Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-25
HENRY sHoRTER.s CHRISTMAS.
The Gifts the Old kunnel Gave Hin
Down Mt ClOber Fiels.

The Gifts the Old Kunnel Gave Him
Down Mt ClOber Fiel's.
Old Henry Shorter is very well known
to many housekeepers in the West End,
where he pursues livelihood removing
ashes and doing odd jobs around his
patrons premises. His grizzled gray hair
shows Time has touched him heavily, but
he wears the imprint well.
rs 1 goin' ter nab er happy Crismus?'
repeated Henry, in response to an inquiry.
Il speck is. sub. cause 1 mosely duz, sub.
l bin pity lucky roun' erbout dem times
NOSE allus. DUE I rickoleck de bestest
wun l ebber had? Dat 1 duz, sub; dat
duz. Twuz like dis hyah. My ole marster,
ole Kunnel Dan'ls, wuz er mitey kline
marster ter is niggahs, an emmy wunner
UNI whut kin git de means ter buy hissef,
de kunnel I'D let i'm do it, Well. sub. de
kunnel's son. Prentiss, de boy whit l hep
ter bring up an lun ter ride an ter hunt
coon an ter hunt 'possum, an eddycate
datter way in ginl, he dun git big an he
hep me ter buy myself. I'd dun git mated
by dat time, an Sue, dat wuz my wife,
she'd dun had er leetle boy chile, but she
b'long ter de kunnel, an 'co'se Zeke, dat
wuz my boy, he dt n b'long ter de kunnel,
too. Sue wuk 'roun de big house an de
ladies like her nightly. Well, sub, bout
TO year after buy myself an glitter be er
free niggah, Crismus cum ergin, an dat
mornin' wen de niggers range up fun de
quarters ter git dat Crismus dram an dem
gifses whut de kunnel an de ole missus
gin UNI, l wuZ wild UNI desS de same zif
warn't no free niggah.
DE ole kunnel an ole Miss Sally an
yourg Miss Sally, an Marse Prentiss, an
Miss julie, de wun whut marry Marse Phil
Tol'ver. an leetle Phil. her boy, dey wuz
ali dar, an Marse PrentisS he tilt de jim
myjawn an po out de bigges' drains dem
Clober Fiel' nigsahs ebber see befo'. Den
cLm de givin' out OBJ de gifses, an dey wuz
er mtey pile un um sho's yer Dawn. Boss,
YOU ain nebber seen no ole KrisS kringle
time like We all useter hab down yonter
at Clober Fiers. All de niggahS I'D git
up erount de big house an de wife foxes
I'D dess beat desc yere nowadays Sanity
C1awses clean outer dey butes W EN- it cum
ter givn' gifses. Well sub, dat Chrismus
l dun been er tellin' you erbout after all
de yuther niggahs dun git dey drains an
dey 'gifse3, de ole kunnel, he holler out:
'Whar dat dam wufiess free niggah, Henry
" har dat man Shorter at?' / say, Here
me. marse kunnel.' Den he say, oh, dere
you Is, hay? 1 like yo imperdens, comm
up hyah wild all desc hyah wukkin foxes.
W hut yer gotter say TO- yo'se'f. sub"
Den 1 say dat all 1 gotter say is wsht
de kunnel an ole Miss Sally an young
Miss Sally an Marse Prentiss an Miss
julie an Marse Phil Tol'ver an leetle Phil
err merry Crisr;us an er hap moo yeer, an
skuse me fur bein' erount.
Den, sub, de ole kunnel he LUX bracker
an madden ylt. an he say: 'Prentiss go
in dar an git whut dis yere count man
desarves.' Den Marse Prentiss he go in
de dinin rum do. an wen he cum out
dar wuz Sue an Zekl wild i'm.
" Denis yo' Chrismus gifses. Henry say
de ole kunnel. wild de worter comm into
he eye. .Dey's dess ez free ez yo' is.
'cepin' eff any OBJ de family ebber leabes
| Clober Fiel's I'll set de dawgs on um.'"
i Henry paused, ref1ectively. and a mois-
. ture very hit CHI like the coloners suffused
| his lids
Il spec we'd all bin down dar yit eff
IL hadn' bin fur de wah," he said. II tells
yo. sub, dem wuZ days, an / reckon dey
ain menny men Twin whut got dey ole
woman an chile fur Crismus gifses." Then
the old man toiled off, shaking his head
/ earnestly.