The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1889-03-22

anu DIS TNuriHto osiiO that ShOy SO..
not SEQ Aunt Tempe die with any wish
urgratified, and little Nan AND foy
and Susy, and even baby Tom, gcgan
NOW 10 Slamor for Doctor Hob; there-
fore, though Mawse Tom bad often
declared that Doctor Bob should never
SGT foot an his plantation he wasfen'
for lg>A.s..-.--Rss.-
Had Doctor Bob refused 20 come,
tho negroes of Tom-in-Luck would
have felt themselves doomed by whole
sale Ia the powers of darkness; but
Doctor Bob had never. been known
10 refIsc. 1t WIS, rs the negroes say,
"a half hour by sun" when the OK
cart thhtlhad Sebi seitt for himSNpst D
seen toiling up the hill beyond the
psaeh orchard, apd. by -, Ma ~; Toms
indulgence. tlse negroes stopped WORK T
and assembled to receive the illustri-
GUS doctor--all except Unc' Primus.
Primus was mauling rails in the
woods, and he went OH mauling rails.
/ But he was not missed from the |
company that crowded. around the big
gate, rs tho cart app oaShed, Little
Miss Nan and Roy and Susy- were
mounted oil the topInost rcd bar, and |
Nom Rhody was there with baby Tomb
in her arms; score of little pickaninsI
MES swnrmed over the fence rails and
lost their balance and tumbled into the
sand, md nicls6d themselHes upAgaip,
afraid .toery The older hegryes
formed "a line OH Zach sidepf the way,
bowling obseq6ioiis RgasA the csrt
passed through.
Tho cart was full OF sOmething-no
doubt of that but at first Doctor Bob
did not make much of show. It was
Christopher Columbus, seated on the
blackboard and shouting to the OK,
| that chiefly struck the eye-'Chyisto,
| pher Columbus, swelliT wild his own
tnsigniflcance, dat boy" Nom Rhody
| remarked severely; for Nom Rhody
| did not believe in forwapdness in youth.
Iynweyer,s Christopher though he
sat ,ealsed, Aid,not ceninitnd the eye
for .hg when tile cart halted in front
| of t.se cabin assigned 4oDoctor Bobe
exclusive use there Vas seem in the
midst of a motley array OF squat and
bullying jugs, II dwartish figure, clad
in dingy brown, and crouching with
arms a-kimbo, so that he was hardly
to be distinguished from the uncouth
vessels that surrounded him, save for
the bright and scintillating black eyes
illuminating his ebon face, and dart
ing fire at every glance.
| When, ut Alawse Toms approach,
he removed his dingy cap, and re-
vealed peaked head as white as snow,
the effect was so startling that the
awe, stricken negroes fell back, and
some Of tho picixauinnics stiiled q yell
in their M the s skirts.
'Sno' cuor, mussa, said Doctor
Bob, with a cleaning grin, us nc
scrambled out of the cart. When nc
stood upon his feet, his resemblance V
his squatty jugs was more marked ane
moro ludicrouS than ever. -
He WIS very short and very bow
| legged, with pronounced paanch
which he supported with his two
hands. He said he was o thousant
: | years old, and Che negroes believed 1t
but he had none of the feebleness
none of the apathy of age.
Doctor Bob en- he jug neber fan,
he said to Mawse Tom, with anothe
grin, as he proceeded to remove tn
= numerous vessels of different sizes
and to set them within the cabin door
, Lastly. he took from the cart O long
> stout, knotty stick, black and polished
i and cut into three spikes at the tor
. At sight OF this there was a more pro
nounced retreat on the part OF the bt
holders. and some of the very youn
!, ones ran away bowling.
= Doctor Bob evidently enjoyed tn
u commotion he excited; his eyes twiI
e killed. and glanced, taking In ever
u movement Of tho crowd, while j
'e raised his stick aloft, waved it proun
; his head. muttering -strange4 words
Q. then. walking backward around Tn
y cabin. he cast handful after haudf'
q of a curious kind OF hard, shrivele
'! red berry or bean, which he took fro
o his rockets, and of which his supp
y seemed to be inexhaustible.
q This DONE, he paused in front Of u
door, waved his hands thrice, whit
~ the negroes seemed to accept rs a u
y missal. for with one accord they stra
~; gled away few OF the Older one
IL Whether through Inherited 1traditio
- whether thpougDan ipstipctiye sen
y of decor,im characteristic OF many
II their race, advanced, one by one, q
L. obeisancc to Doctor Bob, and solemn
NJ retired.
~ ~ Doctor Bob entered IBIS cabin. a
- and was sven no mos untilabout no
al the next day. This was tho time fix
III for the initiation Of his mipistrations
'cr AuntlTcpipc. He began. BY Walk
- backwatgl around herlcabinj as he b
~. walked around his Aowns thrown
81 handful after handful of his shrive
, ." - scarlet beans. There were not so ma
Fl, witnesses on this occasion: for The
IL groes were at work, but Mis-, Nam
~ ~ Was present, AMI Nom Rhody: W =
SSsr = Aunt Temples cabin with its its y ~
H. garden was one Of the tidicst on I
~ plantation. Her little flower bed
,or been gay all summer with 40
~ o'clocksT and '.old maids" which,
I'm ding baby Tom would pull and
az on her pillow, saying: Pity fow'
~ make Nom Tempe well. i" Z
= At iirsttAuntr Tempe smiled at
mo child and feebly strovc TO stroke
for curls, but she had not smiled now
out many days. When, however, Doc
tor Bob looked ut her and said 3 Dot
| 4. I(nh nilOpN d" "A