The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-02-07

appointment over OH Possum Trot, when he
met young Master Haro Lind the sixteen year
old of his former owner Major Lind of
Hawkspur Bend.
"IIIyo Eph!" said this devotee of frolc and
mischief ''did you know tomorrow was Bre'r
Valentines day?''
Don know nuttin erbout Vol ntine--
nebber seed 'ern. Is he brack err is he W lite;
dass at Use like ter know"
why, what difference can that make 90
"Ksse if he's brack, don wan ter know
lin; nd ii his wife, tain none er Eph's biz
ness W at day he git hyer on
well, he's mostly any color you want
see? When he calls on you, seeing you a
preacher, he'll mebbe look dark. sorter like
the old fellow below perhaps, You'd better
keep a look out for him. He's more II apt
to come along; and if yo've done anything
wrong, you know he'll catch up with you,
sure
Then Master Hart trotted off, highly de-
lighted over the quandary in which he had
plunged Bre'r Eph, who resumed his walk
more slowly, with sundry wrinkles gathering
on his brow.
"Dars de trihin'es W lite boy; no mo- man.
nahs dan groun hog! md yit he's shorely
mons Gus peart, do he is dat biggity he cain
stan up street 'dout GRIMM. Who dat ar Wal
Pntine he glabbin' so big erbout, wonner?
LUX like de debbil do he? Come ter see me
termo,rer, eh? Well, p'haps he won fin dish
y
mex in mad, won hit?'' Bre'r Eph appeared
much gratitied at the notion of exciting this
unknown visitors ire by his absence. '"Nd yit,
wat yelse dat ar fool boy say? He ketch up
wifi ne if / does cnnyt'ng wrong, eh. Huh!
Dat chile fergit hiSsef. Hahn preacher? Is
dat ar Wall milne he talk SO big erbout 'fessor?
No sab. Ell he wuz such ez dat, he'd stay ter
home nd min hisSef's own biz'neSS, stead oh
trapesin aroun' de llentry trailin yup uddcr
folks's. rs erblege ter Slider dat same Wal
pntlne wo'f in sleeps close-dass erbout W at
he u.s."
"Lemme see--whur wuz I? Oh DE tex
Use chosen ter night, my bre'ren, reads erbout
dis way: Nd de seed OBJ de ri'shus hahn
gwine ter be seed beggin' is bread. No,
bro'ren chen in all deZe yer hard times yo'
won fin de rishus man or oman habbin' ter
git his hoecake dess by beggin' hit Oars
erbout de way Use come at dose Postum Trot
niggels. Mebbo deyll shell out lii mo- wen
de hat go eroun', dess ter keep der preacher
fom tellin' of 'em lie. 1 dess natally hates
ter beg, / does; seem like l drudder steal"
~ But without revealing too many of Bre'r
Eph's self confessions at once. let us withdraw
our ears until after 'meetin'. " Even preach
ers of the Bre'r Eph type-usually the most
self-complacent of their kind-haye their mo-
ments of secret fallibiity.
Bre'r Eph held "meetin" far into the
night. A two hours sermon-an hour or
more of fervid prayer, song and exhortation--
1oag bencdicticn. l., s.ss.s Il home I'M
der the starlight with deep shadows shooting
night Air around him. Those friends going
his way soon dropped off here and there, until
he found himself vending sundry by paths and
shortcuts across fields and patches Of wood
land alone. His long sermon had wearied
him; he was also hungry, and at last grew
lonesome.
"Dsh yer's de onhandyes', doggones way"
Bre'r Eph was not always choice of language
to express his meanings when alone. "Unly
one dime an two nichles in de hat, md one OBJ
dem wifi hole i'll EN-. 1 dess lows ez Mike
Isaln put dat dar in; he's al'ays a sabin sech
ez dat fur de preacher. Iyeck'n Use hab ter
glib up dish yer Postum Tro t'pintment if | kin
git slet OBJ it. Hit don pay-hit natal'y dess
don pay, shore. De COLES meetn', too; no
sinnahs on de mon nahs' bench, md nary bit
oh shontn'. DesS groan or two md dat,
seem like, hard ter fotch."
On gentle rise back from a bend of the
river some huge oaks sprawled themselves
round large plantation house. There We're
numerous outbuildingS scattered behind, with
royal disregard OF symmetry or economy OF
space. As Bro'r Eph tOilcd YEARLY a
rooster crowed loud and clear.
"Bettah hush yore lynn troat, he muttercd,
peevishiy. "Dish yer ain mornin', fool. Fus'
20 know go git yore neck Wrung yit."
This rebul1e started new train of thought.
He leaned against fence and looked toward
the great house, while smile parted his thick
lips:
"Dat ar chicken longs ter de majer Majer
got a hull noodle OBJ sech-chicken, geese,
furkey-sho! He'd nebber miss one mo- off'n
de roos Den ergin. hahn de maier my yown
ole masse? Didn' / wuk out mo- chickens fer
him n ebber L yeat? Dass wuz way before
de wah. Iuz prop'ty den, same ez dat ar
chicken. Well, den, ef propty yeat propty,
how kin hit belsamesez stealin? l vain eat
my yown sheer yet-hain' had dc CHARGE. TO
be sho, 1 vain prop,ty now edzackly, but
whars de defence. Majer, he didn' see no
now, cepn wat longs ter i'm;
md eff a pore niger git ter starbin
now, he doan' hyur He's powful
streenyus on niggers, is dat same ole marse OBJ
mine We yain' no mon de yeth unner is
feet do he did like ter yown MS mons GUS well.
He's deSs dat biggity nd scornin'-hoowooi"
Bre'r Eph shook his head sadly in view of
the social depreciation consequent upon his
present lack of commercial value.
end dars all desc yer niggers / breaches
fer deyd dessez sun der preacher nd starb
ter def ez not, nd sum ser 'em iii rudder,
too. No, sab. Eff man don't hope hisscf, yud-
der folks hahn gw,inc ter feed i'm. Didn'
say ter night dat de seed OBJ de ri'shus hahn
gotter beg is own bread. Hit don say nuttin'
erbout chicken; but, den ergin, il bread git
skase, wat pore Niger gwine ter 'dout
chicken er Possam er s%ttn yese ter FIJI up
of yo' crows ergin, Use git go before mo min,
shore"
1t sounded very much like challenge to
. Brer Eph when, at this instant, the rooster
croWed once more.
Oar. Wat 1 tells yo'? Use stop yore big
CITY mouf. ef Use halter snatch yore head off
Ter do it."
Bre'r Eph now sought out comfortable
place to lie down for a while.
'Mos too 'arly ter git yo' yit," he chuckled.
"Wait twell de moon git up; den yo' look
sharp"
Not far from the foot Of the decliyity where
on the great house stood, the scattered OAKS
widencd ont around a sheltered spot inclosed
by paling fence The dead sedge and crab
grass felt soft underlCot, and Bre'r Eph laid
himself down thereon with a sigh and leaned
his head against the palings.
"Iemme see" he thought Chicken hous-
ulster be ober dat ar rise yanner l unner ee
Miss Sue keeps hit locked up dey didn' usf
ter Dish yer fence-doH seem ike / mem
nlers hit. Reck'n dey's pit hit mp fer ter keep
de hogs outn de coerds nd de yudder gyard'n
truck Laws, laws De times nd times / ulster
play Ground desc yer hollers when I wan
nuthn bit iii shr'tai boy. Nd hyur / is a
gittin plum gray-my ole head blocmin' fer
de grabe"
AS Bre'r Eph grew tenderly retrospective.
his present purpose In being there hall faded.