The National tribune., 1893-02-16


him He lows yo' calls too often Mt 1ruhi
Moses. Deacon oh lie Baptis' church at de
Holler spec Mistah Scrimp look berry sour
on de amount oh intention yo' pay Misses
Extra Medley ell -
Me! intentions on Misses Extra Medley
Moses. huh? S'rose / has? jess like know
who's got or better right. Wen Miss Extra en-
or roiu' to be married mex holiday, suah,
luh!"
II low yo' say dat; bit Wash he claim he
got the fus' right en- he boun' TO keep yit
Member. | come like brudder TO yo' en- Us
only 'peatin' whut Wash says. en- he says EFF dat
Napoleon Cromwell Jones darcs to step inter
Deacon Moses house'n to-nigh; he'll bruiss has
black kin like de serpent did Aaron
% Did dat air scrapin' oh de yearth, wash
Scrimp. say dat, huh?"
!" Less rs liar. suah's yo're bon. L low
it's bad news. hut Washs got five big buck
nigsers hid up in Sam .lohnsin's woods watin'
fer yo' 10 come erlong dey can wailup yo
nigh 'i.out 10 def. En- ] do blieve yors all
rugged out to go dis berry minnit."
81" Who sed / wur poin' up dar dis minnit
Bot 30 sed Wash Scrimps nggers wur up in
Sam Johnsin's woods. Eff wanted to 20 to
Deacon Moses s'poss cu'd 60 by de way oh
dc village, s'pose'n i he'd some bizness to call
me dat way"
The dusky messenger shook his woolly
head.
"Twon't do, Mistah Jones. Yo' see. Wash
got mo- friends in de path dat way. An Of
yo' h'u'd go froo de woods widout takin emmy
wRyNin 'ticuar yo'd step on some mo- de
skulkin bucks. No, sab; eff yo' wanter 60
cotiu' o-night, / wise yo' to 60 pared to
'nihila,e an army. OATS all got to say.
Goodnight"
With these parting words, spoken kindly
enough. but with a bit of menace in them
nevertheless the speaker turned upon his heel
md all To iaav ha her
abode without reply from him.
Pollen Jones, as he was Familiarity called by
his associates, tall, strappng negro some
where in the vicinity of 40, angular in form
and bow-legged, but good natured and indus
trious as the general run of his race AT Col.
Nelien's turpeDtine farm, where he work ed, he
was generally liked, but one of the other hands
had incurred his displeasure by paying lover
like attentions to one of the dusky bellies of
the Hollow whose heart and hand he most
earnestly coveted.
Most assuredly our colored hero had more
than one rival for the affections of so great a
prize in the matrimonial market from Dusky
Hollow standpoint the buxom daughter of
Deacon Moses. but he feared only the ono
have designated, and who. it may be naturally
inferred, was the subject of the dialog have
given.
AS the door closed with a slam. which threat
eped to tear it from its rust-eaten hinges, the
troubled lover covered his face with his huge
hands and uttered Erosn after groan.
Hi, dar, Pollen Cromwell Jones, what's dis
Yumpus 'bout?" called out 9 big. hurley ne
gress who was bending over the fire. and who
had been q silent witness to the foregoing con-
versaton. " I say dsr, what yo' mean By all
dis bellerin'2"
"Msmmyi" exclaimed the other, suddenly
Strengthening up his bulky frame so his head
touched the low ceiling, git me my big-coon
watkins stick, SIGH es j raps ober the yannimals
wiv when dey is cornered.'
"Lawdy mel what am goin' to take placer"
asked the woman, with great trepidation.
Cit dat cane dsr, hbely. fer dsr's no time
10 lose"
:" Fo' de Lawd, Use bound to believe sum.
things goin' to happen"
Nanny" said he, with show of dignity
that 10 any one else must have appeared conf
cal, "yo' heerd what dat Bill Fish argifed.
