Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-09-09
Heard Them Counted.

honest an old negro as ever lived. but he
has got the habit of chatting Familiarity
with his customers, hence he frequently
makes mistakes in counting out the eggs
they buy. He carries his wares around
in a small cart drawn by dminutve
donkey.
He stopped in front of the residence of
Mrs. Samuel Burton. The old lady her.
self came out to make some purchases.
Have you any eggs this morning, Uncle
Mosep' she asked.
"Yes. indeed has. Jess got in ten
dozen from the kentry"
"Are they fresh p'
81 qua ntee 'em. knows dey am
fresh jess de same as eff | had laid 'em
myself"
"I'll take nine dozen. You can Just
count them into this basket"
.All right, num-"
He counts:
lone, two, free. foah, five. six, seben
eight. nine, ten. You kin rely on dem
bein' fresh. How's your son coming on
at de school :? He mus be mos grown"
Yes, Uncle Nose, he is clerk in a
bank at Galveston"
"How ole am de boy?"
''He is eighteen"
"You don't tole me so! Eighteen, an
gettin' salary already; elghteen"-
(counting,) nineteen, twenty, twenty
one, twenty two, twenty-free, twenty -foah,
twenty-five. an how's your gal comm
on ? She was mos growed up de las time
| seed her."
"She is married. and is now living in
Dallas"
Wall, declar'! How de time scoots
away An yo' say dat she has childruns
Why, how ole am de galP She mus be
Jess about"
"Thirty-three,"
"Am dat so ?''-(counting) -"firty free,
frty -foah, firtv-five, frty-six, frty -seben.
firty-eight. frty-nine. forty, forty-one,
forty-two, forty-free. Hit am so singler
dat YOU has SIGH old childruns. can't
hardly b'leeve you has gran 'childruns.
Yo' don't look more dan forty yeahs old
yerseff."
Nonsense. old man, see you want to
flatter me. When person gets to be
fitty-two years Old"
"Fifty.twop jess dun gwinter b'leeve
hit-fifty-free, tifty-foah, fifty-five, fifty
ski want you to pay tenshun when
counts de eggs, so dar'll be no mistake
fifty-nine, sixty, sixty, sxty-one, sixty
two. sixty free, xty-foah-Whew Dis
am warm day. Dis am de time OBJ yeah
when I feels Use gettin' ole myself l
amt long fur dis world. But you comes
from an ole family. When your ladder
died he was seventy years OLE"
Seventy two"
| s.Dof,c o1o cnob Cohopfv-fUo eohanfv
free. sebenty-foah, sebenty-six. sebenty-
seben. sebenty-eight, sebentv-nine-and
your Mudderp She was one OBJ de mobiles
looking ladies ebber see. You reminds
me OBJ her so much. She libbed to mos
one hundred. lb'leeves she was dun pass
a centurion when she died"
"No, Uncle Nose, she was only ninety
six"
"Den she warn't no chicken when she
died. know dat-nnety-six, ninety
seben. ninety eight. ninety-nine. one hun
dred. one, two, free. foah, FIVE, six. seven
eight-dar, one hundred and eight nice
fresh eggs-iess nine dozen; and here an
one noah egg in case had discounted
myself"
I And then old Nose went on his way re.
joicing.
A few days afterward Mrs. Burton sale
to her husband:
Il am afraid we shall have to discharge
Matilda. am satisfied that she steals the
milk and eggs am positive about the
eggs, for bought them day before yes
terday, and now about half of them are
gone. stood right there and heard Uncle
Nose count them. myself. and there were
! nine dozen, "-Teras Siftinos,