LXI.

DADDY JUPITER’S VISION.

Dreams are intimately associated with the lower forms of religion.... During sleep the spirit seems to desert the body; and as in dreams we visit other localities and even other worlds, living as it were a separate and different life, the two phenomena are not unnaturally regarded as the complements of one another.--SIR JOHN LUBBOCK.

Daddy Jupiter was an old man when I first knew him. In the capacity of a body servant he had accompanied his master during the campaign of 1812-15; and this fact, apart from his excellent character, elevated him in the esteem of all. For many years prior to his death he was practically “off duty,” keeping in-doors whenever he did not feel entirely well, and in pleasant weather working in the vegetable garden. He was fond of his chickens and pigs, and cultivated on his own account a small patch where arrowroot, long collards, sugar-cane, tanniers, ground-nuts, benne, gourds, and watermelons grew in commingled luxuriance. A widower and without children, he led, in the main, a retired life; seldom visiting at the houses of the other negroes on the plantation, but always chatting pleasantly with all who came to see him. At the “Praise-House” his seat was never vacant when his health permitted him to be present, and he filled the office of a “watchman” upon the plantation. It was the duty of one occupying that station to advise in spiritual matters, to lead in the semi-weekly prayer-meetings, to set an example which others might well follow, and to counsel in all religious difficulties. Although somewhat quick-tempered, and jealous of that respect which he deemed his due from others, he was upright, honest, full of Christian sentiment, and pronounced in his condemnation of everything savoring of evil. In a word, he was a man of good reputation, enjoyed the confidence of his fellows, stood high in his church, and was supposed to be in special favor with the Lord.

During the winter preceding his death Jupiter suffered much from rheumatism. For weeks together he ventured no further than the door of his cabin, where he would sit and sun himself and smoke his clay pipe. A negro lad, Cæsar by name, had been deputed to cook for him, to wait upon him, and to minister to his needs.

I called one morning to see the old man, to inquire after his health, and to ascertain whether his wants were properly supplied. For an hour and more he entertained me, as was his wont, with tales of the olden time, and was evidently in excellent spirits. As I was about to depart, Cæsar said: “Mossa, Uncle Jupter bin hab er wision las night. Leh him tell you bout um.” My curiosity being excited, I resumed my seat, and inquired: “Daddy, is that true? Have you had a vision?” “Yes, me chile,” he answered, “me suttenly did hab er wision, an er berry good one too.” “Tell me about it,” I rejoined. “Well, yeddy me,” replied the old man, and he spoke as follows:--

“Las night, dis befo fus fowl crow, me bin er leddown een me bed. De moon done set. Cæsar, him bin ter sleep by de fire een de tarruh room. Eberyting on de plantation gone bed. Me bin study bout de time wen ole Jupter hab ter meet him Lord and Master, an me berry happy een me bussum. Den me drap ter sleep. How long me bin ter sleep me dunno, but all ob er sutten pear like ebry shingle an boad hab er crack, an de light stream tru, an de room bin bright es day. Wile me duh wonder wudduh dat, four leely angel, wuh dress een wite an hab wing on eh back, fly een de room. Two light topper de foot er de bed, an one on arur side er me. My! but dem bin pooty! Me see heap er pooty wite chillun een me time, but me nebber bin see nuttne teh come up ter dem, nur ter ketch nigh um. Dem look pon topper me so kind, an dey open an shet dem wing, an mek sich a cool breeze een de house. Bimeby me retch out me han fuh tell de one huddy wuh bin tan close me bed on de right side, but eh draw back, an eh say: ‘Jupter, we come fuh leh you know de blessed Jesus duh commin fuh cahr you up ter Hebben an show you de seat wuh eh hab ready fur you.’ Me dat glad me yent hab bref fuh mek ansur. Me hard fuh bleebe me own yez. Me harte rise up een me troat, an me yent duh say nuttne, but me duh watch fur de Lord. Soon de blessed Jesus, wid de print er de nail een eh han an eh foot, an wid de star on eh head, drap right down tru de top er de house dout crack er shingle, an eh call me name, an eh tell me fuh rise, an eh pit eh han onder me shoulder, an eh liff me up light es er fedder. Me ole cloze an me ole body leff behine, an somehow narruh me sperit, him keep de shape er de body. Den eh pit eh han onder me arm, an eh cahr me way up eenter de element, beyant de sun an de moon an de star, an de leely angel duh foller we. We gone an we gone way up tel we git ter er big alablaster house, wid high piazza all roun an roun, wuh shine same luk de sun, buil in de middle er a beautiful gaden wid flower, an fruit, an hummin-bud, an butterfly, an angel wid harp duh sing an duh joy ehself onder de tree. Dis es we git ter de big gate, wuh mek wid pearl, eh swing open dout tetch um, an de blessed Jesus lead dis poor ole nigger up de shinin pate to de big house way de Lord lib.

