Magnolia Flower

The River’s Story

“Long ago, as men count years, men who were pale of skin held a dark race of men in a bondage. The dark ones cried out in sorrow and travail,--not here in my country, but farther north. Many rivers carried their tears to the sea and the tide would bring some of them to me. The Wind brought cries without end.

“But there were some among the slaves who did not weep, but fled in the night to safety,--some to the far north, some to the far south, for here the red man, the panther, and the bear alone were to be feared. One of them from the banks of the Savannah came here. He was large and black and strong. His heart was strong and thudded with an iron sound in his breast. The forest made way for him, the beasts were afraid of him, and he built a house. He gathered stones and bits of metal, yellow and white--such as men love and for which they die--and grew wealthy. How? I do not know. Rivers take no notice of such things. We sweep men, stones, metal--all, ALL to the sea. All are as grass; all must to the sea in the end.

“He married Swift Deer, a Cherokee Maiden, and five years--as men love to clip Time into bits--passed.

“They had now a daughter, Magnolia Flower they called her, for she came at the time of their opening.

“When they had been married five years, she was four years old.

“Then the tide brought trouble rumors to me of hate, strife and destruction,--war, war, war.

“The blood of those born in the North flowed to sea, mingled with that of the southern-born. Bitter Waters, Troubled Winds. Rains that washed the dust from Heaven but could not beat back the wails of anguish, the thirst for blood and glory; the prayers for that which God gives not into the hands of man--Vengeance,--fires of hate to sear and scorch the ground: wells of acid tears to blight the leaf.

“Then all men walked free in the land, and Wind and Water again grew sweet.

“The man-made time notches flew by, and Magnolia Flower was in full-bloom. Her large eyes burned so brightly in her dark-brown face that the Negroes trembled when she looked angrily upon them. ‘She curses with her eyes,’ they said. ‘Some evil surely will follow.’

“Black men came and went now as they pleased and the father had many to serve him, for now he had built a house such as white men owned when he was in bondage.

“His heart, of the ex-slave Bentley, was iron to all but Magnolia Flower. Swift Deer was no longer swift. Too many kicks and blows, too many grim chokings had slowed her feet and heart.

“He had done violence to workmen. There was little law in this jungle, and that was his,--‘Do as I bid you or suffer my punishment.’

“He was hated, but feared more.

“He hated anything that bore the slightest resemblance to his former oppressors. His servants must be black, very black or Cherokee.

“The flower was seventeen and beautiful. Bentley thought often of a mate for her now, but one that would not offend him either in spirit or flesh. He must be full of humility, and black.

“One day, as the sun gave me a good-night kiss and the stars began their revels, I bore a young Negro yet not a Negro, for his skin was the color of freshly barked cypress, golden with the curly black hair of the white man.

“There were many Negroes in Bentley’s Village and he wished to build a school that would teach them useful things.

“Bentley hated him at once; but ordered a school-house to be built, for he wished Magnolia to read and write.

“But before two weeks had passed, the teacher had taught the Flower to read strange marvels with her dark eyes, and she had taught the teacher to sing with his eyes, his hands, his whole body in her presence or whenever he thought of her,--not in her father’s house, but beneath that clump of palms, those three that bathe their toes eternally and talk.

“They busied themselves with dreams of creation, while Bentley swore the foundation of the school-room into place.

“‘Nothing remains for me to do, now that I have your consent, but to ask your father for your sweet self. I know I am poor, but I have a great Vision, a high purpose, and he shall not be ashamed of me!’

“She clung fearfully to him.

“‘No, don’t, John, don’t. He’ll say ‘Naw!’ and cuss. He--he don’t like you at all. Youse too white.’

“‘I’ll get him out of that, just trust me, precious. Then I can just own you--just let me talk to him!’

“She wept and pleaded with him--told him of Bentley’s terrible anger and his violence, begged him to take her away and send her father word; but he refused to hear her, and walked up to her house and seated himself upon the broad verandah to wait for the father of Magnolia Flower.

“She flew to Swift Deer and begged her to persuade her lover not to brave Bentley’s anger. The older woman crept out and tearfully implored him to go. He stayed.