The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-03-27
THE BAXTER FAMILY

IN all the years or ms life III New
York do not think flcle Reuben has
ever quite reconciled himself to his en-
vironment, and there is the tone Of af-
fection and admiration in his voice
when he speaks of those Baxters who
had been his masters. All the Baxter
women were angelic, all the Baxter men
were brave. Reuben was himself q
Baxter if you asked him for his lineage.
Uncle Reuben's restaurant was al
most deserted the other evening at the
late hour when | dropped in for baked
bass and bottle of his 'madeery. The
old negro came shuffiing forward at my
entrance and, with "How dye do?''
began to spread the snowy cloth.
"Whut kin l sarve yuh tuhnight,
suh?''
Zone of those fish, Uncle Reuben the
way like it"
Eyes, sub, and the order we,e into
the kitchen, Uncle Reuben returning as
soon as he had given his directions for
the cooking.
"Been outen thu city, suh?'
eyes, uncle.
"Wes' Ten'see, maybe?''
"No; North Carolina.
"No'th Ca lima? Wuz yuh meetin any
folks down thah by thu name Nv Bon
well?"
Il hadn't that pleasure, Uncle Reu-
ben. Do you know anybody in Caro-
lina?'
Yes, sub. Least know some folks
| whut cum fun thah. Thu Bonwells
wuz Ca lima folks TO they come tub
wes' Ten see. They is mixed up wiv
thu Baxtahs-kindah married amongst
'em, yuh know, an thu Baxtahs beiu
my folks, NV co'se, / mus know thu
Bonwells. Yuh see, thu Bonwells cum
ovah fun Moth Ca'lina long time ago
an settle in Ues' Ten'see, an wantin
tub be thought we'll NV in thu county,
they uaohully git tub know thu Baxtahs.
Thu two families been mo- less togethah
evah sence. Pow'f nice folks is thu
Bonwells; only kindah hasty."
"Hasty?'
eyes, sub, yuh knows; hasty bout
sayin things bout people an hasty bout
reachin fo' they pockets Mos evah
bit Nv trouble in Obion county used tub
have Bonwell in it. Gwine tub take
long time fo' tha' bass, sub" (apologet-
ically).
"Then tell me about the Bonwells. "
Yes, subj Yuh see, sub, they wuz
these kin Nv folks whut wuz allus
roun at thu wrong time, allus gittin
intuh trouble whut they couldn't keep
outen. Nv co'se they didn't mean no
harm, but yuh know how it is. A gem
man, he gifts insulted by somebody, an
he des got tuh fight. Tha's thu way thu
Bonwells. They had so much trouble
tha' aftah while they des kindah got in
thu habit Nv it, an when one NV em
got shot r shot somebody, nothin wuz
said family roun, so they all say it
mus be cept between thu mediate
frien's an relatives But they wuz allus
nice folks
"Some Of them in Jail, reckon, I'm
ole Reuben?'
mo, sub, no, sub, not as knows
Some Nv 'em in Texas an some in New
Yawk, but none in Jail. Jail is built
TO- niggahs an po' whites -
Some of the family in New York,
you say!''
Zone NV 'em. He do me thu honah
NV dinin wiv me onct in while. Thah
aim many Nv 'em left anywhah now."
Zone of the old families passing
away, eh?"
eyes, sub; passin way. Thah nevah
wuz a great numbah NV thu Bonwells,
an thu habits Nv which spoke sho ain
httin fo' long livin. They commence
tub thin out bout thu time thu Bene-
diets moved intuh Obion. Them Bene-
diets want thu 5es' people, but they
wuz pow'ful many. They had thu same
habit as thu Bonwells, an, helm mo- nv
'em, they had it mo-
'Twan't long aftah thu Benedicts
moved in that thu Bonwells found it
out. Thu two fam lies had some diffunce
bout hog mark, an both sides got
hasty. Tha' wuz thu beginnin, an it
went on an on ontil thah want many
NV thu Bonwells lef' in ives Ten see.
thought yuh might have met some NV
'em in Ca lima.
NV co'se in thu affaiahs I'm tellin
yuh bout lots Nv Benedicts stopped
talkin, but thah mus have been a big
spring Nv 'em up in thu middle counties
whah they come fun, 'kase evah time
q Benedict had fun raj, two mo-
new Benedicts come tub thu sarvices.
Tha's mighty disheartenin tuh FAM
~ like thu Bonwells, who is pow'ful
nice folks wiv fault r two. Thu
benediots KEEP gittin mo- an mo- plenty,
till by an by they got tub 'lectin sheriffs
an judges an othahs. Then thu Bonwells
sho wuz disencouraged.
'Scnse me, sub, I reckon yuh bass
mus be bout sweetenin T" Uncle Reu-