Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-04-28

then Uncle Price would sit up on the edge
of the bed, his wife would ''set him up a
bit, with a clean .'hankicherr and to-
gether they would eat their breakfast.
How still the little dingy room would bel
You could hear the chicks pecking about
on the front porch, the young birds chirp
ING in the trees. the shouts of Mis- juicy
Robipson,s FIVE woolly headed sons as
they fished for crawfish for their mas
dinner in the gutter ut the end of
the lane. Uncle Price sat on the edge of
the bed. with the table drawn up in front.
His bead was as white as the wool on IA
bisaue doll. His shirt was blue and clean
and his pants were of all colors, being
patcbed into a resemblance to a crazy
Quilt, Strips of red flannel were tied
about his wrists and ankles to keep Off
the rheumatism. and he always carried
half dozen matches and u couple OF
nails stuck in the wool over his left ear,
so that they would he handy for the ''old
owman."
Uncle Price sopped his corn bread in his
coffee on this particular morning, and as
he did SO said sadly: Pears lax de baby
ain L pwipe come to bre 'kfas' no mo-
well. she mont, an den gin she
;noutu't," Aunt Betsey answered, having
no notion of committing herself to be
lief one way or the other.
lust then there was terrible noise out
on the porch; the little cabin quaked WIS.,
ibly, Somebody began to tumble and
pull at the door latch, finally lifting it
with a desperate tug, and the baby, ac-
companied by her three dogs, Toots,
Bsboo and Jake, walked gravely into the
room,
Such funnie little lassie as it was that
pattered in: her bare feet all wet with the
dew, with nothing on but her ruffied,
cross barred nightgown, and her yellow
hair, like soft little furze, standing out
all over her head, all the world like
dandelion gone to seed. Her dogs, as dis
reputable a lot of CANNES as ever lived,
Baboo being long bodied, low in stature
and fesrfully bowlegged, had been all
dressed up in bibs aud collars, and looked
miserable in consequence. But they
skunk faithfully a. her bare heels and en-
dured the pins that stuck into their necks
with doglike devotion.
The baby stepped ina little 3-year-old
ruuaway-and as the big door opened
trailing robe of warm, white sunshine
followed after her, and spread out a fine
court train about her feet.
1&tSpy the UP, anu SIlt anu
Price kissed her, and then as she sat her
iown on the table along with the two
gtoried coffee pot, the plates and the yell
low disks of corn bread, she said TO her:
.sAiu't / done tole yer yer musn be
comm down hyar no mo dis time in de
mawnin in yer night gownd and yer bar
feet Scandalizin' Miss Juley Robinson
and keepin' me on de aidge o. torment
L.. IN,.,,
cau-fee, honey" And Betsey held the
yellow bowl TO the baby's mouth. With
out a word the small one took her scod-
ing and her '.cau-feer 1t was a funny
sandwich the three made-the two old.
wrinkled black faces, glowing with love
and bacon grease, bending over the milk
white slip % child, who eyed them
fondly and took impartial bites OF their
corn bread and sups from their bowls.
To Price and Betsey ''the baby was as
dear as IL she had been their very own.
Betsey had always been the child's imam
N.Y." and related with pride, at least once
every day, how she had been ''the fusses
one what ioch dat chile And the deyo-
ton begun on mammy's breast had never
been lessened. For her Uncle Price had
trapped popbirds and mockingbirds; for
her he had cut the lid off of his treasured
cowskin trunk and made it into u
cradle; for her was the best iii the cabin
the prettiest chicken, the brownest egg;
and when the old man hobbled up to the
big house one day with noble gift Of
bantam hens and tiny rooster, nobody
dared ask how he had come by them, for
Price had always boldly declared that he
would go through fire and water for the
cEld-a vow that, translated, probably
meant hens roosts-
When at the cabin the child's vernacu-
lar was that Of her hosts. She seemed to
drop into it unconsciously, and so when
the meal was over and the things cleared
away, and Uncle Price fixed in his chair
by the window, and Betsey had put on
her brass rings, the baby said, You
gwtne way, mammyy
II amt gwine no furder den yo mars,
honey. Mammy's got to step out in dc
sun an soOple up her ole bones. You kin
stay hyar longside 20 Uncle Price twell
gifts back"
1t was not the first time the two had
been left to keep each other company
while Betsey was off in the sun ''sooplin
up her old bones and this old black
dying December and the fair, sweet baby
May were well pleased to be left ''settin
together on de wheel time" as Uncle
Price would say.
The old fellow sitting by the window,
the warm sun lie a rug over his knees,
the milk white child clasped in his feeble
arms, was AS happy as the day is long.
What wonderful tales he told her Of how
he was going up into the clouds, sail on
Father in Heayen;r and OF how he was
going TO see and he with the babyrs own
papa, the Young ssMarse Jim who had
died wear before.
.sEf write nv papa n letter, will YOU
take il straight off to himsr asked the
,hild.
eyes. honey. sho I will. I use ter