The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-02-14
,o,yeries-as one half dying semi-con-

reveries-as one half dying semi-con-
scious.
''Dey alls wuz good ter dish yer niger
den; heap better'n now. Nd yet unly de
yudder day marses sister, Miss Sue, she
say ter me, saz she: Hahn yo' git lonsum'
up yanner alls by yo'se'i, Eph? Den 1
tells 'ec 4 vain nebber git lonsum',
Miss Sue, long ez got 'ligin.' Den she
larf-de peartesl Oh, she's plum sight
lis dat same Miss Sue, fer all she nebber
marry But she larf, she do, md she low
dat: 'Ligi'n berry good-mona' Gus good;
but yo'ze bettah git yo' err wife all de same,
Eph.' why yo' aim nebber get no hus-
ban, Miss Suze' l say. 'Husban'
defernt,' she spoons back. 'Husban'
mostly in de way; but yo'ze preacher,
Eph, md preachers dess natally need or
wife. When yo' glitter, Eph, Tze sen yo'
suttin TO- yo' infa'r.' Dem wuz Ter berry
dienticle wu'ds, shore. Ef dey alls wuz
like Miss Sue dey'd do; dat dey wud."
Here self-recriminative vein Of thought
for moment occupied his mind.
"'Nd hyur is after one OBJ dc ole ma
jor's chickens. wonner wat Miss Sue
say to dat. .Yeck'n she wudn SEN nothin
ter dat ar infarden.. And yit Use scan
lous fon' oh chicken. Rudder hab chick
en- dan wife, seem like Den ergin, come
ter dc troof, Pse monstrous sot on Miss
Sue. Even ole marse--with all he
scornin' he alpays parse de time of day.
Oars young Marse Harb-he's dc snatch
mess boyl Gwine ter SEN dat ar Wallen-
tine to my house. is he2 Nd ef | up nd
do aryt'ng outen de way, dat same Wal
lentine cotch up vii it. Wonner wat he
do wen he cotch?"
The wind-now slowly rising signed
still more dismally. A boot owl laughed
scornfully down by tho river. Eph shiv-
cred and wished the moon would rise.
Tain so pow'ful comfblo waitin'
hyar after all. Peers like Use gittin'
skeered. Shet 20 mouf down darl What
dat ar wind a gro'nin' SO furi"
The melancholy sounds repeated them
selves, and Bre'r Eph was thinking OF GO
ing home without his chicken, when the
rooster again crowed- -once twice thrice
in quick succession. The sound rein
spirited the old man, and he raised him
self slowly, noting at the same time sill
very rim widening out over the tree tops
in the Frightening east.
"Moon gittin' up las ~ he muttered.
"Yeck'n hits time Use gittin' after dat
ar llein' chicken, er yelsc eat bacon for
brckfus."
lie half rose, but TO his surprise, saw
something moving about on the grass in
front of him. lie stared, shading his eyes
as though the sunlight was there to blind
him.
"Dass cu'ro's; dass pow'ful cu'ro's. |
wenner ef hit kin be 'possum. Postum
dess erbout es sweet ez chicken, spcsh'ly
long in sweet later time"
lie cTawled toward the object, which,
| however, kept its distance, and, when he
pressed il closely, rose with an audible flap
OF wings and settled down little farther
Off Then il crowed--u Enthusiastically crowed.
Bre'r Eph felt somehow alarmed
"Dar de same crow Use hyurn befo'-de
berry same. Wat dat ar chicken doin'
out hyur dish yer time OF night. He yam
CROWN fur day---he cain see fur ter pick
nd scratch. Use q iearn' dat ar chicken
am dess all eright"
The moon slipping out from behind the
tree-tops, finally showed Brc'r Eph his in.
tended victim quite clearly.
"Dass Miss Suzc's w'tc Georgy game
rooster, shore. Gret kin. Eishe know'd
wuz after him she'd natally skin me alive
fur fac"
The fowl again crowded and dcfantly
Tapped his wings. Bre'r Eph, despite his
vague, uncanny fears, was not the man n
decline such a challenge. Thoughts o.
Miss Sue, distinction Of mcum and
tuum, now vanished before the ilcshly lus
that had brought him there. lie rose e
his feet and boldly gave chase. Round
and round the inclosure they went, In,
chicken just ahead, growing Justify at eacl
successful avoidance OF Be' Eph, VIII,
soon began 10 sweat and breathe thickly
AZ last, az he made fierce lungc, IL nev
lightly over the fence, against which III
fell heavily and leaned there painting
while his hair stiIened at new terror.
This was no garden; II was the famil,
burying ground, refcnccd and altered, 81
that he had not boforc recognized IL In III,
dark. There, on alarge white grave-stone
stood the rooster, his throat quiyering in |
final defiant crow. The sound-despit'
his iears-so enraged him that he pickle,
up stone at his feet and knocked III,
wild fowl from his ghasily perch. !
fluttcrcd against the palings, and Bro
Eph, reaching through, grlsped IL, wrunI
ia neck and triumphantly held II up.
"Dar, nowl lso le'n yo' ter raar eroun
me, ef yo' docs long ter Miss Sue. Yoz
better TEX up wifi Bre'r Eph now, | ycck n
'nd-inier his pot yo' goes, CO shore" h
paused for fitting similitudc-''cs dat a
VALENTINE come erlong termower. III
mout ez well como ter night fer all de goo
he do"
Bre'r Eph chuckled, but was here con
fronted bv terrible vision that seemeS
like fatcful reply TO his sarcasm. Tn
white tombstone seemed 10 be suddcnl,
and mystcriously Illuminated, and 10 hi
aifrighted gaze these words appeared there
| 0us