The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-04-16

be funny" Buster John said. .if the two
mules should turn out to belong to Major
Perdue. Anyhow, some of the negroes had
said the mules belonged to the major.
''You see dat iii steer out dar," exclaimed
Aunt Minervy Ann; "'taint much more dan
a yearlin' well, dat ar steer is de onliest
four-footed creetur dat dey lef' at Per-
dues; an dey wouldn't "a left him Ell l
hadn't a driv' i'm in my house an KEEP I'm
in dar while dem people wuz rumagln
'roun' an trampin' by. Dey shot de chick
ems yit, an de turkeys, an even down ter
goslin's; an dey fair stripped de smoke
'ouse an de sto' ROOM"
That's mighty funny" remarked Buster
John.
sit may see like hits funny to you-all,
honey" said Aunt Minervy Ann, but faint
funny up dar whar we-all live at Dey
wouldn't "a done so bad eff it hadn't "a
been fer Mars Tumlin. He went out, he
did, time dey come in de yard, an ne.
cuss'd UNI an sass'd UNI des ez long ez dey
wuz a'er one I'm UNI in sight. l tried to
make signs fer to make i'm hush, but,
shoe! his dander wus up, and you you des
ez we'll make signs at a gate-post. He say
he gwine move ter town; an when ak
i'm what we gwine live on, he low dat we
can stave lots better in town dan we kin IN
de country; an l spec dat so, KAYE we
won't be lonesome. Dey amt Twin
soul on dat place but me an Marse Tumlin,
an you cousin Valle and Hamp. All de
niggers done gone, kaze when dey come an
ak MarseTumlin what dey mus do he bein'
mad, lowed dey could all go to de OIL boy,
and be janged. He say he comm over here
fer ter borry sump'n ter eat; and he better
be comm, too, fer de day'll be gone TO you
know it."
"Yonder he is now" said Sweetest Susan.
The children wore well acquainted with
Major Perdue. He was not only kind to
them in some remote way, but he was very
Scfi. 4. -
was pretty much all the time; for although
the major had a temper which he took
small pains to control 1t was only on rare
occasions that he displayed 1t. He was In
a fine humor now, for he came forward
laughing and gave the children each
hearty smack.
"Minervy Ann" said the major, ST
thought told you to curry that horse and
plat his name before you hitched him to
the buggy"
"You did tell me dat replied Minervy
Ann "an' toll you dat eff you'd git some
hot water an SOAP an wash de horn off
his haid I'd plat bofe name an tall"
II clean forgot it," the major declared.
"Well, you stay here and talk to these
chaps, and I'll call on Cousin Abercrombie
and see If I can't beg or borrow few
rations When want you, I'll call you,
and then you can drive your carriage in at
the side gate there"
Aunt Minervy Ann looked after the ma
jor and laughed. ST hope ter goodness
she said, as she sat down by the children
II hope to goodness dat he won't say dat
he want de vittles cooked. Kase eff he done
dat it'd put me in min er dat oil tale my
nanny useter tell me-"
what tale was that?" Sweetest Susan
asked.
"Oh you all done hear tel un 1t mo- times
dan you been ter church You amt never
had oil Remus to tell 1t; but dar Is dat OIL
A'on, an OF Fountain, an Big Sal-what
dey been dom all dis time eff dey amt
never tol you dat tale? Eff dey amt got
sense huff fer to tell you all de tales dey
is gwine. you better sic de dogs on UNI an
run UNI off de place-ef you got any dogs
lef'."
well. they don't tell us any tales" said
Buster John truly enough. "Old Aunt Free
Polly used to tell us some; but that's been
so long ago that we've forgotten them. You
ought not to have said anything about a
tale If you didn't want to tell it."
Aunt Minervy Ann looked at the child