The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-04-11

How She Went With the Old Man to See
the Exposition.

tongues while yer betters is talking
Clar out en- de house de las one OBJ you
and don't you en- no wise poke yer
heads in dis door till l pintedly calls
ye. l clar to de goodness when oman
is got house full of chillun it mighty
nigh runs her 'stracted.
well, Brudder Jeff, as l was telling
you, me and de ole man thought as
how we would go to de Exerposition
and take our Judy along wild US. When
l fus' mention de subjec to Bob he JUS
scratch his head and say as how it pears
like foolishness to spen nigh unto twenty
dollars jus acase de white folks dun bin
dun it, but tells him as how we is dun
set up for quality folks and can't in no
wise leave dis hopportunity pass widout
seeing all dem big sights which our
Judy dun bin read about.
Oar you'se right, Sister Milly,' said
Jeff. Il knows dat ting from sperience.
You can't in no wise 60 back on yer
principles and you carries high head
you is boun' to tote a stiff neck, too
'Jes SO, Brudder, and when brings
de ole man to dat 'pinion we starts out
according to de Exerposition, but when
1 gets dar bres God, de people am jam
so thick and dey buz, buz like so many
bees till mighty dun broke my head.
Brudder Jeff, dat big camp-meeting
what we dun bin had last yeah whar de
people was so thick you couldn't hardly
stick pin atween 'em wasn't nothing
pared to de folks at dat Exerposition.'
You amt tell me SO, sister? 1t pears
like to me as how de people would suf-
focate if dey wus packed in any cluser
den dey wus at dat meeting
'Brudder Jeff, you amt seed nothing.
De fol- ks at dat Exerposition was a sight
to behole. Well, de ole man he ak de
ticket man if as how we could 60 in
dar and do JUS like de white folks, and
dat sorter riles me and says l, Bob,
don't make a fool outen yourself. 7
lays ole Milly knows how to act along
side de quality folks De young gem
man JUS laff and says he, walk in, ole
lady, and have it all your own way
Brudder Jeff, when I gifts in dat house
I looks and looks, and fore de Lord |
could looked till dis blessed day and
not seed all dere wus to see. Oar amt
nothing what you can call for what
amt right dar, and you sees right dar
things what you amt nebber seed afore
and what you nebber will see agen. l
'spect l stands dar till looks right
foolish, case I hear red-haired, ill
hammered white boy say to anudder
chap: 4 say, Harry, do look at dat ole
culled oman; she's dun got her jaws
propped open and I clar to goodness
her eyes are a-gwine to pop outen her
head Den says l, young men, you
tink you is mighty wise, but ole Milly
is dun bin used to all desc sights afore
you was born.' Judy she says as how
de perliceman don't low no fussing,
and we move along. Right afore me
sees a pretty red man, a-holding out a
siggar to me; den makes him curtsy
and says I tank you, massa; don't
smoke, but my ole man is more'n apt
to it. Den Bob he takes often his hat
and says tanky sir, but he cotched hold
of de siggar de red man hold it right
tight and de folks laff like dey was
'stracted. Den says 1, dem is poor
manners, but Judy says as how dat amt
no sure enuff man and she wished we
would not make the people laff at us.
Den as l was going along l picked up
an apple jes' for to see how big it was,
but law sakes alive dat white man wild
de star on his coat cotched hold of my
arm and says he: Hold on, honey, not
so fast. White man, says l, l amt in
no more trying to steal your apples and
if l is culled l don't low no gemmen
to call me honey but my ole man Bob.
''Dar you got him, Sister Milly,'
says Jeff. I'm course he couldn't argy
that pint.
''Move on, ole lady, said he; and l
hearn him tell lady as how we culled
people couldn't help from stealing to
sabe our libes. De idear Arter dis l
feels sorter tired and l claps myself
down in de fus cheer seed but, Dress
God, afore l dun sot down de cheer
dun bus and down cum cabash on de
floor, and den de folks cum running
like dey is wild. And one man he
mighty nigh dun shake de life outen
me, and when l tells him as how |
thought de cheers wus put dar to set in
he jus ran aroun' and says as dun owe
him twenty-five dollars, and when say
twenty five fddlesticks de folks just
holler and laff, and dey crowd aroun'
SO thick dat l jus slipped ahind de
people, and amt no more seen. dat
fellow since, but amt care to set down
no more dat day.
Den arter awhile l seed de prettiest
white 'oman right afore me, and she
look so hard at me dat l make curtsy
and say how do you do, man. She
amt speak, and, says l, Mistis, can't
you let de ole niger pass2 but she still
stan dar in de way, and | gin her push,
and, fore de Lord, she tumble down
cabash on de floor and de people dey
holler and dey laff like dey is going to
buss open. Den one man he says as
how l dun knocked his wife down and
killed her, but my Judy tells me as how
it amt no sure huff oman and he
oughter hab more manners dan to pose
on her mar. tell de old man as how
l dun got enuff of the Exerposition and
wanted to 60 home. When | gets
outen dat house / breathes sorter free
like and de ole man gifts me spanking
up good dinner and says we mus by
all means take ride in de 'lectric car.