Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-12-19

blue silk dress dat she wore to de party,
an Cindy say she neber tell a word bout
Marse Gresham-but ole Miss Pollard find
it out.
And den dar wal great fluctuations for ole
Miss. She hate northern folks like pizen,
an pore Marse Gresham war a Yankee an
pore at that. an den you see de Colonel
war %courtin' right hard all dis time, so ole
Miss make NH lady write good-by ter pore
Marse Gresham an marry da Colonel. But
Cindy tole Lummy dat NH lady allus hab a
laundering for Marse Gresham, an she
keep bis picture hid away among her tings,
an Cindy done seed her a-crying over it.
So you see de missus seed Miss Sally, an
right soon she notice how she look like her
ole sweetheart, an it gin her quite a turn.
An den she inquire an find dat she war
his daughter sho huff, her father an mother
war dead an she war teaching In a school
an mighty pore. So de lady took her off
home wild her, an she pet her an do
eberyting for her. An she tole de Col
onel she done teach Miss Virginia her
grammar. But law sakes alivei she neber
teach nobody muffin, not down hyah.
wall, Marse George hab lots ob friends
down dyah dat year. Oar war de Court
ney ladies from Albemarle an Miss Peachy
Pollard from King an Queen, an Cap'n
Green an Mr., Jack Green from Norfolk.
an da Undertakes from up da creek.
Miss Peachy war de prettiest, do dey all
are ~good-looking ladies, sho huff; an
! Marse George he jes' natchelly picks de
best. Mr.. Undertake try for Miss Peachy,
but she turn away an glib her favor to
Marse George cherry time, an Mr.. Timber
lake stan where she left him, looking jes'
| H. = -oo14o1 -..-,1uA0-, p,+ a44o- NJ
Sally come, Miss Peachy war mighty glad
to get Mr.. Undertake: fur seems like all
the gentlemen want to wait ON Miss Sally.
But Marse George he'd step right in, an
waive dem all off in dat gran way he had,
an dey all kinder back out: bnt | reckon
dey mos hate Marse George sometimes.
"De young folks used ter ride hossback
a sight dat yeah. De Colonel had a lot o
nice colts jes' broke in,-I reckon II or IA,
an dey hab cherry blessed one of dem
out mos cherry day. 1t sutnly did look
gran to see dem all start off in de mawnin,
ladies an gentlemen an colts. all de finest
in Virginia. Miss Sally act fraid-like at
fust, but Marse George teach her some
things, an soon she ride almost as smart
as Miss Peachy. Miss Peachy war de bes'
rider In the county, you know.
wen Miss Sally had been hyar quite a
spell, or maybe longer, NH lady gave a
gran party, an invite all de fine people
for miles around. Dey hab fddles an
blow tings, an dey hab de carpets took
away an a man from Richmond to shine
up de floor, an de young ladies trim all de
rooms wild flowers. An it seems like
Miss Sally wa boss OBJ ~eberyting, do she
neber say a word till somebody ask her,
an den she speak right soft as do she'd
ruther not. But Marse George hab cherry
ting done ies' as she said. [ member de
day OBJ de party heerd dem two a talking;
he war axing her something or ODER
couldn't make out what-an' she war put
tin it off, like she didn't want ter prom
Use. His voice sound hurt an sad-like,
an she spoke up right peart, but kinder
scarf, too. An she kept a movin' 'roun'
fixing der vases an tings. an keep tellin'
him bout der pictures, an try ter make
him forget wot he aXed her. She suit My
war real aggrayatin'. But Marse George
hab lots ob patience. I reckon. He KEEP
on. till finally she said yes, an scampered
off fore he could get bref enough to
thank her; an, after all, twar only dat
she would wear a white dress dat night,
case she allus wore black, you know, for
her father.
NH lady make me dress up an wait on
da door dat night, an it sert My war gran
ter see der folks come in. | reckon dar
war 20 cayages full oh lubly dressed ladies
an gentlemen, besides them that war stop
pin heah. All de gentlemen hab on big
shirt Dozens an no skirts to DER coats, an
de ladies hab no waist to der dresses, but
jes' a little bit o'lace or ribbon or sumfn'.
and dey hab on gloves like stockin's, way
up DER bare arms, an bracelets, an
flowers in DER heads O. hair an long
tailed silk dresses Ell sweepin' ehlong be-
hind EN-. Nh lady looked lubly an
young ez anybody; she he'd put on a yell
low velvet gown dat she brought from
New York, an her real, sho' huff. dia-
monds. An de Colonel war jes' proud,
now, l tell yoa.
"WelI. day all danced till they war tired
an den they ate suppahtill dey war rested,
an den dey hab singing, an all der SER
wants cum into der back entry to heah.
Den de Colonel call on Miss Gresham to
sing, den | saw Miss Sally come out oh der
crowd like, an | jes' tell you the troof |
didn't know her. She hab on a smooth.
shiny, white dress dat came up plain right
aroun' her neck an right down to her
wrists, an de skirt cum down jes' to der
floor; an Cindy hab brush her hair till it
shine like gold an she had stuck a white
rose in it, an her eyes jes' shine, an her
cheeks was jess as pink neber saw any
one look like dat before. No jewelry nor
ribbons nor failals-but dar warn't a lady
dar dat could hold a candle to her. Cap'n
Green escorted her to der gran pianer, an
Marse George he happen to be standin' be-
hind Miss Pollard's chair, an | see him
chaw on his mustache, ar look like he
suit My would murder the cap'n. Miss
Courtney played, she war one OBJ de Abe
marie Courtneys, you know, mighty proud
folks, an handsome too.
81 remember ier as we'll de servants war
standin' way back in de passage, an a
strange gentlemen anne an stand up right
beside me. | s'posed OBJ cose he war one
OBJ de company dat got hisself belated or
somefdo' In, neber see nobody like him
before. He hab red whiskers, an he had
a spectacle stuck in one eye jes' like deb
minister ober ter der white church, an he
have a diamond on his little finger an a
scar on his hand. An he jes' star an
star at Miss Sally, like he'd neber seen a
white pusson before. De song she war sing
in war
so you see deh lads, dey needn't come wooing
For my heart, my heart, is ober the sea;
Deb lads, dey needn't come vooing to me,
For my heart, my heart
| Jes den the stranger took a step forward
an she looked up. an saw him, den she
turned drefful white, an tried to speak
but she couldn't, so den she gave a screecf
an jes' bodaciously tainted away. Well
dat broke up deb party; Lummy an Cindy
came an toted Miss Sally off to her room
an dey shut de doors on all der gentlemen