Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-12-20
A CHRISTMAS QUEEN.
By MARTHA M'cULLocH WILLIAMS.
Copyright, 1891, by the Author.l

Aunt Charlotte came sturdily across
the Lee plantation. The fields were all
sere, as became mid December. Yet in
the flower garden roses, pansies and
chrysanthemums were rapidly unfold
ing in the warm, slow rain, rather
ragged and discolored, to be sure, but
flowers for all that.
"Dem's dewey tings fer dressin up
de table," Aunt Charlotte muttered to
herself as she scudded betwixt the bor-
ders and ON to the back porch. Before
she conld knock, the hall door opened,
and Mrs. Lee,called out:
''Howd'y, Aunt Charlotte? Come
right in my room to the fire. You'll
catch your death yet, running about SO
in bad weather. Sit down and dry your
feet while you tell me all the news"
Aunt Charlotte stuck her torn, mud
dy shoes toward the blazing logs, fetch
ed a sort of groaning sigh and said:
"La, Miss May, you know I never
hears no news, but dey nor ated it at
church meeting 'istiddy dat ole lady
Brantley wus metty low wild de brown
skeeters, an ole Miss Calishaw's Flo
ence had done ruined off an married
dat Dodd boy"
"Well, well, she has driven her ducks
to bad market. Girls are SO foolish.
Oh, did you hear from old Mr. Pegrami
am toldhe was badly hurt last week. +"
''Yessum; he clumb up de stable lof',
huntin fer de boyses jug er Ticker, an
fell through ON dat young mule, an de
critter kicked him. So de doctor say de
spine er he back is querrelized.
"Deu me! You don't say sov' Mrs
Lee returned.
For an hour the talk slipped along
the channels Of local gossip. Aunt Char
lotte knew there was nothing like It'd
bits of news to put Miss May in good
humor. Whatever happened in ten
miles around was reported, with en-
largement and variations, at the color
ed church. Besides Aunt Charlotte her
self was outdoor laundress for some half
dozen families, SO of course knew all
about them When her feet were dry,
she got up, picked her sunbonnet from
the floor and said, balancing herself Oh
one foot:
"Well, mus be goin. Miss May,
is you got any gole paper?"
"Let me see. Yes, think-I know
have. Do you want some: Are they go.
ing to have another Christmas tree al
the church,"
Yessnm--no'm. I does wants some,
but 'tain't fer no Chrismus tree Dey
done had so many er dem, an fesservuls,
an May suppers, an SO on, de folks IL
tired on um. Mist Pasco, de teacher al
de free school, is metty high larnt. he
been one session ter de Frisk nuniver.
sity, up hat Nashville, SO de church
call on him ter pervent um somp'n now.
An he tole um dey mus have er queer
er Chrismus -
"Indeed? That is something new.
Toll me all about it,
II amt zactly got de whole tbina
straight yit, but fur es kin make ou
my Meely-dey choosed her fer queen
is gwina be dressed up in white, wild e.
crown on, an red shoes, an set up on e
cheer on top de teachers table, wild e
big stripe-ed shawl all hangin dow
ter de flo, an de schoolchilluns is te
come up fore her an say dey speeches
bout de boy stood on de burnin deck
an twinkle, twinkle, little stars, an d
reaper whose name is debt, an all den
yothers. Den dey gwine have di-log
fer the big chilluns, an arter dat all d
young men will march an sing aroun
her, an she ha' ter choose one on EN- fe
king. Dat's whut gifts Me1y whar d
wool's Short You know she amt fol-
ard lex de yother gals"
mo; Meely's a good girl---the bes
I know. Is that all?"
''Oh, nom. Dey gwine have er SUP
per, sot in de schoolhouse eend er d
church Dat'll be 80 cents an eat al
you wants er barbecue an pie. De churc
don't git none er dat; hit all goes te
dem wha' 'vides de vittels. But th
side table whar dey gwine sell cake a
candy an reasons an oringes an see
gyars will be all fer de paschure sal'ry
Sides dat he git de dime at de do toe
De church owes him $40, an dey ha
ter promus ter git up somp'n woul
make it fer him Chrismus, fore he'
gree ter baptize, any er dem las cor
verts. He lowed his body wus des 9
well wuth savin as dey souls, an b
wasn't gwine ruint his las suit G
clothes in de water 'dout he had de il
shorance er gittin money ter buy mo-.
II see. Does it come off Christina
eve%'
"Oh, nom. Hits gwine be Sadd
night in Chrismus. De yother churche
an school ,tainnn1,ts MI III ha thronuh Il