The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1891-12-26
BEN'S WEDDING SHOES.

Sunday dinners, and "took on" as the
other darkies said, "same lax de wife
folks" Her old man Alec was a char
acter, and his 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 a week, and
had kept away as long as l could; but
an evening came when felt that i must
have her help about some patchwork, so
so ran into her house through the
kitchen door. But l stopped there when
the sound of voices came to me.
Oars dem breeches amt had no less'n
seb'n seats, en- de las one mighty nigh
gonel lay dat lazy nigger'll war dem
breeches 'dout no seat 10 I'll patch EN-
agin!'
"Who is with Aunt Becky?' won
dered.
Then she went on:
"Dat jim-crowl Why, honey, dit jim
crow Amt teched Alecs ha'r no day 'cep'
Sunday sence he been bawnedl Monday
mawnin' he twises his HAIR inter two rolls,
en- ties 'em wild strings, en- dar dey stays,
en- he amt 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 waits er
comm. He ups en- ontwises his knots,
en- kyards en- kyards tell his ha'r DIES
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
on'y knows whar he gwineter fetch up
TO mawnin'."
Aunt Becky stopped, and heard some
one ask a question which could not I'M
derstand.
EFF you l1nowed all dey is to know
bout desc hyer cloze er mine, 20 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 | opened the door and
walked in. Aunt Becky heard me, but
she did not turn round as she spoke:
mo eavesdroppers amt nuver heard
no good er deyseves yit, en- folks wat
walks on cats feets is putty sho ter hear
wat amt meant fer dey years."
"What do you mean, Aunt Becky" l
asked.
"Why, honey, is you dar?" she said
turning around and pretending to be
very much surprised. Il wuz DIES er
'provin er Charlet's sassiness, comm en-
akin me whar'bouts my cloze come fun. "
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 cir me
dis fer ter war ter ole Ben en- Delphys
weddin'."
when did Uncle Ben get married." l
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'n't
long 70 he done sot eyes on her. en- dey
wuz ginnin ter cote. Hit did look
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 wuz er bobbin' her head dis away
en- dat away, en- ole Ben tuck ter kyardin'
his ha'r amos ev'y night.
"Well, Gey weddin' wuz er big ter-do.
Ev'y niger at got err 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- err par er shoes,
but dars DIES zackly whar de trouble
wuz. Ole Ben wuz one er desc hyar
barefoot niggers clean ter de backbone,
en- he lowed ter Delphy up en- down dat
he want gwineter war dem shoes.
"Delphy she come err flynn over hyer
one day, en- lows ter me dat she amt
gwineter stan up longer no barefoot Mig
ger, en- she don see no way fer ter git
dem shoes on ter ole Bens foots.
i 'clar to grashus! says l, don't you
have no pesterment bout dem shoes,
Delphyl You des wait en- git dem shoes
over ter yo' cabin; den wen de weddin'
night comes, Ell ole Ben gifts dar, YOU
fetch out de shoes, en- tell him dat dey
amt no barefoot niger gwinter stan up
longside er you, en- eat 20 weddin' cake
/ lay de victuals'll fecth him.
after dat Delphy didn't poster ole
Ben no mo- bout the shoes, en- dey wuz
bofe ez pleasin' ez er baskit er chips.
Mis- Hall gin Delphy one er desc hyer
yaller buff silks wild pam leafs on it, en-
er head han kercher wat DIES went wild it.
Gwen de weddin night come, l went
down ter Delphy's house long bout sun
down ter fix de bride, en- l mus low dat