By Max Adeler.
"You say," I remarked to the old negro who drove the hack, "that you were
General Washington's body-servant?"
"Dat's so! Dat's jes so, mossa. I done waited on Washington sence he was
so high--no bigger 'n a small chile."
"You know the story then about the cherry-tree and the hatchet?"
"Know it? Why, I was dar on de spot. I seen Mossa Gawge climbe de tree
atter de cherries, and I seen him fling de hatchet at de boys who was a
stonin' him. I done chase dem boys off de place meself."
"Do you remember his appearance as a man? What he looked like?"
"Yes, indeedy. He was a kinder short, chunky man; sorter fat and
hearty-lookin'. He had chin whiskers and mustache and spectacles. Mos'
generally he wore a high hat; but I'se seed him in a fur cap wid
ear-warmers!"
"You were not with him, of course, when he crossed the Delaware--when he
went across the Delaware River?"
"Wid him? Yes, sah; I was right dar. I was not more'n two feet off'n him
as he druv across de bridge in his buggy! Dat's a fac'. I walked 'longside
de off hind wheel ob dat buggy all de way."
"You saw him then when he fought the British at Trenton?"
"Sho's you're born I did! I held Mossa Gawge's coat an' hat while he
fought the British at dat werry place. Mossa Gawge clinched him and den
dey rassled and rassled, and at first he frew Mossa Gawge, and den Mossa
Gawge flung him, and set on him and done hammered him till he cried 'nuff!
Mossa Gawge won dat fight. I seed him wid me own eyes! An' I come home wid
him in de kyars!"
"You weren't with him, though, when he shot the apple off the boy's head?"
"Who wa'n't wid him? I wa'n't? I was de only pusson dar 'ceptin' one white
man. I loaded Mossa Gawge's revolver and han'ed it to him, and picked up
de apple an' et it soon as he'd knocked it off. Nobody can't tell dish yer
old niggah nuffin' 'bout dat circumstance."
"You knew all of the general's relations, too, I suppose? Martin Luther,
and Peter the Hermit, and the rest?"
"Knowed um all. Many and many's de time I done waited on de table when
Mossa Gawge had um to dinner. I remember dem two gemmen jes' 's well 's if
I'd a seen um yesterday. Yes, sah; an' I druv 'em out often!"
"I've frequently seen pictures of Washington in which he is represented
sitting upon a white horse. Did he really ride a white horse, or don't you
recall the color of his horse?"
"Why, bress your soul; 'call de color ob de hoss--'call de color ob it? Do
you see dish yer nigh hoss dat I'm a drivin' now, right yer? Well, dat's
de werry hoss Mossa Gawge used to ride. He lef it to me in his will!"
Just then we reached the station, and I dismounted from the hack and paid
Washington's body-servant for his service. No doubt a longer conversation
with him would have revealed other new and startling facts relating to the
Father of His Country.