The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-21
THE ADVERTISERS DAILY SHORT STORY

Honey, why yo tease IuduliHy so times? To lib in de vance age. an ought ter be libin' a mighty good life, too, cause how yo know yo' won't hab great S"Yo' doaT' wan ter hyear' bout yo' gran'ma. but wants me ter tell 70, bout ma III Clarissy? Bless yo' heart: honey dats de one thing lubs ter talk bout, my's DO ole heart ebery time she eben thinks ob her.
 De night CIarissy opened her eyes on dis earth dar wuz consumptious paii goin on at de big house, fo de quat ty, in honor ob yo gran ma, who yo' gran . pa. ma young Tnarse' had fetched nome as his bride.
 hut yo wants ter hyear bout Clarissy. We'll, TZe leadin' up ter her, honey AZ de time I am tellin' yo' ob she wuz jes on her way inter dis worr ob trouble, an thinkiri ob de gran times at de big house which Sis Kitty wuz 'monstratin' bout, an listenin' ter de squeak ob Uncle Jer- rvs fiddle at de Quarters. Io' Cit yo' partners fer de kwattilon! Raise yo' feet high! S'lute yo partners: Fowa'd toa6 an back agtn!! gin! Lss i,S., han. s1k me. me- he jes' shouted, Judy. cum pack! from from yo' Ief? Yo's spilled de whole set. an 'fze ha'f min net ter let yo' shpt:
 
 think Miss red sash makes yo' fine. but femme tell So' gal, de fines shuck ofen hides de meanes' nubbin in de row"
 T wub mighty pleased ter hyear Jnoy publicly .buked, cause she wuz dat airy since she tux ma Hosea from me. She not only tux him. but got hersef a sui erket in gor frame which said de law had gib him ter her! Dis is a mighty quar- worT, chile. In de sight ob de Lord Hosea wuz mine; but cause de law could write on paper 1t could divorge me an gib him ter her wid a ticker ter prove 1t. Tn desc days dey is changin de Scriptur' fashion, dey buns de stiter- ket, snaps dere fingers at de public. buys de law ter do dere way. an breaks dere legiance wid de sight ob de Lord; ar ! I wuz treadin' When Uncle Jerry hol. loed out. Make yo' steps, an sho' yo style! an All hans 'roun'" forget ma right off ter be in at dat occashum. Sir Kitty cot me by de arm an dragged me hack. She lowed 'Aggie. yo's crazy, an I'm goin' fer de paterole. Dat settled
 "Jes. den de clock struck twelbe. an de strikes wuz mos drownded by de | noise from 0s fPecrackers an gun at de big house an de hurrays from ,S,s de 'opp- 8oap- | in an as de las cheer died out ma II ] Clarissy cum for ma Chris mus gif. | knows 1t wuz onchrischun lax an an oW, dacious sin, but I didn thank de Loro as much as I ought fer His present, cause I ken thinkin' how dat same pres ent had cheated me out ob bein' 'mong de fust ter slnte ma hanS new mss nn,rS' an 'o'"
 "Whar did get, de name Clarissy ? friction brought me onor.
 | ''Yo' dear granma named dat chile, an lowed she wuZ ter be raised an edi- cated at de big house. Dat made me mighty proud. So, when yo' ma wuz born tuk Clarissy an went ter de biz house
 "Doan' get so ,moash lm. honey; rze goin' ter tell yo bout Clarissy. but ies kinder laks to put 1t off as long as
 ''Ciarissy hadn' no face ter be 'shamed of. She wuz dat talla an straight, wid smooth brack shiney ha'r-it din kink none-an' her eyes wuz Jes lax de deer s; called her ma yaller rose. She warn neber strong lak' an wouldn' go wid de niggers at de Quarters: Sometimes she eben seemed 'shamed ob her ole brack mammy. but I didn' min dat, l wuz so proud she could take an ,edicat'n' tes lak quality. whereas her nanny wuE Jes
 plain ole prack nigger dat didn froI1 kno% S Norf courtin yo' ma. he brought his white valet wid him. warned Clarissy when l seed her wid dat valet dat it wuz a resky thing ter make her tedg- mant on de cloes dat cobers up a man: but fore long l heard him call her his waller rose.
 "Clarissy looked so happy. jes' lak a waller rose when 1t busts wide open an tuns its face up ter hebben as ef ter thank de Lord fer lettin 1t be so purty. I didn hab de heart ter break de spell.
 "All ob a sudden she jes' dropped an widdered as ef de sun didn't shine on her no mo- an she tux ter taikin bout some Phelie who. cause she couldn't marry de man she dubbed, ies' dressed herse' in flowers an drownded herself Den she'd make wreath ob yaller roses an put dem on her haid, an lowed she'd look as purity as Phelte ef she WIZ hyear her talk, an l thought de words ob dc Scriptur' had cum true in ma case whar 1t tells bout yo bein' lifted up by pride an fallin inter de condemnation ot de debbil.
 While I wuz broodin' ober ma fife tion miss called me inter her room, an she looked so sad lak dat l threw ma arms round her knees an ask her whai trubble her so. Den she put her lf
 tear ran from her cheek right on te mine. an she said in a voice lak she wul taIkin' ter her own. chile: Pc, faithful ol' | Aggie. I wish l could spare yo dis blow.
 Den marse cum fo'wa'd wid lil sliI ob paper. Here it Is, honey. Dat IT slip will be restin' on ma bosom wher : Marse GabI shouts froo his trumpet fel me ter cum home. cyan read. honey { but I knows desc words. Deys 'cribeC right on ma heart: Dear ole mammv iak Phelie Pze goin ter drown mase'f 1 I could face yo. an knows yo would hol' me ter yo' breas an forgib me: but 1 cyan face Miss an de oders Nam my, I ain't got no place ter go ter nov but de ribber; an 1t seems so col lak.