Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-12-24
roo MANY crows IN A NEST.
A story of n Little Dnrky's Christmas


"Dere amt no use groanin', no use Oh
gettin sick at yer stomach, Car line DE
facs am de tings dat don wheel bout ter
please nobody nor muffin. De fac's am dat
dere is too many crows fer de corn.
Go long ~ said his wife, looking scorn-
fully at him. while she covered with worn
shawl the week old baby that lay in her lap.
EFF dere am more crows dan dere am corn,
de only fac dat | sees Is dat de ole birds
mus go wild empty crops"
''Car'line, you is a woman an woman
kant reason"
Look like yO' reasonin ain tmuch count,
emmy how. Amt yer ben a-reasonin ebber
sense dis yere chile wuz born, an see nuf-
fin mo to eat now dan fo' yer started Go
long wild yer reasonin' -
'Car'line Grow ~
George Washington Grow :"
II amt gwine ter get up tree now,
Car'line. Look like yer kant larn reason
into a CONAN, kase she am CONAN but
Use jes gwine ter tell yer somfin Yester-
day, Use talking bout Christmas an bout
de mule dyin', an'-an' bout bizness, wild
Miss Penelope; an
Now, you is comm ter de truf, George
Washington an all de reasonin' dat yer
| go ter make me b'lieve yer got out oh yer
own skull yer got out of Miss Penelope.
Miss Penelope wants one ob de chillen. Why
kant yer say so =
What yer go say dat fer, now, when
Use gwine ter brek it ter yer gently Didn't
done tole yer dat yer amt got reason, an
| amt gwine ter waste reason on yer
Miss Penelope says she'll hab one oh de chill
len 20 ter de big house fer time, an mo-
eff deere amt no truble. Haint no us'
groanin'. | done tole her she ken hev one
OBJ dem chillen, an she's jes gwine ter hey
one. Come heah, now, ebb'ry one oh yer
an stan in a powerful straight line, an lei
de nanny pick de one she II let go. Ant
with the help of Minerva, the eldest, h,
soon had the eight little Crows standing il
dusky row
Carline surveyed them with a flashing
eve, but showed no sign of weakness. Afte
a moment, she said, with scorn "Wha
yer got dem boys i'll dere fer Miss Pene
lope don want a boy.
''Cose it max dem look heap mo VII
de boys in. Now stop yer foolin', you Clio
rianna Diana, an ebb'ry one oh yer jes lis
ten ter yer daddy. Which one oh you eigh
chillen is de right smartest one =
Il is - in chorus from the eight.
"Mnerve, you is de oldest an, fer
gal, reckon you is right smart. So al
de rest oh yer, Now, don yer do muffin bu
bark till tells yer tings in particular al
gen'ral.
Use a harkin', but | don want ter &
lib wild Miss Penelope, said Minerva.
Il does = cried Glorianna Diana.
1T look like Miss Penelope wouldn't he
one oh yer, said the daddy solemnly ''bu
she am lookin' bout fer a little gal da
knows huff jes to pick up de han kerchit
= an ride up ter de Corners wild her, an te
her when it's sun up. An dat chile, de
lucky chile will hev good close, an, b'
/ side stuihn her own self, will tote all d
I waste rations to her nanny Is dat chi
70 in dis cabin OF some odder cabin Ka.
= eff dat chile amt in dis cabin, she's in-llR
huff, in-in-in yer Aunt Judys cabin.
"She amt in dis cabin, said Gideon, ii
Yldest boy, Whereupon the line BEGAN
very disorderly and Pete, the younge'
hoy, left it entirely to turn hand springs.
= F'Il low dat was s'prised Carline,
a ne)ber fought dat Miss Penelope wud ru'
IS dei hev dat chile, Glory. Use jes' shua
d shed tink heap mo oh dat Minerve.
e Like huff Miss Penelope d Civ yer
e pone fer de two boys, an Use gwine T.
s tell her dat you is reddy ter sell me fl
Z coon skin, said Car'line,
= "Talkin' amt reasonin'.' And, takil
u | AIlOFallna lldnd DN lne manu. nc Ndlht
m out of the cabin.
an A sudden hush fell upon every little darl
IS left.
IS "Daddy's gwine ter Civ Clio away sa
if Minerva.
In de mornin', it am Christmas sa
Gideon; IAN when we go ter de big hou
he tn say Christmas gift, look like we'll S
" at Clio, an tote her home
nd This treasured all the younger ones; b
er Maerva stood at the one window OF q
to calm, watching the retreating figure of h
lit small sister, through her tears, as S
W walled away with her head very high
he Wen the daddy came back, he tried
assume a very cheerful tone. He declar
that here never was woman who kne
los as much as Miss Penelope and as for I'll
~ fear sic might get as fat as old Rose, t
n cook.
be Whei his wife did not speak, even VIII
he told her Miss Penelope was ''tinkin
.s fine nme fer de new baby" he turn
as his attention to the children.
Oh stTn ,na.,roty M, christmas DaV an I