The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1890-05-30
5%li5Cella11en11s.
Commodore Roscoe's "ParCIoSes.

|
Commodore Roscoe's "Par CIoSes.
Philadelphia Times.
"Mammy, 1 wished you'd buy me pa
clo'es"
This request, in whining monotone, cam
from small ebon specimen of the masculin
gender, who, arrayed in a single garment
bearing a suspicious resemblance to a recon
structed meal bag, sat on stool in the corne
of the broad stone fireplace, slowly rubin,
the top of one rusty black foot with tn
horny sole of the other. 1t was a warn
afternoon in August. The sun was tbre
hours past the jagged "twelve o'clock mark,
cut deep across the door sill. Aunt DiIsy
| with turbaned head and shoeless feet pro
truding several inches through pair of worl
yarn stockings, stood ironing at a boart
stretched between the open door and tn
sashless window, whose clumsy shutter wa
fastened back against the wall to admit NOR
| light.
The room, the only one of which the cabil
hoasted, was scrupulOusly clean. The pin
| floor, worn about the doorstep and the ston
hearth, was as white as "suds" and vigorou
rubbing could make it. On the walls, fo
the double purpose of ornamentation ant
to keep out the keen winter winds, which il
that bitter mountain climate forced an en-
trance through every crack and crevice
pictures cut from story papers, fashion books
and floral catalogues had been pasted. Lam
breouins of scalloped newspapers were tack
ed about the mantelpiece and the wooden
shelf. Upon the latter, arranged with math
ematical precision, was pen which
would not write, an inkstand anC
few calico-covered books and above
it depended q vilifying mirror, look
ing very much like a small lake unde
the influence of stiff breeze. In one cor
ner stood an Imprinted bedstead with snowy
"cover led" and pulled pillow cases of coarse
muslin. This, with pine table and few
rough chairs and stools, completed the furni.
ture of the room, for the crockery and cook
ing utensils were hidden away in a CLOSET
under the steps which led to the loft above.
Las summer" continued Commodore
Aunt Dilsy, who was fond of "quar name
an didn't had nothin' else to give him." had
called the boy so in honor of MARS Commo-
do Roscoe" who had once spent a summer
at the mineral springs near by-"when dat
lady whar was bo'din' at Mr.. Trasher's want
ed me to fotch her letters fom de office ev'y
mail day you wouldn't lemme, cause you was
feared I'd skeer de folks goin' long de big
road. can't never make no money twell |
gifts some cio'es."
Aunt Dilsy set her iron down on its ring
with sharp thud and then began pulling
out the rutfles ON delicate garment she was
preparing TO smooth.
"Wbat you talkin' so simple bout, boy ?"
she said at last, pausing moment in her &C.
cupation and fixing a whitening look upon
Commodore. "Iou know dat lady wont
give you nuf money to clo'es YOU
II know she won't" replied Commodore
sulkily, "but ef I'd had par oes | could
'er been geth'rn berries all de summer an
carryin' 'em to de springs TO sell"
Aunt Dilsy met this last argument with
chilling silence.
"Memmy," broke in Commodore at last,
describing circles with one ierrapin great toe
in pile ofashcs he had drawn out upon the
hearth, "ef gifts de money to buy me some
clio 'es, kin l hab emp
Aunt Dilsy gave significant chuckle.
YES, chile, eff you gifts de money to buy 'em
wild you kin hab 'em." Then with sudden
change of tone quite startling to one less &C.
qpainted with her varying moods than Com
modOre was, "An now you stop maxim all
dat fuss an git up fom dar an go an pick
me up some bresh, you hear mel"
The interrogatory portion of this sentence
was pitched at least an octave higher than
its opening clause, a key Aunt Dilsy was very
apt to drift into when issuing her orders to
the little darkcy.
Twelve years of intimate association with
her had taught Commodore to gauge the ma
telnal barometer with great accuracy. At
the least fall in the mercury, his custom was
to drop the suit he was urging, pOstponing
it until the fair weather indications were une-
qnivocal. He was on his feet the moment
this command was given and pretty soon
might have been seen running down the hard,
smooth path which led to the wood, his
white garment fluttering like pennon in
the breeze.
Aunt Dilsy was influenced by motives of
deep diplomacy in keeping Commodores
wings thus clipped. AS a bringer of water
and "bresh" he was Invaluable to her in her
as laundress for the guests at the
Chalybeate. "But des lem me Civ him par
clo'es," she reflected, Gan he'd be des same
as bird out de cage couldn't never keep
i'm off de big road"
In cold weather Commodore's wardrobe
had the addition of a pair or so of very re-
pants, put together with the clum-
siest possible stitches and cut by Aunt Dilsy's
eye. But they were never sufficiently pre-
sentable to enable him to appear at school,
circumstance which the little darkey deeply
deplored.
Aunt Dilsy, however, considered education
for the colored people, doubt dey was gwine
10 be preachers or Z0rters" entirely super
fuous. "Dese here book works." she was
wont to say, don't do nothin' 'cep' make
niggers no count and triflin'." As might
have been expected. these questionable
sentiments rendered Mrs Blueskiu" unpopu-
lar with her neighbors, while poor little Com
nodoTe was the target for many cruel jests
from "de school chillen.' 81 'clar, boy"
they would say with exasperating "Haw
haws!" when coming upon him in the woods,
you looks zackly like desc here sabbage folks
whar dey tells bout in de geography"
Commodore felt his superiority to them in
some things, however. He could beat them
he was certain, and as he fitted
about beneath the forest trees picking up the
fallen branches his brain was busily engaged
n evolving secret, half-formed plan.
A creased pole, so he had heard, with
ten-dollar note tied to the end of it was to be
erected on Saturday in front of the principal
MOTEL at the Chalybeate. On the afternoon
IF that day the colored boys in the neig hbor-
hood were invited to assemble upon the lawn
and exhibit their skill in climbing for the
of the guests, the successful con-
estant receiving as his reward the sum above
The last stick was laid upon toe pile, and
IS Commodore gathered all together and
ocked his fingers firmly across the irregular
bundle the vague schemes and aspirations
which had iloated through his brain crystal
zed into fixed and distinct purpose. "Ef
you gets de money to buy 'em wild you kin |
lab EN-" Aunt Dilsy's words kept repeat
ng themselves in his mind. Despite her
many infrmities she was mighty good to her
Vord," and Commodore had no doubt but |
hat she would keep her promise to him. He |
vas very happy in this assurance and in the |
bright hopes conjured up by his own imagin-
Ltion, and as he hurried in the direction of |
ZONE he broke into song, making the woods |
'ocal with one of Aunt Dilsy's favorite
lymns.
Wander comes ole Noah,
Halleiuyai Halleluyai
Oh, yander comes ole Noah.
Haileluya Halleluya!