KONAH HAS A WONDERFUL DAY
One forenoon, two weeks after the rice harvest, the little village
was thrown into a state of intense excitement by the news which a
messenger had just brought. "White ooman duh come," was the word that
passed from mouth to mouth. Scarcely a half dozen of the inhabitants
of the village had seen a white woman, and not more than a third of
them had seen a white man, therefore with the approach of two white
women and three white men, and their carriers and attendants, curiosity
and fear wrought the people up to the highest pitch of expectancy. A
miscellaneous company of men, women and children, Konah foremost among
them, gathered at the edge of the village to stare at the strangers
as they entered. The procession that was approaching was rather
imposing. The five white people in hammocks, each hammock supported
on the heads of four carriers, and a score of other attendants made
up the train. Just as they came opposite the group of natives, one of
the missionaries, with the kindest of intentions, looked benevolently
around at the people, with results quite contrary to his expectations.
One old man uttered a cry of terror, ran into a hut and hid himself,
and could not be coaxed out while the strangers were in town. Even
Konah shrank back, and felt inclined to run. The interpreter soon
discovered that the glasses worn by the missionary had occasioned all
this alarm. Superstitious imagination transformed these simple pieces
of glass into a dangerous witch medicine, that would enable the wearer
to blast with dreadful curses the lives of all upon whom he might look,
so the harmless glasses had to be laid aside.
The procession moved on to the barreh, where the white people were
left while a messenger went to inform the chief. That personage soon
appeared in his native dignity, and on being introduced, touched
fingertips with each of the white people, who said "How do" to him
with pieces of cloth. He welcomed them with the big-hearted hospitality
characteristic of his tribe, and called them his "strangers" (guests).
Huts were vacated in order to furnish lodgings; and short, quick
orders, called out to right and left, sent the people scurrying away to
procure rice and fowls for the use of the visitors. Meanwhile a crowd
of natives was banked around the barreh, looking on with undisguised
wonder. Konah was mounted on the mud wall, taking in every detail with
all absorbing interest. A missionary told the chief that if he would
call a meeting of his people, they would talk to them the "God-word."
The summons was given, and now Konah had another ravishing experience.
The carriers had brought out a little organ which the party carried
for the purpose of attracting the people. One of the white women sat
down before it, ran her fingers over the keys, and lo, the strangest
music Konah's ears had ever heard. Then the white people and their
followers sang a tender hymn. Konah was so entranced that she forgot
herself and her surroundings. She came behind the organist, moved her
hands in the air in imitation of the player's movements, and opened
her mouth in an unconscious effort to join in the singing. At the
close of the services, the interpreter announced that in the evening
the white man would again talk the "God-word", and would show "plenty
picture." The curious crowd then followed to the barreh, and watched
the preparations for dinner. The meal itself brought the greatest
revelations yet witnessed. Wonder of wonders, the white men and women
ate at the same time, nay, even the men seemed to serve the women, and
to be considerate of their desires. Then these strange people used
plates, knives, forks and spoons, the necessity for which Konah could
not comprehend. Are white men's hands so dirty that they do not eat
with them? Is one hand used to cut with, the other to shovel with? were
queries that passed through her mind.
Thought of such things was soon dissipated by a matter of more
immediate interest. A lump of sugar was handed to a woman who was
standing at the end of a row of natives. She took the lump, drew her
tongue across it in one long delicious lick, and passed it on to her
neighbor. Here the performance was repeated, and the sugar passed
on down the line, becoming visibly smaller at every exchange. It
disappeared entirely just before it reached the end of the line, and
the last man was compelled to content himself with licking the fingers
that had last held the sweetness.
After the dinner was over, some of the people, thinking that the
interesting part of the show was ended, went away, but Konah and many
others had no thought of going. Emboldened by the gentle voice and
kindly smile of the white women, Konah drew near, touched the soft
hands, and examined the dress, but most she wondered at the wealth
of wavy hair in such contrast with the short kinky covering of her
own curly pate. The missionary, seeing that not only the child, but
many of the women as well were deeply interested, graciously undid
her hair, and as it tumbled down, a wavy flood, reaching far below
her waist, amazed ejaculations burst from the beholders, and excited
gesticulations gave expression to feelings for which they could not
find words. When the first ecstasy of wonder was over, Konah put out
her hand timidly, and drew the soft hair through her fingers. But the
missionary, who had learned to look through the eyes down into the
soul, had marked Konah as one of those peculiarly bright and promising
beings sometimes found in darkest surroundings.
Calling the interpreter, she learned all she could about the child,
told her about the mission school, and asked her to come there and
be taught all the wonders the white people know. Konah was deeply
interested, and more than anxious to go, but of course the question was
not hers to decide. Sobah and Mamenah were not so easily persuaded,
though they were so far impressed by the first interview as to consent
to further palaver on the same subject after the evening service.
The time of the evening meeting found a crowd of two or three hundred
people assembled; the organ was again played, a prayer of tender
sympathy was offered, and then the magic lantern was brought into use.
This created another sensation, and held the audience as under a spell,
as picture after picture was thrown upon the canvas, representing the
life and the crucifixion of the Saviour of men. At the same time, that
simple yet extraordinary life-story was told, with all its display
of love and self-sacrifice for the good of others. It was a doctrine
absolutely new and incomprehensible to the natives, who knew only the
law of self-interest, yet some glimmerings of this new and gentler
light began to break in upon their minds, and to send touches of warmth
into their hearts.
It was evident that Sobah had been impressed with the events of the day
and evening, so after the meeting adjourned, the missionaries went to
the appointed conference with renewed hope. The palaver was long and
earnest. Sobah craved the opportunity to investigate new things, and
the offer of employment in connection with the mission boats was very
attractive, yet it is no easy matter to break with the environments and
habits of a lifetime. Besides, procrastination is part of the life of
the black man, and so the final decision was postponed until morning.
