THE SEPARATION.
It was a sad night for Paul--the saddest, perhaps, of his whole
life--for hitherto one friend had been with him; now he was to go forth
alone. This was weary trouble; but the boy met it bravely. Being told
with firmness that it was wrong to desire Jube to be always with him, he
hushed down the anguish of that parting, and went away with bitter tears
choked back in his heart.
This story was in the days of carriers and stage-coaches. Paul was
placed in charge of a driver, and early the next morning was to be sent
on his journey. He and Jube spent half an hour in the garret before he
left, and a touching scene passed between those faithful hearts in that
lonely place. Jube sat down on the floor and held the lad in his arms.
"You wont forget me, never, little masser?"
"Forget you, Jube, I couldn't do it; never, never; when 'sleep, it will
be Jube who stands by in the dreams that our lady will send. If I pray,
I will ask her to bless Jube."
"Oh, little masser, how Jube's heart aches!"
"And mine, Jube. What shall I do, all alone?"
"Yes, little masser, who will wake you up in the morning and warm your
hands in his?"
"No one," sobbed Paul--"no one ever will be good to me like you, Jube."
"And you'll want Jube?"
"Want you--oh, very much."
Jube gathered the little fellow to his bosom and cried over him in
forlorn silence.
"Little masser?"
"Well, Jube?" was the mournful answer.
"I'll try, little masser--I'll do very much to stay in this house when
you're gone; but don't be frightened if I come often. Masser," sobbed
the negro, "it does me good to say 'little masser,' but to-morrow no one
will hear me."
Paul clung to his friend. "But I shall know it. In my soul I shall hear
Jube's voice saying, 'little masser.'"
The rattle of wheels disturbed them. Tom Hutchins had driven up in his
father's yellow wagon, and sat cracking his whip, ready to convey Paul
to the stage house, where the doctor was waiting to see his youthful
friend off. There was brief leave-taking between Mrs. Allen and her
son's protege. The sorrows that possessed her were so absorbing that all
lesser griefs passed as nothing. She kissed the boy with a mournful
farewell, and saw him driven away heavy-hearted and heavy eyed,
wondering that any one, even a child, could feel sorrow for so slight a
cause.
Jube, poor, faithful Jube, lifted Paul into the wagon, folded the
checked blanket which draped the seat tenderly around him, and turned
away, covering his face with both hands.
When Paul looked back to wave his last adieu, Jube was following down
the road with long strides. He soon reached the wagon, and kept up with
it, notwithstanding Tom's splendid driving, till they reached the stage
house on the hill at Chewstown.
The stage was not in, and Tom sat in magnificent state by his foreign
friend, snapping his whip and holding in his horse, which was made
restive by the noise, with great force. What between grief at his
friend's departure and the glory of driving a young horse for the first
time, that precocious Jehu was in a state of wonderful excitement. But
when the stage-coach came in, with its tin horn sounding over the hills,
and a crack of whips that startled the whole neighborhood, Tom folded up
his lash in despair, and shrinking into the insignificance of a
one-horse wagon, gave way to his counter passion and became inconsolable
over Paul's departure.
"I don't wonder you look so, Jube," he said, addressing the negro. "The
idea of sending him off without you--it's downright scandlous. Now if it
was me I'd cut. Catch a chap about this size staying behind to please an
old woman! I wouldn't do it!"
"Ha, what is that? What you say, Masser Tom? Cut--what is cut?"
Before Tom could explain his meaning to the negro, the doctor rode up
and shook Paul by the hand.
"Come, hop out, my little shaver--seat all ready--driver's got his
orders. Here's a letter that you must give Mr. Prior, that's a good boy.
Open the door, driver--lift him up, cuffy--ho, heave, ho!"
The stage took a splendid sweep, that nearly broke Tom's heart with
envy, then swung down the sand banks across the bridge and away.
Paul leaned from a window, and wildly flung kisses back to his friends.
Jube shaded his eyes with one hand, but tears dropped heavy and thick
from under it, while Tom jumped out of his wagon, and ran after the
doctor.
"Doctor, I say, you jest listen to reason. That ere nigger is breaking
his consarned black heart 'cause you amongst you wont let him go with
Paul. It's a burning shame of you, doctor; he'll jest pine away into a
consumption; and that'll be what you have done."
"Why, Tom, what is all this about? I haven't kept your snowball; he can
roll where he pleases for any thing I care about it."
"And you didn't set the widder up to this, doctor?"
"Set her up to it?--no."
"Doctor, give us your hand. I ought to have known better. If ever there
was a chap that I look up to he isn't far off from this 'dentical hoss.
If you'd gin orders for cuff to stay, stay he should, right or wrong;
but if it's only a specimen of woman's work, then Jube is his own boss.
A woman's a woman, and a nigger is a nigger--neither uv 'em can vote or
train according to law. Then what right has one over t'other, I should
like to know?"
