Wichita eagle., 1890-02-06
BEN;S WEDDING SHOES

white cottage Just back OF my fatheFS
house. She lived in fine style, gave her
Sunday dinners, and "took on" as the
other da<kies said, same lak de w'ite
folks" Her old man Alec was a char
acter, and bis banjo and his songs, with
his bushy hair and his ''year bobs, as
Aunt Becky called them, were important
features around our home.
There was time when Aunt Becky
had been cleaning house for week, and
had kept away as long as ! could; but
On evening came when felt that l must
have her help about some patchwork, so
so l ran into her house through the
kitchen door. But stopped there when
the sound of voices came to me.
Oars dem breeches aint had no less'n
seb'n seats, en- de las one mighty nigh
gone! lay dat lazy nigger'll war dem
breeches 'ciout no seat TO I'll patch 'em
aginr'
who is with Aunt Becky?' won
dered.
Then she went on:
''Dat jim-c Why. honey, dit jim
crow aint teched Alec's hair no day cep'
SUNDAY sence he been bawned. Monday
mawnin' he twi5es his ha'r inter two rolls,
en- ties 'em wild strings, en- dar dey stays,
en- he aint bodder'n' his head longer no
jim-crow du'in' de week. Right after he
done eat dinner on Sunday sees him
gin ter timber up. en- switch roun' after
de bay rum bottle; den knows W at S er
comm. He ups en- ontwises his knots,
en- kyards en- kyards tell his ha'r des
nataf stan's out en- kivers de face er de
yeth; den he gifts his sto' cloze on, en- his
year bobs, en- out he puts. en- de Lord
only knows whar he gwineter fetch up
fo' mawnin'."
Aunt Becky stopped, and heard some
one ask question which could not un-
derstand
''Ef you knowed all dey is to know
bout desc hyer cloze er mine, 70 pop
eyes 'ud be popper'n dan wat dey 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 amt 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 Becky
asked.
"Why. honey. is you dar? she said,
turning around and pretending to be
very much surprised. II wuz des er
'provin er Charlet's sassiness, comm en-
akin me whar'bouts my cioze 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 marriedY' l
asked, for I knew we were to have a
story now.
"Why, yer see, honey, Marse Hills
niger cabins jines up mighty close ter
ole marsters niggeFs, 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 TO he done sot eyes on her, en- dey
wuz 'ginnin' ter cote. Hit did hook
mighty funny ter see dem two ole niggers
settin' roun' de chimbly sparkin', kaze
Delphy wuz turned sixty, EN- ole Ben wuz
ev'y mite er sixty-fo'; but dey tuck on
same lax dey wuz sixteen en- twenty.
Delphy WIZ er bobbin' her head dis away
en- dat away, en- ole Ben tuckter kvardin'
his ha'r amos ev'v night.
''Well. dey weddin' wuz er big ter-do.
Ev'y nigger wat got er invite wuz boun'
ter go, en- mon dat dey wuz boun' ter
dress fine, too. Marse Sam he GIN ole
Ben de weddin' suit en- er par er shoes,
but dar's des 'zackly whar de trouble
wuz. Ole Ben wH one er desc hyar
barfoot niggers clean ter de backbone,
en- he lowed ter Delphy up en- down dat
he want gwineter W ar dem shoes.
"Delphy she come er fyin' over hyer
one day, en- lows ter me dat she aint
gwineter stan up longer no bar'foos mig
ger, en- she don see no way fer ter git
dem shoes on ter ole Ben's foots.
% L clar to grashusr says I. don't you
have no pesterment bout dem shoes,
Delphy. You des wait en- git dem shoes
over ter yo' cabin: den wen de weddin'
night comes, en- ole Ben gifts dar, you
fetch out de shoes. en- tell him dak 6ey
aint no arfoot nigger gwnter stan up
'longside er you. en- eat 20 wedofn cake.
lay de yictualsIi fecth him.
After dat Delphy didn't poster ole
Ben no mo bout the shoes. en- dey wuz
bofe ez pleasin' ez er basidt er chipe- |
Mis- Hill gin Delphy one er desc hyer
yaller buff silks wid PAIN leafs on il, en- |
er head han kercher wat des went wd it. |
wen de weddin' night come, l went |
down ter Delphy's house long bout sun
down ter hx de bride. en ! mus low dat |
Delphy look mighty fine dat night. Dat
yalier buff silk mighty nigh made yer |
mouf water. en- de head han'kercher wux |
puo silk. too.
"Deiphy she low dat dey want no
body gwineter ketch her 'doaten no head |
han 'kercher on. weddin' or no weddin, |
en- hit tuck me en- Mis- Hill bofe ter keep |
her fun kiverin' up dat frock wid er
wife apun- Delphy low dat hit look
lak she feit mo- naschul wid er apun on, |
but she tuck'n lef' it OF rufhern 'spuse
longer me en- Mis- Hill
After de uilkin wuz ali done UP, en-
de pigs fed en- de cows watesed- de nis-
gers gun ter slick UP n git ready fer de
infa'r. After v. done 81; DelFhy hI up,
'twa'nt hong - We beard er knock at de |