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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 77621 ***
+
+
+                            Magnolia Flower
+
+                                   By
+
+                           Zora Neale Hurston
+
+                        The Spokesman July, 1925
+
+
+The brook laughed and sang. When it encountered hard places in its bed,
+it hurled its water in sparkling dance figures up into the moonlight.
+
+It sang louder, louder; danced faster, faster, with a coquettish
+splash! at the vegetation on its banks.
+
+At last it danced boisterously into the bosom of the St. John’s,
+upsetting the whispering hyacinths who shivered and blushed, drunk with
+the delight of moon kisses.
+
+The Mighty One turned peevishly in his bed and washed the feet of
+the Palmetto palms so violently that they awoke and began again the
+gossip they had left off when the Wind went to bed. A palm cannot speak
+without wind. The river had startled it also, for the winds sleep on
+the bosom of waters.
+
+The palms murmured noisily of seasons and centuries, mating and birth
+and the transplanting of life. Nature knows nothing of death.
+
+The river spoke to the brook.
+
+“Why, O Young Water, do you hurry and hurl yourself so riotously about
+with your chatter and song? You disturb my sleep.”
+
+“Because, O Venerable One,” replied the brook, “I am young. The flowers
+bloom, the trees and wind say beautiful things to me: there are lovers
+beneath the orange trees on my banks,--but most of all because the moon
+shines upon me with a full face.”
+
+“That is not sufficient reason for you to disturb my sleep,” the river
+retorted. “I have cut down mountains and moved whole valleys into the
+sea, and I am not so noisy as _you_ are.”
+
+The river slapped its banks angrily.
+
+“But,” added the brook diffidently, “I passed numbers of lovers as I
+came on. There was also a sweet-voiced night-bird.”
+
+“No matter, no matter!” scolded the river. “I have seen millions of
+lovers, child. I have borne them up and down, listened to those things
+that are uttered more with the breath than with the lips, gathered
+infinite tears, and some lovers have even flung themselves upon the
+soft couch I keep in my bosom, and slept.”
+
+“Tell me about some of them!” eagerly begged the brook.
+
+“Oh, well,” the river muttered, “I am wide awake now, and I suppose
+brooks must be humored.”
+
+
+
+
+                           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.
+
+“At dusk Bentley came swearing in. It had been a hot day; the men had
+cut several poor pieces of timber and seemed all bent on driving him to
+the crazy-house, he complained.
+
+“Swift Deer slunk into the house at his approach, dragging her daughter
+after her.
+
+“What followed was too violent for words to tell,--strength against
+strength, steel against steel. Threats bellowed from Bentley’s bull
+throat seemed no more than little puffs of air to the lover. Of course,
+he would leave Bentley’s house; but he would stay in the vicinity
+until he was told to leave by the Flower,--his Flower of sweetness and
+purity--and he would marry her unless hell froze over.
+
+“‘Better eat up dem words an’ git out whilst ah letcher,’ the old man
+growled.
+
+“Bentley drew up his lips in a great roll glare.
+
+“‘No!’ John shouted, giving him glare for his rage boiling and tumbling
+out from behind these ramparts, as it were. His eye reddened, a vessel
+in the center of his forehead stood out, gorged with blood, and his
+great hands twitched. For good or evil, Bentley was a strong man, mind
+and body.
+
+“Swift Deer could no longer restrain her daughter. Magnolia Flower
+burst triumphantly upon the verandah.
+
+“‘Well, papa, you don’t say that I haven’t picked a man. No one else in
+forty miles round would stand up to you like John!’
+
+“‘Ham! Jim! Israel!’ Bentley howled, on the verge of apoplexy. The men
+appeared. ‘Take dis here yaller skunk an’ lock him in dat back-room.
+I’m a gonna hang ’im high as Hamon come sun up, law uh no law.’
+
+“A short struggle, and John was tied hand and foot.
+
+“‘Stop!’ cried Magnolia Flower, fighting, clawing, biting, kicking like
+a brown fiend for her lover. One brawny worker held her until John was
+helplessly bound.
+
+“But when she looked at all three of the men with her eye of fire, they
+shook in superstitious fear.
+
+“‘Oh, Moh Gawd!’ breathed Ham, terrified. ‘She’s cussing us, she’s
+cussing us all wid her eyes. Sump’m sho gwine happen.’
+
+“Her eye was indeed something to affright the timid and even give the
+strong heart pause. A woman robbed of her love is more terrible than an
+army with banners.
