Saint Mary's beacon., 1899-12-07
Saint Hafg's Beacon.
AUNT MINRRvy ANN.

ahe said
sDsy Or lots Or mighty good folks
up dar'-indicating fhe North
.some I've seen wid my own eyes
an ynthers I've heern talk IN.
Mighty fine folks, an dey say deg
mighty sorry fer de niggers. Bat
I'll tell nm I'll anywhar, any day,
DIST | lots rudthsr dsy'd be good
Ter me dan ter be sorry fer me.
You know dat ar white lady what
Marse Ton Ohippendale married :
Her pa come down YER ter hep dc
niggers. an he done IL de best he
kim bat Marss Toms wife can't
bar de sight un nm. She Won't
let nm 60 10 her kitchen. she Won't
let um 90 In her house, an she
don't want nm nowhars 'roun'.
She's mighty sorry fer I'm but she
don't like um. don't blame Per
much myself, bekaze it looks like
dat de niggers what been CROWN
mp sencs freedom 10 des tryin' der
ham fer TO see how no count dey
kin be. DeY'll git better-dey er
bIeeze to git better, 'kaze dey can't
git no wuss.'
The story when jess Went A
Fiddlin'' 10 one of Aunt Minervy
AIMS best. The grandson Of proud
old Gabriel Towers was fonder Of
bis fiddle than his books, and when
his grandfather forbade him the
use Of his beloved instrument, he
ran away, fiddle and oil. Speak.
ing Of the origin Of saying, Aunt
Minervy Ann says:
'Dey he'd q splutter 'bout dc time
when sump'n meier had happen,
an other dey wrangle little.
Marse Tumlin cot de date by saYin'
dat 'twuz g year TO- de dsv when
Jess vent a-fiddlin'.' Dat sayin'
kindled de fer, sur, an it spread
fur an vide. Msrse Tom Chip
pendale say dat folks what never 10
hear tell or de Towerses went 'roun'
talkin' bout de time when jess
talkin' bout dc time when Jess
went a.fddlin'.'
Il amt no almanac, suh. bat /
never 10 ter fergit de year when
Jess went a-fiddlin'. 'Twus sixty,
'kase de nex' year do war gun ter
bile, an 'tws'n't long 'fo' it billed
over. Yes, sub ! dar wuz de war
come on ah' Jess done gone. Dey
banged aloose, dey did, dem an der
side. an We on our'n, an dep KEEP
on q bangin' twel we eall can't bang
no mo-. An den de war hushed
up an freedom come
When the story Of when Jess went
a.tiddlin' was flushed the lady re.
marked that IL was like . story IN
book.
''Does dey put dat kinder doin's
in hooks % aeked Amt Mineryv
Ann, with some solicitude.
Certainly replied the lady.
s'Wid all de turmile, an trou.
ble, an tribulation-an' al de wor-
ry an aggregation !? Well, Hamp
wanted me ter larn how ter read,
but / thank my stars dat ] can't
read no books. Dey's 'nuif or all
dat right whar We liv at widout
huntin' it mp in books.'
Here is . piece Of Aunt Minervy
AIMS observations and philosophy
on the state Of things after the war:
'Tain't no use ter tell you, sub.
how times WIZ right after de war.
You wuz right in nm, an ef you
don't know. it's beksse you dida's
look round an see nm. I hear nm
say, sub, dat niggers wus po' when
day come free. Dey wus. sub; dey
wax rank pizen po'; but der never
wuz in dis worr niger as po' ez
some our white folks wuz. You
mag shake yo' haid, sub. bnt
I'm givin' ron de straight gown
ment trufe. Niggers 10 use ter be-
in po' an dey never wus dat po'
dat dey can't scnfiie 'roun' and
make out somehow. Dsy or been
po' 90 long dey er usen ter il. But
white folks what been rich I
hope dc Lord'll call me home TO !
see again what done saw in dem
days. l kno in reason. sah, dat
] seen me- or de trouble dan What
you did. kaze you couldn't 20 in at
de back gate like me; an. what
troubles folks does have dey allers
keep it somers betwixt' bedroom
an de back gate
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