The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-08-01

which had undoubtedly once moved
in high society.
Sister Calline looked at him with
interest.
81 reckon dat youmus be preach
er, sab" she said deferentially.
MADAM, is. Use been preachin'
de Word desc nine years, cher sence
my pore old lady died. I was a
powerful sinner afore dat"
Sister Calline looked awed.
Il was, suah!" said the old man,
retrospectively. "But Use come inter
de kingdom now suah huff, bress de
Lord. Is you got husban', Sister
Calline7'
''Pse pore wilder, Mistah, wild all
desc chil'en ter scuffle fer, an de
Lawd knows what Use gwine ter
do"
Uncle glanced at the bundle in
her arms. 1t had begun to move and
whimper.
"Dat your baby, chile?" asked
Uncle, innocently.
"Dis my baby" replied Sister Cal
line, looking down at the sooty mite
in her arms with maternal pride.
"My po' ole man neber see dis
baby. He was blowed up by de biler
Dustin in de mill where he wuked.
He was done killed when dey brung
him home Dedoctors tried an tried
to pump some life into him, but he
never spoke no mo-"
"For de lan's sakew calculated the
old man.
Compassion was written all over his
kind old face. He had been a good
darby from his youth up, and his sin
full past was purely fictitious.
"What de mattah wild you ole lady
you done los'?" asked Sister Calline.
"Consumpshun!" replied the old
man solemnly. "It runs in our fam
lily. Ole Cunnel Kent's ma died oh
it, an de Cunnel's first wife died OBJ
it an iii mistis died, too. An den
my ole lady took it an she died. It's
a turrible decease."
''Dat sholy is sol" conceded Sister
Calline. "'Scuse my insurance akin
you, Mistah. Does you git you libin'
preachin'7"
"De folks pays me some an den,
Use got a nice piece O. Lam an lii
house. My ole Mas'r give UNI ter
me" said the old man, with modest
pride.
"Shol Amt you too old ter wuk ?"
II wuks some, an de ars helps me.
Use de onliest one OBJ de ole sarven's
lef. Use ninety,five year olep
"Sho, now" said Sister Calline,
much impressed.
GLOW ole you is, Sister Cal
line?-hopin' you'll 'scuse me fer
AKIN"
"I dunno 'zackley." said Calline.
studying little. 81 'spect Use sixty
-gwine on fifty"
They had become so interested in
their humble annals that the pickan-
inies had been lost sight of. They
were scattered along the railroad line
gambolling like menagerie turned
loose.
"Does you wan me tn coun' you
chil'en, Sister Calline7"
Goose l does. Hyar! You-all. Come
hyar."
The children paid no attention.
"Dey needs disserplainin, Sister
Calline."
He rose. "Chil'en, chil'en" he
called in voice of authority
The black cloud drew together and
bore down on the station-house.
"Now you-all stan still ontwell dis
genelman couns' you," commanded
the mother. "Lu Roxy, min yersef.
Abe Linkum, stan up. DON scrouge
so! How he gwine coun' you, eff you
lodges roun' dat away9"
A mild degree of order at last pre-
vailed and the old man began.
"One, two, three, fo', fibe, six,
seben, nine, eight, ten Dere amt
only ten"
"Dawter be leben. suah, said Sister
Calline. "Oh, what l gwine ter dol"
"I'll coun' 'um ober agin'," said the
old man, kindly.
Sister Calline wiped away her
tears.
"You am so kind, mistah knowed
you was a good man when Brer Mar
tin tole me ter keep long er you on
der train"
"An' l knowed you was a good wo-
man when Brer Martin tole me You
take good ca o Sister Calline,' says
he. Now I'll coun' 'um agin."
"One, two, three" and so on. They
went over and over this but by no
Iao,a1dap,a;n Of cOuntinos co1,ld ton