The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-11-30
cold Diana Was Telling the Boy a
Story"

ethical truths to a gaping small boy.
who scuffed his feet against his chair
and represented perpetual motion by
q continuous Wiggle. SO she permitted
charmed half-hours of intercourse with
old Diana, until it suddenly occurred
to her that he was having too much
of his own way. and she suggested
to her husband that Diana was net
exactly fit company for his son.
Let us pOunce in~upo them and see
how they are amusing each other,
Mr.. Howard said one evening. Diana
is just child of another degree. Per-
hapS she has done conjure' frankie
boy-we will see
TWAS picture the two looked upon
as they stole softly to the kitchen door.
No light except that of the range. the
frontof which was bed of glowing
Goals. An apple was roasting luscious
ly on the hearth. Old Diana was tell
ing the boy story. and he sat close
to her, his little thin hand laid softly
in her dark one. His face and form
were expressive Of full 4nd complete
satisfaction. This is what the two
listeners heard:
An den he went ter de graveyard
in de dark OBJ de moon-ant den he hide
him ahind de tombstone an. den he see
q rabbit-anS den de gun go bang, bang,
run off like he done possest.''
But how could he run if he hasn't
any hind fOot?" asked Frank. j.
Dat Were a graveyard rabbit child,
an anoder lef hind foot grow rite on
dere, yes. indeedy.S jes' natcheHy
knows dat is so. cause wIaE -deyzdoRe
git all dem lef' hind foot eff 'twasn't
so?"
"And then what becomes of the first
hind foot?" asked Frank breathlessly.
''Dey sell 'em, honey. to de white
folks to tote in dere pockets. and fox
on dere watch chains
HUH What good does that do
them?" demanded Frank.
What good Jes' hear dat chile!
Why, it hoip you lib easy, an die easy,
an it keep away de hants."
There was silence, broken only by
a sigh of contentment from the boy,
and a bubbling ooze from the roasting
apple. Then the querulous, childish
voice:
What is a liant, auntie?h'
"A hant?-why, a hant is hant-
somethin' all wife that goes roun' an
roun' de house crying, 600! O-o-o!'
fokes-oh! Lard-a-mercy. wha' dat? I
declare, Miss Howard, you done
brighten me hat to def"
For the step-mother believed IL was
time TO take a hand, and the shock
TO the exalted nerves of the old darky
and her company was like the awaken
ing of somnambulist. Aunt Diana
would have conjured him back into the
paths OF peace by an adroit change of
subject She would have comforted him
with apples and borne him to his little
bed IN triumph of diplomacy, but now
he must go alone, like a little man"
with no fat, soft hand to cling to. She
Aunt Diana-had promised to sing:
Mary and Martha Served de Lave. -
But the charm was broken. and
Frank was carried in instaHments by
both parents. they scoldins he kick
ing and Squirming. to his unwelcome
bed. The next day he went to the
farm on visit, and fear soon forgot
Aunt Diana and her weird but enchant-
Ing literature in the loving company
of two old people to whom he repre-
sented all of life that was worth liv-
ing
The new mother is lost in wonder
that any child, not totally depraved
could prefer an ignorant colored wo-
man to her. while Aunt Diana has been
heard to remark with much emphasis.
Pore leetle chile! No nice NANNY
to tote him roun' an tell all de tings
he ought ter know, He les hab wife
foxes learnin' an no Oder-I decIar' Pse
orful sorry fer him-I is indeedy."