+
+“‘Oh, I wish I could!’ she uttered in a voice flat with intensity.
+‘You’d all drop dead on the spot.’
+
+“Swift Deer had crept out and stood beside the child. She screamed and
+clasped her hands over her daughter’s lips.
+
+“‘Say not such words, Magnolia,’” she pleaded. ‘Take them back into
+your bosom unsaid.’
+
+“‘Leave her be,’ Bentley laughed acidly. ‘Ah got a dose uh mah medicine
+ready for her too. Befo’ ah hangs dis yaller pole-cat ahm gwinter marry
+her to crazy Joe, an’ John kin look on; den ah’ll hang _him_, and
+she kin look on. Magnolia and Joe oughter have fine black chillen. Ha!
+Ha!’
+
+“The girl never uttered a sound. She smiled with her lips but her eyes
+burned every bit of courage to cinders in those who saw her.
+
+“John was locked in the stout back-room. The windows were guarded and
+Ham sat with a loaded gun at the door.
+
+“Magnolia was locked in the parlor where she ran up and down, tearing
+her heavy black hair. She beat helplessly upon the doors, she hammered
+the windows, making little mewing noises in her throat like a cat
+deprived of her litter.
+
+“The house grew grimly still. Bentley had forced his wife to accompany
+him to their bedroom. She lay fearfully awake but he slept peacefully,
+if noisily.
+
+“‘Magnolia Flower!’ Ham called softly as he turned the key stealthily
+in the lock of her prison. ‘Come on out. Ah caint stan’ dis here
+weekedness uh yo pappy!’
+
+“‘No thank you, Ham. I’ll stay right here and make him kill me long
+with John, if you don’t let him out too.’
+
+“‘Lawd a mussy knows ah wisht ah could, but de ole man’s got de key in
+his britches.’
+
+“‘I’m going and get it, Ham,’ she announced as she stepped over the
+threshold to freedom.
+
+“‘Lawd! He’ll kill me sho’s you born.’
+
+“Her feet were already on the stairs.
+
+“‘I’ll have that key or die. Ham, you put some victuals in that
+rowboat.’
+
+“Half for love, half for fear, Ham obeyed.
+
+“No one but Magnolia Flower would have entered Bentley’s bed-room as
+she did, under the circumstances but to her the circumstances were her
+reasons for going. The big horse pistol under his pillow, the rack of
+guns in the hall, and her father’s giant hands--none of these stopped
+her. She knew three lives,--her own, her lover’s, and Ham’s--hung on
+her success; but she went and returned with that key.
+
+“One minute more and they flew down the path to the three leaning palms
+into the boat away northward.
+
+“The morning came. Bentley ate hugely. The new rope hung ominously
+from the arm of the giant oak in the yard. Preacher Ike had eaten his
+breakfast with Bentley and the idiot, Crazy Joe, had forced himself
+into a pair of clean hickory pants.
+
+“Bentley turned the key and flung open the door, stood still a moment
+in a grey rage and stalked to the back-room door, feeling for the key
+meanwhile.
+
+“When he had fully convinced himself that the key was gone, he did not
+bother to open the door.
+
+“‘Ham, it pears dat Magnolia an’ dat yaller dog aint heah dis mawnin’,
+so you an’ Swift Deer will hafta do, being ez y’all let ’em git away.’
+He said this calmly and stalked toward the gun rack; but his anger was
+too large to be contained in one human heart. His arteries corded his
+face, his eyes popped, and he fell senseless as he stretched his hand
+for the gun. Rage had burst his heart at being outwitted by a girl.
+
+“This all happened more than forty years ago, as men reckon time. Soon
+Swift Deer died, and the house built by strong Bentley fell to decay.
+White men came and built a town and Magnolia Flower and her eyes passed
+from the hearts of people who had known her.”
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The brook had listened, tensely thrilled to its very bottom at times.
+The river flowed calmly on, shimmering under the moon as it moved
+ceaselessly to the sea.
+
+An old couple picked their way down to the water’s edge. He had once
+been tall--he still bore himself well. The little old woman clung
+lovingly to his arm.
+
+“It’s been forty-seven years, John,” she said sweetly, her voice full
+of fear. “Do you think we can find the place?”
+
+“Why yes, Magnolia, my Flower, unless they have cut down our trees; but
+if they are standing, we’ll know ’em--couldn’t help it.”
+
+“Yes, sweetheart, there they are. Hurry and let’s sit on the roots like
+we used to and trail our fingers in the water. Love is wonderful, isn’t
+it, dear?”
