Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1858-01-29

had some calls to make on the way here
this morning.
WELL says /, 'you all don't set much
store by each others company, eff nigger
in solger's jacket an piece ofpasteboard
does as well,' and put il down mighty
softly. a thinkin you better make snuff
box of it.
Well, I tried mighty hard to entertain
for poor Betsy. told 'em all about blue
dye and copperas dye, and how was the
best way to set hens, an which eggs would
hatch pullets an which roosters, and how
to keep dog from sucken of 'em, an all
bout Betsy's baby havin the measles and
hoopin -kof, both at onst. But eff you be-
lieve me, they never heerd word l was
sayinl So run through an let em a.
lone.
We was all settin up behavin with all
our might, when Betsy come to the door,
an axed 'em all to come out to dinner. 1t
was powerful relief all round. When
we got to the dinner room, thar wus a
mighty nice dinner spread out, and thar
stood Barney, an Bill, an Jim Jones, ready
to set down. These quality looked at Jim
and Bill, then looked at each other, and
looked for all the world like they never
had been axed to eat dinner before, an
didn't know whether to set down or not.
Barney he knowed what they wus arter,
but didn't. So says he, Ladies, take
seats and set down and help yourselves
Bill you and Jim set down and fall to.
These gentlemen, ladies, are my friends.
Bill and Jim did set right down and
fell too, shure enough they never cared a
mite eff the quality had stood over 'em an
starred at 'em a month.
The quality seemed like they was gwine
back in the hall room. But they give a
mother look at the dinner, an reckon they
wus as hungry as Bill and Jim wus, for
they sot right down, sort o desprit, and got
their selves hoped.
Presently one on 'em looked at one O.
the niger gals and says, Girl, hand me
the celery.
Dilce looked at Betsy mighty hard /;
Betsy frowned at Dilce, an looked like she
oughter know all about it, an says, Han
the salt-celar.
Dilce handed the salt-cellar. no, says
the quality gal, Il asked for the celery, an
she looked hard right in the plate o raw
shellotes.
Dilce jerked op that an handed it to her
Them is shellotes, says Barney.
The quality gal turned her rose righ,
ap at Betsy's shelotes, what never done
her no harm, an says, 4 thought they were
celery
I'm very sorry, says poor Betsy, i didn't
know you preferred salary to she,lotes.'
You needn't trouble yourself to be sor
ry, wife, said Barney, we haint got nc
salary, an faint your fault they don't grow
here
l Arter awhile one on 'em had eat every
' thing out O. her plate rite clean, and say
7 she, Mr.. Baker, I believe / will chang,
, my plate, and take a bit Of that goose
Certainly, ma'am, says Barney, mighty
il. polite. So he cuts off a nice piece anC
lays it on his own plate, what was full o
, all sorts o things, and swaps plates will
Miss Feathercod. Well, the notionat
woman wouldn't eat bit of Barney's din
ner arter she got it, an didn't know wha
, made Baeney look so solam like he was
n doin mischief Come to find out, he know
ed all the time that she wanted right cleal
plate to eat that piece O. goose off er
Arter they had all made mighty hear
ty dinner, the old lady tuck her hands a
done EN- so at Dilce like she wanted er
rubbed. Well, the niggers had beeu run
min round the table all the time, an die
was bent on shown how smart she wa:
4 So she few at the old souls hands and Sc
to rubbin 'em like all possessed but Mis-
= Feathercod jerked 'em away, an says she
i wanted finger basin.
: Poor Betsy, she was tuck all aback agir
q But she is mighty smart oman, eff sh
is my daughter, and don't often be pu
Il out She remembered in minute th
lettle porringer she keeps on the top she
p to give sick people chicken soup in. S
IT she had it filled with water, an handed
rs to Miss Feathercod She washed her hand
% in it, and all round her mouth, and the
tuck mouthful and washed out the insid
y O. her mouth, and spit it all back in Il
porringer. Thinks I, you don't git me
eat any more chicken soup out of thi
IN quality finger basin
lei The rest n tho nualitv when thew aes