“We gone up de step an enter de pahler, way de great God bin er set on eh golden trone. Den de blessed Jesus mek de good Lord sensible dat dis duh Jupter wuh him hab sabe, an dat eh fetch um fuh show um eh seat wuh eh done prepare fur um. Wid dat de Lord, him call teh one angel, an eh tell um fuh bring one chair an set um down befo eh trone. Soon es dis bin done eh say: ‘Jupter, yuh you chair; set een um. Eh blants ter you.’ Mossa, you nebber bin see sech chair een all you life. Eh hab gold rocker ter um. Eh hab welwit cushin een eh bottom. Eh hab high back, an eh arm stuff. Eh so soffe an easy. Eh look pootier den dat big rockin chair wuh ole Mossa bin gib Missy wen eh marry you farruh. Me shame fuh set een de chair, but de blessed Jesus, him courage me, an me tek me seat, an me so tankful dat me hab one chair een de mansion een de sky.

“Den de blessed Jesus tell anurruh angel fuh bring me some milk an honey fuh drink. Eh bring um een a nice glass tumbler, an eh gen me fuh drink. Me tase um, an eh sweet mone anyting me ebber drink een me life. Eh tell me fuh drink um down, an wen me drink all outer de glass, an me yeye ketch sight er de bottom er de tumbler, me see some speck. De ting trouble me, fuh me dunno wuh mek speck day een de bottom er dat clean tumbler. Den de blessed Master notus me, an eh say: ‘Dont fret, Jupter; dem speck duh you sin, but now dem all leff behine.’

“All dis time me bin er set wid me face tun way from de Lord an eh trone, cause eh so great an bright me couldnt look pon topper um. Mossa, me cant scribe wuh me see an yeddy een dat Hebben. Eh yent fuh tell. De blessed Jesus tek me tru de gaden, down by de ribber, an een de orchud way de bigges peach, an fig, an orange, an pomegranate, an watermillion, an all kin der fruit der grow. Me see heap er good people wuh me bin know befo eh dead. Ole Mossa, Cappne Maxwell, ole Mr. Ashmore, Buh Jack, Sister Masha, me own Dinah, an mo bin day, an dem all hab harp, an bin der sing, an walk bout, an der pledjur ehself. Dem glad fuh see me too, an gen me de right han er fellership.

“Arter me bin in Hebben good wile, de blessed Master, him say: ‘Come, Jupter, I gwine show you way de bad people go.’ Den eh lead me down to one bottom wuh dark an kibber wid cloud. In de fur een me see smoke duh rise, an me yeddy people duh cry an duh holler so bad. Wen we git ter dat spot, lo an behole! day was de mouf er Hell. Satan, him bin day wid eh pitchfork, an eh black head wid screech-owl yez, an eh red yeye, an eh claw-han, an eh forky tail. Eh tan right at de mouf er de big hole way de smoke an de fire duh bile out. Fas as de tarruh debble bring sinner ter um, eh push um wid eh pitchfork an eh trow um een de fire. Lord Amighty! Mossa, how dem sinner did kick an holler an try fuh pull way! But twant no use. De minnit ole Satan graff eh claw on um eh gone, an you could yeddy um duh fry een de fire same luk fat een me pan yuh. Me bin rale skade. De ting mek me sick. Me hole on ter me Jesus, an him tell me not teh fade, dat nuttne shill trouble me.

