The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-06-09
4 CONFUSION OFBABIES.
Uncle Moses Explained Why lie Is Doubt
fui of ~ Identity.

fui OF W : Identity.
'Yaas, hit wuz yeah funny, but We
wuz cousins anyhow, an OATS one ting
shO But twas mighty curious mighty
Old Uncle Moses leaned back comfort
ably it his chair, looked thoughtfully into
the fire. ana then Knocked the ashes out
OF his pipe. by which ! knew he was
thoroughly wound up. and in a story
telling humor.
"Yaas." he repeated, "hls WIZ mighty
curious, honey, an j dunno ter dis day
Of Use rightly Aaron or Noses seeing
a look Of astOnishment on my face, he
chuckled a little. and finally said Il
reckon 1 thoughts well begin at de be-
ginnin,' an perlate all de circumstances
oh de case SOS 20 kin jedge TO- yo'self
how hit feel like ter a spectacle cullud
pusson not ter know ef he's his own sell
or his cousin.
"Well, hit WIZ das-a-way. Ne an
Aaron wuz cousins. Yves daddes wuz
brothers. an Yves mammies wuz twin
gals wot worked I'm de gree house laun-
dry When we wuz horned We wuz jes
much alike os ef we Wuz two twins, too
SO dey dun chrstcn as Moses an Aaron.
"Hit wuz long orbout de time when We
wuz 70 weeks ole dat massa had de
pl,e't cotton-picSin' feas'. On co'se, l
dun recollec' ali dis, but Use been per-
formed oh hit by liable pussons, Ike
Br'er TormsOn, or ole Aunt Dilsie', TO
instance wots nnety-nine come Mayo
''YO' see sum- massa he aliuh guy big
feas' when all de cotton wuz picked an
de wuck dun. Ev'ry niggah on de Plan
tation would jcs' 20 crazy-like an lose
he head when De cotton feas' come. our
two mammies wuz 'mong de yeah triiiin' -
est oh de wimmin folks. Deyd jes go
Il. ca IfetgVEg
"Well. honey. de gre't day come at las
an off dey bofe went TO even dc fus
banjo SCUM. Dey lef us IN de bed IN
Aarons mammys cabin. an I'm co'se dat
how come we got mixed. When dcy dun
return. which wuz mighty late, dey jes
set down an laf an giggle Twill We
claim dey're 'tentiOn by Dustin out or
cryin'; den dey pick US up, an go on a.
laflin twill Aarons nanny Obsurb dat
my nanny got her chile My NANNY
tshe name Lilly clare dat / IS her own
chile. an remark dat she dun fink Rose
dat Aarons mammy's nance, he'd maybe
taken or little too much.
"Den Rose she ris up ies' es mad es cr
hornet an she sass her back. an tell
her she er fool nlggah Of she amt know
her own chile. While dey stin 'sputin'
de pint. Pete OATS my father, come IN
ter Kit he wife an clare out home.
'Wots eli dis-a-here rumpus 'houtY
say he Den Rose she up an tolc him
that Lilly he'd took her chile, an would
persil hit were hern.
Oats rot Moses OATS Aaron said
Pete reckon 1 know mo'own son. Jes
yo' haan oyah dat baby. now. Lilly, /
'spect de feas' dun turn yo' head
"The wife begin ter cry. but 'twarn't
no use. de chilluns wuz shifted. an she
went off cryin wifi cother baby. Well
mex mornin Aaron's nanny fink she
perceive sOmethin' curious bout her
chile. In co'se she too 'shamed ter say
anything bout hit, but she feel mighty
sh0 dat her chile Aaron neber roll he
eyes up twill dey disimpear i'm he wool
like dat. an she certain ne neber yell
all night like er live torn cat. SO she
insidered an medintated twill she bout
mex up her min ter 70 asst LILY ter
'scuse her, an dat twas her chile after
all. She dun got bout half way, when
she spy Lilly invancin' ter meet her.
totln' tother baby.
Lilly she wuz reel mad, inclarin' her
child neber he'd de colin no how, an er
lot mo-. But dey settled at las an
shifted US ergin.
"Wen. tings went smove TO- bout er
monr twill Rose she positive she sees or
resemblance tween tothcr baby an her
husban', so, after some mo areufymcnt,
dev dun 20 home wifi diffrunt chilluns err
gin. But hit didn't seem Ter satisfy 'cm
nohow. Bless yo' soul. honey. dey didn't
res satisfied TO- mon err week at or time.
Dey wuz constant sJIftin. and shefien'
of us an sometimes dc argulymont Of
dem two wimmins could be heeri from
one end Oh dc quarter ter dc oddcr. Yves
dadics didn't cayah much bout hit
Pete he says he ruther like de cite
mcnt. an 'Lias. he low one chile wuz es
good es fOther. an he couldn't see no
diffunce in dem. Twas an yeah well
when we wuz IN tings. but os we grow
ga ol'cr, why hit wuz mOnstous infusin'
ter as es well es 10 Yves mammies. one
week I'd be- called Moses, an den be
snapped roun', an hey ter 'spond ter tie
name of Aaron.
"Well. sub, we live erlong dis-a-way TO-
two or three yeah. twill dc yallcr fevah
come round mong de cullud folks. an
or heap or niggahs dun die. an bless yo'
soul honey, one Oh dem babies wuz took
off ermong dem.
Oats de end oh dis narration. sub. hut
wot puzzles me. es which one Of dem
chnluns wuz took? Did / die, an am dis
Aaron, or did Aaron die, an am dis me!'