Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-03

| Aunt Delphi had been a belle in coiored So
ciety in her day and generation, and, II the
whole truth must be told the history Of her
| matrimonial alliances is rather q tangled skein.
/ She was now q widow as truly she bad ever
been wife, excepting on first occasion, when
the legal bond had proven all too brittle for her
\ playful handling. Since old age, with it's with
ering processes. had overtaken her, Aunt Delphi
had surrendered all her waning vitalities to re-
| iiglon, thus springing at single bound from
the position Of a warning to that Of Christian
| example on the plantation. SO again IL the
| angle Of reflection equal to the angle Of Incl
dence. The woman SO recently notorious as q
fisher OF men for the mere sport Of the angling
| had become quoter OF Scripture. spiritual
exhorter, even visitor among the sick and the
| dying, a closer Of the eyes of the dead.
Since her conversion her new peace had as
| was BETTING it should, seemed to permeate all
| her human relations, and she regarded the
whole world benigniy, both upward and down
ward She carried counsel and delicacies to
! the humble cabins Of the distressed or ailing
| with the same serene, beaming face that she
bore when she wendell her way to the great
house with a nest of empty tin cans upon her
| arm, ostensibly to seek the advice Of sole
| Miss" upon some trivial subject.
The advice was given or withheld, according
| to the indications, but the cane were always
taken from her TO the pantry. filed and
returned
These visits were generally paid Just before
| dinner, and after her conference with ''the
white folks" the old woman would repair to the
kitchen 'to hep thoo de dish-washin' :" though
| she always consented with becoming hesitation
| to remain for q social meal with her chum the
| cook.
As the usual interval between these So
cial overtures week or ten days. Mrs
| Stanley was somewhat surprised one summer
morning to see Delphi trudging up the front
walk three days after former visit, and as she
approached a most mournful expression of face
declared that she was in great distress of mind.
Her ample lips were puckered into a royal
purple flower set upon the most dolefuI Of
| faces. She carried no petition in the shape of
can or basket, and as she iaboriously seated her.
self on the inverted top of the sewing machine
beside her mistress the purple blossom declared
her to be in great tribulation.
Look LAX | can't my way straight dis
mornin', mistus. Won't you please, ma am,
gimme little drap o some'hn' mother ter
raise my courg &c tell talks ter yer?''
The servant called to bring some water,
whereupon, with an indescribable play of fea-
lures that resembled nothing 30 much as sum-
mer lightning. Aunt DELPHI turned upon her
mistress look half reproaeh, half protest.
What l wants wild water, mistus?" she
pleaded. 'You knows yo'se'f, eff you pos
| water in anything hit weakens it down. Is
weakened down too much now My cour'ge
| needs strenkenin', mistus, an you knows dey
| amt no eour &c in water
The courage" being duly supplied from a
bottle labeled Blackberry Cordial" Aunt
| Delphi proceeded with her story. You knows
jestice an ligion, ole miss" she began again.
IAN wants to insult you bout how l gwine
ac' in dis heah trouble what's come ter me.
How far down do a stepmammy's juties corn
desceud?'
The young ladies of the family had by this
time drawn their chairs near, and the old
woman had looked from one face to another as
she put her question. As one in the least
understood her meaning she proceeded to ex-
plain
well, yer see, babies. l got a letter rom the
pos 'orfice las night, an Yaller Steve he read it
out ter me, an hits ON my stepson Wash
amt heerd tell o Wash sence 70 de wah but
he done written to tell me dat he done got mar
raied, an he got two sets O. twin babies, an
| whe's wife she up an dies, an he got dc
onmotherless twins on is hans. An Wash he
| say, bein' l alus tole i'm I'd be a good
mother ter i'm eff he'd commit me-he say he
! gwine trus me ter raise dem sets o. twins"
Fumbling in her pocket she presently pro-
| duced yellow envelope.
"You say there are four children2" said her
| mistress, by way of filling pause.
"Ias. mistus, two full sets O. twins, 'cordin'
ter what he cay. Wash allus was a double
dealin boy"
| 1t was hard to repress a rising smile, but the
old woman 8 disturbance of soul was SO genuine
that her mistress remarked sympathe tically:
But Wash is only your stepson, if 1 re-
member rightly, Delphi?'
"Oh, yasm He's my fus' husbans boy. He's
pas alvin down in de Ozan bottom now He
| an me we been parted too long ter talk about,
| an you know, mistus, been married an I'M
married off n on sence den. But. in cose, all
deze circumstantial go-betweens dey don t
meek Wash ain't my stepson. Yer see, mistus,
stood up in de chu'ch wild his daddy, an
wants ter do my july by Wash, mo- inspecinl
Gaze done put i'm out'n de house on de count
o i'm a-raisin' his han ter me, an amt nuver
| is laid eyes on i'm sence. An sence foun'
| peace in lgion amt done nothn' but pray
Cord ter lemme meek up wild Wash. an now
| seem lax de answer done come; but hits come
| loaded up purity heavy She sighed, even
wiped her eyes, as she continued. 81 amt see
| de way kin raise dem TO twins-no. ain :"
| 'How old are they?" asked several at once
HE amt sign dey ages down by no special
| fggur, but de way de letter run knows dey' s
DIES bout runnin' roun' and cryin' size. Dats
/ des whar de trouble come in. Yer see | got
nigh onter two honderd fryin'-siz chickens in
| my little yard, an of has ter turn 70 erwin
size chllen in 'mongst em hit'll be tur BILE.
Gaze amt nuver Is seed cryin size Wit wha'
| amt love ter chase de fryin' size. Tell me.
chillen, an ole miss-you knows 'ligion an les
tice-how fur down do de step-mammy's juties
| corndescend2'
The question seemed 30 absurd that it was
| with difficulty that Mrs. Stanley, bv assuming
her look of greatest severity forbade even an
| exchange OF glances between her daughters
| The old woman in the meantime had presented
the letter to one of the young ladies to read.
1t proved to be in substance as she had quoted,
and was signed 'Yore TRULY Son, George Wash
ington Brown"
Dat SCUM mighty sweet-'your truly son, >"
| said the old woman, as she heard the words
read-''dat SCUM mighty sweet-an yit-an' Wit
| sputes de jestice. l wants ter be cancelized
wild Wash, an yit when he come ter me, fo'-in-
l han like, an offer me de whole load-tell de
| trufe, l d'know. Seem like we mout vide up
de sponserbility some way. an I'D even gin
| i'm he's oh ice O. sets. Den agin' look lax dat
amt riverind jestice nuther, bein' as / amt
| nothin but he's step-mammy, an amt in no
way 'sponserble fur dem twins. Eff was he's
| reel nachel NANNY, in cose I'd be, as yer
mought say, Mechanically 'sponserble fur en-,
| But as is, don't see it-no, don't-less'n
me a-puttin' i'm out'n de house in a manner
| aggravated i'm ter it. amt done nothin' but
walk de do all de endurin' night an pray, an
amt see no light yit.''
"Tu attend to this whole matter for Won
Delphi, says her old mistress, taking adyapt,
age OF first real pause. LET me write TO W.sh
| for you. telling him that you will take one of
| the older children, but that as you are getting
old you cannot do more"
The smile Of relief and gratitude that snread
over the old womans face was really touching
as she answered. THANK Cord! ole miss 7
bLieve myself dat's de full jestice / sho do.
tries ter squander my substance on righteous
Twin, good as l kim des lax de preacher saw.
| An You write de letter. mistus an, tell i'm I
| say seek de Lord while it's davn Ava v;th