The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1889-11-21


fifty years old, and of an imposing
presence. As a waffle maker she pos.
sessed gift beyond the common, but
her unapproachable talent lay in the
province of nursing. She seemed born
for the benefit of sick people, She
should have been painted with the
apple of healing in her hand. For the
rest, she was funny, illiterate old dar-
key, vain, affable, and neat az a pink
On one occasion my mother had q
dangerous illness. Aunt Anniky nurs
ed her through it, giving herself nc
rest, night nor day, until her patient
had come "back to de walks an ways
OBJ life," as she expressed the dear
mothers recovery. My father, over.
joyed and grateful, felt that we owed
this result quite as much to Aunt An
Milky as to our family doctor, 80 he an
nounced his intention of making her a
handsome present, and, like King
Herod, left her free to choose what it
should be. l shall never forget how
Aunt Anniky looked as she stood there
smiling and bowing. and bobbing the
funniest little courtesies all the way
down to the ground.
And you would never guess what it
was the old woman asked for.
swell, Mars Charles" said she
(she had been one of our old servants,
and always called my father Mars
Charles). "to tell you de livin' trufe,
my soul an body is a-yearnin' fur a
han 'spm chanv set o. feef"
"a set of teethv' said father, sur
prised enough. "And have you none
left of your own?"
II has gummed it fur a good many
ye'rs," said Aunt Anniky, with sigh;
"but not wishin' ter be ongratefuls ter
my obligations, owns ter havin' five
material teef. But dey is po' sogers
dey shirks battle. One OBJ denis got
little somethin' in it as lively as q
speared worm, an I tell you when any.
thing teches it, hot or cold, it jest
makes me dance! An anudder is in
my top jaw. an amt got no match ful
it in de bottom one; an one is broke
off nearly to de root; an de las two il
so yaller dat rs ashamed ter show 'em
in company, an so I lif's my turkey.
tail ter my mouf every time I laughs
or speaks"
Father turned to mother with 8
musing air. 1.-THE curious student o
humanity" he remarked, "traces re-
semblances where they are not obvious
ly conspicuous. Now, at the frst
blush, one would not think of any
common ground of meeting for oul
Aunt Anniky and the Empress Jose
phine. Yet that fine French lady in
troduced the fashion of handkerchief
by continually raising delicate lace
mo,schoirs to her lips to hide her baC
teeth, Aunt Anniky lifts her turkey
tail 1t really seems that human be
ing. should be classed by strata, if they
were metals in the earth. Instead o
dividing by nations, let us class by
| quality. So we might find Turk, Jew
Christian, fashionable lady and wash
erwoman, master and slave, hanging
together like cats on clothes line b1
some connecting cord of affinity"
"1n the mean time," said my moth
er, mildly, "Aunt Anniky is waiting t,
know if she is to have her teeth"
"Oh, surely, surely ~ cried father
coming out of the clouds with a start
II am going to the village tomorrow
Anniky, in the spring wagon. I will
take you with me, and we will see wha
the dentist can do for you"
"Blees you heart, Mars Charles |!
said the delighted Anniky; "you'r
jest as good as yo' blood and yo' name
and mo- l couldn't say"
The morrow came, and with it Aun
Anniky, gorgeously arrayed in fam
ing red calico, bandanna handker
chief, and a string of carved yello,
beads that glittered on her bosom lik
fresh buttercups on hill-slope.
| I had petitioned to go with tn
party, for, as we lived on plantation
y visit to the village was something G
an event. A brisk drive soon brough
US to the centre of ''the Square"
glittering sign hung Ibrazenly from
high window on its western side, beal
ing, in raised black letters, the nam,
doctor Alon1o Babb."
J DR.. Babb was the dentist and th
odd fish of our village. He beams i
; my memory as a big, round man, wit
hair and smiles all over his face, VII
talked incessantly, and said things {
make your blood run cold.
"Do you see this ring ?" he said,
he hustled about, polishing his instr,
ments and making his preparation
for the sacrifice of Aunt Anniky. H
held up his right hand, on the for,
finger of which glistened q ring Il
{ size of q dog collar. "Now, VIII,
. dye s'pose that's made Off"
"Brass," suggested father, who v,
, funny when not philosophical.
"Bross !" cried DR.. Babb, with
> withering look |; 1it's virgin gold, tn
: ring is. And where Eye s'poee I four
|. the gold 7"
81 My father ran his hands into
J pockets in . Retrospective sort of va
"In the mouths of my patients, 9
!. cry grain Of it, said the dentist, wi
: perfectly diabolical smack Of u
lips. "Old fillings-plugs, you kno