The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-09-02
CALIINE'S CHIL'EN.

The train ran into little station I'm the
heart of the pine woods, and the conductor
sprang TO the platform
Hurry up, there, /" he called, running
forward TO the negro coach.
The steps were OVERLOOKING with picka
ninnies so black that at first sight their
small features would have been indistin
guishable but for the wide crease on each
face filled with even rows of teeth startling
" white in contrast with their sooty en-.
vironment.
A fat, good looking negress holding an
oval bundle wrapped in an old shawl close
to her breast seemed to bic the center OF the
crowd, and an old, old negro man, grizzled
and wrinkled, was lowering around It's
margin.
"Is you got um all, Sister Calline9" he
asked anxiously.
"Clare eff knows" said the woman
running her eye over the company. Pears
| LAX dere's one on um missin.
| can aboard" shouted the conductor,
and the train moved.
| "Hyar, mistah F" shrieked Sister Calline
"You'se in off one o. my chil'en f."
The conductor laughed good naturedly
| and was gone
i 'On, LAWFUL mOtucu tHc NOHian'
"Hes done ca ed off one on UNI suah
The station agent sauntered near. He
wore that intensely bored expression only
possible to IA man who spends his life in
piny woods clearing, seeing four trains
day go in and out and playing checkers on
barrel head in the intervals.
One wonders if the lunatic asylums are
not largely recruited from this class.
"Orter have tied 'em along rope SOS
they couldn't get away, " he said.
Sister Calline turned her black velvet
orbs in his direction.
"You call dat train back, 1 say" she
cried. "He's done ca'ed off one o. my
chil'en
"S'pose can call the train back" said
the man contemptuously. "If your re sure
one of 'cm is missin, you'll have to set
down and wait here till the train comes
back They'll bring it, reckon"
ooh my pore Ill chilc!'
Tears began To stream down the black
face.
The wrinkled old uncle looked deeply
distressed.
els you pint blank suah one on um's
missin, Sister Calline:" he asked sympa
thetically.
Her eyes wandered vague and troubled
Il ",
"Ize mos pufiickly suah, she said.
Better count EN- suggested the agent
"How many are there anyhowy"
"Dere's Lu Roxy, Adline, Lucyalier
"Ize here, nanny, interrupted lone
limbed girl of IA.
Il told you to count EN-, )" said the agent
impatiently.
II cayn't coun', mas'r I'ze bawn afor'
dc wah. But anyhow dey say dere's leber
OBJ UNI
"Sister Callinc," said the old man ten
Derby ''le's we set right down hyar, an III
coun' um fer We. I'ze n scholar. "
"You sholy is kind, mistah, - said Sistcl
, | Calline gratefully, sitting down on the cdg'
| of the platform. The agent laughed short
| " and turned away. The grizzled old un
!, Gle took red and yellow handkerchie
from his pocket and carefully busted thu
end of the planks before he took his seat
He wore thrcadbare black suit which hat
3 undoubtedly once moved in high society.
8 Sister Calline looked at him with inter
I | est.
! II reckon dat you mus be preacher
sab" she said dcferentially.
MADAM, / is Ize been preachin Ill
word desc nine year, cher sence my por
old lady died was powerful slime
afore dat"
Sister Calline looked awed.
II was suah, A." said the old man retro
!, spectively. But I'ze come inter dc king
{ dom now suah huff Dress dc Lord. Is yo'
{ got husban, Sister Callincf"
n "I'ze pore wilder, mistah, wild all DIES
chil'en ter scufile fer, an de Lawd know
!, what Izc gwine ter do. ."
Uncle glanced at the bundle in her arms
u II had begun to move and whimper.
: "Dat your baby, chile" asked uncle In
Q nocently
o IBIS my baby" replied Calline, looking
e | down ut the sooty mite in her arms wit
;. maternal pride.
"My pore ole man neber see dis baby. ii
was bowed up by de bilcr Dustin In de mil
% where he wuked He was done killed whe
9 dey brung him home De doctors tried n
!. tried to pump some life inter him, but
never spore 10 mo-
Is "Fcr dc lan's sakei' calculated the oil
Is man.
y Compassion was written all over hi
. kind old face. He had been good dark
- from his youth up, and his sinful past wa
purely fictitious.
"What de mattah wild you ole lady 20
- done losP" asked Sister Callinc.
. "Consumpshun, replied the old ma
q
IL Cunnel Kents ma died oh 1t, an de cur
n nel's first wife died oh it, an lii mistis die
( too. An den my ole lady took 1t an sl
10 lied. It's "a turrible dccease. 3"
10 dat sholy is so, conceded Sister Ca
"a Inc. "Scuse my insurance akin yot
- n,lstsh Does you git you libn preachiny
Ode folks pays me some, an den lie e
: A nice piece o. Ian an iii house My %
y ,,s.s'r give um ter me, d" said the old maj
y with modest pride
L. "Sho. Amt you too old ter wukp"
az wuks some, an de ars helps me. L;
de onliest one oh de ole sarvens lcf'. II
rs 90 year ole. :"
i. ''sho, now" said Sister Calline, muc
" Impressed.
"How ole you is, Sister Callinc, hop
york scuse me fer akin"
81 dunno zactly," said Calline stud
irg little II s'pect Ize GO, gwine {
"a"
II had become so interested In the
humble annals that the pickaninnies h
been lost sight Of They were scatter
vi along the railroad line gamboling like
W menagerie turned loose.
r, "Does you wan me ter coun' you chile
Sister Callines"
at "Co'se I docs Hyar, you all. Coz
- hyar."
The children paid no attention.
"Dey needs disserplainin, Sister c
line"
- He rose. "Chil'cn, chil'rn," he cal
in voice of authority.
m. The black cloud drew together and h
down on the station house.
"Now you all stan still ontweli dis q
ma Gilman couns YOU, commanded the mo