Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1895-01-13

ings as well as tho shoes And her crown shall have IT tiny sharp points to it. one for each year of her life and mine. You know we were born the sano day, and have grown up just the same size.
 Aunt Charlotte beamed all over.
 "God love you, Miss Lucy You is one good child. wus thinkin bout dat dress all de way ober here-studyin up how ] could git 1t. If your foots des want so little dat Nicely eouldn'a f.i t mon her big toe in your shoes, I'd ax you fer dem white slippers and let dc red stockin's do. "
 sOh, she shall have shoes-neyer fearF' Lucy said, holding the sash to the light .sBut how will she get to church without spelling them? It's 9 mile from your house, and the mud will be knee deep. You know it always rains week when the wind is in the south. !"
 'Yessum, hits gwine be bad. Dey done 'eided at church meetin dat Nicely mus dress i'll de clostes house dar an den l come out, an be sot up in CT no top bug gy, an have eight CT de big boys pull her up ter de church do'. Den Mist 2asco, he gwine talSe her outen hit an tote her up dc aisle an set her in do cheer on de table J
 Lucy laughed aloud. Her mother frowhed and said, trifle sharply:
 T would not allow that. Charlotte. Nicely is no child. ;
 Aunt Charlotte looked at the floor in meek obstinacy
 "Dey tells me queens don't wall, nono tall, she said, an dc buggy cain't git 10 higher an de do' . Then let two of the big girls make 1 a bee saddle and tote her That won t look half so bad as to see Pasco lugging i her like an old cat does her kitten, Mrs. Lee said, still sharply
 ''It's the hugging, not the lugging, ma objects to- ' Lucy said through her laughing, but that docs not mat ter. believe MT. Pasco wants to marry Nicely. !"
 "Ho do, " said Meely's mother, sbus she done sot her min on dat ar oWda- cious Pete Meaeham. who've got nc 1igion 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 mo try so hard ter git her fix up nice fer dis were time. I'm gWine git all de things an den toll CT she cain't have nm dout she'll gree ter take Mist Pasco. ,
 Lucy's 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 on trifing, no account fel- low there is no use trying to change it. I didn't know Nicely was liko the rest, but I'll help you all I can. " 50 will l, said Lucy. running away, with scarlet cheeks. Nicely g case was her own. Bert Winner had her heart and her troth plight; rich Daye Allen, tho 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 8een postman for the lovers ever since Bert was forbidden the Lee house had some thing to do with the case.
 Then too the Lees were q habitual providence to the poor blacks about them. Love for tho merry, careless, simpleshrewd race was i'll their blood, comprehension likewise. They saw un- der the grotesque extravaganza of tho ''queon 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 h6 with kerosene lamps ill aaring tin re factors. and fairly eramlaed with dark humanity.
 Besides tle country negroes for milcs around the Sons and Daughters of Will Arise were out in full regalia. a hundred strong Each brothor wore red sash crossing his breast, with till star over the heart, a green apron turned up with yellow, and blue and whito rosette upon the left lapel Each sister was gorgeous ill purple cape, long white freely rufied apron, deep red sash about the waist and orange turban with green plumes. Thoy marched to their allotted places, droning out weird, wordless chant, and vainly tried to maintain an attitude of solemn criti cism. The crowd was dotted with s1ail- ing familiar faces, the savory scent of barbecue was in the air, and Bruddar Paschure, otherwise the Rev Mir Bar. ker, shook hands up and down the benches with fe-ger that almost set them shouting.
 Presently the deacons hustled and squeezed the crowd back from the aisle, and MT. Pasco came through with Mee- ly i'll his arms She was slim slip of q girl, but he staggered under her weight and would have fallen when mounting to her chair throne if Pete Meacham had not sprung forward and relieved him of his burden
 "Umph My Lordl l wouldn't have dat nigger fer soap grease ef he cain t tote no better'n datl'' exclaimed the foremost Daughter of I Will Arise, while one of the country lads murmur- ed: Lordyl Wouldn t l des lek ter see i'm put 'ginst Pete at CT log rollinl He done stay dar i'll dat school 'ouse twell he ain't no stronger'n CT skeeter.
 Nicely reached her throne about eqnal. | iv c7s11nD7p,3 in clf-fhoq e,d poolf,1ero