Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1904-03-16
AUNTY SMITH


was Cpsah Mahshall. He blonged
to Kunnel Mahshall, who at dat
time was courtin' my mastah's
daughtah, Miss Betty, an OBJ course
Casah he spen' heap OBJ time
round dar. Casah he likely boy,
an all de gals tort dey gwine to git
him, but, laws, | knowed he didn't
keer for none OBJ dem niggahs.- /
did keep a mighty keen eye, dough,
on Lie. She a yaller gal allus
a-rollin' her eyes an tossin' her head
an thinkin' herself good as white
folkses, one OBJ desc yer sly kind,
too, a-sayin' Aatterin' things dat
make a man think she a-dyin' for
Tub OBJ him.
81 glib her mighty little chance to
try any OBJ her sassy tricks on C@-
sab. Mems dat powerful vain-you
DIES know it's so, honey-dey swal-
labs ebry soft an sugary speech OBJ
de female sect as eff 'twar de libin'
trufe. But CGsah he wouldn't hab
no one but des me. He sayed was
like Solomon's wife dat de Bible
tells OBJ, black, but comely.' | ak
de preachah once eff Solomon was
cullud gemlan. He looked scared
an sayed he couldn't splain dat tex
to an ig'nant pusSon like me; sayed
it didn't mean what it sayed, but
was yaller glory bout de chu'ch.
Preaehahs don't know ebrything
more'n we uns, an what's de use for
twis' de words oh de good book diff
Trent from what dey is?
"Well, Cesah an me we done got
mahied an lived in a little cabin
neah my mastah's house, cause !
had to work hard waitin' on ole mis-
tbs an de young ladies. Dey wore
heaps OBJ fine muslins an lawns in
dem days, an no one could do de
washin' an i'nin' to suit dem but
me. But / had little time in my
own house, an Casah he come Of
ten. ] was dat happy | went roun'
singin' from mawnin' twel night,
neber tort bout the mex day an
what it might bring 10th. Eff /
was too happy with de things OBJ
dis worP de Lawd knows my heart
been heavy dis many yeahs to pay
for it. Pears like all OATS happen
since has DIES teched de outside oh
my feelin's an lef' all de heavenly
sweetness OBJ dat time shet off to
itself.
"De time went by twel one mawn-
in in de summah Cesah he a-gwine
to come an tote de chile ober in de
hills to camp meetin'. She was
two munce old, an hadn't neber
had her way from home befo'. Oars
no tellin' how proud we bofe was OBJ
dat baby.
"Dat mawnin' | dress her, an /
waited. De people roun' de place
dey get ready an go. None OBJ dem
stopped to talk, but | 'membered
aft'wards dey look mighty queah at
me. Lie, dat yaller gal rs tellin'
yo' OBJ, she run back an hug de
baby. Yo' pore critah, l thought,
yo'd glib all dat finery for SIGH
honeydrop.
can i waited. Plenty things
might OBJ happen for to keep C@sah
away, so / sang Rosy to sleep. Den
somehow gan to member de looks
an de whispers dat l hadn't noticed
at de time, an it seem to grow dark,
dough de sun was a-shinin', an de
chills crep' ober me. Ole mistis'
mockin' bird up at de big house,
how it did sing! 1 'spise a mockin'
bird eber sence. l waited, an aft
while ole mistis come walkin' down
the PAT. She was bawn an raised in
de nawf, was ole insists, an neber
'peared to like de black people. She
had berry sharp eyes, bout de color
OBJ de blade OBJ yo' new razah, sab,
an when she come close an look at
me / felt as eff dey cut me clean
froo. She hab a soft voice, an dar
was little smile on her face when
she tole me-she tole me-she
stretch up an pick some yaller roses
from de bush dat crowd Ober de
do, an she say dat eff spect to git
to camp meetin' l better be a-gwine;
dat I'd hat to pack de chile de whole
way, for Cmsah he fur 'nough off
now. She tole me he been sold
down souf, whar he'd be 'bliged to
pick cotton an git ober some OBJ his
fine notions.
"When she were gone way l tore
de waller rosebush down an trOmp
it under my feet. Aftah dat for a
spell l don't rightly member what
happened. Dey tole me dat Casah
he try to 'scape frum de tradah's;
dat dey chase him wild de dogs, an
when de men tort he a-gwine to
swim Gross de ribah dey done shoot
him dead. Hebenly Mastah, an
lubed him SOL
81 lib through it all. Many a
woman, black or white, could tell
yo' dat she goes on a-libin' an cv-
cry night a'prayin' de Lawd her soul
to take.
81 foun' out dat Kunnel MahshaH
he felt so mighty pore dat he had
to sell some oh his sehvants. DE
kunnel he one OBJ de real Kentucky
gemlen-great man to be a-bettin'
an boss racin'. He'd loss q heap
skSnonsY "a Ais fss' hosG ksss It