Now DON say yo' didn't, COS yo' jaw drapped
oil de time he wur hyur. Wull, dat air good
fer-nothin' Wash Scrimp has tucked Mistah
Johnsin's woods full OBJ niggers, spectin' to glib
me fits de minnit KEN widin der reich. But
20 jess hol' yO' bref till / git ON de spot. /
spec ! sbsn't stop till I've toppled ober bout
90 OBJ DEM"
"'FO' de Lswd, dat menny!" holding up
her hands, while look of horror overspresd
her greasy features.
Not less; but dom 20 git 'scited en-
Con yo' let dem hoc-cakes burn, COS j shall
KEN back powerful hungry. Sumthin's goin'
70 drsp, en- it's goin' to drsp purity loud, tool"
Upon leaving his home Pollen Jones took
course nearly opposite to that he must have
followed to pass in the way of his concealed
enemies. and he walked with unusual CELEBRITY
70 the dwelling of a colored friend whom he
knew was away. But apparently losing sight
Of this fact. he bewailed his inability to see
the other until his gaze rested on a small boy
playing "pull-cotton" in the corner, when he
exclaimed:
- Look a-hyur. yo' leetle picksninny, spec
20 powerful smart leetle darby. en- / got me
eye on the cutest whsle fer yo' mex holiday
20 cher seed. Mebbe, now, yo' dyin' to run
cher TO Deacon Truft Moses fer me. Do yo'
kyur mef Yo' jess tole Misses Extry Medley
DO KEN ober hyur right smart spry-quick. i
mus see her, but Use dat busy csun't 60 ober
10 her pap's mansion nohow"
After considerable urging, In which his
mother did her part, the boy started on his
srrsnd, while the hover impatiently awaited his
return.
"'Pears like dat boy be @ man afore he gifts
back J" be repeated over and again, until at
last little Sam Elfrog came creeping int the
house at most provokingly slow pace.
Wharfo' 20 gon' SO lon'-wbsr's dat Extry
Medley"
"She didn't come sab"
"spose she bed to stop to bodder uiv some
oh her clos, en- will be hyur 'rectly. 1t am
fprisin' bow dat gal do fix up."
"She amt comm tall, Histah JonesH
"Whut! what dat yo' sayf Say dat ag'in
en- yo' git no whistle sush's yo' bon. Hi ] stop
Dat bawlin' en- tell me whut Extry Medley cav.
New member, wo'd fer wod"
She jess say tell Nistah Jone. ef he's 'fraid
10 come up hyur Use 'frsid to 90 to see him"
Whit! did dat air gal say dat. huh2 Me
1raid! Say, did 20 tell her sprained my foot
% j c'u'dnt trabbel-couldn't git euten my
louse?"
No. sab; yo'"-
20. great 'pessums il am s'prisn' how leetle
some folks can know. 1t pears now es If I
sh'u'd hev TO drag my weary bones way up oar
HyseP."
"Yo' be mighty tickled eff yo' do 20, Mistah
yenes, COS dey hevin' de bunkiumos' time up
Oar yo' cher see. Lots oh people dar-mo'n /
e'u'd count Big Pomp dar wild his fiddle en-
he play en- roll his eyes stomp de fo' like a
mad bull /; en- Sam Skillet dar wild his banjo,
en- he pick de strings like he nebber did afore;
On leetle INDY Fish dar, en- he hev his bones, en-,
he do rattle 'em s'prisin'. O. my. il looks like
dar wur q weddin'"-
"Wbut dat yo' say2 weddin' at Deacon
Tru1t Moses, en- he on'y one darter ell she Ex-
Cry Medley! Say. yo' notiss dat air brack
scrspin' oh de tan pit, Wash Scrimp dar, huh ~
Such an expression had come over the speak
srs countensuce that Sam retreated TO the pro-
lection of his mother while he managed to
hluhher:
"Eberybnddy dar, Jim Crow en- his gal frum
De biii leads de march -
Pollen Jones stonnad "a haar mn mora