“Dis at dat time me wake. Me hair bin a rise on me head, an wen me come fuh fine out me bin een me own bed, an fowl bin a crow fuh day. Oh, Mossa! dat ting wuh dem call Hell duh a bad place. Me no wan shum no mo, an me yent gwine day nurrer. Enty de blessed Jesus done show me de chair wuh eh done sabe fuh me een Hebben? Yes, Mossa, me seat eh fix, an ole Jupter ready fur go wenebber de Lord call.”

He was indeed prepared, and early in the spring we laid him to rest beneath the venerable live-oaks which, with their solemn arms, guarded the plantation burying-ground. Then, not in a vision, but in reality, as we believe, the good old man claimed and was accorded his seat in the “mansion not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens.”

GLOSSARY

_Abnue_, avenue _Agg_, egg _All ob er sutten_, quickly and unexpectedly _An_, and _Arter_, after _Arur_, each, either _Ax_, ask

_Bactize_, baptize _Bague_, to beg _Barruh_, barrow _Beber_, beaver _Bedout_, without _Ben_, bend, bent, been _Berry_, very _Bes_, best _Bex_, vex, vexed _Bidness_, business _Biggin_, begin, began _Bimeby_, by and by, presently _Binner_, was, were _Bittle_, victuals _Blan_, in the habit of, accustomed to _Blanks_⎫ _Blants_⎭ belongs to _Bleebe_, believe _Bleege_, obliged, compelled _Bodder_, to bother _Bode_, board, boards _Bofe_, both _Bole_, bold _Boun_, resolved upon, forced to _Bredder_, brother _Bref_, breath _Bres_, breast _Bresh_, brush-wood, to brush _Broke up_, to leave, to depart _Brukwus_, breakfast _Buckra_, white man _Bud_, bird _Budduh_⎫ _Buh_ ⎭ brother _Buhhine_, behind _Bun_, burn _Buss_, burst, or break through

_Cahr_, carry _Caze_, because _Ceive_, deceive _Cept_, accept, accepted, except _Chillun_, children _Chimbly_, chimney _Chune_, tune _Cist_, insist _Clorte_, cloth _Cloze_, clothes _Cohoot_, bargain, agreement _Cole_, cold _Conjunct_, agree to, conclude _Cote_, court _Crack eh teet_, make answer _Crap_, crop _Crape_, scrape _Cratch_, scratch _Cut down_, disappointed, chagrined

_Darter_, daughter _Day_, there, is, to be, am _Day day_, to be there _Den_, then _Der_, was, were, into _Dest_⎫ _Dist_⎭ just, only _Destant_, distant, distance _Det_, death _Diffunce_, difference _Disher_, this _Do_, door _Dout_, without _Drap_, drop, dropped _Duh_, was, were _Dunno_, don’t know _Dut_, dirt

_Edder_, other _Eeben_, even _Een_, in, end _Eenwite_, invite _Ef_, if _Eh_, he, she, it, his, her, its _Element_, the sky, upper air _En_, end _Enty_, are you not, are they not, do you not, do they not, is it not

_Faber_, favor _Faid_, to be afraid _Fambly_, family _Fanner_, a shallow basket _Farruh_⎫ _Farrur_⎭ father _Feber_, fever _Fedder_, feather, feathers _Fiel_, field _Fine_, supply with food, find _Flaber_, flavor _Flo_, floor _Flut_, flirt _Foce_, force _Forrud_, forehead _Fren_, friend _Fros_, frost _Fuh_, for _Fuh sutten_, for a certainty _Fuss_, first

_Gage_, engage, hire _Gedder_, gather, collect _Gelt_, to girt _Gem_, to give _Gen_, gave, again _Gie_, give _Gimme_, give me _Glec_, neglect _Glub_, gloves _Gooly_, good _Graff_, grab _Gree_, agree, consent _Grine salt_, fly round and round _Guine_⎫ _Gwine_⎭ going, going to

