Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-09

wonderful mimic. and she rolled her eyes
and closed them slowly and flung her head
back-'Sister Puddew, what is de state er
20 soul? Is you still walkin' in re err
de er-narrer paff?' Dey wuz er whole
passul er niggers dar, men an wimmin, an
some er de wimmin had up an spoke, an
one I'm um spoke so loud dat she fell down
an had ter be toted out. Not ter be out
done by UNI, / riz an try ter say sump'n
nice, but my hans gun ter trimble, an my
knees ter shake, an my tongue got up in de
roof er my mouf clean out'n my reach.
Well, eff you-all had been livin' close ter
VEAL you'd know OIL Aunt Minervy Ann
lots better'n you does. When l foun' I can't
say what l wanter say, my dander riz. 1
say, Sister Puddew, ez you call er, is
walkin' right whar she wanter walk an
nowhar else, an he's doin' lots better'n some
er dem what come yer speshually fer ter
have fits"
'Brer John Henry drawed in his breff an
fetch'd a long groan. I low, eff youer
fetchin' dat groan at me, des walk outer
dat door dar, an I'll gil you sump'n ter
groan fer, an you won't stop groanin' mud
der twel long after de doctor git holt er
you. Eff you wanter show off, I'll hep pou.
I'm a mighty han at he'pin' folks, an III
fix you so folks can see you ez you is"
The truth is, Aunt Minervy Ann was talk
ing to get rid of the embarrassment which
had seized her. And when they laughed
heartily at her description of the '~experi-
ence meeting" she felt better.
Now, den,' she said, II sorter feel like
I wuz at home. You all sot down here
and look at me so hard dat 1t tuck my bref
way. An right now l dunno what l com
'roun' here fer"
why, you were to tell us a tale, Aunt
Minervy Ann" Sweetest Susan declared.
What l wanter know" remarked Aunt
Minervy Ann, lis why you come ter me
ter tell a tale, when dey's so many tale
teflers on de place? What de matter wild
dat gal dar?" pointing to Drusilla. She
got a monst'ous nice nanny how com
she can't tell no tale?" AS nobody said
anything, Aunt Minervy Ann went on:
What kinder tale you want? Which tale
mus l tell your"
why, If / knew which tale I wanted
you to tell, l could tell 1t myself" said Bus
ter John. Don't you know any more tales
about Brother Rabbit and Brother Fox?"
Look like you'd a done got your fill er
dem kinder tales by dis time suggested
Aunt Minervy Ann. 81 don't git tired I'm
um myself, kaze in der gwines on an in der
windin's up, dem tales tetches folks whar
uey i've at Dey uOeS, ueS eZ SnO ez youer
settin' dar. l had one in my head ter day,
an I come mighty nigh tellin' 1t ter Mars
Tumlin. kaze / hear i'm say he gwine in
partnership wit dat ar John Jeems High
tower, which he say he done fin a gol' mine
on his place. Ter hear dat man you'd think
all he had ter do wuz to go out in his back
yard an git a bairlful er pyo gol' wild no
mo- trouble dan shovelin' il up an shovelin'
it in. Dat de way he talk. an when / hear
dat de tale bout OIL Brer Fox damon mine
pop in my head. But l speck you all done
hear bout dat mo- times dan wou got
fingers an toes"
But the children protested that they had
never heard OF Brother Fox's diamond mine.
st seem like dat times wuZ mighty hard
wild de c%reeturs, harder dan what dey is wild
US right now" remarked Aunt Minervy Ann
by way OF preface, IAN de creeturs had ter
cloZe ter war. 'Twuz long bout de days
when Brer Rabbit robbed Brer Fox's COOLERS.
First dey wuz a long dry drout. an den a
long wet rain dat fresh'd de rivers, an de
creeks, an de branches out'n der banks an
washed up all de craps. Dey wuz mo- swim
min dan wadin' an mo- wadin' dan walkin'
bout dat time, an when de water run'd of,
times wuz des a leetle bit harder dan what
dey wuZ when de drout' wuz on.
You all mayn't b'ieve ii, but hard times
will change habits. Let folks have plenty
ter eat, an nun cloze 10 war, an dey'n