Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-24

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berries an tukkey stuff
fin wild puckons in il, an ham an fried oyscher
an an minch meat an chow-chow pickle an
an Jelly-umh. Donseer whichorone l strack
fust-day all got de Christmas sessonin'"'
Old Uncle Nose closed his eyes and smiled.
even smscked his lips in con.ern plstion of the
imaginary feast which he summoned at will
from bis early memories. Little Duke. bis
grnndchiid. sitting beside him on the floor
rolled his big ewes and looked troubled. Black
as raven, nine years old and small of his age.
but ague aud shrswd as little fox he was at
present the practical head of this family of
two.
This state Of afairs had existed for more than
wv" months, ever since last attack of rheu-
mn tfsm had lifted his grandfather Leg upon
the chair before him and held it there.
Dukes success pro~ider was somewhat
phenomenal, considering his size, color and
limited education.
True he had no rent TO pay, for their one
roomed cabin, standing on uncertain stills out
side the old levee, had been deserted during the
last high water, when Uncle Nose had "tooken
the Chances and moved in But then Nose
had been able TO earn his sevepty-fve cents
DAY at wood saving; and6esides b, keeping his
hshinB lines baited and set out the back and
front doors-there were wiadows-he had
often drawn in a fine catfish or his shrimp bag
had Yielded breakfast for two.
Dukes responsibilities had come with the
winter and its greater needs, when the reeeding
waters had withdrayn even the small chance Of
landing dinner with hook and line True 1t
had been done on several occasions, when Duke
had come home to find fricasseed chicken for
dinner; but somehow the neighbours chickens
mad grown wary and refused to be enticed by
the corn that lay under Moses cabin.
The few occasions when one Of their number
swallowing an innocent-looking grain, had been
suddenly lifted up into space, disappearing
through the floor above, seemed to have i'm
pressed the survivors.
Nose was a church member and would have
scorned to rob a hen roost. but be declared
when strange chickens come a-foolin' roun'
Dim on my fish lines, des twisses dey necks
ter pa< EN- out'n dey misery"
1t had been a long time since he had met
with any success at this poultry fishing. and
yet he always kept few lines out.
He professed TO be fishing for cravfish-as il
craynsh ever bit or a hook or ate corn, Still,
IL eased his conscience, for he did try to set his
grandson Christian example consistent with
his precepts.
1t WAS Christmas eve and the boy felt q sort
OF moral responsibility in the matter of pro-
'iding sui able Christmas dinner for the
morrow. His question as to what the old man
would like to have had ELECTED the enthusi-
astic bit of "reminiscences with which this
story opens. Here was q poser His grand
father had described just the identical kind
OF dinner which he felt poweress to procure
Ii he had said oysters, or chicken. or even
turkey Duke thought he could have managed
1t, but pan of rich fragments was simply out
of the question.
''Wouldn't you DIES as lief have a pone o hot
aig-bread. gran dad, An '--an'-an' m,ybe u nice
baked chicken-ur-ur a.
"Ur nothin', boy. Don't talk to me, I'd a
heap druther have a secon' han white Christ
mus dinner n de bes fus-han' niger one you
ever seed. an ain I no spring chicken nuther
done had 'spe'unce o Christmas dinners An
what you taikin' bout, ANYHOW? Whar Won
Swine to git roas' chicken. nigger?'
Il don know less I'd meek heap O. money
today but could sho' git a whole chicken ter
roas easier n could git dat pan full o goodies
yous a talkin bout. \
us you gwine erawfshin' today gran daddy?"
he continued. cautiously, rolling his eyes,
Gaze when / cross de road. terreckIy.I awine
thoo off some o dem big fat hens dat scratches
up SO much dus Dey DIES pufec nuisance.
scratchin dus clean inter my eyes ev'y time l
go down de road
'Dey is, is dey? De nasty, impident tingsI
You better not shoe none of 'em over beah
less You want me ter wiring dey necks-whlch
bonn ter do ct dey poster my crawfish lines"
We'll I'm gwine now gran dad Ey'yt'inp
is done did an set wha- YOU kin reacb-Ipxine
down de road an shoe dem SASSY chickens
away Dis here bucket o brIckdus' sho' Is
heavy, he added, lie lifted to his head a
huge pail
Starting out. he gathered up few grains of
corn. dropping them along in his wake I'm I'll he
reached the open where the chickens were.
when, making a circuit round them he drove
them slowly until he saw them begin to pick up
the corn Then he turned whistling as he
went, into a side street and proceeded on his
way.
Old Nose chuckled audlbiv az Duke passed
ont. and batting his lines with corn and scraps
OF meat he lifted the bit of broken plank from
the door and set about his days sport
Now, Mr.. Chicken. I'm settin' desc YER lines
fer crawhsh, an eff you smarties come afoolin'
roun EN-, gwIne punish you cordin' ter de
law. You heah me, he chuckled, thus pre-
sentins his offense anew before the bar of his
own conscience.
But the chickens did not bite todav-not
mother = son or daughter of them, though they
ventured cautiously to the very edge of the
cabin.
1t was Encouraging business, and the dav
seemed very long. 1t was nearly nightfail
when Nose heard Duke familiar whistle from.
the ievee. and when lie heard the little bare
feet patterlng on the single plank that led from
the brow of the bank to the cabin door he
coughed and chuckled as if to disguise a GER
tam eager agitation that ALWAYS seized him
when the little boy came home ii night
"Heah mc! Duke called, still outside the
door; adding as lac entered, while he set the
pail beside the old man: How you is tonight,
grandad?'
''Des poly. thank God How Won yo'se',. NV
mann There was a note Of affection in the old
mans voice ~ he addressed the plckanini who
seemed in the twilight mere midget.
IAN what you got d yah?' he con ,inued, turn
ing to tie pail beside which Duke knelt, light
ING a candle.
'Picayune o light brad an lagniappe o.
salt, Duke began, lifting out the parcels IAN
plcayune o molasses an lagniappe o coal lie to
rub yo laig wid-heah hit is in do tin can-an'
picavune o coffee an lagniappe O. matches
heeh dey ia: 70 teen an a half. bu. de half amt
got no fzz on it. An desc heah in de bottom,
dey jes chips picked up long de road
AN you ain taxed 10 no lag niappe for 'sef,
Juke. Whynt yo' Ak fer des one lagniappe O.
sugar planis, baby. bein its Christmus? Yo'
old gran dad amt got muffin fer you, an YOU
know toinorrer is sho' nuf Christmus, boy, 1
ain got even ter say crawfish bite on NV
lines today, much lessen some b n fisten fur a
Chris mus gif did set heah an white YOU
little whistle. but some h'n went wrong wild
hit. Hit won't blow. But tell me, how's BUSH
ness ter day. boy? see you dun sold yer brick
dnst!'
Eyes, sir; but toted it perry nigh all day
10 l Ia sol 1t. De folks wahreger l went dey
say nobody don't want scour on Christmas eve.
An one time setit down aud made three nickels
cuttin grass an hoidin' white mans horse,
and dat gimme res. An started out az in
an walked into big house and az de lady
amt shs want ter buy some brick. An grandad,
you know what mex she buy. Kase abe said nv
bucket is mos rs big as lis. an eff had de
grit ter tote it clean ter her house on Christ