Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-02

very interesting family, composed OF his
wife and four plump children-the wonder
and delight of Sweetest Susan, and, indeed,
of all who saw them. Mrs. Fit was shy
at first, and insisted on sCrambling out in
great haste when Buster John or Sweetest
Susan came to see the little ones. but she
soon grew accustomed to these visits. The
four young ones were as tame as kittens
from the first, and remained So and it
was sometimes amusing to see them swoop
down from the top shelf to the head of some
unsuspecting visitor, who had been carried
to the library, where the White Haired Mas
ter transacted all his business. Sometimes
the wives of the neighboring farmers, who
called on business, were purposely asked into
the library by one or the other of the chill
dren. They never failed to utter wild
screams when they found wild thing about
the size of a big rat running about over
their heads and shoulders.
Incidentally, the children learned one in
teresting fact in natural history from Fit.
They had heard, or had read, that squirrels
store up nuts for winter use. But when
they mentioned this Fits surprise was
great
why, what nonsense" he chrped. "1n
cold weather We find plenty on the ground
under the leaves and in the trees, too. We
bury them for use in summer, before the
acorns and nuts are ripe, but we don't need
them much after the whiskers begin to
grow on the roasting ears in the fields.
When the weather is very, very cold we
sleep and nobody gets hungry when asleep"
After so long a time the voice of Aunt
Mnervy Ann was heard, calling the chill
dren. She had been around to the quar-
ters, saying goodby to the negroes she found
fara lie tn To thnca Uho
were absent. Major Tumlin Perdue her
former master. and Miss Valie. her young
mistress, were going to move to town and
town was a great place in Aunt Minervy's
Imagination. To go there to live was some
thing wonderful; she didn't feel at all GER
tain that any OF her old friends would ever
see her again and she said so, shaking her
head solemnly.
You see me now, an you better look at
me good, kaze / dunno when you'll see me
any mo-. When you tell oil Aunt Minervy
Ann Perdue goodby now it may be fer de
las time. Mars Tumlin an Miss Vallie
gwine, an I'm bleeze ter go wild um fer ter
keep up de name er de family / dunno
nothin' tan about desc town doin's; dey
may wipe me up, er dey may wipe me
down, er dey may wipe me ooffn de face er
de yeth; but you kin put yo 'pen'ence in
OHe lining vi MlnerNy Ann Perdue Will
be dar while de wipin' gwine on. You kin
lay your las thrip on dat"
Having told the negroes soodbye in this
solemn manner, Aunt Minervy Ann now
came to tell the white folks farewell And
first she called for Buster John and Sweet
est Susan; but the children would not hear
TO any goodby so early in the day. They
insisted that Aunt Minervy Ann should stay
to dinner and tell them story. She pro-
tested, and they insisted. Finally. driven
into corner, she exclaimed:
Eff you tell me 'zackly how l cotch dat ar
fyin' squirt I'll stay an tell you a tale
bout damon mine dat I'd like nightly
ter happen wild Marse Tumlin. If il had a.
been sho nuff damon mine But YOU got
ter tell me de fust pop; no guessin'."
Tell her, brother" said Sweetest Susan
Well" remarked Buster John. two
hawks were after the squirrel He was on
a dead pine. One would try to catch him
and then the other. You came along
through the field and saw the hawks. and
drove them away. Then you saw Fit, and
picked him up and carried him home"
Aunt Minervy Ann made a wild gesture
OF alarm "Whar my things? Whar NV
basket? I'm gwine way FUN here. ain't
gwine ter stay whar witcherments gwine on
IN de broad light er day! Gil me my bas
ket an lemme go!"
But the children knew she was only pre-
tending. So they clung TO her. and in
sisted on the story.