in de Bible-dat he was raised up fer ter lead de culled people to de promise' lan'. You vote fer him, an' hurrah fer him, an' whar's yer promise' lan'? Little you know 'bout Scripter when you say he secon' Moses. Don' wan

at kin you do? You gwine ter

d Aun' Sheba, nodding her head portentously as she knocked the ashe

itch uneasily on his chair. At last he broke out: "Now look heah,

lks! Who you

de Bible say shuah dat dey dat don' pervide fer

erdel, Mister Buggone," ret

cted sarbent ob de Lawd, an' it's my duty to 'monstrate wid you. I know what's on

' you call Miss Mara

I slabe fer her granpar yeahs an' y

dar was my poah young Missy Mary, who hadn't de heart to hurt a skeeter. You s'pose I watch ober dat broken-hearted lam' an' her little chile an' den heah 'em called white folks, as if dey'se no 'count ter me? How ofen dat poah dyin' lam' turn to me in de middle ob de night

before when his wife had gone to help take care of Mara in a severe illness, and now he had a presentiment that Aun' Sheba would try to help support the girl and her great-aunt as well as himself. Such an attempt threatened privations which were harrowing even to contemplate, and

out an earn my libin' an' yours too. Git up dar now, an' bring in de wood an' de kinlin' fer de mawnin', an' when mawnin' come, you make de fiah. Arter breakfas' you start right off ter work, and I'se sit on de do' step and talk to

hought now was to escape until the storm blew over and his wife's tolerant good-nature resumed its wonted sway. Shuffling cautiously around to the

lue of time in remedying many of the ills of life. It must be admitted that he could not get into the spirit of the meeti

knocked gently at first, then louder and louder, adding to the uproar by calls and expostulations. A light appeared in the adjacent cottage, and Kern Watson,

-meetin', and Aun' Sheba je

e in an' stop you noise. You can sleep on de lounge. We don' wa

t he might, in his half-dressed condition, enjoy the warmth of the coals covered with ashes on the hearth, and listened. He was a tall, straight negro of powerful build, and although his features

you knows dat we culled people

s is it but hers? I'se a Republican because I belebe in people bein' free, wedder dey is white or black, but I ain't one ob dem kin' ob Republicans dat look on white folks as inemies. Wot we do widout dem, an' wat dey do widout

ponded Uncle Sheba plaintively. "My narbes been so sho

f further words, and als

g, and so her mind was at rest. "Unc," she muttered, "forgits his 'sper'ence at de prar-meetin's bery easy, but he mus' have a 'sper'ence to-night dat

ace and serenity should come about gradually. She relented so far, however, as to give him an extra slice of bacon for breakfast, at which token of returning toleration Uncle Sheba took heart again. Having curtly told him to clear the table, Aun'