Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-24
Written for The Evening Star.
POOLING UNCLE REMUs.
The Familiar Old Character Thinks He Finds
Snake.
DrRINl THE pAST cIrMMEp TUT

The Familiar Old Character Thinks He Finds
u Snake.
nURING THE PAST SUMMER THE
~ lady whom Uncle Remus calls Miss
Sally" and for whom he does odd jobs. went
to one of the Virginia watering places Fo
some reason or other her stay was prolonged
until the latter part of September. When she
returned she found her back yard overgrown
with grass and weeds. although she had partic-
ularly cautioned the old negro to keep it clean.
She was very much surprised and somewhat in
dignant at the apparent neglect and the next
morning she made it convenient to be in and
about the front porch as much as possible in
order to employ the first idle negro that came
along and have the whole lot put in order.
Among the first to put in an appearance was
Uncle Remus himself. He had small garden
hoe on hts shoulder and heavy cane in his
hand. He stopped at the gate and looked up
and down the street, and then came slowly into
the yard. The lady watched him as he came
up the walk. His face, furrowed with the lines
Of age and laughter, was very grave, and there
was hitch in his gait which told of struggle
with rheumatism. The lady was watching him
from a window. and, somehow. her indignation
disappeared as she gazed at the weather-beaten
features Of the old man. She had known him
since she was little child. although her own
youth had long since taken wings. and she was
inclined to look kindly on all his failings. He
was a family appendage, a piece of furniture
that had become valuable as relic
Though the lady is a matroI, with plentiful
sprinkling OF gray in her hair, a spirit of mis-
chief seized her She went forth ON the porch,
and before Uncle Remus. with happy smile on
his face, could take off his hat and give her a
genuine plantation greeting. she said:
"Howdy, old man. l have no work for you
today" Then she turned and began to pull
down the dead madeira vines that were still
clinging to the strings on which they had run
so bravely in the summer
"Lor Miss Sally you can't fool old Remus,"
exclaimed the old man, laughing.
did you say you knew old Remus?" the lady
asked quite seriously. HE was a great deal
older than you are and expect he's dead by
this time. Until saw the hoe in your hand j
thought you were Remus himself. He always
carried a bag instead of a hoe and he never went
in anybody's yard that he didn't come out with
his bag full OF victuals When you get as old
as Rcmus was: y,ou'n be better off by going to
the poor house."
The lady talked 30 seriously that the smile
died away on the old mans face and before he
could say anything she had gone INTO the house
humming tune. Uncle Remus stood scratch
ing his head and rejecting, and then he went
slowly around the house and took seat on the
edge Of the passageway that led from the
kitchen to the back porch. The cook. who had
been living on the place during the ladys alb
sence. was busy cleaning up.
"Chlory," said Uncle Remus, sis Won notice
Miss Sally right close sence she come back?''
II amt got no time ter watch white folks. ~
said the cook, who was fat and high tempered.
What wanter be watchin' Miss Sally fer!''
Il des ak you," said Uncle Remus, with a
sigh. He had heard the blinds of the dining
room window rattle and he knew his Miss Sally
was listening. Il des ak you" he repeated in
"a SIx rrt,v ctov, a r,xt. l.
in de front er de house des now en- axed her
howdy, en- she sorter roll her eye, she did, en-
low dat WIZ dead
''Hush, mani exclaimed the cook, coming to
the kitchen door and looking at Uncle Remus
in astonishment.
Dat 'zackly what she say," said the old man
with due solemnity. &" faint SO much what
she say" he went on, ''ez de way she do l bin
KNOWN Miss Sally ev'y sence she was a suckin'
baby and amt never is see her show de white
e r her eye like she done des now"
II say it!' exclaimed the cook.
"lassum," said Uncle Remus, with increased
solemnity, ''she stood dar, she did, en- look like
she dazed. des bin runnin' over in my min
ef any err de family been 'ficted dat away en-
de highest l kin come at it is dat Miss Sally
gran ma, she had full blood br'er what mar
rjed oman dat showed de white er her eye
en- dat oman she had ter be put iE straight
jacket"
"well. well! wellr' exclaimed the cook.
you sho'ly don't tell me!''
Before Uncle Remus could make any reply
there was swish of dress on the back porch
and . rafting of keys. Then a sharp, angry
voice called out:
'Remus. are you going to Clean mp that yard?
lot y VI >''''
'.Yassum Miss Sally" exclaimed Uncle
Remus, as he seized his hoe; Il DIES gittin' me
a drink er water"
With that the old man began his attack on
the grass and weeds in the yard, and the lady
sat at window where she could watch him. She
was not long in observing that he was in no
special hurry. He would grub away for few
minutes and then lean on the handle of his hoe
and rest. Frequently he would turn his hoe
around, examine the blade of it and shake his
head. He seemed to get on with his work so
slowly that the lady put on her sun bonnet and
went out to oversee the job. For an hour she
kept the old man very busy, and he grew tired
OF it. She was not in the habit of following
him up SO closely. Finally. when he saw that
she intended to see the yard cleaned then and
there, Uncle Renus raised his heat. aud looked
all around, smiling the air.
what is the matter now?' the lady asked
Uncle Remus made no reply to the question;
but continued smiling the air, looking very
serious. Presently he said in very loud and
emphatic tone:
Il wonder wharbouts is dat snake what bin
''What are you talking about?' the lady asked
CONTEMPORARY.
Bout dat ar snake what I SMELLS kin
alters smell um when dey gifts stirred up
What snake?' asked the lady with something
more than curiosity.
dat ar snake what bin interferin' wild. He
somers closte 'roun' here, sho.''
where asked the lady, instinctively grasp
ing her skirts.
Miss Sally" said Uncle Remus in the most
business-like way, 81 wish you'd please ma am
be so good ez ter look in dat bunch err grass
dar. He smell so rank he bleedz ter be right
roun here
Instead of searching in the bunch of grass
'Miss Sally jerked up her skirts. gave a little
scream and ran to the house like deer. Safe
on the back porch she turned and looked at
Uncle Remus. The old man was half bent and
his head was going from side to side. He pre-
tended to be searching for the snake. but his
Miss Sally knew that he was laughing at her.
Angry as she was she interfered with Uncle
Remus no more, but left him to clean the yard
in his own way and in his own time.
JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS.
A Change.
From Life.
-T-S