第9部分(第1/7 页)

ther　white　men　he　couldfind。　They　had　beaten　him　and　left　him　for　dead。　Now；　everyone　had　shut　their　doors；　praying　andwaiting；　for　it　was　said　that　the　white　folks　would　e　to…night　and　set　fire　to　all　the　houses；　asthey　had　done　before。

In　the　night　that　pressed　outside　they　heard　only　the　horse’s　hoofs；　which　did　not　stop；　therewas　not　the　laughter　they　would　have　heard　had　there　been　many　ing　on　this　road；　and　nocalling　out　of　curses；　and　no　one　crying　for　mercy　to　white　men；　or　to　God。　The　hoofbeats　came　tothe　door　and　passed；　and　rang；　while　they　listened；　ever　more　faintly　away。　Then　Florence　realizedhow　frightened　she　had　been。　She　watched　her　mother　rise　and　walk　to　the　window。　She　peered　outthrough　a　corner　of　the　blanket　that　covered　it。

‘They’s　gone；’　she　said；　‘whoever　they　was。’　Then：　‘Blessed　be　the　name　of　the　Lord；’　shesaid。

Thus　had　her　mother　lived　and　died；　and　she　had　often　been　brought　lo；　but　she　had　neverbeen　forsaken。　She　had　always　seemed　to　Florence　the　oldest　woman　in　the　world；　for　she　oftenspoke　of　Florence　and　Gabriel　as　the　children　of　her　old　age；　and　she　had　been　born；　innumerableyears　ago；　during　slavery；　on　a　plantation　in　another　state。　On　this　plantation　she　had　grown　up　asone　of　the　field…workers；　for　she　was　very　tall　and　strong；　and　by　and　by　she　had　married　andraised　children；　all　of　whom　had　been　taken　from　her；　one　by　sickness　and　two　by　auction；　andone；　whom　she　had　not　been　allowed　to　call　her　own；　had　been　raised　in　the　master’s　house。　Whenshe　was　a　woman　grown；　well　past　thirty　as　she　reckoned　it；　with　one　husband　buried—but　themaster　had　given　her　another—armies；　plundering　and　burning；　had　e　from　the　North　to　set　them　free。　This　was　in　answer　to　the　prayers　of　the　faithful；　who　had　never　ceased；　b