Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-02-12
BEN'S WEDDING SHOES.

house. She lived in fine STYLE, gave her
Sunday dinners, and took on" as the
other darkies sail. same lax de wife
folks Her old nan Alec was char
acter, and his banjo and his songs, with
mis- bushy hair ind his year bobs, As
Aunt Becky called them. were important
features around our home.
There was a time when Aunt Becky
had been cleaning house for week. and
had kept away Is long as could. but
an evening came when felt that l must
have her help about some patchwork, 50
50 | ran into her house through the
kitchen door. But stopped there when
the sound Of voices came to NE.
Oars dem breeches amt bad no less n
sebn seals, en- de las one mighty nigh
gone, lay dat lazy nigger'll war dem
breeches 'dout no seat 70 III patch EN-
agin.'
who is with Aunt Becky" I won
dered.
Then she went on:
Dat jim crow. Why, honey. dit jim
crow amt teched Alec's ha'r no day 'cep
Sunday sence he been bawned. Monday
mawnin' he twises his hal inter two rolls,
en- ties EN- wild strings, en- dar dey stays,
en- he aint boddern' his head longer no
jim-crow du'in' de week. Right atter.he
done eat dinner on Sunday sees him
gin ter timber up, en- switch roun' after
de bay rum bottle; den knows W at eI
comm He ups en- ontwises his knots,
en- kyards en- kyards tell his ha'r dee
natal STAINS out en- kivers de face er de
yeth: den he gifts his sto' cloze on, en- his
year hobs, en- out he puts, en- de Lord
ony knows whar he gwineter fetch uI
70 mawnin.
Aunt Becky stopped, and heard some
one ask question which Icould not I'M
derstand
"Ef you knowed all dey is to know
bout desc hyer cloze er mine, 20 POP
eyes I'D be popper'n dan wat dey is"
The person to whom Aunt Becky was
talking was only Charlotte, our little
mulatto girl, so opened the door and
walked in. Aunt Becky heard me, but
she did not turn round as she spoke:
NO eavesdroppers amt nuver heard
no good er deyse'ves yit, en- folks wat
walks on cats fleets is putty sho ter hear
wat amt meant fer dey years.
What do you mean. Aunt Becky"
asked
why, honey, is you dar?' she said
turning around and pretending to bt
very much surprised II WIZ DIES Ell
'provin er Charet's sassiness, comm er
akin me whar bouts my cloze come fun.
As she spoke she took up blue and
gray plaid silk. and began to smooth il
out on the bed.
dish liver frock now. hit am seeo
good times. fer sho'. Miss Emily cir mt
dis fer ter war ter ole Ben en- Delphy':
weddin."
when did Uncle Ben get married?-
asked. for | knew we were to have a
story now
why, yer see. honey, Marse Hill,
Niger cabins jines up mighty close tel
ole niarster's niggers, en- Delphy's cabin
IL de nighes one - away. En- OLE
Ben he wuz always totin' his tools er
his hoe pas Delphv winder, tell TWAIN
long TO he done sot ewes on her. en- dey
wuz ginnin' ter cote. Hit did lool
mighty funny ter see dem two ole nigg,rs
settin' roun de chimbly sparkin', kazs
DeIphv WIZ turned sixty. en- ole Ben wui
evv mite cr sixty 70. but dey tuck OF
same lax dey WIZ sixteen en- twenty
Delphy wuz er bobbin her head dis ava,
en- dat away. en- ole Ben tuck ter kvardin
his ha'r mos ev'v night.
well. dev weddin wuz er big ter-do
Ev'y Niger at got err invite wuz boun
ter 20. en- mon dat dev wuz boun' tel
dress fine. too Marse Sam he gin ole
Ben de weddln suit en- er par er shoes
but dar's des 'zackly wliar de trouble
WIZ. Ole Ben wuz one er desc hyal
bar'foot niggers clean ter de backbone
en- he lowed ter Delphy up en- down dat
he want gwincter W ar dem shoes.
"Delphy she come er hyin' over hyel
one day, en- lows ter me dat she aim
gwineter stan up longer no bar foot mig
ger, en- she don see no way fer ter gil
dem shoes on ter ole Ben's foots.
81 clar to grashus" says |. don't yor
have no pesterment bout dem shoes
Delphy You DIES wait en- git dem shoe.
over ter yo cabin: den wen de we'idin
night comes, Ell ole Ben gifts dar, vol
fetch out de shoes, en- tell him dat dey
amt no bar'foot Niger gwinter stan W
longside er you, en- eat 20 weddin' cake
lay de victuals'll fecth him
After dat Delrhy didn't poster oil.
Ben no mo bout the shoes, en- dey wui
bofe ez pleasin' ez er baskit err chips
Mis- Hill gin Delphy one er desc hyel
yaler buff silks wild pam leafs on it, er
er head han 'kercher W at des went wild it
wen de weddin night come, | went
down ter Delphy's house long bout sun
down ter fix de bride, en- mus low dat
Delphy look mighty fine dat night. Dai
WALLER buff silk mighty nigh made vel
mouf water. en- de head han 'kercher wu1
quo silk. too.
.'Delphy she low dat dey want no
body gwineter ketch her 'douten no head
han kercher on, wediin or no weddin
en- hit tuck me en- Mis- Hill bofe ter keeI
her fun kiverin UP dat frock wild Ell
wife apun. Delphy 'loy dat hit look
lax she felt mo- natchul wild er apun on
but she tuck II lef' it off ruther'n 'spute
longer me en- Mis- Hill.
After de milkin' wuz all done up, en-
de pigs fed en- de cows watered. de mig
gers gun ter slick up en- git ready fer dc
Unfair. After we done git Delphy fix up
twan't long 70 We heard er knock at de
front do. en- Delphy gun ter litter en-
giggle en- low. Oars Ben. | reckon.
Den tuck er look out de winder. en-
sho 'nnff dar stood de ole niger dressed
up wuss'n marster nv er Sunday. Ev'y
knot er ha'r wuz kyarGed out. en- one or
marster'S ole beaver hats wuz settin on
top er his head. His sto' cloze wuz bran,
spankin new. en-. mon dat, he had on Ell
Billed shirt en- collar.
But. graL,hus, honey, down at de Dol
tom dar sot his ole black feet spread on,
latter er pancake on de do steps. |
DIES tuck'n reich under de bed ell fetch
out de shoes.
"'Now, Delphy.' says l. you des lem
me lone. gwin.s fix ole Ben
"Wid dat | walks ter de do en- opens
it er crack.
GOOD evenin', Ben saysJ.
'Howdy, Aunt Becky says he; 'aint
yer gwine ter let ne iny
'Delphy's putin de cape jessamines
roun' de weddin' cake says 1. 'en she
sont me wild de shoes, Ben. so yer won't
make no barefoot tracks crosst her front
do. Des set right down on de do step en-
put on de shoes wiles goes en- looks
after de roas' shoat er mint
II didn't give Ben no time ter say
nuthin, but l tuck n drap de shoes
right alongside er de ole niger en- shet
IA 4 hut L. 1 4