Never mind that part of it.
But just as soon as I can get a dram of hot coffee in me I expect Ill feel stronger and then Ill be shoving along and not bother you any more. I reckin that long train ride and the excitement and everything must a took it out of me, some way. There was a time when it wouldnt have bothered me at all not a bit. Still, Ill have to confess Im getting along, maam. Ill be eighty-four this coming ninth of August.
Listen to me: Youre not going to stir another inch tonight. You stay right here and tomorrow morning Ill decide myself whether youre fit to go trapesing off across to the other side of town.
Oh, maam, I couldnt do that!
Why couldnt you?
But, maam, are you taking in any visitors during the reunion?
I wasnt aiming to. Her voice was grim. But Im fixing now to do that very little thing, whether or no.
But honest, now I He scuffled with his tired feet. Its mighty good and mighty sweet of you, maam, but Id hate to impose on you like that.
No imposition. Therere five spare bedrooms in this house and nobody in any of them. And nobody going to be in any of them, either, while youre here except you. I think youll be comfortable.
I know Id be comfortable but
Then its all settled. By the way, I dont know your name yet?
My name is Braswell Nathan Braswell, late high private of the rear rank in the Eighteenth Tennessee Infantry. But up at Forks of Hatchie thats my home town, maam, a little town up in West Tennessee they call me the Reverend Braswell, sometimes.
Reverend? Her eyelids narrowed. Are you a minister?
Oh, nome. But sometimes when were short on a preacher I make out to take the pulpit and read the Scriptures and make a little kind of a talk not a regular sermon just a little kind of a religious talk. And Im purty active in church work generally. So I reckin thats why some people call me the Reverend Braswell. But I never use the entitlement myself it wouldnt be becoming in a layman.
I see. You preach but youre not a preacher. I guess you practice what you preach, too. You look like a good man, to me and a good man can be set down anywhere and not suffer by it; at least thats my opinion. So, Mr. Braswell, right here is where you camp.
Just as you say, maam. His surrender was complete now, his weariness was, too. Probably youre right if I tried to go any further tonight its likely I wouldnt be much good tomorrow and I want to be spry and fresh so I can knock around and see if I cant run across some of my old pardners in the army. But excuse me again you got my name but you aint told me yours?
Call me Miss Sissie, if you want to. Thats what nearly everybody does call me. Or else just plain Sis.
All right, Miss Sissie, just as you say. He bowed to her with a grave simplicity. And Im sure Im very much beholden to you, maam. It aint every day that an old fellow like me is lucky enough to run into such a lovely nice lady as you.
He drank his coffee, and, being helped to his feet, he went upstairs with some aid from the lovely nice lady and presently was sound asleep in a clean bed in what he regarded as a very fine bedroom indeed. Its grandeur impressed him even through his tiredness.
Coming back down after seeing him properly bestowed, the mistress of the house hailed the colored girl. Pansy, she said, this place is out of business until further orders, understand?
At that, Pansy seemed deeply puzzled. But, Miss Sissie, she expostulated, dont you remember at a suttin party you know, Mista J. W. B. is spectin to be yere most any time wid
Did you hear what I told you? A quality of metallic harshness in Miss Sissies voice was emphasized.
Yessum, but you know yosef how that there party, Mista J. W. B., is. Hell shore be dispinted. Hes liable raise Cain. Hes
Get him on the telephone; you know his number. Tell him this place is closed for tonight and for every day and every night until further notice from me. And tell the same thing to everybody else who calls up or stops by during the reunion. Get me? By her tone she menaced the darky.
Yassum.
Then turn that hall light out.
For three days Mr. Braswell abode under that roof. Frequently during that time he remarked that he couldnt remember when hed had a pleasanter stay anywhere. Nor could it be said that Miss Sissie failed in any possible effort to make the visit pleasant for him.
He limped down to breakfast next morning; to limp was the best he could do. His entertainer gave her household staff a double surprise, first by coming down to join him at the meal instead of taking her coffee and rolls in her room and second by appearing not in negligée but in a plain dark house-gown which accentuated rather than softened the square contours of her face and the sharp lines in it. By daylight the two had better opportunity to study each other than the somewhat hurried meeting of the night before had afforded.
She saw in him a gentle tottery relic of a man with a pair of faded unworldly old eyes looking out from a bland, wrinkly, rather empty face. He saw in her a most kindly and considerate hostess. Privately he decided she must have had plenty of sorrow in her time something or other about her told him that life had bestowed upon her more than her proper share of hard knocks. He figured that living here alone in such a big house except for the servants she seemed to be quite alone must be lonesome for her, too.
As they sat down, just the two of them, he said, not apologetically exactly but a bit timidly:
I hope, maam, you dont mind if I say a grace at your table? I always like to invoke the divine blessing before I break bread seems like to me it makes the victuals taste better. Or maybe he hesitated politely maybe its your custom to ask the blessing your own self?
You say it, please, she urged him in a curious strained fashion, which, however, he did not notice, and lowered her head. She lifted it once to shoot a quick venomous glance at Pansy, who stood to serve, and a convulsive giggle which had formed in Pansys throat died instantly. Then she bowed it again and kept it bowed while he asked God to sanctify this food to their uses and to be merciful to all within those walls and to all His children everywhere. For Jesus sake, Amen!
She piled his plate abundantly and, for all his bodily infirmity, he showed her a healthy appetite. He talked freely, she encouraging him by proving a good listener. He was a widower with one married daughter. Since his wifes death he had made his home with this daughter. Her husband was a mighty fine man not religious, but high-principled and doing very well indeed as a banker, considering that Forks of Hatchie was such a small town. He himself had been in the grain and feed business for most of his life but was retired now. Hed never been much of a hand for gadding over the world. Going to reunions once a year was about the extent of his traveling around. In all the time since the United Confederate Veterans had been formed hed missed but one reunion that was the spring when his wife died.
Minty thats my daughter, maam Minty, she didnt want me to come to this one, he went on. She was afraid for me to be putting out alone on such a long trip way down here; she kept saying, Minty did, she was afraid the excitement might be too much for me at my age. But I says to her, I says, Minty, child, when my time comes for me to go I dont ask anything better than that it should be whilst Im amongst my old comrades, with the sound of one of our old battle songs ringing in my ears! I says to her, Shucks, but whats the use of talking that way! Nothings going to happen to me. I can get there and I can get back! I says to her. Going to reunion makes me feel young and spry all over again. But, maam, Im afraid Minty was right about it, this time anyhow. I actually dont believe Im going to be able to get back down-town for todays doings not for the mornings session anyway. I have to own up to you that I feel all kind of let-down and no-account, someway.