Waterbury Democrat., 1901-09-07

jes' ain no te1lin bout what Happy holler folks gwfne CT do, dey is dat oneertain. Monday arter dinner we wus took ter trial fore. Square Hal Read, an foun' bout dozen diff charges lodged ag'in us. Kpowed I hadn't done nuthin' yo' an Marse John couldn't getl me outen, so l wusn't bothered, hNt dat gal Cindy wus ash-colored wid Veardness. Wuss- CT an all on her, her beau, Jere, was CT standin' on de side uv de cont CT talxin' up his time wid Narciss, an dey bof looked mighty pleasin' wid de turn fairs had tuck.
 sNot rej'ice? Didn't she rej'ice over Pearl beatin' me outen de preacher? An doan de good Book say Ter eye fer CT eye? Yo' sholy aint CT gwine ter 'spute de book, chile. What dat, ser toof fer CT toof?' We'll, dat gal nebber will member gittin' one uv my ole snags-book CT no book, so darl
 sMars' Hal Read he called de cont to order, an I wush you'd heard de tale dat deputy toP. All de white folks wus a holdin' dey pref in 'mazement an 'gratulatin' him in dey minis on gittin' out wid his life, much less wid eight pris'ners. I looked up an cotched de deputy's eye while de room wus still as deaf an den l givcd a mighty groan, an all de white folks busted out laughin'. Mars Hal Read he laughed CT little, too, den he drowned an hol1ered for silence in de cont. While dey wus CT pullin' dat skeered Cindy to. de stan Marse John marked ter me: Judy, you be- have yerself, CT I'll let yer git outen dis trouble de bes' way you can, yo' hear me?'
 "sYo' know Miss Sallie better'n to let her ole nanny go to de pen, nuther to de farm said, 'yo' cain't skeer me, Marse John.'
 ssDen Cindy she sailed in to tell de cont how hit her on a sudden frum behin' am knocked all her teef outen her haid, an' checked her an kicked her, an called her outen her name. I wus jes' CT risin' to 'spute some p'ints wid her when Marse John he souses me down in de cheer so hard I los my pref an didn't git to, but when my time comed to testerfy to de light an de truf, sho' got back at dat 'oman. owned up to hittin' Cindy, an' 'spressed a willin'ness to do lakwiset | to her CT enny sinner 'oman at enny time CT place as would poke fun at CT Lord what hilt pi1ler uv fire all night in his han to tighten de 'Gipshioned chillun to bed by an I 'spounded de Scriptures to dem till Mars Hal Read he said: Fine yohsef to answerin' questions axed yo', an' doan fergit de spect due de cont an' de 'casion.' As
 "An' say: 'whut yo' mean, Mars Hal? an he say: T means whut I say,' an say: Whose dismembren to 'spect yoh ole coht?
 At dat dey all laughs, even Mars John smile CT little, an den he bows like CT gram lord to de cont, as Mars Hal calls hisself, an said as how l didn't hab no mo- sense dan de law lowed, an dat meant no harm; dat he's knowed me all his life an dat l wusn't nothin' wusser dan CT 'igious fernatic, dat I'd been faithful serv- sent in gre't things an small things. an dat my hair. wus silyered ober wid de snows uvf sixty-odd winters. I broke in on Mars John dar, Miss Sallie, fer I could see he was stretchin' de truf a long way to save me, but wus afeered yo'd be mad wid bof uv. us bout it so said:
 "sMars John, yo' know de snow nebber had nuthin' to do wid turnin' my ha'r white, Miss Sallie nebber let me be 'sposed to de col; it war de trubble I had wid dem four trihin' husban's nv mine. As fer knowin' me all your life, don't de cont know dat Don't know Mars Hal members jes' arter de wah when times wus hard an grub wus sca'ce an yo' chillun didn't hab jam only on Sundays, dat he comed ober to weuns house an hep yo' to steal de berries wus fxin' to cook up inter jelly? I'd larruped yo' good, but yo' didn't hab on but one guarment, an I hated to. so I jes' bumped your haids togedder, an I bumped 'em good an' hard, too.'
 Mars Hal kep' gittin' redder an redder, but it didn't keep me from tellin' bof uv 'em knowed dey wus growed up an mah'd, an had mean chilluns uv dey own. 'Twus all de same to me if dey wus CT gittin' bal, an one CT square an tother law yer, wusn't CT gwine ter let 'em bull- doze me, an wid dat Mars John slam me down in de chear ag'in, an de coht beat on de table an dismisted all de pris'ners but me an Cindy. De crowds kep' up such hoorawin' couldn't hear what dey done to pore Cindy, but I seed Mars John pay out ten dol- lars an' six bits for me, but he could mt keep lem from putin me in jail three days. doan special keer fer dat now as de trusty war a very gree able widder man, His time'll be out soon an spec he'll wanter work fer Mars John. I toe him yo' all war good white folks. Oars dat bell. l mus go an dish up de dinner. I know yo's- obleeged to- be satisfied I ain't done nothin' now"