The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-06-19

Now you all stan SUlu OniwUI us gym
Gilman couns you," commanded the moth
er 'Lu Roxy, min ycrsef Abe Linkum,
stan up. Dom scrouge SO. How he gwfne
coun' you Of you lodges roun dat away?''
A mild degree of order at last prevailed,
and the old man began.
Zone, two, thee, TO-, 1lbe, six, seben,
eight, nine, ten. Dcro amt only ten"
"Dawter be lebcn, suah," said Sister
Callinc. "Oh, what gwine ter do?''
EN- coun' 'um ober agin," said the old
man kindly.
Sister Calline wiped away her tears
"You am so kind, mistah. l knowcd
you was q good man when Brcr Martin
tolc me ter keep long or you on der train. :"
can 1 knowcd you was good woman
when Brcr Martin tole me, You take good
CO o. Sister Calline,' says he. Now I'll
coun' 'um agin."
zone, two, thee" and SO on. They
went over and over this, but by no Logger
demain of counting could ten be made
eleven.
Sister Calline grew more and more dis
tresscd and was just breaking into hyster-
ical sobs when the train whistled at the
next station below.
They both spraug up, and Calline
screamed to the children, who came flying
across the track like flock of wild black
birds.
When the train drew up and the con-
ductor stepped off, there was Calline to
meet him.
please, mistah, has you brung back my
chilc?" she tearfully pleaded
He looked at her.
"Donner and blixenl What do you
mean, woman?"
"Ize got 'lcben chil'en," groaned Sister
Calline, ian dis genelman has coun'ed
'um ober an ober un derc amt only ten"
The conductor ran his eye over the group.
A score of heads were thrust out OF the
coach, and murmur of amused sympathy
stirred along the line. "H'mP' He pulled
forth his book hurriedly and turned over
the pages.
"Pass Calline jackson and eleven chill
drcn."
He glanced over the huddle of black,
bobbing heads and back at the woman.
His eye fell on the bundle in Ter arms.
"Great Jove! What's the matter with
the baby making elcvcn?"
There were roars of laughter and much
waving of hats and handkerchicfs as the
train moved out
You done counted um wrong, mistah,"
said Sister Calline, looking up rcproach-
fully at the old man
"Is dey all hyar?" he asked with dignity.
"Co'se dey's all hyar."
"Dcn don't dat pintedly show dat 1
counted UNI right"
Sister Calline's dark countenance wore
q troubled expression, but as they went
along the piny woods road toward Kent
vile it gradually cleared up, and when
they came in sight of Kent Hall it was
beaming.
"Dcre's dc cunnel," said uncle, pointing
to gentleman dressed in white duck
suit who sat comfortably in big armchair
on the gallery.
Hes one o. dears You jes' wait here
spell ontcll I go an tell him"
"Well, " said Colonel Kent good natured-
ly, laying down his newspaper, "what is
it, Uncle Dick?"
"Ize jes' come ter tell you, cunnel, dat
I'zo foun good woman dat laks the bes'
in the world an we's fixed our minis dat
we'll marry fore long. We rcckons ter
night is de bcs' time"
Marry Good Lord " said the colonel,
astonishcd such an old fellow as you
arc:"
~ is ole, fer fac, mas'r, but Izc lived
alone nine years, an it's mighty lone
somc''-
That's So said the colonel kindly.
"An pears like l can't stan it no longer.
An Sister jackson needs husband ter
help her raise her chil'cn. Dcre's lcben
chil'cn an none OBJ 'em missin, coun'in
UNI right"
Eleven! How in the name of General
Jackson are you going to take care of clev-
en- childrcn?"
"Dcy's gwine take ca o. me- mas'r"
said the old man eagerly. "Dey's mighty
peart chil'en mighty peart, an dcy kin pick
a heap oh cotton an hoe CON an taters an
weed in dc gyarden an do n power OBJ oder
turns"
The curiously wiZened old face shone as
II he had just come into IL fortune.
AN, cunnel, he went on, "I'ze gittin
too ole ter wuk much, an thinks my meet
in up wild Sister Calline is n special prov
erdcncc. 1 wants ter git dc Grafton roun
soon dat dcre's gwinc ter be a weddiu down
ter my iii house tcrnight."
go ahead thcn," laughed the colonel.
"The missis will have cake baked for
you, and, by George. it'll have to be big
one to go round"
The cake was baked in the big iron bake
kettle of antebcllum associations, and there
was festival in the cabin down by the
creek which lasted into the small hours
New York Tribune.