The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-02-02

Susan. aud Drus.ila. their negro NURSE
,o,,r5 f,,,r WAY into Mr. Thimolohnger's
......,,,.. has been set forth. ana
-, 80 tne tales they heard tnc'e nave
49,. ala Al of thls matter ms h',N
80 t,,, . hook. where thc curious may
-. rrd DO This being so, IL Us not
,,...-.irv TO go over it asaln. liill'"-D''
g. hat ,uoueh. hut repetition ~ "o''-
10 fs enough fo say, tncIe ioi'' t'"' w.
children whose names nave p'N''
,.or..I litrl ON large plantation lh hl'-
IN. e.orrla. Ina that part Of the country
,.r... cotton grows. whore thf mos nthh
iIrfs s.nr Boz the orchards. ana "heIc
,no roses bloom bon the open ar I'oi"
April To- November. ....,, s.,,,,-
rhore is nothing tropical or even sem'-
.rDnieai Boo middle Georgia. The ii''' anu
shrubs and an of the wild flowers are 'ii'
Same as those that grow in Nc" IT."
gland. THE summers are not s." ho' III.
tie winters SO long and cold in m'Nni'
georcia ass they are furthei 'o ''' .''.
nut warm weather lasts longer ann 'i"'
i. fho reason that cotton ami SUGAR cane
and watormtl0ns can De raised in mldnit
Georgia in the open air. ,.,,-..
The plantation on which the children
lived was Just like an the other pihhlH
lions round about. hut the youngsters haa
already found out that 10 was tntitly
different from tho rest in some respects
So Oar as thoy knew, and they haH nla"e
careful inquiries. there was no MT. ihiii-
llcnuecr on any one OF the neighbours
plantations. and there was no road ieao-
ing from any other plantation TO MI
Thimhienneor's queer country.
Qn SUNDAYS when there was biz ~cet-
snr going on at Mt Zion Church. and ~
CONGREGATION carried dinner in hamper
baskets Buster John and Sweetest susan
and Drusilla their negro nurse ana play
matcl took pains 90 inquire amohf t"'
children they met there n any OF ilrm
had ever seen Mr.. Thmblehneer Inc
reply was that they had not only never
seen him. but had never even heard or
him before. This made Buster John feel
more important than ever while Sweetest
Susan said she was surprised anu sorry
that the other children should nave iaii-
Cd 20 see Mr.. Thlmbiefneer ana they 500
near his queer country. too AS Tor
prusBla. she declared that lt made no
difference. anyhow. "Kase ef dey WIZ tei
see i'm wild der naked eyes dey wouldn
Llicve doy seed 'im." But the neighbof
children said nothing. they simply stared
at one another and concluded that Bus
Ter John and Sweetest Susan and Drusilla
were trying 10 make fun of them
If the neighbor children had been wise
they would have asked some questions
about Mr. Thimbehneor and then they
would have found out chat the Abercrom-
bic place, as 10 was called. was different
from AN the other plantations they had
ever heard OF. being the scene OF SOME
OF Mr.. TblmbleAuger' performances, and
containing within its boundaries the gate
way Co Mr. Thimblehnger's queer country
which lies next door TO the world.
Those who have taken the trouble 90
yead tho books in which the stories told
lv Mr.. Thimblednger and his friends are
partly set forth. viii remember that when
Fueter John Sweetest Susan. ana bru-
siIla were on the point of returning nome
they We're asked If they knew man
named Aaron. TO which Buster Jonn re-
piled that he ought 60 know Aaron, since
S. was foreman Of the held hanus
Whereupon Buster John was toia ina.
Aaron was the son OF Ben Ali, ana knew
,ra fanruaee of animals. III you want
- learn this language" said Mr. RABBIT
400 10 Aaron. son OF Ben All, take him
lv his left hand, bend the thumb back
and with your right forennger make
cross mark Oh II. Should Aaron pay no
attention 20 30. repeat the Sign Inc tiillU
time bee viii know it,
But the minds OF the children were so
busy thinking of what they had seen an"
heard that they forgot all about the mat
Tor. once when Buster Johh cha"'," /"
remember what he had been told, Aaron
lanranod 10 De I'M I'm bed. Another time,
when the children determined 10 ma OUT
eomothin- about the language of the ami
mails thcv found that Aaron was away
from home lie had gone with the Wa
rons 10 Augusta. 100 miles away, TO SCH
size wears crop OF cotton. Thus. I'm ONE
way and another, Buster John. sweetest
Susan. and Drusilla were many long
rnoufhs older when tlky sought ana
found Aaron in his cabin than they were
when they made their last visit 10 Mt
Thimblennger's queer country
Now Aaron was the most remarkable
slave in am the country round. not pee
caus, hc was tall and finely formed. nor
because DE carried himself as proudly as
a military officer. but because he bad a
1rell-shaped head. q sharp black eye, thin
lins. and a nose prominent. bat not uat.
Another remarkable feature was ms hair'
which. instead Of being coarse and kinky'
was fine thick, waVy, glossy, ana as
black as jet
The negroes on the place seemed TO he
very much afraid of him. This would
not have been strange 81 Aaron had been
an old man, negroes always stand ~ awe
Of those who are very old but he was
mot above forty. and seemed 10 Toe even
younger There We're many stories cur
Jcnt about Aaron. which The negroes told
10 each other in whispers when their
cabin fires burned low one was that he
was a conjurer and in league with the
sold boy" This was because Aaron rec
fused 20 associate with his fellow servants
on terms Of equality. and would allow
Them 20 take no liberties with him.
Another story was that De- was OF In
dian blood But he had no Indian char
actcristic. except that of serenity. Ills
color was dark brown. Tie was hoth
quick iu DIS movements and fluent M MS
sneech. hut his talk was different from
that of tho negroes. Stin another story
about Aaron was that he was very dan
gerous 10 was whispered that ne had
killed several people, number or Wo-
men and children among them. rms
story grew out OF the fact that ne alone
could manage Timoleon. the big black
stallion This horse, wild in his ways ana
fierce OF temper. was as gentle as dog
ln Aaron's hands. and followed him about
a the chicken follows the mother hen
u was one Saturday when Ruster John,
Sweetest Susan, and Drusilla went 10
Aaron's cabin On the plantation there
was half-honday every Saturday If
crop work was not pressing. and some
times when tho corn was laid boy the me-
groes had "a whole holiday. This was the
case now The children saw Aaron 20
into mis- cabin and half close the door
Ifter him. Buster John went forward and
knocked There was no invitation 90
"come in." as there would have been al
any other cabin ln the negro quarters.
Instead Aaron came 90 the door, pulled
y open. and looked ont with something
IKE "a frown on his face. But he smiled
when he saw the children
"Oh. yOuf" he said with a laugh. 81