The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1871-07-06
THE QUALITY.

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No, ma'am, said Laura, we hay
been here SO long, and none hav
been to see us until you. We wer
beginning to feel like unwelcom
intruders. But ! suppose they wcr'
all much attached to the people wht
lived here before us, and dislike see
ing strangers in the place Of thci
old friends
ooh, 10, that amt it; they wa
afcard to come
'Afraid?' said Laura, surprised
afraid Of what!
We'll, we heard that you were al
quality, if you was broke, and wa
atcard we " ould git ourselves into
the wrong box. We've seed then
elephants aud Knows what they is
she continued, noddinG her hea'
knowingly.
why, | did not suppose, sai'
Laura, smiling. that we had any
thing 50 formidable in this quiet lit
tie nook, and | am sorry that oul
ncighbors should make such bug
bears Of US, and suppose us wanting
in civility to them.
'Oh, we wasn't amindin' The civili-
ty. The quality lays that Oh so thick
one minute till you begin to rub your
eyes and wonder who you is-thinks
sure you must be the Pope Of Rome's
wife then they push you TO one side
before you know it, like as if you
wasn't litten to tote their puppy dog.
But thcysc sich a sight of trouble
when folks have anythingto to do with
'cm. Now, thar's the Feathercodes.
They lives eight miles of, but the
quality is o sorter restless crccter
that is alters wanderin about outer
their range. Well, theys mighty
fine, and you see my daughter Bet
scy Baker likes fine things, and took
to 'em nightly. She was powerful
anxious for en- TO come to see her,
so one Sunday she seed 'cm all at
mcctin, and axes 'em to come and
take dinner the next Saturday. Well,
they stood up thar in the mectin
house and talked u power of diction-
ary talk bout exceedingly an 'cX-
quisitcly,' an 'interchangin Of rural
hospitality;' but whether they was a
comm or 10, Bctscy, she couldn't
make out. But howsomever, Bet
scy lowed she'd better be OH the
safe side, so she kept mighty tiXin
all the week. When Saturday came
she had everything as fine as a brides
cake, 'ccptin the dinner. Bctscy
lowed she wouldn't put that on till
she made sure if they was Il comm.
She had been worllin mighty hard
all the mornin, her and the niggcrs
a reddin up the house and drcssin UP
their sleeves. But when levcrn clock
come and no quality, Bctscy give
'em out, and they all took OIL their
Sunday close an went to Citing eve
ry day dinner. They had to hurry
nightly, but ii was all ready arter a
while The hands was workin close
to the house, so Bctscy just hollercd
to 'cm to come to their dinner. Ar
ter the dinner was all over, and
everything washed up and sot to
rights, an the niggers all sot to work
me and Betsey sot down in the entry
to cool and sew. Bout four o'clock
Barney Baker he come back frcm
the coatousc; says he, ,Betsey, did
them hired men come to dinner!
Law says Betsey, Il was so taken
up expecting them Feathcrcode folks
to dinner; that | forgot all about
your hirin Bill and Jim Jones to split
rails, and being as they arc far OIL, |
reckon they didn't hear when | call
ed the hands in. didn't blow the
horn 'Coniound the quality says
Barney, they are all jest qualified
for the lunitikcr silum, and | reckon
you'll 90 along with 'cm, just to be
with the quality when they CO. and
ierked down the horn an bowed a
blast, you would athought all the
stages that ever run was irwin thar at
onst. Just then we heard q mighty
fuss in the front yard, and when we
looked thar was fine carriage full
of women, and horses hitched up
with 1ishin scins, a cavortin about
over the yard and one Of the pulled
niggcrs they he'd dressed up like SOL
gers, a scttin on a high carriage, was
bounced Off like an injun rubber
ball. | thought the crccter might be
killed, and run to him, but he jump
ed right up and stood up before me,
and made sich Il bow, you never seed
the like of it, jest like ii was q part of
his malishus drill, and says he, Mrs.
Feathercode, Miss Feathercode, Miss
Nctty and Miss Angeline Feather
CODE BY that time Barney had got
the hosses quiet, and says l, "You
Mr.. Flunkey, had better be a openin
the door and lettin them folks out,
,tidder standin here making man.
ners,' so he did it. 1t is well he told
me who they wer, for such looking
cargo never did see before. They
had the back of their heads kivered
with artificial flowers all fixed in
little flounccs, and little silk fans in
their hands they called sunshades /;
reckon they warn't much acquaint-
ed with the sun, or they wouldn't
thought he was amindin them purity
little things. Then they had made
flounces all over their frock tails, and
over their capcs, they called tai
mcrs,' and they was bcilOunccd from
.he tops of their heads to the bottom
If their feet, and all the flounccs
printed like windin sheets, only a
heap finer.
"Betsey had run back as she got
The first glimpse, cause she had on a
mighty dirty frock. But she put OH
. new white satin shawl all over her,
md then she looked as fine as any of
en-, and axcd 'cm to walk i'm and
axe seats, and set down, and be
seated. Arter q while she told 'em
,hc was looking for 'cm all the morn
ng. 'Oh,' said old Mrs. Feather
,ode, we engaged to be here to din
her; we never dine before four, and
t wants some mintes to that nOw,'
akin out her fine gold watch, tho
.he clock was stanin right before her.
Betsey looked as blank us if she'd run |
for sheriff and didn't get vote. But |
she run right in the Kitchen, and the
roy she followed uD Dilcc, and Alec. |