Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-08
PART NV.
The Diamond Mine.

'T know what YOU all want" said Aunt
Minervy Ann. with an air of protest. You
want me ter tell one er dem ar creetur
tales But ] kin tell you mo- tales bout
folks dan what l kin bout creeturs. /
b'lieve de creetur tales tooby sho'; / dunner
how anybody kin hep bIievin' UNI, but dey
all tell bout de time when de creeturs wuz
kinder up in de worl like folks is now. But
sence den look like dey been takin' de
wrong kinder doctor truck. bekaze deyer
done swunk up so dey halter hide out.
Dey Amt quit talkin'. kaze 1 hear UNI say
dat A'on an you all know how ter hol'
confabs wild um. But dey amt nigh what
dey useter be- Folks done come in an tuck
der place. / dur no dat anybody er any
thing is been bettered by de change: but
dar dey is. an here we is, an we all an
dem Will halter scuffle 'roun' an do de best
We kim "
Well anyhow. you told us one tale the
other day. and you'll have to tell us another
to make it even. You know more than
one" This Buster Johns argument.
please stay to dinner and tell us one,
just one. We are going to have crabland
ers. This was Sweetest Susan's plea.
Aunt Minervy Ann looked at the little girl
and laughed. Honey. You know my weak
ness mighty well. CTablanders l amt
seen none in so long dat L dunno what dey
look Ike. much less how dey make UNI. l
know de name, an member de tas'e, but
dat's all
Why. they boil sweet potatoes till they
are soft. sCrape the skin off. mash them,
Sprinkle sugar on them. and then wrap
chem in piecrust and put them in the oven
to bake" said Sweetest Susan.
Sho huff sugar. honey inquired Aunt
Minervy Ann. sOlemnly. We amt had no
sho nuff sugar at our house sence de bat
tim start up
Yes" replied Sweetest Susan: real SUI
hay a hlT 1FItI
"A whole bairlfuI. Run git de key er de
sto house an lemme kneel down by dat
bairl an hug it."
The children laughed. and Sweetest ST.
san pretended to be going after the keys
but Aunt M:nervy Ann detained her
Don't do dat. honey. Miss Rachel'd think
dat OF Aunt Minervy Ann Perdue come
yer fer ter say 'hOwdy' ter de vittles, std
der sayin' 'goOdby' ter de folks
She paused and looked at the children
seriously. III stay SenCe | hear you say
dinner kaze We don't have too many din
ners at our house, an dem does have
amt gwine give nobody de dyspepshy.
Whar Miss Rachel? | got sump'n l wanter
tell her, an den, after dinner. I'll tell you
a tale. an den III take my foot in my
han an go on bout my BUSINESSMAN it'll
be long time more TO you see OF Min
envy Ann Per1ue."
The children's mother was in her room
sewing. and thither they piloted Aunt Min
ervy Ann Then they went to amuse them
selves the best they could until after din
ner- What Aunt Minervy Ann had to tell
their mother must have been very funny.
for presently they heard her laughing so
loudly that they looked at each other and
laughed. too. in pure sympathy. For a
very long time they had not heard their
mother laugh so heartily and so long, and
ii gave them pleasure to hear it now.
After awhile-a very long while it SEEM
ed TO the children - the tinkling bell an
nOunced dinner. and after that meal was
over they waited patiently for Aunt Min
ervy Ann, who was having her dinner in
the kitchen. where she paid Jemimy the
highest OF compliments by eating a great
deal of everything that came to hand
faint de yappetite, chile; it's de cookin ..
j use ter b'Iieve dat ! could do sumPn wild
de pots an ovens myself. but you young
folks done got clean ahead CT we OF ones.
/ hate ter say it. but de trufe mouSht Ell
well be toll, speshually when it can't be
hid"
This was the sort of fattery Jemima ap-
precfated, and she piled Aunt Minervy
AIMS plate high with the best the kitchen