Bring on the Blessings Read Online Free Page B

violence perpetrated by the Redemptionist Democrats against the newly freed slaves and their families. It was the largest mass exodus of the race of its time. “I was surprised to read that Frederick Douglass was against our people leaving the South.”
    “Douglass was a politician losing his constituents just like the White planters were losing their cheap labor.”
    “And Congress held hearings about the Exodus?”
    “Yep. The country thought so-called agitators were behind all those Black folks pulling up stakes, like maybe the race couldn’t think for themselves and enjoyed all the killing and murdering the Klan and the Democrats were doing.”
    She shook her head. One of the articles she’d read on the subject told of an army general writing to President Hayes to inform him that in an effort to keep the Blacks from leaving the South, planters were lined up along the Mississippi armed as if the country was still at war.
    He went on, “Entire church congregations from places as far east as Tennessee and Kentucky packed up everything and everybody and lit out for Kansas, looking for peace and opportunity. During the first winter, many of the colonies didn’t have housing, so folks lived underground and in places carved out of hillsides; called them dugouts.”
    Bernadine found that amazing. As much as she loved her creature comforts she couldn’t imagine having to live that way, but she supposed if she had been one of the dusters dealing with all the violence and hate, underground might not have looked too bad.
    “We called our high school sports teams the Henry Adams Dusters.”
    “I saw in the report that the town no longer has a high school.”
    “No. Tornado came through about ten-twelve years ago and took it to Oz.”
    “And you never rebuilt?”
    He shook his head. “The state told us if we did, we’d have to pay x amount for new insurance, new site developments, new environmental assessments. We didn’t have that kind of money, so we shut down. The few high school kids left were bused over to Franklin, about fifteen miles west. Been no Henry Adams Dusters since.”
    Bernadine sensed his disappointment. She thought howhard it must have been for him to watch his hometown slowly disappear like sand through fingers. In its prime, Henry Adams and the surrounding valley had been home to nearly six hundred people. Presently there were fifty-two.
    “You said you had two reasons for wanting to buy. What’s the second?”
    She told him.
    When she finished he whistled. “That’s pretty ambitious.”
    “It is, but when much is given, much is expected, and I have a lot .”
    “Then if I were you, I’d wait to drop that dime. Let folks get to know you first.”
    “You don’t think they’ll like the idea?”
    “Can’t really say. I’ve no problem with it, but there’s a small group who didn’t want to sell. They’ll scream long and loud when they hear this.”
    She didn’t like the sound of that. “They have any clout?”
    “Only if you call making me crazy clout, but I’ll let you judge them for yourself. Wouldn’t be fair of me.”
    “You always this noble?”
    He grinned but kept his eyes on his driving.
    They turned off onto another dirt road so filled with holes and ruts the truck bounced and bucked like a rodeo rider. Bernadine swore her behind was cracked in at least six places. “How much would it cost to put in a paved road?”
    Humor flashed across his dark brown face. “You’ll have to ask the state.”
    The next turn was onto another road barely wide enough for the big truck to negotiate. Door-high grass slapped against the windows like a bizarre car wash. The bucking and bouncing continued. She supposed if she planned on living there she’d get used to the rocking and rolling, but for the moment all she could do was hang on and hope she didn’t hit her head on the ceiling of the truck.
    When they came out into a clearing and the road evened out, her rattled bones gave up a