, 1889-02-03
LITTLE MISTISS.

Measured by years it WINS n long
time ago; bridged by my thoughts il
seemed only yesterday, with no dark
night intervening, not even the gentle
glow of tho cleaning, nor even the
soft light of stars between. a glare Of
sunlight flooding the broad, low
ceiled galleries, the old patriarchaI
oaks looming majestically beyond n,
if in pleasant enjoyment OF their cool,
deep shadows; the loud Changing OF
the u o'clock bell from beneath its
whitewashed cupola held aloft by lis
four long, slender legs, calling in the
negroes to their MONDAY rest and
steaming hot dinners; Che overseer,
with his wide sombrero drawn low
over his sunburned forehead, silently
riding in, the rear of his stracgling
gang, who come with song and laugh
ard chuckle, mid clanking Of pillow
gearing and the rumble Of the quaint
water cart, this last in charge of n
short shirted youngster, who answers
10 the name Of water boy"
The master, called "ole massa, "
with ever varying infection and un-
dulation Of the glib tongues Of his
sable satellites, from tho lingering, af-
f%ectionate tone Of "Ole ma-a-ssa, /
tanks yo kindly, sab, may yo lib long
and happy, sail, 20 and yourn," fol.
lowing the rapid backward tilting Of
the black woolly head in the air and
the putting down of the dram glass on
tho %lacquered tray held by tho grin
ming dining room boy, TO tho quick,
p~erempiory, Hi. nigga, yer got terdo
it, cos ole massa done sayd as how il
got ter be DONE and another varia-
ton being given with an ominous
shake Of the head, ole massa is a
ridin his high horse ter day, us is got
ter look sharpI'
Tho master, an enterprising creole
gentleman, whose grandfather came
from ia belle Normandie, " and whose
father owned and settled n large plan
tation further up the river, the ''Aca-
dia, where. ummer and winter alike,
golden balls Of sweet and sour n
were rocked 10 and fro as the fair
winds listed, " and whose every air
was laden with tho sweet breath of
orange flowers" and where great
pecan trees held out long, protecting
arms, each II apparently over n Ger
tain area Of special soil, button looking
upward you saw their arms were inter
laced; each one had thrust out long
branches between thobranches of its
neighbor tree, and as il seems anear
10 heaven up there, they are happily
above all petty i~calousics, and so they
lived and thrived in amity and great
fruitfulncSs.
Monsieur was expecting n guest this
bright day in the lcafy month of June
an American gentleman from Balti.
moro, who had recently purchased the
adjoining plantation 70 the right, the
property on the left being bounded by
n little white village perched impcrti-
ncntly near the big lcvee that seemed
n weak defense against tho turbid
wavcso of old Mississippi's angry waters
dashed into fury and froth by the big
paddles of the passing steamers. The
gentleman neighbor Wns also n pros
pective son-in-law; but this was n
secret between Monsieur 10 Pere, Ma
dame Ia Mere and fe bon Ami.
The young maiden had not been
consulted; of course sho would CON
sent. Papa and mamman would ar
range that Where was sho now, for
whom the wedding wreath was bios
soming, tho trousseau making, and
perchance the turkeys ~fattening, with
all the other thousand and one eject
erns clustering around the marriage of
the eldest daughterl Whereof You
need not look far for this pet Of the
homestead, for she has only been ut
homea few weeks, pendant les va
canoes" from the Pensionnat where
the Danes au Sacro Cnur among
other loyal s%obriquets of reproach and
praise had called her ''la petite ba-
vardcuse."
You may hear the merry young
voice, although yet you do not get a
glimpse Of the slim figure extended
full length in supino grace upon an
ironing table, hedged around by the
massive brick pillars that stock the
basement; the bonny face full of es-
pliegerie, half hidden mid the damp
folds OF a snow white pile of tightly
rolled up linen, tho curling brown
hair escaping from its moose of black
rbbon-a la mode du convent-the
two little feet with high arched in
steps incased in pretty ''pantounes"
that "vielle tante' had brought her as
cadeau on her last fortnight visit,
beating a rhythmic rune in mid-air.
Aunt Sukey, you don't know what
you're talking about-no, indeed, you
don't wish had not TO go back to
the convent, yes-but TO marry, oh,
moi not yeti l want TO havc-oh,,
lots of funl' >
Now look ye heah, honey. Ise
tiyued tellin 20 bout a mussin up dem
dar clean close-and ole massafs fine
shets, tool Goody Lawd, chile, looky
heah, now what yo's done TO dem fine
cambcrick hankshers of YOU ma'sf'
and picking up the limp, damp cam
berick hankshers" from the pavement
Aunt Sukey tried 10 free them from
h soil of Che brick dust, with many
grunts n dismal groanings, but wip-
ing them over with the wet clean rag
IN the sprinkling bowl won't do, SO
the grumbling tones cease abruptly,
and pushing back her Madras tig-
further from her swarthy
brows, thereby disclosing some