Evening journal., 1899-08-30
HER BATTER CAKES.
uD osE ELLA said her mother. ~Aun,

an 90 ucr Wahnlu Ter dem summaries
kase she's done got the grippe, an dem studi-
tyin' preachah's'll go plum viii ef dey don
git DER buzzum shuts an collahs fo' Sunday.
Some on 'em has to so to Aneyandra (Alex.
sndrial an some wants to 20 TO Washin ton.
Does yooal recln you kin git erlong wild
out me whilests gone"
In co'se, maw," Rose Ella answered, de-
lighted at the prospect Of keeping house all
by herself. Il amt done watch you an hope
| (help) you all dis time for nuthin."
We'll, Is done put de bakin on to bile,
an you mus ak yo' pap bout hour by sun
beto y o'clock an drap the cabbige in, an
yo' kin mex some cracklin' scratch backs fo'
TO go along wild it."
"All right, maw;" and Rose Ella few
around to red up" the house before dinner
time.
80 yo nav had call" remarked her
father, while dining eve don't keer, tho
do we, boys s'lons she lef us sech good
oook?' And he smacked his lips over the
cabbage
''By the way, Rose Ella" he asked, as he
rose from the table, what you gwine give
us fo' suppah?"
Il dunno, pap"
'Mizzes James done give me pint Of
'losses es come way FUN dah-sayed they'd
done tiahed of it-an' l think 'twould go
mighty good on batteh cakes. We's done
got de bumghole, now fo' de bar'l Yere, tex
dis five cent an git dat wuth o -four FUN de
sto You got som sou milk an knows how
to ingregiate 'em, L reckin?'
"suttinly, pap"
So when the Glow descending sun" admon-
ished Rose Ella it was nearly supper time
she begun to sum, up her knowledge of the
materials used in batter cakes.
les see-one quart Of houah, one big
teaspoon OF salt, and also sallyratus, one
aig, an milk 'nough for sufficient. | amt
done fo'got thing, kase nav tol me always
'membeh five, cep'en l didn't have no aig to
go in"
When her father aud the boys-a hungry
trio-came in the table was set, the coffee
boiling furiously and the griddle smoking.
''Whoopeel Hurrayl" shouted the boys,
conveying the cakes to their plates, from
whence they rapidly disappeared. Mex
base, sis, er you KANT keep up" they
warned her. Suddenly their father paused
with half cake suspended on his fork, and
said:
"It seems to me they a quare smell in this
yer house tonight, Rose Ella. Am they
not?"
'why, that's fact, par" she, shifting, an
swered. Il kind o smelt it few minutes
ago, but wus too busy to TEX much notice Of
It. What you reckin it is ?"
Dunno 70 suttin', but pears to me it's
someh'n lax gunpowdah"
ooh, yes; I'll bet them little Niger boys
has put a frecracker in my stove" said Rose
Ella, accusingly.
did you?" sternly inquired their father.
''No, sab, pap" replied the elder. Mary
one, turning to the younger.
"'Deed, no, sab, pap; I'd be feared"
maybe it's somehn outdo's," remarked
her father. "Ill 60 out an prospect
awhile" adding, as he swallowed the last
morsel Of his twentieth cakes "Yore bat.
teh cakes was rale good, Rose Ella; yore
! Inaw hes made lighteh ones dan desc, but dey
4 am putty fair. ] reclin yore milk was q
little too SOU" ."
As he stepped outside the kitchen door
which. in a normal colored mans house is
> generally open summer and winter, he
heard his name called, and, turning in the
direction Of the speaker, saw six or eight
men and women (from nearby cabins), all
with either handkerchiefs or aprons, shield
ing their noses.
"Wnl you please shet yo' do'?" inquired
the spokesman.
"What fo'?" in turn questioned Rose
Elias father
"So's we all kaint cotch dot retaius icon
tagious) zease."
'Which"
, 'I dunno; Is akin youpow. Am it small
pox aw vallyloid (vaiioloid)U.
'Vally nuthin'l We ell amt sick; e
{ you'lls seed US shublin' down de battet
3 cakes to suppeh you'd think So"
! IL. = - .
l den?"
p "Well,. dat am a mysterious. It do seen
lax it, III remit, but taint we done II, any
0 way"
e 'AIaybe it were a ha'nt," suggested one.o
/. the women. The csildren, who had followed
= their father outside. positively grew tive
e shades lighter at this, and crept close &
their father.
p At this moment the terrifying situation
I was relieved by the return Of his wife.
l "What you all havin' in my presence Will
4 Is gomez. she demanded; "a s'prise pawtyF
4 and without waiting for a reply she stepped
into the house. calling back; Come in, al
!, on you; room fo'-my soul an bodyl wha
in de name Of peace am you got in yere, ol
! mans" and she quickly sought the quite
y air.
: CONAN, wish't could tell yer" gravel,
. answered her husband, "but KANT; we
e holm a commocation on the subiec' now
+ Some says maybe" in a lower tone, "it an
r a cuniah-spell."
. "But his wife less superstitous than nan
t of her race, scorned this idea.
; Il gwine sif de bottom NV dis mattah, fo'
e hlievo dat, anyhow" she declared, reenter
s ing the Kitchen and opening the windows.
S "Rose Ella" she called, why TO- am yo
j. bunnin' up my batteh cake griddle" snatch
+ ing II from the stove.
e Deed. nav, it got so strong in yere
had to rum"
O "An' did you hev hoe cakes 70 suppah?
:, "No, nav, batteh cakes
= 'Batteh cakesl whah'd you git de fou' ar
sallyratus FUN to go in um!"
"lIe buyed the -four, an got the sally
ratus outen the box whah you always keep
it,"
"'Deed you didn't den, 70 done use u
de las yistday, an fo'got TO git mo. Git d
- box YOU use FUN, an lemme see whut kin {
n tomfoolness you done"
Rose Ella timidly obeyed. BY this tim,
A the air being somewhat cleaner, the peopl
in the yard, to satisfy their curiosity, ver
turcd nearer, and crowded the doorway an
~ windows.