After the missionaries went away to their lodgings, some of their
native helpers remained, at Konah's urgent request, to talk further
of life at the mission school. Countless were the questions asked and
answered.
"Oh," said the girl, who was giving the information, "dey talk de
God-word, dey show plenty picture, dey make we sabbee book, learn we
fo' sew clo'es, en--" as an inspiration came to her, "dey pull story."
This was a delightful prospect indeed, and Konah, much elated, wanted
to know what kind of stories such people told. This is the sample that
was given her.
THE NEW VERSION OF EVE AND THE APPLE.
"Fus' tem people no bin deh nah de wuld. God say make we pull (create)
one man lek we. So he pull one man en one ooman. So nar heah God's
people wey he pull. He pull de garden fo' um too. He pull every t'ing
fo' den yeat, but one tree he say make yo' no yeat. Satan sen' snake
fo' tempt um. De snake walker up lek pusson. He say: 'God story 'pon
yo'; yo' no go die; make yo' yeat de fruit.' Den de ooman go pick
de plum en yeat um. Den de ooman go tell de man, he say: 'De fruit
sweet, make yo' come yeat um.' Den de man come pick de plum en yeat
um. Ebenin' tem God bring de light en go look fo' dem, en dey go hide
under one tree. God call, dey no answer, but God fine um en say: 'Dat
fruit I say make yo' no yeat, yo' bin yeat um?'
"Dey say: 'Yes, one man come en say make we yeat um.'
"Den God punish de people. He say ef dis ooman born pickin, de snake
go bite pickin foot. Den God punish de snake. He say w'en de ooman go
walker, he no see de snake, he step 'pon heen head en mas' um flat. Nar
dat to Mary, Christ's mudder."
The story seemed to Konah much like the ones she loved so well, except
that it introduced characters of which she had not heard until that
very day. There were questions she was burning to ask regarding the God
who had been mentioned so often that day. The visitors undertook to
enlighten her. They represented Him as a being who is always kind, and
gentle, and helpful, a willing burden bearer for others.
"God he get big cottah (head-pad) so he kin kare all trouble fo' we,"
was the striking way in which the last truth was expressed. The large
cottah, or head-pad, told Konah plainly that this being was accustomed
to carry excessive burdens, but that those should be carried "fo'
we," she could only partly understand. Going on with his personal
experience, the speaker said: "De goodness of de Lawd toward me, my
mout' too narrow fo' talk. I no know how fo' 'press dis tankee of God;
he done die fo' we, he get up in t'ree day, he go do good fo' we, he
no fo'get we. Ef I holler it no sufficien'. Ef it outside matter, my
tongue kin ring lek bell, inside it kin tangle en humbug."
A little later the visitors withdrew, and Konah, carried by her
eagerness to the very height of presumption, ventured even to make a
direct and final appeal to her father, "Oh, Daddy, make we go."
The father had not yet settled the question, so he commanded curtly:
"Shut mout'."
Morning came, and with it Sobah's decision to remove to the mission
town. Konah was in ecstasy. The people of the village gathered to see
the visitors off. As a special mark of friendship Sobah got under
one corner of a hammock, and toted it for some distance. Konah was
drawn irresistibly to the side of the woman who had put a new warmth
into her heart, and a new hope into her life. Lacking the ability to
communicate in words, the woman put out her hand. The girl seized it
eagerly, and trotted along contentedly by the side of the hammock.
Encouraged by Konah's example, other little girls came up and took hold
of the hand. Then the other hand was put out, and soon there were as
many little girls attached as there were fingers on the hands. They
trotted along, laughing and uttering frantic little ejaculations of
joy. Whenever a tree crowded too close upon the path, they would loosen
their hold, bound around the obstruction, and come back with a cry. So
the procession moved on until the river was reached. There the little
girls reluctantly halted. Konah stood watching, filled with an intense
longing, as the path turned from the further bank of the river, and
she saw the last hammock disappear around the bend. Her little heart
fluttered with emotion, and her whole childish being reached out from
that borderland of darkness, in a mute appeal to be taken along into
that warmer, richer light toward which she felt herself drawn by an
irresistible attraction. Thus she stood within the shadow, waiting for
the coming of the sunshine.
[Illustration: The End.]
VOCABULARY
Aintee? Is it not so?
Beef animals.
Betty better.
Bin deh am or was there.
Blow breathe.
Bug-a-bug White Ants, _Termes Bellicosus_.
Bly basket.
Bootoo stoop, crouch.
Calabas' gourd.
Cham chew.
Conk strike.
Cumpin companion.
Deh there.
Dem they, them, their.
Den they, their, them, then.
Do' door.
Do yah please.
Duh do (auxiliary).
Grap get up.
Greedy begrudge.
Hangry hungry, famine.
Hāse hoist, raise.
Hebe raise, throw.
He, heen, him his.
Hō'se house.
Hush yah term of condolence.
Leelee little.
Lek like, as.
Lef leave, left.
Mate an associate--wife.
Nah at, from, in, on, to.
Nar is, are, was.
Net night.
No mo' nothing more, merely.
Oonah you.
Pin place, put down.
Pickin pickaninny.
Pull create, tell.
Ress rice.
Sabbee know.
San'-san' sand.
Sebbeh charm.
Shabe divide.
Soso merely.
Sotáy until.
'Tan' stand.
Tay until, for, a long time.
Tem time.
'Tick tree, stick.
Wey what, which, who, where, since.
Yase ears.
Yi eye.
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE:
Obvious printer errors have been corrected. Otherwise, the author's
original spelling, punctuation and hyphenation have been left intact.