The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-05-19

I" De folks pay me some, an den II
MY ole mas'r give UNI ter me-" said th
old man with modest pride.
"Shol Amt you too old to work?"
wuks some, an de ars helps me
Use de onliest one OBJ de ole sarvan'
lef'. Use ninety. five year olep
"Sho, nowl" said Sister Caline
much impressed.
Chow ole you is, Sister Caline?-
hopin' you'll scuse me for askip'."
Il dunno 'zakly," said Calline, study
ing little. &C. 'spect rs sixty-gwin
on fifty"
They had become 30 interested il
their humble annals that the pickanin
mics had been lost sight of. They wer
scattered along the railroad line gam
boiling like menagerie turned loose.
"Does you wan me tn coun' you
cbil'en, Sister Calline?"
"Co'se ! does. Hyar You-all
Come hyar."
The children paid no attention.
"Dey needs disserplainin' Sister Cal
line."
He rose. "Chilen, chil'enl he
called in voice of authority.
The black cloud drew together and
bore down on the station-house.
Now you-all stand still ontwell dis
genelman coun's you," commanded the
mother. "Lu Roxy, min yersef. Abe
Linkum, STAN up. Don scourge so!
How he gwine coun', eff yer lodges
'roun' dat way?"
A mild degree of order at last pre-
vailed, and the old man began.
zone, two, tree, TO-, fbe, six, seben,
eight, nine, tenl Dere amt only ten.
"Dawter be 'leben, suah," said Sis
ter Caline. ooh, what gwine ter do?"
"I'll coun' UNI ober agin," said the
old man, kindly.
Sister Calline wiped away her tears.
"You am 80 kind, mistahl l knowed
you was good man when Brer Martin
tole me to keep long er you on der
train"
cam 1 knowed you was good
woman when Brer Martin tole me
You take good care O. Sister Caline,'
says he. Now I'll coun' UNI ag'in."
zone, two, tree" and 30 on. They
went over and over this, but by no leg
erdemain of counting could ten be made
eleven.
Sister Calline grew more and more
distressed, and was just breaking in
hysterical sobs when the train whistled
at the next station below.
They both sprang up, and Calline
screamed to the children, who came fly
ing across the track like a flock of
wild blackbirds.
When the train drew up and the con-
ductor stepped off, there was Calline to
meet him.
"Please, mistah; has you brung back
my chile?" she tearfully pleaded.
He looked at her.
Bonner and Bixen? What do you
want, woman?"
Use got 'leben chil'en," groaned
Sister Cslline, d" an dis genelman has
counded 'um ober an dere amt only
ten"
The conductor ran his eye over the
group.
A score of heads were thrust out of
the coach, and a murmur of amused
sympathy stirred along the line.
"H-ml"
He pulled forth his book hurriedly,
and turned over the pages.
"Pass Calline Jackson and eleven
He glanced over the huddle of black,
bobbing heads, and then at the woman.
His eye fell on the bundle in her
arms.
"What's the matter with the baby
making eleven?"
There were roars of laughter, and
6 l. l. L. G.,
as the train moved out.
"You done counded UNI wrong, mis-
tah," said Sister Calline, looking up re-
proachfully at the old man.
"Is dey all hyar?" he asked with dig
nifty.
"Co'se dey's all hyar."
"Den don't dat pintedly show dat l
counded UNI right?"
Sister Calline's dark countenance
wore troubled expression, but as they
went along tina piney woods road toward
Kentville it gradually cleared up, and
when they came in sight of Kent Hall
it was beaming.
"Dere's de Cunnel" said Uncle,
pointing to gentleman dressed in a
white duck suit, who sat comfortably
in big armchair on the gallery.
"He's one O. de airs. You jes' wait
here spell ontell 1 go an tell him."
"Well?" said Colonel Kent, good-na-
turedly, laying down his newspaper.
"What is it, Uncle Dick?"
"Is jes' come ter tell yer, Cunnel,
dat Pse foun' good woman dat / laks
the best in the world, an we'se fixed
our minis dat we'll marry for long.
We reckons ter-night is de bes' time"
"Marryp said the Colonel, astonish-
ed. "Such an old fellow as you are!"
"I'se ole, fer fac, Mas'r, but Use
lived alone nine years an it's mighty
lonesome"
"That's So" said the Colonel, kind
ly.
AN pears like I can't STAN it no
longer. An sister Jackson needs a
husband ter help her raise her chilen.
Dere's 'leben chil'en, an none OBJ 'em
missin', countin' UNI right"
"ElevenW how in the name of GEN
eral Jackson are you going to take care
of eleven children?"
"Dey's gwine to take car o. me,
Mas'r," said the OF man, eagerly.