Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-09-03
Trcontinrcd frnm frat rase.

ing the baby, she went trotting down tht
lane Cotton-li was clingiDg in iantas
tic streamers and punches all over hel
funny hair; her coarse homespun dress
was streaming out behind as she trotted
Tor il was sin To the knee, exposing her
bare legs and toct.
You better hurry long. called her
grandmother in y soaring tone. W mar
yer been all desc two hours, anyhow an
what yer dom wild all dat dar cotton ID
Won, heads pr
Muffin said poor Nervy with hang.
dog look. "Bin playin' in de pick-room'
she added.
yes, an fus' thing we all knows yerlt
go smudder dat der baby in dc sol cotton:
Playin'i What business yer got piayln'
when Is wukkin' mysef TO skin an bones,
yer law good-fer-nuffin' y
As the Speaker stood there, her fat hands
spread out on her fat thighs, her monstrous
chest rising and falling with her effort at
scolding, Nervy giggled at the skin-and-
boue image. Being laughed at was one
thing that Aunt Cindy always resented.
Come yere, while | show yer how ter
laugh 'tother side NV you moui.'
What the speaker meant by this threat
cannot say, and am equally unable to
tell you the location of that 'tother side OF
Nervy's mouth that was not laughing
II won't laugh no more, gran NANNY,
long es live" the child pleaded.
II don't reckons yer will arter guy
yer dis boxin'. Yer'l member it long es
yer Ibis. Sot dat dar chile down while
boxes yer"
Neryy deposited the little half-nlile ba-
by on the dirt floor, and stood up COVER
ing. CHANGING from the broad, strong
hands to the face whose cheeks stood out
with fairness. There was a meek, suppl
eating look in the little upturned black
face.
"Mockin' you s'periors!" continued
the grandmother. Its my duty ter box
yer fer you mudder's sake. Law yer
look jis' like yer nanny! Go long -
she said, suddenly turning away from the
child with the quick tears in her eyes As
she remembered her dead Hannah in the
graveyard at ''ole Mars Pettingill's."
go to de woods an fotch me dat dar
Tony" she continued, without showing
her face to the child.
Merry knelt with her back to the little
black baby The baby scrambled to its
accustomed place and clung with its arms
and legs. Then Merry trotted off with
her burden.
In process of time Tony appeared with
three small pieces OF bark, and was prop
erly or improperly belabored by Aunt
Cindy's tongue, she declaring that she
could "eat all dat dar bokn and demanding
to be told how she was "gwyne ter cook
dinner fer fou' puzzidun' eiduz with that
thimbleful of box. An my cakes a-sottin'
we're waitin' all dis while, an all dat milf
kent white froff gettin' timber, an all de
latiIer done gone outen dat dar yaller An
I byat dat dar egg till my arm ache to de
morrer-bone. Yer go long. an hurry an
scotch old Jack an 60 tn Mis- Phillpott's
ter borror somethin'."
Tony hurried of, glad TO get away from
Aunt Cindy and her uncertain moods. 1t
was over an hour, however, before he got
started to Mrs. Phillpott' s for, first he had
to indulge himself in repeated cimbings
z and slidings on the folders stacks then in
divers tumblings and leapings in the
straw-pen, then he skinned the cat, n
few dozen times then he had thrilling
ride round and round the barnyald swing
ing on old Jacks tail then he made a
raid on some blackberry bushes in the
) fence corner. where he ate berries as long
and black as his thumb for ten minutes.
Then he put bride on the gray mule,
mounted its bare back, and entered upon
course of pullings. and tuggings, and
kickings to the end of making the said
mule go forward to Mrs. PhiIlpol's, in
stead OF backward to its stall. as 1t seemed
determined to do. AS all the boys
thought and energies were thus engaged,
it never occurred to him that he didn't
know what he was going for until he stood
in Mrs. Phillpott's presence. feeling and
looking very foolish. Nothing remained
TO be done but to remount his gallant steed.
return to Aunt Cindy and ascertain the
nature of the something he was to borrow
from Mrs. Phillpotts. On, how he shrunk
from the forthcoming interview with Aunt
Cindy! Her dreaded hands doubled in
size to bis frightened fancy and his ears
seemed to Jingle with the inevitable
boxing which Aunt Cindy would be GER
tain to feel it her duty to administer be-
cause she loved his grandmother.
''Wish she nebber iIbbed my gran mann
my-wish she hate my NANNY" To-
ny whispered to his beating heart as on he
went with old Jack at spanking, bouncing
trot that threatened to unhorse the rider.
II seemed TO Tony that no other mule ever
trotted SO relentlessly. He clung desper-
atcly to the bride and the reached name.
and was trotted on by the merciless brute
past the house through the barnyard and
into the stable. Tony throwing himself al
most under the belly to save himself from
being rubbed off in the low doorway.
.,Whynt yer spen de night at Mis- Phil
potts'p" Cindy asked when he appeared
in her presence, his eyes distended and
rolling in frightened anticipation. dat
J whites done gone back, waitin' yer lazy
{ bones. Nobody but Dawn cook could
fetch pound'cake fit for fou puzzidun'
ciduz outen SIGH trib 'lations. Don't Yer
know Use got ter git dinner for fou' puzzi-
dun elduz. But. law yer wouldn't kere
Ell dey wuz fou' Bishops. What do yer kere
bout religionP Yer's SO wicked Gin
me dat cin'mon box. an don't stan dar
shilly-shally, like gobbler on hot tim
Then came Tony's acknowledgment
that he had gone all the way TO Mrs. Phil
potts without once thinking that he did
not know what he was going for. You
should ha seen how Aunt Cindy received
this when the idea had fairly taken poss-
ession OF her mind. II went TO her funny
spot. Planting her hands, outspread, on