The Louisiana cotton-boll. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883, 1874-03-11
SARAH'S STORY.

Sarah's stories we're wonderful things.
To be sure, they were apt to be a little
startling, and generally ended by scar
| ing her listeners half out of their wits
| but that only made them more delight
fully exciting.
By this time the children, getting a
hint of the coming treat, began to
crowd around, end Sarah began
Now, all you young uns must sit
main still if l m gwine to tell a
story"
Nimpo and Anna were already occu-
pyiDg the only spare chairs. Rush sat
! ON Tho mood lanv- end the biGnaat- Iohp-
son girl on a keg, while the rest OF the
children squatted around on the floor,
making a close semicircle about Sarah.
Slrah's virtue as story-teller was in
her face and manner. She was very
black, with large rolling eyes, very
long face, a monstrous mouth, great
white teeth, and long thin hands, which
had an uncanny white look on the in
side, as though the color were coming
of.
Perhaps you don't think hands have
much to do with storytelling, but they
had with Sarah's, I can tell you.
Quieting her audience with threats of
"claring 'em all out the house," she
began in @ low, solemn voice
"Onct upon a time, way down in Ole
Kentuck', there lived man! He was
awful rich, and had heaps an heaps
O nice things in his dark cellar. Bot
ties an bottles O wine, barls an barls
O. cider, an lots an lots O. hams, bar'ls
and bar'Is O. bacon, an bins an bins O
apples, an jars an jars O. sweetmeats,
an boxes an boxes O. raisins, an 0
piles O good things to eat, in that dark
cellar"
Sarah paused to see the effect. Rush
smacked his lips, and the eyes of the
whole Johnson family rolled in ecstasy
at the delightful picture.
"Bnt he was awful stinRy Not
a speck of all these yer goodies would
he guy to amy body. Lor' he al'us
kep' the key in his own pocket, an if he
wanted ham for dinner, he went down
in that yer dark cellar, an cut slice,
nuff fur hisself. An if he wanted wine,
he ies went down an fotched bottle,
an al'us locked the do arter him, an
newer guy Sam the fustest speck !"
&c Who's dat arp" asked one OF the
children
"You shet up I'll crack ye over the
head, if We don't stop cuttin' up sich
shines" Sarah replied.
The interrupter shrunk behind his
mother, and felt snubbed.
"Well, now" Sarah went on, rolling
her eyes, "that ar Sam was po' nigga,
the only nigga the stingy man had ;
an he was that stingy he never half fed
him no way. He guv him leetle corn,
meal fur hoe cakes, an onct in great
while leetle teeny bit Nv thin slice
@ bacon. So Sam got thinner an thin
ner, till he was mar shadder, an his
fingers were long and bony."
And Sarah held up hers and clawed
them in the air, till the children could
almost Sam and his bony hands.
"Well, one day this bad man had to
90 way off to the big city, an he hadn't
got nobody to leave in the house but
les Sam. So he done measured out jes
so much corn-meal, an he sad Now
Sam. I shall be gone away three days,
an that'll have to last ye till I get back.
ri warrant ye'd like to jes eat it every
scrap the fust day, an ak fur mo Its
les like ye,-but not snoien do you
get till come back, fur I've locked ev-
erything up. An if find anything ont
O. order, when I come back, Ill-Ill-
wallop you; see if don't !! !
"With that ar dreadful threat, the
cruel mah'sr went off, an left Sam all
olone. Well, Sam went to clarin' up
the house, an when he went to hang up
his mah'sr's everyday cloze,-fur in
course he wore his Sunday ones to go
| to town,-he hars somethin' hit agin the
wall an he thought to hisself: I'll see
what that ar is. Mebbe mah'rs's done
| left a penny in his pocket. Oh, golly !!
won't I buy buup An he put his
| hand in the pocket, an what do you
s'pose he found? The cellar key!"
Sarah, looking wildly at her listeners,
said these thrilling words in an awful
/ whisper, with a roll of the eyes and a
dropping of the jaw, that made it still
more horrible.
"tOh, sLor', here's the key said
Sam to hisself; what shall I do ?
| An then he thought awhile. But,
sakesl chillen, pears like the devil is
! aims waitin' fur chances, an so he pop
ned into Sans heal to ies 60 an look
| at the good things. : ] won't touch nry
bit, said Sam, fur ole mah'sr' find
out il one apple stems gone,-bHt I'll