Evening star., 1895-06-01
COLUMBIA CHEMICAL COMPANY,
Washington, d. q
A CONFUSION OF BABIES.
Uncle Moses. Explains why He Ii
Doubtful of His Identity.

Uncle Moses Explains Why He In
Doubtful Of His Identity.
From woman's Progress
."Yass, hit wuz vesh funny. but we wuz
cousins anyhow, an dats one ting sho'.
But twas mighty cur'ou mighty"
Old Uncle Moses leaned back comfortably
in his chair, looked thoughtfully into the
fire, and then knocked the ashes out of his
pipe by which 1 knew he was thoroughly
wound up. and in a storytelling humor.
"Yass," he repeated, hit wuz mighty
cur Gus, honey. an l dunno ter dis day ef
Use rightly Aaron or Moses" Seeing
look of astonishment on my face, he
chuckled little. and finally said: II reckon
mought's well begin at de beginnin. an
perlate all de circumstances OBJ de case,
SOS yc' kin jedge fo' yo'self how hit feel
like ter a spectacle cuilud pusson not ter
know eff he's his own self or his cousin.
We'll, hit wuz dis-a-way. Me an Aaron
wuz cousins. We's daddies wuz brothers,
an wes mammies wuz twin gals wot
worked in de greet house laundry. When
We wuz borned we wuz Jes' much alike es
eff We wuz two twins, too. SO dey dun
christen us Moses an Aaron.
Hit wuz long erbout de time when we
wuz fo' weeks ole cat massa had de gret
cotton-pickin' feas'. On co'se, 1 dun reco-
lee ell dis, but Use been performed OBJ hit
by liable pussons, like Brer Tornson, or
ole Aunt Dilsie'. TO instance, wot's ninety
nine come May0
feas' when all de cotton wuz picked an
de wuck dun. Evry niggah on de planta-
tion would jes' go crazy-lke, an lose he
head when de cotton feas' come Our two
mammies wuz 'mong de yeah trif1lin' est OBJ
de wimmin folks Dey'd jes go viii like,
de 'citement wuZ so d;Stense.
We'll, honey. de gre't day come at las.
an off dey bofe went fo' even de fus' banjo
sorn'. Dey lef' us in de bed In Aaron's
mammy's cabin, an in co'se dats how
come we got mixed. When 6ey dun return,
which wuz mighty late, dey jes' set down
an laff an giggle twill we claim deyre
'tention by Dustin out er cryin'; den dey
pick us up. an go On a-laffin', twill Aaron's
nanny obsurb dat my nanny got her
chile. My NANNY (she name Lilly clare
dat is her own chile. an remark dat she
dun fink Rose (dat Aarons mammy's name)
he'd maybe taken er little too much.
Den Rose she riz up jes' es mad es er
hornet, an she sass her back, an tell her
she er fool niggah eff she amt know her
own chile. While dey still 'sputin' de pint
Pete idat's my father) come in ter git he
wife an clare out home.
"'Wot's all dis-a-here rumpus bout? say
he. Den Rose she up an toIe him that
Lilly he'd took her chile. an would persist
hit were her'n.
"'Dat's not Moses. dats Aaron said
Pete reckon know mo'own son. Jes' yo'
han ovah 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 t'other 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 sho' dat her chile
Aaron neber roll he eyes up twill dey dis
impear in he wool like dat. an she certain
he neber yell all night like er live torn
cat. So she insidered an medintated twill
she bout mex up her min ter go asst Lilly
ter 'scuse her, an dat twas her chile after
oil I,,,, erNtb bI%@,,f I,a1f
spy Lilly invdncin' ter meet ner. totin'
tother baby.
Lilly she wuz reel mad. inclarin' her
child neber he'd de collie no how, an er lot
mo-. But dey settled hit at las, an shifted
US ergin.
We'll. tings went smove To- bout or
monf, twill Rose she positive she sees er
insemblance tween t'other baby an her
husban', so, after some mo- argufyment,
dey dun go home wifi diff'runt chilluns
ergin. But hit didn't seem ter satisfy 'em
nohow. Bless yo' soul. honey dey didn't
res satisfied TO- mon er week time.
Dey wuz constant shiftin' and sheften' Of
US, an sometimes de argufyment of dem
two wimmins could be heerd from enc end
didn't cayah much bout hit-Pete he say
he ruther Ike de 'citement, an LAS he
low one chile wuz es good es tother an
he couldn't see no diff unce in dem. Twas
es we growed oPer. why hit wuz mon
strous infusin' ter US, es well es to wes
mammleS. one week Ia De calleu AoseS'
an den he swapped 'roun'. an aev ter
'spond ter de name OBJ Aaron.
"WeIl. sub. we live eriong dis.a-way 70
two or three yeah Twill de yaller fevah
come round 'mong de cuiiad folks, an er
heap er niggahs dun die. an bless yo soul
honey. one OBJ dem babies wuz took on
ermong dem.
pats de end oh dis narration. sub. but
wot puzzles me- es which one Of dem chill
iuns wuz tookf Did die, an am dis
Aaron, or did Aaron die. an am dis mef'