The Banner-Democrat., 1897-10-30
May James Mah.

SlOUu III luC uiulu 5-tOoui uOUl, Win a
hand on either fat hip, and waited.
..Weil?" | remarked interrogalively,
for there was evidently something on
her mind.
"My May Jane done come home,n
she said.
HAS shcpr I asked.
.Yessum. She's done been to one
dem schools what you calls cemeter-
ries.n
..Seminaries." ] suggested.
'Des call ,'em whatever you likes. "
she responded agreeably, "but May
Jane. she's dies plumb runt. She's dat
full Of bombosity. an pomposity, aud
supercillioslty dey amt no livin' in de
house wild her. done tell my ole man.
Ike-dal's her pa--jest how twas
gwine be. all de time, but he is des so
sot on dat gal be wuz jest begged to
send her of to school. An now she's
come home des plumb ruint. She
walks aroun' wild her nose in de air, a
sightin' at de telephone poles, an
pintedly overlooks her ole nanny n
bendin' over de was tub. 1t sholy did
rile me, for all de time dat gal was
away was wHkkin, an a iaehin,
ana pinchin', an seratchIn' to send
her money an pay for dat melojum.
"Ain't l never tell you bout dat
melojum? De good L;iwd! Huccome
miss tellin' you datp Why 1 specst
we'se paid out, fus an las as much as
four million dollars for dat meloium.
We bought it on de instalment. Leas-
ways Ike. he bought it, an tuck in
washin' am paid fer it.
lone day wuz sittin' in de cabin
door, des as ca m an satisfied, an not
lookin' fer trouble no where, when up
drives one dem agent men in little
Wagon wild somethin' in hit dat looked
like a cross between a piany an
bureau.
i" i want to sell you melojum,' he
said.
i" w hat in de name OF de Lawd you
reckon dis ole niger wants wild a
melojump' l says, but Ike, he come
out am took hand in de talk, an de
fus news l knowed dey done unload
dat thing an sot hit up in de house
g Yo wife kin perform on HIT says
lie man.
''.De fryin' pan am de skillet is de
only instrument dis ole woman kin per-
form on, l spons, for l was hot. an
den say Ike, don't you be fool
enough to buy dat contrapshun.' but
Ike. W hen hit comes to foolishness, is
mighty gifted, an de long an de short
of hit was dat befo dat man lef be done
sole dat melojum to him. You knows
how niger is? /. Dey amt nothiu' in
dis worl' or de mex he won't buy if
you give him little time on hit. Ike
You could sell him oyercoat to wear
ID de bad place if you'd give him tell
Christmas to pay for hit. Honey, is
yer ever bought any thin on der Install
ment planP Well, ef yer amt yer
ait got no idee how fast time kin scoot.
One pay day des laps over de mex like
de shingles on de roof.
You know l been wukkin mighty
hard all desc years, an | been layin'
out to take res an kind of let up on
things when May Jane come home.
But bless yo' heart, she up an tell me
she amt no notion of cookin' an
washin'.
".I got de higher culchar,' she says,
givin' her head tose in de air.
"..De Lawd sakes. has yer? says /
grabbin' up de baby an reachin' down
de camphor bottle, case dat chile amt
been vaccinated. why didn't you tell
me befo' you was 'ficted l says,
'Whar did you git hit.- Is it ketchin'?'
But if you believe me, Miss Sally,
dat culchar ain't no misery. Hits des
dey gifts in de school. Well,
let hit go, at dat, an things des run
long tell Sunday, me performn' on
de washboard, an May Jane a per
formin' on de meIojum. Den she up
and says she amt gwine chu'ch. Dat
she don't believe in de Bible, nor nuth-
in. an dat she outgrowed all dat in de |
cemetery. She sholy did spressify her
self mos ongordiy. / knowed hit wuz
gwine to make q scandal in de family,
m me dc president of de Daughters of
Zion, what sets in de front pew at de
an rides wild de mo'ners,
Comm on back from chu'ch dat day,
here comes dat bigglty MANDY Jones.
{" Sis Dinah,' she says, / done hear
lat May Jane done backslided, an fell
rom grace
"'Dey amt nothin' de matter wild
May Jane spons, 'cepn' she's got de
,ulchar up dar at dat schools
I" De lans sake,' sclaims Mandy.
De ham of de Lawd suttinly is laid
,eavy on you, Sis Dinah. but you bet
er poultice hit befo' hit gifts emmy WIS.
don't specs hit is emmy more dan skin
ieep now
8. i lay kin tend to May Jane Sis
Mandy sponse, and she went on her
way
..Dat wuz yistidy. Dis mawnin' l
,all May Jane in de shedroom, an /
'etch down ole trunk strop, an you
,etter believe / knocked all de higher
,ulchar outen dat niger in about fo'
niiits.
Does yer believe in de Bible nowp'
asked her. when 1 stopped to ketch
ny BRET.
'Yessum'. she says.
"'Yer believes hit from led to ledp
anf I rrsxa dot cfron anofhor |