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We long remembered him as one of the peculiar features of Richmond. He had one unvarying formula for proclaiming his wares. It ran in this wise: "Great Nooze in de papahs! "Great Nooze from Orange Coaht House, Virginny! "Great Nooze from Alexandry, Virginny! "Great Nooze from Washington City! "Great Nooze from Chattanoogy, Tennessee! "Great Nooze from Chahlston, Sou' Cahlina!
"Let me look at yo' free papahs," he said, for Si could read and liked to show off his accomplishment at every opportunity. He stumbled through the formal document to the end, reading at the last: "This is a present from Ben to his beloved wife, Viney." She held out her hand for the paper.
The emigrants had painted glowing pictures of the Eldorado to which they were going, and now Viney's only talk in the evening was of the glories of the North. Ben would listen to her unmoved, until one night she said: "You ought to go North when you gits yo' papahs." Then he had answered her, with kindling eyes: "No, I won't go Nawth!
How you git aroun' dat, Mis' Viney Allen?" "Ben's name goin' to be Mistah Allen soon's he gits his free papahs." "Oomph! You done gone now! Yo' naik so stiff you can't ha'dly ben' it. I don' see how dat papah mek sich a change in anybody's actions. Yo' face ain' got no whitah." "No, but I's free, an' I kin do as I please."
"Well, what is he?" inquired the second of the New-Haveners. "Joseph Hull, 'ligious lunatic," said the Old Cock. "Was in thah Bloomingdale Asylum. Cut off one night about foah months ago and stole a suit o' clothes that belonged to John M. Riley, with a lot o' money and papahs and lettahs in thah pockets. How'd you get hold of him?"
Corbin," he said with gasping dignity, "I will take these papahs, and consult them again in my own office where, if you will do me the honor, sir, to call at ten o'clock to-morrow, I will give you my opinion." He strode out of the saloon beside the half awe-stricken, half-amused, yet all discreetly silent loungers, followed by his wondering but gloomy client.
Whenevah you looks at yo'se'f an' feels lak you ain' no diff'ent f'om whut you been you tek dat papah out an' look at hit, an' say to yo'se'f, 'Dat means freedom." Carefully, reverently, silently Viney put the paper into her bosom. "Now, de nex' t'ing fu' me to do is to set out to git one dem papahs fu' myse'f.
Dar's sho' nuff wot de papahs calls er armerstice 'twixt de berlig'rant pahties ya-as'm! De berry wust has happen' already, so yo' folkses might's well git ca'm git ca'm." The old colored man's philosophy delighted the doctor's wife so much that she had to laugh.
"Yes, you'll be free, Viney. Den I's gwine to set to wo'k an' buy my free papahs." "Oh, kin you do it kin you do it kin you do it?" "Kin I do it?" he repeated. He stretched out his arm, with the sleeve rolled to the shoulder, and curved it upward till the muscles stood out like great knots of oak. Then he opened and shut his fingers, squeezing them together until the joints cracked. "Kin I do it?"
"I wunner whah that little scamp is," she said, smiling; "I tol' him to hu'y home, but I reckon he's stayin' out latah wid de evenin' papahs so's to bring home mo' money." Hour after hour passed and he did not come; then she grew alarmed.
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