Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-12-22
AT CHRISTMAS-TIME.
Page that Fits the Season. which The Phoenix Gives Merv
Christmas" to Every Reader.
DUKES CHRISTMAS.

the public the work of some of onr best writer's
of short fiction Dukes Christmas, d" besides
revealing peculiarities of the negro character
which are amusing and touching both in one is
filed with the true Christmas spirit and possess
rs the novelty of having its scene laid in the
sunny South instead of amid the traditional
snow and frost of the North
"You des gimme de white folks's Christ
mus dinner plates, time dey git thoo eatin',
an femme scrape 'em in a pan an set dat
nan in my lap an blow out de light an 20
i bin Hush, honey, hush, while shet
nv eyes now an tas'e all de samples what'd
come outn dat n-cranberries an TUX
kev-stuffin' wild puckons in it, an ham an
fried oyscher an'-an' minch-meat an
chow chow pickle an'-an' jelly-umh
Donkeer whicherone strack fust-dey all
got de Christmas seasonin' |"
Old Uncle Nose closed his eyes and
smiled, even smacked his lips in contem-
plation of the imaginary feast which he
summoned at will from his early memories.
4 Little Duke, his grandchild, sitting be-
side him on the floor, rolled his big eyes
and looked troubled. Black as a raven,
nine years old and small of his age, but
agile and shrewd as little fox, he was at
present the practical head of this family of
two.
This state of affairs had existed for more
than two months, ever since a last attack
of rheumatism had lifted his grandfather's
leg upon the chair before him and held it
there.
Dukes success as a provider was some
what phenomenal, considering his size, col
or and limited education.
True, he had no rent to pay, for their
one roomed cabin, standing on uncertain
10 kho oil loI
ed during the last high water, when Uncle
Nose had "tooken de chances " and moved
in But then Nose had been able to earn
his seventy-hve cents a day at wood-saw-
ING and besides, by keeping his fishing
lines baited and set out the back and front
doors--there were no windows-he had oft
en- drawn in fine catfish, or his shrimp
bag had yielded breakfast for two.
Dukes responsibilities had come with the
winter and its greater needs, WI SeG the re-
ceding waters had withdrawn even the
small chance of landing dinner with hook
and line. True, it had been done ON sever
al occasions, when Duke had come home to
find fricasseed chicken for dinner; but
somehow the neighbors' chickens had 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 impressed the survivors.
Nose was a church member and would
have scorned to rob hen-roost, but he de-
clared "when strange chickens come a-fool-
in roun' bitin' on my fish-lines, l des
twisses dey necks to put'em out'n dey mis-
cry"
1t had been long time since he had met
with any success at this poultry-fshing
and yet he always kept few lines out
He professed to be fishing for cray-ish
as if cray-fish ever bit ON hook or ate
corn Still, it eased his conscience, for he
did try to set his grandson a Christian ex-
ample consistent with his precepts
1t was Christmas eve and the boy felt a
sort of moral responsibility in the matter
of..providing a suitable Christmas dinner
for the morrow. His question as to what
the old man would like to have, had elicit
ed the enthusiastic bit of Renaissance with
which this story opens. Here was poser
His grandfather had described Just the
identical kind of dinner which he felt pow
erless to procure. If he had said oysters,
or chicken, or even turkey, Duke thought
he could have managed it but a pan of
rich fragments was simply out of the
question.
Wouldn't you des as lief have pone O.
hot aig- bread gran'dad, an'-an'-an' may
be nice baked chicken-ur-ur a.
Cur nothin, boy Don't talk to me
I'd heap druther have a secon' han
white Christmas dinner n de bes' fus' han
niger one you ever seed, an l amt no
spring nuther. | done had 'spe'-
unce O. Christmas dinners. An what you
talkin' bout, anyhow Whar you gwine
git roas' chicken, niger 2"
81 dom know, less'n I'd meek heap O.
money today; but l could sho' git whole
chicken ter roas EASTERN l could git dat
pan full o. goodies yOu'S talkin' bout.
is you gwine craw -fishin' day, gram
daddy % he continued, cautiously, rolling
his eyes. "Caze when l cross de road, ter
reckly, l gwine shoe off some o. dem big
fat hens dat scratches up so much dus'.
Dey des puffec' nuisance, scratchin' dus'
clean inter my eyes ev'y time go down de
road -
"Dey is, is dey De nasty impident
things You better not shoe none of 'em
over heah, less'n you want me ter wiring
dey necks-which 1 boun' ter do eff dey
poster my craw-fsh lines.
We'll, I'm gwine now, gran'dad. Ev'-
yt'ing is done did en- set whar you kin
reach-I gwine down de road an shoe dem
sassy chickens away DIS mere DucKeI
brick-dus' sho' is heavy, he added, as he
lifted to his head a huge pail.
Starting out, he gathered up few
grains of corn, dropping them along in his
wake until he reached the open where the
chickens we're; when, making 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 side
street and proceeded on his way.
Old Nose chuckled audibly as Duke pass
ed out and batting his lines with corn and
scraps of meat, he lifted the bit of broken
plank from the floor and set about his day
sport
Now, Mr.. Chicken, I'm settin' deze
heah lines fur craw-fsh, an eff you smarties
come a-foolin' roun 'em, 1 gwine punish
you cordin' ter de law. You heah me !" he
chuckled, thus presenting his defence anew
before the bar of his own conscience.
But the chickens did not bite today-not
mothers son or daughter of them, though
they ventured cautiously to the very edge
Of the cabin.
1t was discouraging business, and the
day seemed very long. 1t was nearly
nightfall when Nose heard Dukes familiar
whistle from the levee. And when he