+
+They hugged the trunks of the three clustering palms lovingly; then
+hugged each other and sat down shyly upon the heaped up roots.
+
+“You never have regretted, Magnolia?”
+
+“Of course not! But, John, listen, did you ever hear a river make such
+a sound? Why it seems almost as if it were talking--that murmuring
+noise, you know.”
+
+“Maybe, it’s welcoming us back. I always felt that it loved you and me,
+somehow.”
+
+
+
+
+                          =Transcriber’s Notes=
+
+ Perceived typographical errors have been silently corrected.
+
+ New original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the
+ public domain.
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 77621 ***
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+<body>
+<div style='text-align:center'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 77621 ***</div>
+
+
+<h1>
+Magnolia Flower
+</h1>
+
+
+<p class="center large bold">By Zora Neale Hurston<br></p>
+
+<p class="center bold">The Spokesman July, 1925</p><br>
+
+
+<p>The brook laughed and sang. When it encountered hard places in its bed,
+it hurled its water in sparkling dance figures up into the moonlight.</p>
+
+<p>It sang louder, louder; danced faster, faster, with a coquettish
+splash! at the vegetation on its banks.</p>
+
+<p>At last it danced boisterously into the bosom of the St. John’s,
+upsetting the whispering hyacinths who shivered and blushed, drunk with
+the delight of moon kisses.</p>
+
+<p>The Mighty One turned peevishly in his bed and washed the feet of
+the Palmetto palms so violently that they awoke and began again the
+gossip they had left off when the Wind went to bed. A palm cannot speak
+without wind. The river had startled it also, for the winds sleep on
+the bosom of waters.</p>
+
+<p>The palms murmured noisily of seasons and centuries, mating and birth
+and the transplanting of life. Nature knows nothing of death.</p>
+
+<p>The river spoke to the brook.</p>
+
+<p>“Why, O Young Water, do you hurry and hurl yourself so riotously about
+with your chatter and song? You disturb my sleep.”</p>
+
+<p>“Because, O Venerable One,” replied the brook, “I am young. The flowers
+bloom, the trees and wind say beautiful things to me: there are lovers
+beneath the orange trees on my banks,—but most of all because the moon
+shines upon me with a full face.”</p>
+
+<p>“That is not sufficient reason for you to disturb my sleep,” the river
+retorted. “I have cut down mountains and moved whole valleys into the
+sea, and I am not so noisy as <i>you</i> are.”</p>
+
+<p>The river slapped its banks angrily.</p>
+
+<p>“But,” added the brook diffidently, “I passed numbers of lovers as I
+came on. There was also a sweet-voiced night-bird.”</p>
+
+<p>“No matter, no matter!” scolded the river. “I have seen millions of
+lovers, child. I have borne them up and down, listened to those things
+that are uttered more with the breath than with the lips, gathered
+infinite tears, and some lovers have even flung themselves upon the
+soft couch I keep in my bosom, and slept.”</p>
+
+<p>“Tell me about some of them!” eagerly begged the brook.</p>
+
+<p>“Oh, well,” the river muttered, “I am wide awake now, and I suppose
+brooks must be humored.”</p>
+
+
+<h2>THE RIVER’S STORY</h2>
+
+<p>“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.</p>
+
+<p>“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.</p>
+
+<p>“He married Swift Deer, a Cherokee Maiden, and five years—as men love
+to clip Time into bits—passed.</p>
+
+<p>“They had now a daughter, Magnolia Flower they called her, for she came
+at the time of their opening.</p>
+
+<p>“When they had been married five years, she was four years old.</p>
+
+<p>“Then the tide brought trouble rumors to me of hate, strife and
+destruction,—war, war, war.</p>
+
+<p>“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.</p>
+
+<p>“Then all men walked free in the land, and Wind and Water again grew
+sweet.</p>
+
+<p>“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.’</p>
+
+<p>“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.</p>
+
+<p>“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.</p>
+
