The times., 1899-10-15

then went into the office of cotton factor in
Savannah, giving his services for the knowledge
and experience he desired to gain. In very
short time he learned all the secrets OF samplng
and grading the great staple. He might have re-
mained-in the Office at a salary, for his aptness
had made him useful, but he preferred 10 return
to Halcyondalc, where he engaged In buying cot
ton on his own account.
The real richness and humor and pathos
of the book however, lie in Aunt Minervy
Ann. The volume contains eight stories
all told by her with a running comment of
explanation, never too much of it, by the
author She tells how the Ku-Klux came
after Hamp one evening during his con-
nection with the legislature; how she
started to leave "her white folks" and
came back; how she joined the legislature;
how she went into business; how she and
Major Perdue frailed out the Gossett boys;
how "Marse Paul" won Miss Vallie." :"
what ''Marse Bolivar Blasengame" did in
the case OF one Mary Ellen" and how
one Jes5 Towers went a-fiddlin'." The
tales are all so good that il would be hard
TO grade them though THE Case of Mary
Ellen" has an especial interest in the
present condition of affairs in the South,
and Major Perdues Bargain" contains
one of the most characteristic and beau
tiful scenes in the book. There is In this
SCClG the intimate mixture OIL pdIHOS anu
humor which is characteristic of the real
negro's talk, and which is so seldom
caught by a white author that the per-
lection of this bit of work is almost
unique. 1t is in part, as follows:
One day Miss yallie had to go cross town, an
she went by de Liberty stable whar Hamp
at less Ways, he seed er some'er an he come
home dat night lookin' like he wuz feelin' bad.
He fuse ter talk. Bmeby, after he had his sup
per. he say, Il seed Miss yallie down town ter
day. She WIZ wild Miss Irene, an dat frock she
had on look mighty shabby" ! low, well, it de
bes' she got. She amt got money like de Chip
pendales, an Miss Irene don't keer how folks
cioze look She too much quality fer dat Hamp
say, Whyn't you take some er yo' money an
make Miss Vallie git 'er nice frock7" / low,
'Whar / got any money!? Hamp he hit his
pocket an say, "You got it right here
An sho' 'nuff, dat nigger man had roll er
money-mos' twenty dollars. Some hoss drovers
had come long an Hamp made dat money by
trimmin' up de OF mules dey had an maxim um
look young He's got de art CT dat, sub, an dey
/ gwine ter git ii in Miss yallie's hans? / kin
buy yittles an she not know whar dey come FUN,
but when it come ter buyin' frocks-wel, sub,
hit stumped me. Dey want but one way ter do
it. and 1 done it, ! make like / wuz mad.
tuck de money an went in de house dar whar
Miss Nallie sewin' an mendin' / went
stompin in, did, an when got in started my
tune.
iuNs II Ce ItFnueS GWlDe Ter go ScalU3llZl0
deysef by trottin down town in broad daylight
wild all kinder frooks dey back, I'm gwine way
FUN here; and dunner but what I'll 90 anyhow.
'Tain't bekaEe deys any lack money, fer here
de money right here!'' Wild dat | slammed it
down on de table. ''Dari take dat an git you a
froek dat'll make you look like sump'n when you
git outside er dis house. An whiles you er git
tin, git sump'n fer ter put on yo' headp'
Wei, sub, l sol dar some little time but eve'y-
thing so still in de house, bein's Marse Tum-
lin done gone down town, dat ! crope back an
crope in fer ter see what Miss Vallie doin' Well,
sub, she wuz cryin'-settin' dar cryin.' ] low,
Honey is ! say anything fer ter hurt yo' feel
in'sP She blubber out. ''You know you amt,
and den she cry good-fashion
Des bout dat time, who should come in but
MaTse Tumlin. He look at Miss yallie an den
he look at He say Valentine, what de mat
ter?' ] say Its me! I'm de onei ! made 'er
cry. / done somen ter hurt 'er feelin's." She
low, :" 'Tain't so, an you know il. Pm des
cryin bekase you too good ter me-
Well, sub, had ter git out er dar fer ter keep
fun chokin'. Mare Tumln foller me out, an
right here de porch, he low, 'Minervy Ann,
mex time don't be 50 dam good to err ] wuz
doin' some sniffiin mysef bout dat time, an
amt keerin' what ] say, so ! stop an flung back
at i'm, IN be des as dam good ter er ez please
Pm freel''
THE Chronicles of Aunt Minervy Ann
should prove one of the best selling books
of the year, if merit counts for anything
in such matters. and it is sure to have a
wide circulation south of Mason and Dix
on's line. New York: Charles Scribn2r's
Sons. S1.50.)