_Haffer_, have to, had to _Hair rise_, badly frightened _Haky_ ⎫ _Harky_⎭ hearken to, heed _Han_, hand _Hanker_, long for, desire _Hatchich_, hatchet _Head_, get the better of _Head um_, get ahead of him _Hebby_, heavy _Holler_, halloo, hollow _Hoona_, you _Hot_, to hurt _Huccum_, how happens it, why, how come _Huddy_, how d’ye do

_Ile me bade_, grease my mouth _Isself_, himself, herself, itself, themselves

_Jew_, dew _Jist_, just _Juk_, jerk

_Ketch_, catch, reach to, approach _Kibber_, cover _Kine_, kind _Knowledge_, acknowledge, admit

_Labuh_, labor _Lass_, to suffice for, to last _Lean fuh_, set out for _Led-down_, lay down _Leek_, to lick with the tongue _Leely_ ⎫ _Leetle_⎭ little _Leff_, to leave, did leave, left _Leggo_, to let go _Leh_, let _Lemme_, let me _Lenk_, length _Libbin_, living _Lick_, to whip, stroke of the whip _Lickin_, whipping _Lick back_, turn rapidly back _Lief_, leave, permission _Light on_, to mount _Light out_, to start off _Long_, with, from _Lub_, love _Luk_ ⎫ _Lucker_⎭ like

_Mange_, mane _Medjuh_, measure _Mek_, make, made _Mek fuh_, to go to _Mek out_, fare, thrive, succeed _Member_, to remind _Men eh pace_, increase his speed _Mine_, mind, heed, take care of _Miration_, wonder, astonishment _Mo_, more _Moober_, moreover _Mona_ ⎫ _Moner_⎭ more than _Mona dat_, more than that _Mose_, almost _Mossa_, master _Mouf_⎫ _Mout_⎭ mouth _Murrer_, mother _Mussne_, must not _Muster_, must have

_Nabor_, neighbor _Narruh_, another _Nebber_, never _Nekked_, naked _Nes_, nest _New Nigger_, a negro fresh from Africa _Nigh_, to draw near to _Notus_, notice, observe _Noung_, young _Nudder_, another _Nuff_, enough _Nummine_, never mind _Nurrer_, neither, another _Nuse_, use, employ _Nussen_, used to, accustomed to _Nuss_, nurse _Nuttne_, nothing

_Obersheer_, overseer _Offer_, off of _Ole_, old _Ooman_, woman, women _Out_, to go out, to extinguish _Outer_, out of

_Pahler_, parlor _Passon_, parson _Pate_, path _Pen pon_, depend upon _Perwision_, provisions _Pinder_, ground-nuts, peanuts _Pint_, direct, directed, point _Pintment_, appointment _Pit_, put, apply _Playpossum_, to fool, to practice deceit _Pledjuh_, pleasure _Po_, poor, pour _Pon_, upon _Pooty_, pretty _Pose_, post _Prommus_, promise _Pruppus_, on purpose _Pusson_, person

_Quaintun_, acquainted with _Quaintance_, acquaintances _Quile_, to coil, coiled _Quire_, to inquire, inquired

_Rale_, very truly, really _Range_, reins _Rastle_, to wrestle _Retch_, to reach, to arrive at _Ribber_, river _Riz_, rose _Roose_, roost

_Sabe_, to know _San_, sand _Sarbis_, service, kindness _Satify_ ⎫ _Saterfy_⎭ satisfied, happy, content _Scace_, scarce _Schway_, to swear, swore _Scuse_, excuse _Seaznin_, seasoning _Sebbn_, seven _Sed_, sit, sat _Sed-down_, sit down, sat down _Shet_, shut _Sho_, sure _Sholy_, surely _Shum_, to see it, see him, see her, see them _Sider_, on the side of _Sisso_, say so _Skade_, scared _Smate_, smart _Sofe_, soft _Soon man_, very smart, wide-awake man _Sorter_, sort of, after a fashion _Sparruh_, sparrow _Spec_, expect _Spose_, expose _Spute_, contest the championship with _State_, start, begin _Steader_⎫ _Stidder_⎭ instead of _Straighten fur_, run rapidly for _Stroy_, destroy _Sukkle_, circle, fly around _Summuch_, so much _Sutten_, certain, sudden _Suttenly_, certainly, suddenly _Swade_, persuade _Swode_, sword