The doctor's eyes twinkled under their heavy brows.
"That is logic," he said, leading the boy on. "If women could vote,
and----"
"If wimmin could vote!" exclaimed Tom, with magnificent disdain. "The
idee! Who'd take care of the young ones while they trapsed about
'lection days? Well, I reckon it wouldn't be me--I've had enough of that
'ere."
"Well, Tom, as women can't vote, and have no right to order negroes,
what course would you advise Jube to take?"
"Cut, doctor; that's what I'd do in this case!"
"Well, if he wants to cut, and has the money to afford it, I don't see
the harm."
"You don't? Hurrah, Jube! You don't?--that's enough. Good-by, doctor."
Away the lad rushed, and sprang with a bound into the wagon.
"Come, Jube--hurry up. I've got something splendid to say to you. Jump
in, and I don't mind driving you over the hill. Chirk up, old fellow,
we'll be after him yet, but I'll think it over till morning."
Jube obeyed this boisterous summons, and climbed into the wagon.
The next day, Mrs. Allen left her house, and took up her lonely abode in
New Haven. Old Mr. Thrasher went with her, leaving his wife behind for a
few days, when she too would give up her home. Jube was left alone in
the house, alone in the cruel cold, so heartbroken and desolate that he
had not sufficient energy to build a fire, or cook necessary food. Tom
was right--a few weeks of this life would have killed the noble fellow
outright. On the third day after Paul left, he was sitting drearily on
the hearth, with his feet in the ashes, when Tom came in.
"Just as I expected," he said, dropping into Mrs. Allen's high-backed
chair. "Down in the mouth--clean give up--not worth salt."
Jube did not speak, but sat supporting his head with both hands, looking
gloomily into the ashes.
"Look a here, cuff, to-morrow is stage day agin."
"I know it," said Jube. "The doctor stopped here and told me."
"He did?"
"Yes."
"Well, why didn't you take the hint?"
Jube looked at Tom, with a languid question in his eyes.
"Pick up your money, jump on the top of the stage, and dash away after
Paul. That's what he meant by coming here."
"Ha! ha! what that?" cried Jube, starting to his feet.
"Now, don't go off the handle; but pack up your bundle, and be off in
the morning. What are you skeered about? What's the use of working when
you've got lots an' lots of cash? Just up and go after Paul. He's
breaking his heart, and so are you; besides, this old house is enough to
set a feller crazy. I couldn't stand it. Just up and go; that's my
advice. The doctor'll make it all right with the old woman."
"But the animals--the poor cow and the birds--who feed them when Jube
gone?"
"That's exactly what I come about. If it hadn't been for that
difficulty, I'd a had you off afore this. I've been talking to par about
the chores to hum, and he's kinder promised to let me off from part of
'em and give me time to stop here on my way to school and back. I'll
take care of the critters and feed the chickens till some of 'em get
home again; so don't worry yourself about them, but chirk up and act
like a man. What are you looking away for? Don't it suit you?"
Jube turned his face upon the boy; a face all quivering and aglow with
happiness.
"Oh, Masser Tom, a great rock is lifted right off from my heart. Masser
Paul! Masser Paul!"
"It wont take you more than a day to get there."
"One day? to-morrow night? no more?" questioned the negro, earnestly.
"Jes so. Now pack up and I'll drive you over to the stage house, consarn
me, if I wont; for, cuffy or no cuffy, you are a prime feller, Jube, and
I aint ashamed of your acquaintance. It's an honor, Jube, and I feel
it."
The next morning Tom sat in his father's yellow wagon in front of the
stage house, while Jube, smiling till all his teeth shone, again waved
an adieu from the top of the stage.
"Good-by, Jube; tell Paul not to forget old Bungy and the folks that's
in it."
Jube smiled broadly.
"Tell him to come back in the spring."
Jube lost his message, for the stage went off, scattering a storm of mud
from its wheels, and thundering down the sand banks with a flourish of
whips that aggravated Tom's unhappiness beyond measure.
"Never mind," he muttered, turning his horse to follow on the same road.
"If Rose Mason only knew I was driving this young critter that she used
to consider so harnsome, she wouldn't think that stage any thing
tremendous, loud as the driver cracks his whip."
With these consoling fragments of thought, Tom followed in the wake of
the stage, trying his whip as he crossed the bridge in a manner that
made his young steed plunge and jump on one side with a violence that
brought the boy's heart into his mouth. While he was busy subduing the
spirited animal the doctor rode on to the bridge and watched the
conflict. It was soon over, for Tom had ignominiously given up by
thrusting his whip under the seat in great dismay.
"Well, what's the news, Tom?" inquired the doctor, as he rode by.
"Nothing special sir, only Jube has cut. Going up the hill yonder on top
of the stage. I say, you'll just make it all right with Mrs. Allen,
doctor?"
The doctor nodded, chuckled softly, and rode on.