+<p>“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.’</p>
+
+<p>“He was hated, but feared more.</p>
+
+<p>“He hated anything that bore the slightest resemblance to his former
+oppressors. His servants must be black, very black or Cherokee.</p>
+
+<p>“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.</p>
+
+<p>“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.</p>
+
+<p>“There were many Negroes in Bentley’s Village and he wished to build a
+school that would teach them useful things.</p>
+
+<p>“Bentley hated him at once; but ordered a school-house to be built, for
+he wished Magnolia to read and write.</p>
+
+<p>“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.</p>
+
+<p>“They busied themselves with dreams of creation, while Bentley swore
+the foundation of the school-room into place.</p>
+
+<p>“‘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!’</p>
+
+<p>“She clung fearfully to him.</p>
+
+<p>“‘No, don’t, John, don’t. He’ll say ‘Naw!’ and cuss. He—he don’t like
+you at all. Youse too white.’</p>
+
+<p>“‘I’ll get him out of that, just trust me, precious. Then I can just
+<i>own</i> you—just let me talk to him!’</p>
+
+<p>“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.</p>
+
+<p>“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.</p>
+
+<p>“At dusk Bentley came swearing in. It had been a hot day; the men had
+cut several poor pieces of timber and seemed all bent on driving him to
+the crazy-house, he complained.</p>
+
+<p>“Swift Deer slunk into the house at his approach, dragging her daughter
+after her.</p>
+
+<p>“What followed was too violent for words to tell,—strength against
+strength, steel against steel. Threats bellowed from Bentley’s bull
+throat seemed no more than little puffs of air to the lover. Of course,
+he would leave Bentley’s house; but he would stay in the vicinity
+until he was told to leave by the Flower,—his Flower of sweetness and
+purity—and he would marry her unless hell froze over.</p>
+
+<p>“‘Better eat up dem words an’ git out whilst ah letcher,’ the old man
+growled.</p>
+
+<p>“Bentley drew up his lips in a great roll glare.</p>
+
+<p>“‘No!’ John shouted, giving him glare for his rage boiling and tumbling
+out from behind these ramparts, as it were. His eye reddened, a vessel
+in the center of his forehead stood out, gorged with blood, and his
+great hands twitched. For good or evil, Bentley was a strong man, mind
+and body.</p>
+
+<p>“Swift Deer could no longer restrain her daughter. Magnolia Flower
+burst triumphantly upon the verandah.</p>
+
+<p>“‘Well, papa, you don’t say that I haven’t picked a man. No one else in
+forty miles round would stand up to you like John!’</p>
+
+<p>“‘Ham! Jim! Israel!’ Bentley howled, on the verge of apoplexy. The men
+appeared. ‘Take dis here yaller skunk an’ lock him in dat back-room.
+I’m a gonna hang ’im high as Hamon come sun up, law uh no law.’</p>
+
+<p>“A short struggle, and John was tied hand and foot.</p>
+
+<p>“‘Stop!’ cried Magnolia Flower, fighting, clawing, biting, kicking like
+a brown fiend for her lover. One brawny worker held her until John was
+helplessly bound.</p>
+
+<p>“But when she looked at all three of the men with her eye of fire, they
+shook in superstitious fear.</p>
+
+<p>“‘Oh, Moh Gawd!’ breathed Ham, terrified. ‘She’s cussing us, she’s
+cussing us all wid her eyes. Sump’m sho gwine happen.’</p>
+
+<p>“Her eye was indeed something to affright the timid and even give the
+strong heart pause. A woman robbed of her love is more terrible than an
+army with banners.</p>
+
+<p>“‘Oh, I wish I could!’ she uttered in a voice flat with intensity.
+‘You’d all drop dead on the spot.’</p>
+
+<p>“Swift Deer had crept out and stood beside the child. She screamed and
+clasped her hands over her daughter’s lips.</p>
+
+<p>“‘Say not such words, Magnolia,’” she pleaded. ‘Take them back into
+your bosom unsaid.’</p>
+
+<p>“‘Leave her be,’ Bentley laughed acidly. ‘Ah got a dose uh mah medicine
+ready for her too. Befo’ ah hangs dis yaller pole-cat ahm gwinter marry
+her to crazy Joe, an’ John kin look on; den ah’ll hang <i>him</i>, and
+she kin look on. Magnolia and Joe oughter have fine black chillen. Ha!