_Tack_, to attack _Tackle_, to hold to account _Tan_, to stand _Tarrify_, to terrify, to annoy _Tarruh_ ⎫ _Turruh_ ⎭ the other _Tase_, to taste, taste _Tay_, stay _Tek_, take _Tek wid um_, pleased with him, her, or it _Tek you foot_, to walk _Tel_, until _Ten_, attend to _Tend_, intend _Tenk_ ⎫ _Tenky_ ⎭ to thank, thanks _Ter_ ⎫ _Teh_ ⎭ to _Tetch_, touch _Tetter_, potatoes _Tick_, thick, abundant, a stick _Ticket_, thicket _Tickler_, particular _Tief_, to steal, thief _Ting_, thing _Tird_, third _Titter_, sister _Togerruh_, together _Tole_, told _Topper_, on top of, on _Tote_, carry _Trabble_, travel _Tru_, through _Truss_, trust _Trute_, truth _Tuff_, tuft _Tuk_, took _Tun_, turn, return _Tun flour_, to cook hominy

_Up ter de notch_, in the best style _Usen_, to be in the habit of

_Vise_, to advise _Vive_, revive

_Wan_, to want, to wish, want _Warse_, wasp _Wase_, waste _Way_, where _Wayebber_, wherever _Whalin ob er_, enormous, severe _Wid_, with _Wile_, while _Win_, wind _Wine_, vine _Wish de time er day_, to say good-bye, how d’ye do _Wud_, word _Wudduh dat_, what is that _Wuffer_, what for, why, what to _Wuh_, what, which, who _Wuhebbuh_, whatever _Wuk_, work _Wul_, world _Wunt_, will not, would not _Wurrum_, worms _Wus_, worse _Wus den nebber_, worse than ever _Wut_, worth

_Yad_, yard _Yearin_, hearing _Yeddy_, to hear, to hearken to _Yender_ ⎫ _Yent_ ⎭ not, was not, were not _Yent day day_, is not there, are not there _Yeye_, eye, eyes _Yez_, ear, ears _Yiz_, am, is, to be, did _Yuh_, here

_Zamine_, examine

NUMBERS

_One_, one _Two_, two _Tree_, three _Fo_, four _Fibe_, five _Six_, six _Sebbn_, seven _Eight_, eight _Nine_, nine _Ten_, ten _Lebbn_, eleven _Twelbe_, twelve _Tirteen_, thirteen _Foteen_, fourteen _Fifteen_, fifteen _Sixteen_, sixteen _Sebbnteen_, seventeen _Eighteen_, eighteen _Nineteen_, nineteen _Twenty_, twenty _Tirty_, thirty _Forty_, forty _Fifty_, fifty _Sixty_, sixty _Sebbnty_, seventy _Eighty_, eighty _Ninety_, ninety _One hundud_, one hundred _One tousan_, one thousand

MONTHS OF THE YEAR

_Jinnywerry_, January _Febbywerry_, February _Mache_, March _Aprul_, April _May_, May _June_, June _Jully_, July _Augus_, August _Sectember_, September _October_, October _Nowember_, November _December_, December

DAYS OF THE WEEK

_Mundy_, Monday _Chuseday_, Tuesday _Wensday_, Wednesday _Tursday_, Thursday _Friday_, Friday _Sattyday_, Saturday _Sunday_, Sunday

Transcriber’s Note

Words and phrases in italics are surrounded by underscores, _like this_. Footnotes were renumbered sequentially and were moved to the end of the story in which the anchor occurs. The following were amended:

Added close quotation mark to sentence: “Tenky, tenky, ... me git all dis money.” Changed ‘heaper’ to ‘heap er’ ... eenwite heap er fren ... Changed ‘ob er’ to ‘ober’ ... all ober sutten, ... Changed ‘XLI’ to ‘LXI’ for final chapter number.