Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1894-12-22
rains a week when the wind is in the

rains week when the wind is in the
south. -
"Yessum. hits $ gwine be bad. Dey done
'cided at church meetin dat Nicely mus
dress i'll de clostes' house dar an den
come out, all be sot up in er no top bug
gy, an have eight er de big boys pull
her up ter de church do. Den Mist
Pasco, he gwine take her onten hit ali
tote her up de aisle an set her in de
cheer on de table.
Lucy laughed aloud. Her mother
frowned and said, tritie sharply:
81 would not allow that, Charlotte
Nicely is 10 child.'
Aunt Charlotte locked at the floor in
meek obstinacy.
'Dey tells me queens don't walk
none tall" she said, Fan de buggy
CANT git no higher AN de do. 2"
''Then let two of the big girls make
a bee saddle and tote her That won t
look half so bad as to see Pasco lugginc
her like an old cat does her kitten, -
Mrs. Lee said, still sharply.
cts the hugging. not the Juggling,
ma objects to-" Lucy said through
her laughing, but that does not mat
ter believe Mr.. Pasco wants to marry
Nicely"
He do, said Meely's mother, but
she done sot her min on dat ar owda-
cious Pete Meacham, who've got no
'ligion tall, is des always whistlin
reels an potillions an singin bout
''Oh, Master Rabbit, yo' years mighty long
Yes, my dear, dey are sot on wrong
OATS what make me try so hard ter
git her fix up nice fer dis yere time. I'm
gwine git all de things an den tell 'er
she cain't have um 'dout she'll gree
ter take Mist Pasco.'
Lucys eyes flashed, but before she
could speak her mother said:
"Well, hope you'll succeed, but it
does seem to me that when girl sets
her heart OH trifling, no account fell
low there is no use trying to change it.
didn't know Nicely was like the rest,
but I'll help you all can.
$50 will l." said Lucy running
away, with scarlet cheeks Meely's case
was her own. Bert Wilmer had her
heart and her troth plight; rich Dave
Allen, the backing of her parents. Pos
sibly it was this fellow feeling that
made her so wondrous kind to Nicely
Possibly also the fact that Pete had been
postman for the lovers ever since Bert
was forbidden the Lee house had some
thing to do with the case.
Then. too the Lees We're a habitual
providence to the poor blacks about
them. Love for the merry, careless,
simple-shrewd race was III their blood,
comprehension likewise. They saw un-
der the grotesque extravaganza of the
"queen of Christmas germ of self
reliance and furthered it accordingly.
When at last it came to pass, Lucy,
with her brother and dozen more young
folks, stood outside and looked on
through the window back of the pulpit.
The church was big log structure, lit
with kerosene lamps i'll faring tin re-
Electors, and fairly cramlned with dark
humanity.
Besides the country negroes for miles
around the Sons and Daughters of
hundred strong. Each brother wore a
red sash crossing his breast, with tin
star over the heart, green apron turned
up with yellow, and blue and white
rosette upon the left lapel Each sister
was gorgeous in purple cape, long
white, freely rutfied apron, deep red sash
about the waist and orange turban with
green plumes. They marched to their
allotted places, droning out a weird,
wordless chant, and vainly tried to
maintain an attitude of solemn criti-
cism. The crowd was dotted with smil-
ing familiar faces, the savory scent of
barbecue was in the air, and Brudder
Paschure, otherwise the Rev. Mr.. Bar
ker, shook hands up and down the
benches with a fervor that almost set
them shouting