Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1879-09-04
Written for the Herald]
AUNT WINNIE'S 'SPERIENCE.
A Virginia Sketch.
BY FANNIE PALMER.

Looking out of my window, one bright after
noon, saw old Winnie come waddling uE
the walk, with her staff in one hand and a
basket of eggs in the other.
Winnie is old, and, having had fright
smart 'sperience," is looked upon as some
thing of an oracle in the community which
she graces. had called upon the venerable
old soul in her cabin few days previous,
and had invited her to return my visit and
relate some of her adventures. She was
quite delighted with the prospect of sociable
chat and she promised to come up fright
soon an fotch mess of eggs long," as a
neighborly offering. And here she was, sure
enough. l invited her into the parlor, placed
low seat for her in the corner by the fire,
where knew she could roast and feel at
home,-threw some more wood on the
blazing Goals, and seated myself to hear
Aunt Winnies experience" She was evi-
dently primed with her theme, and started off
at once, giving a disconnected, disjointed
narrative, telling this thing and that as it
came into her mind, utterly regardless of any
relevancy it bore to her story.
"Ise born,' she began, ''up heah in North
cumberland county, but Ise ben in NOR places
ian kin tell, same as fox in de woods, an
d1ally was took and car'i'd away altogeth-
d dene stole, Miss
II !, how did anyone steal you?"
ley 1e2 come whs Ise a workin' in de
coIA patch. an' tells me ole marsa wants to
see NE, an goes long wild 'em. same as a
fool, to de Cort House, an den dey clap me
inter jail, an fus thing | know ole Dixon had
me off down souf in Montgomery. An dey
makes 10 nc bones bout setten de dog on a
purson down aa- dan nutin Yo' can't talk
to no body, an no body can't say muffin to yo'.
Ones heah, an ones dah,. an tother ones
over yondah. Can't have muffin to DO wild no.
body, an a por' critter mought's well be
dead, deed dey mought.
"When de wah come, all de way had to
git back heah was to work myself out. Made
soap an sell it to de soldiers. / loves to
make soap, deed dose.
''De foxes dey ben kotchen my fowls right
smart all dis fall," said Winnie, wandering
from her subject here. Then resuming the
thread of her discourse at the soap episode,
81 buy'd my grease, five pounds TO dollah,
an bile it-yo' has to bile soap long time,
deed yo' does, and pour it inter boxes, and
when it gifts hard and cole jes cut it inter
ba's and sell 'em. Den l wash TO people,
an scour, and from dat to spinnin'. An den
Marsa Patterson he come long and he say,
"Winnie!'
can says, what, sah?'"
can he say, Come live wild u.s. >"
can says, What fo'?'"
can he says, 4 give yo' six dollahs
mont to work for Mistress Alice"
can went right home wild him, an live
dar two years, an done got my trunk so
full of close as I could stand on it wild my
two feet, an de man strap it down, dat did.
Dat was nigh Savanna I had almighty nice
mistress dor. Eff she had been my own
many couldn't loved her no mo- Eff
said anything she neber went ober it, an ef
she said anything neber went ober it, an
so we's jest like one puson. When 1se
comm away she done cry, and dat hurt me
q heap, deed it did,"
And here the big tears came in the old
woman's eyes. She wiped them off with the
back of her hand, and started off with new
s'Dey people down in Montgomery has
pasel oh marvel picters standin' in dey
ya'ds," with chuckle and duck of the
head; "'deed dey has. Dey looks jes like
folks standin' dar. use ter stop an look at
dem when Ise gwine home wild my wash
close. One yard dey has iron dog; pears
like he's real. Mex yard dey has wooden
man wild big hat on, an any puson passin'
jes take him for people, sho'. bowed to
him one mornin' an say 'Howdy, and he
les looks at me, an says, 'Yo' got no man
ners, no how, and den dey tells me he's
IRON"
Looking out of the window at this point,
Winnie remarked:
'.De crow keeps up mighty hollerin'; sign
wes gwine to have pow full cold weather. An
de blue birds, dey is fockin' round, too;
dat's mother sho sign, dat j: is.
''Ise KEEP in Richmond three monfs lackin
three days." she went on with her story, It'll
dey gifts in one crop, an den jes slips out.
be! he he!"
.sWhen Ise gwine come home from Saw
ana jes had partic lar letter writ to my old