Daily Kennebec journal., 1895-04-22


OF the southern counties of Virginia,
and in front of her own little house sat
Aunt Belinda Tinsley, pairing potatoes.
rms worthy person was colored
woman, something under forty years
Of age, light brown in color and come
lytolook upon. She was neatly dressed,
and her surroundings, as well as the
amiable and satisfied expression of her
countenance, showed that her circun-
stances were comfortable.
In her earlier days she had lived
with white people and had been cook
and laundress. Retiring from domes-
tic service, she had married Dick Tins
ley, an industrious and worthy black
smith, who, about two years before
this summer morning, had died, leav-
ing his widow a small but well-built
house of more pretentious design than
any of the negro habitations in the
neighborhood, few acres of land, all
paid for, and, as report had it, an in
come, although there was not unanim-
ity in the neighborhood regarding the
amount of this income, nor from what
it was derived. But everybody knew
that Aunt Belinda, as she was called
by her older friends and acquaintance,
or Mrs. Tinsley, as some colored people
of progressive views now chose to des-
ignate her-was person to be envied,
because, SO far as outsiders could de-
termine, she had all she wanted.
Aunt Belinda lived alone, and when
she had pared four medium-sized pota-
toes she knew these were enough for a
or not it would be well to boil some
more which might be cut up and fried
for supper, when, raising her eyes, she
saw a man coming along the path
which led to her house. At first she
did not recognize him, but in few
minutes she saw that he was Moses
Lipscomb, a man somewhat younger
than herself and little browner. She
had known him all her life as q good
natured, jolly fellow, who, although
spasmodically Industrious and able to
perform surprising feats Of labor at
hog-killing time, or on other occasions
when the work was suitably mixed
with excitement, was in general, on ac-
count of his aversion to monotonous
employment, as needy man as ever
strutted through cake walk or
twanged banjo.
This morning, as has been said, Aunt
Belinda did not at first recognize him.
Ordinarily he dressed in garments quite
simple and ragged, but now he was at
tired in grand style. On his head was
high, black silk hat, somwhat bat
tered and rusty, with a broad band Of
Grape around it; he wore a yellow
waistcoat, much too large for him, and
blue coat with tarnished brass but
tons, some of the m missing, which
was SO small for him that he was
obliged to throw out his chest very
much to keep his shoulders back in
order that he might not split it along
its spinal seam. His trousers We're of
brown linen, clean and very much
starched, with the bottom of the legs
frayed and worn in such way that
the starched threads hung over his
well-blackened boots like icicles over
the mouth of q cavern. His collar was
high and evidently unpleasant to his
jaws. His large cravat hal once been
all crimson, but portions of it had now
faded into brown, and from the out
side pocket of his coat projected the
corner of n white silk handkerchief.
AS the visitor approached he took off
his hat, but before he could speak
Aunt Belinda sprang to her feet.
D"You, Moses Lipscomb!" she cried.
"Wot you mean, comm hyar rugged
up like dat? Has you got the inn
perence TO come hyar for dc purpos' to
pay 'tcntions to me?"
A broad smile spread over the visagc
of the jolly Moses. "Dat's it, 'zactly,
Aunt B'linda," said he. 81 was ltun-
iurin' what to say to begin wild. an
dar You plumps right in, an hain't
got no trouble at all. I done come
hyar, Aunt B'linda, to pay 'tentions TO
yousef wild view to matermoiy."
Aunt Belinda sat for few moments
silently gazing at her visitor and then
she broke cat: "If ever | see hedge
hog in beaver skin, Use loolIin' at
one now. What you mean, playin' dem
fool tricks on me? Now, you Mcscs, you
take off dat coh't. wot b'longs to old
Uncle Pete, an was guv him by his
mah's ster 1nore'n forty years ago,
an wot Uncle Pete rents ont fer ten
cents ter any colorcd man in dis county
wot wants ter go a-co'rtin'. Don't yer
spose knows dat coh't? lIcin't
monded it morc'n twenty times, al'
didn't sew dat little bit o wife silk
in dc top of dc pocket? An you take
IF dat hich-top hat wot Yer done Dor
rcr from Uncle Abe Binder, an dat
yallcr wcsh, wet was ole kuncel West
cr,nan's, an wot done wash an iron
till dc ole kunncl die. Dem brecchcs
is yeus, an l 'spects dem shoes an dat
ar shirt an neck hank chef, but you
take off all de res of dem tings fore
yer says anuddcr word"
Without hesitation Moses divested
himself of hat, coat and waistcoat and
laid them down on the grass by the
path.
us dem dar gole cuff buttons you's?"
asked Aunt Belinda, severely.
mo, dey hain't," said Moses, "dey's
Buck Simmonses."
'Talse dem off " said Aunt Belinda.