Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-19
At the Big House

downright. 1904. by the Bohbs-,Ierril Company. !
The three children. Ned of ten Janey of
eight and Kit. the yellow haired Iaddie of
five. were wild with delight at the prospect
of visit TO their uncle on the old planta-
ton where their mother had been reared
After their arrival. when supper was over
and the children were being put to bed.
Aunt Nancy's smiling face appeared in the
doorway. and she declared that she must
have "anurr squlnt at dem chillen'' before
she took herself off for the night. BLESSED
lambs!'' said she. de ve'y spit an imidge
e. dey NAV. scusen de I'll bit whar favers
dey gran'paw an oil Mis- and day Uncle
Hinry. Deilawsr l nuver think I'm de days
wen | tucken Miss Janey on my knee an
got her raidy fer bald. an den tuck her in
an sot down by her an tell her tales
ontwei she drap off ter sleep. 1 nuver think.
nav ma am, dat / gwine live ter see her
wild huh passel er iii chillen husse'f,
naw'm. dat I didn.''
At the mention of stories the children sat
up In bed clasping their arms about their
knees with chins resting top. looking
eagerly at her, like so many animated in
terrogation points. please tell us some
stories" they begged, and Janey declared
that she did not believe she could possibly
go to sleep in strange bed, unless, as her
mother used to do. she fell asleep on a
story.
Aunt Nancy giggled and laughed until her
body rocked from side to side. Well. eff
dis ain de beatenes' lot said she ter
mence on me bout tales de ve'y fus night
l sot eyes on EN-. Jes' 'zackly de way dey
nav useter kyar' on, fer all de worl'" But
it did not take mucn coaxing to start her
Drawing up an old splfnt-bottomed chair,
she sat down between the two beds and an
nounced that she believed she would
rsplunge inter de bizness'' by telling them
of the story of
Mr.. Fox's Funeral.
I'm de oil days. she began, "dar wuz two
er de creeturs whar wuz alluz fallin out
wild one nu'rr. an seem who kin git ahaid
NV turr one, an settin' all sawts er traps
an lay-overs-fer-t ter ketch-meddlers. Desc
two creeturs wuz neener mo- ner less dan
Mis- Molly Cotton al-w ich some calls 'er
Of Molly Hyar'-an' Mistah Slickry Sly-fox.
Sometimes one wuz in de lead, sometimes
tu'rr. but mos in ginly Mis- Molly she
canned out ahaid, fer dat seem ter be de
speshul gif' er de ladiz, ter git der own
way wild der hreens stidder dey fistes. Men
folks is kind clumsy an. cumbersome
bout sech ez dat. an mos times gins
deysefs erway fo' dey gi.s half thu.
Oiie udS lie COME crust er w en- Sne
right good an tired, settin in de broom
saidge fiel'. down by de oil sawmilI, an he
gin 'er chase thu de woods an inter de
swamp an out inter de fiel' on tu'rr side.
'twel she wuz all blown an clean stove-up.
oh me. o myi seq she ter hussef seq
she, L reckon dish yers whar l gotter turn
up my iii toes an gin up de ghos'. sho'
ter try Well, 1 hope some nice niger man
gwine git dish yer lef' behime foot er mine
an kyar' hit roun' wild him ter keep de
boogers Off
quiries about the rabbits left hind foot, of
whose wonderful powers they never had
happened to hear.
'DeIlaws!" exclaimed Aunt Nancy.
''nuVer yearn tell err de lef behime foot NV
a graveyard rabbit? Whar you been livin'
all desc ears? Wy, OATS de mos pow full
confer in de worl'. Jes kyar one'r dem in
yo pockit an youse safe eZ you kin be in
dish yer sufferin', dyin' worl'. Hit keeps
off witches an ha'nts an jackymy -lantums
an boogers in ginl, an hit brings good
luck, an keeps away bad luck, an hit keeps
mean, lowdown folks fun putin spells on
you an trickin' you. But hit wuks bofe
ways. fer eff you lose dat foot an some one
else gifts hit, dey kin do jes' bout wat dey
wants wild you. An you mus'n on no
kyount let no pusson teck dat rabbit foot
do, sumpin' mighty bad gwine happen to
you, OATS jes' ez sho ez I'm a-settin' yer
runnn on bout dat cunjer
Nov whar wuz at? Oh. vas, whar Mis-
Molly wuz all tuckered out an bout ter gin
up de game. Well, jes' den, ez de luck had
hit, she yearn greet blown er hawns an a
lot er houns givin' tongue fur ways off.
an she knowed dat de hunters wuZ som ers
roun', so she gard husse'f toge'rr and putt
out in dat d'reckshun an bless goodness
eff she ain tole oil Fox right in de midse er
de dogs an de bosses an de hunters, an
den she double an git outen de way In
/ MlSt2h
SIy had a mighty clost shave dat time an
he ain forgive Mis- Molly. He laid hit up
in his min ergin 'er an 'clared he wuz
gwine git even wild her eff he ain do anurr
lick dat winter.
He set by de fire an study an study
bout hit, wild his haid on his han an his
jaw drapt open, twel he got sort er run
down an his appentite gin out. Mis- Fox
She wuz Worried bout him. same time dat
she wuz putt out wild him fer settin on his
ha' inches dom nuttin' an lettin' her dus'
rOun' after de vittleS. Las. one day she
tucken de broom an shuk hit at i'm, an
seq she Git outen my sight, you mis- able
shifIess creetur. Eff you go an stir yo'se'f
roun' an wu'k III. hit mought start yo'
blood ter goin' ergin, an kyore you, fer
you done got bone disease witch dey calls
hit lazy-bones, an I'm gwineter kyore you
right yer an now, dat I is, fer ain want
no funl bout dis house. dat / ain, wild all
de strouds an de collins an de flows an
de hearsts; an de vittles wflar de mo'nerS
you uver been wuf, subj An wild dat she
brought de broom. ker-smack! down on
Mistah Sly-fox's haid.
Wen she say de wu'd 'funl' dat gin i'm
idee He laid dar widout movin, lax he
wuz sho'-nuff daid. an he let her pick i'm
up an putt i'm on de bald. He laid dar a
w lie MIN at 'er go on, wringin her hans
an cryin' o Lawd, o Lawd! wat wicked
CONAN is, Done kilt my po sick husban'!
wat 1 gwine do! Oh, mussy me, wat is
gwne do!'
Fox ne wuz nightly tickled an let 'er
run on a vile. He say ter hissef, Dish
yer's whar I fin out how de OF CONAN
gwine have hussef wen she's WILDLY.
Den he open he eyes lax he wuz pow full
fbble an roll 'em up in his haid. an
sezee: OF CONAN, l fergives you fer dis,
deed / does / KANT spec ter las much
longer: femme ak you, befo' l goes, ter
gimme a decint funl, wild all de fixin's, an
| want sarmint preached fer me, too, eff
you halter putt off de preachin' part fer
ear. so'st you kin pay fer hit An l wants
you, please ma'am. ter wife all de nabers
ter de settin'-up, even Mis- Molly Cotton
TAIL 'kase l done forgive her, too, an you
mus SEN her wud dat l gwine lay mo-
peace'bl In my grave eff she'll come ter de
Sattin'-up An, wants YOU ter have Dlenty