Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-07-09
SISTER CALLINE'S CHIL'EN.
New York Tribune.

The steps were overlooking With pick
apiunies. so black that at first sight
their small features would have been
ipdistinguishab,e out for the wide CREASE
on each face, filled with even rows OF
teeth. sJartingly white in contrast with
their sOOty environment.
A fat. good looking negress, holding
an oval bundle, wrapped in an old
shawl close to her breast, seemed to be
the center Of the crowd, and an Old, old
negro man. grizzled and wrinkled, was
lowering around its margin.
rs YOU gOt UNI all, sister CalliEe?'
he asked anXiOusly.
Glare if I knows" said the woman,
running her eye over the company
Pears like dere's one on UNI missin.'
All abroad shouted the conductor,
and the train moved.
"Hyar. Mis,ah." shrieked Sister Cal
line. "yOuse cain off one o my chill
en-.
The conductor laughed good ratured-
~, and was gone.
"Oh, LaWdr mOaned the woman.
Hes DO ca'ed off one O UNI, suah.'
The station agent sauntered near.
He wore that intensely bored express
sion only possible TO a man who spent
his life in piny woods clearing. seeing
four trains a day go in and out and
playing checkers On a barrel head in
the intervals.
One wonders if the lunatic asylums
are not largely recruited from this
class.
"Orter have tied 'em along a rope, SOS
I they couldn't get away" he said
Sister Calline turned her black velvet
orbs ir his direction.
you call dat train back, say" she
cried. Hes done Ca'ed one off one O.
my chilen.'
"S'pose I can call the train back?
said the man contemptuously IF
you're sure one of EN- is missiu', you'll
have to sit down and wait here till
the train comes back. They'll bring it,
/ reckon
"Oh. my por iii chilew
Tears began to stream down the
black face.
The wri1kled Cd man looked deeply
distressed
rs you pint blank suah one O. um's
miSsin'. Sister Calline?" ne asked,
sympaJhetically.
Her eyes wandered, vague and trou-
bled, over the dusky, shifting crowd Of
faces.
Use mos puffickly suah, she said.
Better count EN-" suggested the
agent. How many are there any
howe"
"Dere's Lu Roxy Adline. Lucyalier-"
rs here, nanny interrupted a long
limb5d girl of Il
Il tod YOU to count en-" said the
agent impaJie-tly.
Il caynt count. masr. Use bawn
afore DE wah But anyhow dey say
dere's leben on UNI.
Sister Ca!,ine," said the old man,
tenderiy, "le's We set right down hyar
an TIL count um fer We. Use a scholar. "
You sholy is kind. miStah," said Sis
ter Ca,line. gratefully, sitting down on
The edge OF the platform.
Toe agent laughed shortly and turn
cd away.
TIE grizzled old uncle took a red and
yeCow handkerchief from his pocket
and carefully duz.ed the end of the
plankS before he took his seat.
He wore a thr58dbare black suit which
had undoubtedly once moved in high
society.
Sister Calline locked at him with in
teres,.
Il reckon dat YOU mus be a preacher,
sah?' she said deferentially.
Madam. | is. Ise been preachin' de
word desc nine yeahs, cher sence my
poor ole lady died. l was a powerful
sinner afore dat
Sister Ca!line locked awed.
Il was. suah, said the old man retro
srect,vely. But Use come inter de
kingdom now suah huff, bless de Lord.
Is YOU got 4 husbaa', Sister Calline?"
Use a pore wilder, mis;ah wild all
desc chilen ter ScufIle fer. an de L2wd
knows what Use gv-ine ter do"
Uncle glanced at the bundle in her
arms. Il had begun to move and
Uhimper
Dat your baby, chile?" asked uncle,
innOcently.
Dis my baby" replied Sister Calline.
locking down al the sOoty mite in her
arms with maternal pride.
MY po' ole man neber seed dis baby
re was blOwed up by a biler Dustin in
De mill where me wuked. He was dun
killed when dey brung him home. De
doctors tried an tried to pump some life
inter him. but he neber spoke no mo-
For ne lan's sake calculated the cd
man.
Compassion was -itten all over his
kind old face. He had been a good
darkey from his youth UP, and his sin
full past vas purely fictitious.
'Wt9t de mat,ah wild yo' o'e lady you
done lCst?" asked Sister Calline.
"COnsumpShun," replied the old man
sOlemnly. 1T runs in our family De
Kunnel Kent's ma died % it, an de cum
nels first wife died OBJ it, an lii mistis
died. too An den my ole lady took 1t
an she died It's a terrible decease."
Dat sholy is So" conceded Sister Ca
line.
'Scuse my insurance akin you. mis-
tab Does you git YOU libin preachin'?"
DE folks pay me some, an den l got
a nice piece o. ian an a Iii house Ny
ole master give 'um ter me- said the
old man, with modest pride.
"Sh0, Amt YOU TOO old ter wuk?"
4 wuks some an de ars helps me Use
de oulieSt one ob de ole serven's lef. Use
% yeah ole
"Sho. now said Sister Calline, much
impressed.
"How o'e you is. Sister Calline?-
hcDin' you'll 'scuse me fer AKIN"
Il dunno 'zackly." said Calline, study
Ing little. Il spect Use 6O-'gwine on
90"
They had become so interested in
their humble annals that the pickanin-