The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-18
PLANTATION PAGEANTS.
CAwKY. THE CROW.

| Susan. You will re member that 1t was Sweet.
/ est Susan who discovered the Grandmother Of
| the Dolls. This was n very important dis"ov-
cry. too. for It led to the ucuuuintanre ~ little
/ Mr.. Thimhle finger and TO tho queer advcn-
! lures OF the children in the country next door
| to the world. More than that. Sweetest Susan
| had heen kidnarl ell by the crazy man. 1t
/ was natural. therefore. that Buster John
| should feel put out NJ he expressed IT, by
! these events. But his talk with Mr.. Bobs had
!. led to the manufacture CT tho wonderful
! bubble. and now he had Witnessed n real fox
! hunt. perhaps the most interesting one that
ever occurred in all that uur; Of the country
| lie didn't put on any airs about it. as some
! boys would have done. but he took uains TO re-
| late every event to his sister and Druslla, Just
| as ii occurred. ~ far rs he could rcmem her it;
| and he patiently answered every question they
! asked him. For long time the story of the
| fox hunt was the only piece OF oral literature
the children had to discuss. bat there was al.
/ ways something new TO lie said OF llodo. or the
| sorrel horse. or Joe Maxwell.
| Sweetest Susan hardly knew whether to feel
| sorry for Old Scar-Fu"e or not Sometimes
| she was inclined to regret his taking OFF. but
! whom sho remembered the scream OF the poor
| little rabbit she was willing to believe that the
old fox had received his deserts
| As for Drusilla. she had not spark Of sym
patty for Old Scar. Face. I'm glad dey cotch
| I'm" she said. DE dogs done i'm des like he
done de yuther creeturs. An non top or dat
| he cot IN dar an grin an brag bout how lie
| gwine ter Guido UNI. | hear OIL folks say dat
dem what do dc mos braggn' Ia de mos no
count. I'm glad dcy go. I'm. He had plenty
time ter go way he des hung 'roun' here kaze
| he b'lieve dey amt no dog kin Guido i'm"
This. scrt OF talk led. of course. TO Joe
Maxwell and Hodo. and before Buster John
knew It. he would be describing the famous
chase over again. For long time this was in
:erestnR. but after while the small audience
grew tired Of hearing It and Buster John grew
tired OF telling It.
Christmas and New Years came and went.
and were followed by weather so cold and
stormy that the Youngsters had to stay in the
house. and Johnny Bapter had as much as no
could do to keep the big hickory logs piled
high enough In the wide fireplace. fire big
enough IL seemed. to roast an OK would hard
" keen the dining room or the sitting room
warm. 1t rained and sleeted and then showed
and the snow stayed on the ground long enough
to give the children an opportunity to enjoy
themselves on some clumsy sleds that Johnny
BAXTER made for them.
But toward the last OF March n heavy rain
storm came roaring and sweeping along and
after that spring came out OF her hiding place
and brought warm sunshine and the flowers
with her. In little while the peach orchard.
which had looked so bleak and chcerless Il few
weeks before. seemed covered with pink snow
and the mockingbirdS flew about singing
Johnny Bapter had one sign for spring
weather which he said never failed. "You see
dem peach blooms Well. OF Jack Frost kin
come an min UNI. but when you see an hear
de mockin't!rd singin' while he fyn'. you
kin 20 on an plant yo' corn an cotton. kazc
dey amt Ewine be no ma fros' dat season"
| 1t was while the peach orchard was in full.
blossom that the childrens mother CHANGED
to remember. that she had another supply of
clothing for little Billy Biscuit. the waif who
had been left with Miss Elviry Bohs TO he
| sailed for, as the saying IL. Naturally enough
| the children were keen TO go: Sweetest Susan.
because she wanted to play with Billy Bis
cult. who. she said. was the cutest thing In the
world, and Buster John. because he wanted to
| have another talk with Nr. Bobs. He had an
idea that Mr.. Bobs could tell him something
new or show him something queer every day
in The week and Saturday. too. Buster John
was still loyal to Aaron. More than that Mr.
Bobs was SO different from the son OF Ben
! Ali In all respects that there was no danger
that admiration for one would clash with ad-
miration for the other. Aaron was Aaron
and there was nobody like him but himself
u ~
original
| A. both the children had motive for going
they besieged their mother snglv and coec-
| lively until. finally. she was obliged to sur
| render and give her consent. II she had
| known about the wonderful bubble 1t Is proba-
| bic she would have refused: but. since their
| experience with Mr. Thin bennGer the chill
! dren had grown somewhat retlcent about their
adventures They had dropped hints here and
| there about what they had seen. but they were
laughed at as crude and clumsy inventions Of
| wild and impossible fiction.
| One day Buster John. walking with his
mother through the lot. burst out laughing at
something the Muscovy drake said to the big
white gander. He laughed SO long that his
| mother concluded that he had hystericism and
| carried him back TO the house and proceeded
! to dose him with hot and bitter drinks He
! aIadc matters worse by telling her what the
| drake had said to the gnrder. for she was then
sure he was hight IN the head. and g. he
! had to go to bed. though the sun was shining
mistake. nor did Sweetest Susan. after this
Drnsia finally consented to make ono Of
| the party. but she was particular to lay down
the yonas n 6s %nr Shs wCna Gye
She held up her left hand with tho nngers wide
anart; and as she named the conditions she
gether with nor right hand.
| You al! say YOU want me ter go dar whar
dat oil man live at? | tell YOU right now
! Amt achn' ter 20 dar, kase don't like de way
| he look Out'n de eye; he chug full er rank
! venom. But ei does go amt gwine ter .oI-
! low after YOU in no foolishness. / aln't Ewiue
! in no Lubble"-here she pulled the little finger
! OF her loft hand aint gw,ne in no fimIl..
thnger dou,s'-ths third finger was pulled
downI"an ! ain; gwine nowhere ner do
seven senses'-here the middle finger was
| pulled down TO Join the other Two.
Thtse, were the terms OF the contract to
which Buster John and Sweetest Susan were
| controlled to give their assent before DruEiR
| would consent to go.
"All dat" eNuniued Drusilla. don't hcndsr
| you all FUN Cwno whar you chosen ter
go, IF you wanter Kit. in bubbles an git
| tiew'd away wild. 20 an git IN UNI III YOU
wanter lumn Ia Springs an pon,,s an dream
you re some'rs else. 60 ahead an do ii. But
| don't AK me ter do it. kaZe ci you does YOU II
have n great tale to tell Miss Rachel, an she Il
! gi' rnmmy de wink. an mammy'll ri me
traiIin'. Well III take de, frailln RI ruther he
! beat ter death on toy er lie Eroun' dan ter gil
! llew,l or wild in II hubble. er drowned in dat
| dar Fimhlethinger country"
The children faithfully promised that. no
! matter what haunened or what thcy'did. they
wouldn't ask DruSilla to Join them. and they
| wouldn't complain about her to their mother