San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1890-02-20
BEN'S WEDDING SHOES.

DEN D w EDDlNG OHUEN.
In the old time before the war Aun
Becky had q homo of her own, littl'
white cottage just back of my father
house. She lived in fine style, gave he
Sunday dinners, and took on" as tn
other darkies said, ''same lax de wit
folks" Her old man Alec was char
acter, and his banjo and his songs, witt
his bushy hair and his "year bobs," a
Aunt Becky called them, were importan
features around our home.
There was time when Aunt Beck,
had been cleaning house for week, anc
I had kept away as long as l could; bu
an evening came when I felt that mus
have her help about some patchwork, s,
so I ran into her house through tn,
kitchen door. But I stopped there wher
the sound Of voices came to me.
"Dar's dem breeches aint had no less'r
seb'n seats, en- de las one mighty nigf
gone! l lay dat lazy nigger'll war den
breeches 'dout no seat 70 I'll patch EN-
agin!"
"Who is with Aunt Beckyr' I won
dered.
| Then she went on:
"Dat jim-crowi Why, honey, dit Jim
crow aint teched Alec's ha'r no day 'cep
Sunday sence he been bawnedi Monday
mawnin' he twises his ha'r inter two rolls
en- ties 'em wild strings, en- dar dey stays
en- he aint bodder'n' his head longer nc
| jim-crow du'in' de week. Right after he
done eat dinner on Sunday sees him
gin ter timber up, en- switch roun' after
dc bay rum bottle; den knows watts el
comin'. He ups en- ontwises his knots
en- kyards en- kyards tell his ha'r des
natal STAINS out en- kivers de face er dc
yeth; den he gifts his sto' cloze on, en- his
year 'bobs, en- out he puts, en- de Lord
on'y knows whar he gwineter fetch uE
fo' mawnin'."
Aunt Becky stopped, and heard some
one ask question which Icould not un-
derstand.
"Ef you knowed all dey is to know
bout desc hyer cloze or mine, 20 pop
eyes 'ud be popper'n dan wat dcy is"
The person to whom Aunt Becky was
talking was only Charlotte, our little
mulatto girl, so l opened the door and
walked in. Aunt Becky heard me, but
she did not turn round as she spoke:
"No eavesdroppers aint nuver heard
no good er deyse'ves yit, en- folks wat
walks on cats feets is putty sho' ter hear
wat aint meant fer dey years"
"What do you mean, Aunt Beckyf" l
asked.
"Why, honey, Is you dar9" she said,
turning around and pretending to be
very much surprised. II wuz des er
'provin er Charlets sassiness, comm en-
akin me whar'bouts my cloze come fum."
As she spoke she took up blue and
gray plaid silk, and began to smooth it
out on the bed.
"Dish hyer frock now, hit am seed
good times, fer sho'. Miss Emily gir me
dis fer ter war ter ole Ben en- Delphy's
weddin'."
"When did Uncle Ben get mar1ied%
asked, for knew we were to have a
story now.
"Why, yer see, honey, Marse Hills
niger cabins jines up mighty close ter
ole marster's niggers, en- Delphy's cabin
IL de nighes' one dis away. En- ole
Ben he wuz always totin' his tools en-
his hoe pas Delphy's winder, tell 'twa'nt
long 10 he done sot eyes on her, en- dey
wuz 'ginnin' ter cote. Hit did look
mighty funny ter see dem two ole niggers
,ettin' roun' de chimbly sparkin', kaze
Delphy wuz turned sixty, 'en ole Ben wuz
,v'y mite er sixty-fo'; but dey tuck on
,ame lax dey wuz sixteen en- twenty.
Oelphy wuz er bobbin' her head dis Away
N dat away, en- ole Ben tuck ter kyardin'
lis ha'r amos ev'y night.
"Well, dey weddin' wuz er big ter-do.
Sv'y nigger wat got er invite wuz boun'
er go, en- mon dat dey wuz boun' ter
lress fine, too. Marse Sam be gin ole
Zen de weddin' suit en- er par er shoes,
,ut dar's des 'zackly whar de trouble
yuA. Ole Ben wuz one er desc hyar
'ar'foot niggers clean ter de backbone,
n he lowed ter Delphy up en- down dat
e want gwineter war dem shoes.
"Delphy she come or hyin' over hyer
ne day, en- lows ter me dat she aint
wineter stan up longer no barfoot mig
er, en- she don see no way fer ter git
en- shoes on ter ole Ben's foots.
II 'clar 70 grashusr says /. don't you
ave no pesteInent bout dem shoes, (
,elphyl You des wait en- git dem Shoes
yer ter yo' cabin: den wen de wcddin'
light CONES, en- ole Pen gifts dar, you
stch out de shoes, en- tell him dat dey
iDt no bar'foot nigger gvinter stan up ,
Jngside er you. en- eat 20 veddin' cake
lay de victualsIl fecth him. I
After dat Delphy didn't poster ole
en- no mo bout the shoes. en- dey vuz
lfe ez pleasin' ~ er haskit er chips
is Hill gin De4phy one er desc hyeT =
alIer buff silks Eid pain leafs on u, en 7
head hanTtercber wat de- went s-id IL.
"W'en de v-eidin' night co1De, I Eent
yvn ter Delphy's house long bout sun .
yEn tsr TX De- t-ide, en- I mus 7o-v dzs .
alphy looL mighty fine dat night Dat
IIieT buI SIX mighty nigh made yer q
ouf water. q Be hoz.d hz1 kercheT suz e
10 ak. too.
'.Delphy sbe low DAT dey ua'nt 10 "
.iT g~ineier ke1ct LeT '6ogtsn % head q