The age-herald., 1897-08-01

epen sum dat naoa1ey dat he had or gittin rustyj but he had fool CT, sho. When he hab CT bed bsr sleep on, bur ter 'comer- date 'er he tuck an move de punckfrs ter che side an druve sum forks in de groun' an' laid sum rails in de forks anf sum bo'ds on de rails, an den sprd de straw rick, what CT mammy gin Ter. on dem, a1 .dar dey Yus, an dar dey sbep' am slha cu'd'n' hoip heisef.
 'tWhen de baby cum, Sally want CT cradle, but Iunl des went in de woods an' cut down holler ilnaa an split 1t half in two, am datis whas, dey rock'd de baby in am de mine CT tcn what follered i'm. Oats de way dey lib fer years an' years, Ium still sabin' ebery cent, 'twen de fust thing yer knoi he ha b CT two-hoss wagon, afa half CT dozen mules am meat in de smoke house, am corn in de crib am money i'm de bank, am dem he got big erty,
 fAll dis hapeni long bout de time Mars Tom gCt grown, and tuck de place in ham, am de fust thing Lum up am tole i'm bout CT sister dat he hab way ober in de 1nlounh' ifls sum CTS, an axe1 is 'n1isshun to go am bring 'er down to lib so he e'u'd teek care ob 'er, case she bin good ter Inn when he us leetle. Mars Tom tole i'm ter g long, so Iii. tuck is wagon am way he wen'd an hit us mon CT week fo heayr he cutm polln' back, de 'onrs oman wid i'm am de ashes lot CT chilun da; eber we all see. De oman us black an nasty an siab-sided lack GIT COW, alnf de chilun us des dat rag'd dat ysrd CT thought the buzzardis piek'd 'em.
 ''Lum 'us da- shame ob de layout dat he buy some cloth ter hide 'em, but de fines diressin' i'm all de worl' won't meek nuthfn' outn' sich trash es dat. But when we cum ter fin out de looks us dla bes' thing erbout 'em. Lauer, dat us de 'omarHs nLan1e, us so mean ani pn'frin' dat yen c'ufn keep nuthln' bout Ger. She mos stole Lum out CT house an home am plum nigh broke i'm payin' folks fur what sine tuck from 'em, 'tw;ll fus' thing yer kno' he jes' c'u'd'n' stan CT no how, so he go to Mars Tom ter build Ter littls cabin way off on one corner CT de place where her raekets am CT staalin' c'u'dn bother nobody 'cepfn' de owls an de jay bilids.
 "Laurer 'us mighty mad when she hab to lebe de quarter an she low she git eben wid sum an an de res, ef she hab ter die ter do hit. Dis set de niggers ter studyin, case she kinder foolish ev- cry way, an dey dun no but what she us CT witch an us put sum spell on 'em; so dey watch CT mi'ty close.
 "One night sum on 'em heayrd CT pow full racket when dey passin by Ter cabin, an dey cum an tole mars Jim dat sum'un us tryin' ter kill Ter, Ter she us cunjrin' wld de debel, dey dunno which.
 Mars Jim tuck me wid 'im an dar we went ter find out what de matter us Long fo' we gifts dar we heayrd sich CT tus'lin', an CT stompin dat I 'us skeert dat de debel hab CT sho, an nuthin' but shame kep' me frum turnin tale ter run. We hurried down dar fas CT we c'ud, an Mars Tom bust in de do, an dar us dat fool nigger run'in' roun' de room des es hard es she c'u'd, an CT leetle boy us right behin' Ger wid Ter b'ode, an ebry time he cotch er he'd lam 'er fit to lxil She'd run an she'd holler; run me, Bobby, run; hit me, Bobby, hitn
 1T thought Mars Jim 'ud kill hissef laf- fin but des es soon es he c'u'd talk he ax 'er what de matter.
 "'E-n, Ise got ther collie; run me Bcb- by, hit me Bobby hit!'
 "'Dat haint no way to chore de collie, Laurer,' Mars Tom say. Stop dat! yer kill yo- fool sef'
 "'Dat's de way dey doctor mules whar I cum frumi Run me, Bobby, run; hit me, Bobby, hit! Mars Tom meek me ketch'er den an tie 'er on de bed, an den he tole CT dat ef muffin tall gwine ter do ex'cep ter be doctered lack CT mule, he'd go ter de house an git CT bottle an sum soda an lasses an drench Ter an den he did hit in spite CT all Ter howls an kicks.
 "Arter dat Lauren -des. laid dar in de bed in wou'd'n' git up; she say she sick. Mars TomSs sent fur de docter an he cum an locker all obsr an thump erin side arf finger with Ter wrfs', an den he looks ober is glasses an say dat she playin possunl-dat dar hain't muffin tall de matter wid Ter. Still she law dar fur 'nuther mont, an Mars Tom sent fur CT way off doctsr dat dey say 'us sho' num- ber'd, an he cum an do jes' lack de fuS 'um, an say de same thing bout 'er, an bless God, dst night she up an die. 'Fo' she die do. she cuss'd Lum lack all pos sess'd arr tole i'm she sho gwire ter cum back an hant i'm plum till he die.
 "Lum us dat skeert dat he spent ten dollars ter git CT ole witch-docter ter cum ter the wake an say CT spell obsr Ter ter keep Ter in Ter grabe. De witch-doc- ter say she bin CT nifty wicked oman, an dat de onles way ter keep Ter from connin' back us ter turn 'er 'roun' in Ter cofin an burry Ter wid 'er feet ter de wes'.
 Mars Tom 1leayr bout dis. an des put is foot slap down on hit, an say dar want GIT gwine ter be no sich sinful doinn's on is place, so he hab Ter put up dar in de gratre-yard on Texas Hill dss lack all d.a res what die on de place.
 Wall suh. hit want mon or w e'< fo' Lum's boys 'us out runnin rabfts. an de dorgs tree one in a hole up dar in de grabe-yard, an whilst dey us twis'in' i'm out, all at once dey see CT blue l.te burn in orr Laurers grabe. 'Cose deyrun CT way des es hard es dey c'u'd but fo' dey got ter de quarsus one on 'em drap'd down d-fe1 in is tracks.
 "Jum sw-ore ole Ianrer kilt i'm an beg Mars Tom ter let i'm dig her up am turn 'er 'roun in Ter grabe. Mars Tom 6ee cuss'd i'm fu9 idges an tole i'm ter g glong am habe hissef. 'Buot CT yurther mont. Jim. dat us Sally's boy what she hab 'fo' Lum hab Ter, us looHxitl' fur de COW one ebenin' an foun' '.r on de Texas HIM. He seed de light burnin' blue dss lack hit us befo an in CT week he dun tuck de feber. am To CT yuther week he die too. Dis mos run Lum 'stracted, fur dat us de bes' hem he hqb. an den ha beg Mars Tom ter lsit i'm teck Laura back whar she cum rum, an see if da- won't lay de ghos'. Mars Tom us willin' ter dot, 50 dey dug Ter up sl1' Lum started wid 'er back ter de mount'ins whar she cum frum.
 What he dun wien he got diar durlno But frum dat day to dis de lights stco'd burnin', Lums hab all de luck an dat ole witch -docter, wf1at .ole yer bout n Der weCias fur grern'i er meat es longs dars CT cabbige in Sallv'~ garden an CT side CT bacon in 7e smok- -ho1sa" !"