+Ha!’</p>
+
+<p>“The girl never uttered a sound. She smiled with her lips but her eyes
+burned every bit of courage to cinders in those who saw her.</p>
+
+<p>“John was locked in the stout back-room. The windows were guarded and
+Ham sat with a loaded gun at the door.</p>
+
+<p>“Magnolia was locked in the parlor where she ran up and down, tearing
+her heavy black hair. She beat helplessly upon the doors, she hammered
+the windows, making little mewing noises in her throat like a cat
+deprived of her litter.</p>
+
+<p>“The house grew grimly still. Bentley had forced his wife to accompany
+him to their bedroom. She lay fearfully awake but he slept peacefully,
+if noisily.</p>
+
+<p>“‘Magnolia Flower!’ Ham called softly as he turned the key stealthily
+in the lock of her prison. ‘Come on out. Ah caint stan’ dis here
+weekedness uh yo pappy!’</p>
+
+<p>“‘No thank you, Ham. I’ll stay right here and make him kill me long
+with John, if you don’t let him out too.’</p>
+
+<p>“‘Lawd a mussy knows ah wisht ah could, but de ole man’s got de key in
+his britches.’</p>
+
+<p>“‘I’m going and get it, Ham,’ she announced as she stepped over the
+threshold to freedom.</p>
+
+<p>“‘Lawd! He’ll kill me sho’s you born.’</p>
+
+<p>“Her feet were already on the stairs.</p>
+
+<p>“‘I’ll have that key or die. Ham, you put some victuals in that
+rowboat.’</p>
+
+<p>“Half for love, half for fear, Ham obeyed.</p>
+
+<p>“No one but Magnolia Flower would have entered Bentley’s bed-room as
+she did, under the circumstances but to her the circumstances were her
+reasons for going. The big horse pistol under his pillow, the rack of
+guns in the hall, and her father’s giant hands—none of these stopped
+her. She knew three lives,—her own, her lover’s, and Ham’s—hung on
+her success; but she went and returned with that key.</p>
+
+<p>“One minute more and they flew down the path to the three leaning palms
+into the boat away northward.</p>
+
+<p>“The morning came. Bentley ate hugely. The new rope hung ominously
+from the arm of the giant oak in the yard. Preacher Ike had eaten his
+breakfast with Bentley and the idiot, Crazy Joe, had forced himself
+into a pair of clean hickory pants.</p>
+
+<p>“Bentley turned the key and flung open the door, stood still a moment
+in a grey rage and stalked to the back-room door, feeling for the key
+meanwhile.</p>
+
+<p>“When he had fully convinced himself that the key was gone, he did not
+bother to open the door.</p>
+
+<p>“‘Ham, it pears dat Magnolia an’ dat yaller dog aint heah dis mawnin’,
+so you an’ Swift Deer will hafta do, being ez y’all let ’em git away.’
+He said this calmly and stalked toward the gun rack; but his anger was
+too large to be contained in one human heart. His arteries corded his
+face, his eyes popped, and he fell senseless as he stretched his hand
+for the gun. Rage had burst his heart at being outwitted by a girl.</p>
+
+<p>“This all happened more than forty years ago, as men reckon time. Soon
+Swift Deer died, and the house built by strong Bentley fell to decay.
+White men came and built a town and Magnolia Flower and her eyes passed
+from the hearts of people who had known her.”</p>
+
+<hr class="tb">
+
+<p>The brook had listened, tensely thrilled to its very bottom at times.
+The river flowed calmly on, shimmering under the moon as it moved
+ceaselessly to the sea.</p>
+
+<p>An old couple picked their way down to the water’s edge. He had once
+been tall—he still bore himself well. The little old woman clung
+lovingly to his arm.</p>
+
+<p>“It’s been forty-seven years, John,” she said sweetly, her voice full
+of fear. “Do you think we can find the place?”</p>
+
+<p>“Why yes, Magnolia, my Flower, unless they have cut down our trees; but
+if they are standing, we’ll know ’em—couldn’t help it.”</p>
+
+<p>“Yes, sweetheart, there they are. Hurry and let’s sit on the roots like
+we used to and trail our fingers in the water. Love is wonderful, isn’t
+it, dear?”</p>
+
+<p>They hugged the trunks of the three clustering palms lovingly; then
+hugged each other and sat down shyly upon the heaped up roots.</p>
+
+<p>“You never have regretted, Magnolia?”</p>
+
+<p>“Of course not! But, John, listen, did you ever hear a river make such
+a sound? Why it seems almost as if it were talking—that murmuring
+noise, you know.”</p>
+
+<p>“Maybe, it’s welcoming us back. I always felt that it loved you and me,
+somehow.”</p><br>
+
+<div class="transnote">
+<p class="center"><b>Transcriber’s Notes</b></p>
+<p>Perceived typographical errors have been silently corrected.</p>
+<p>New original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the
+public domain.</p>
+</div>
+
+<div style='text-align:center'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 77621 ***</div>
+</body>
+</html>
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+Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for eBook #77621
+(https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/77621)