Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-24
At the Big House
Mr.. Terrapin Gets the Nose-Bleed

outen de mouf VAIL white lady!" ex-
claimed Aunt Nancy. who. while secretly
| fattered at having her little friends linger,
was such a stickler for politeness that she
could not let breach OF 1t pass. Very
Jealous indeed were the old mammies about
forming the manners of the children under
their charge. and very high the standard
of politeness which they felt should belong
to the quality" So she went on: rs dat
pooty way ter ak fer nu'rr story? Sidesen
dat. Is I said anything bout yo' goin'
home? Nav. sub. an Don say nuttin' eff
y'all set dar 'twel de day err judgmen'. I
DON treat my comp'ny dat-a-way. 1 hopes
l know my manners better'n ter ak my
compny ter go home. lax lii gal ak de
Thompson chillen turr day wen She git
huffed wild EN-"
Classy had been watching the pots and
pans simmerng on the hearth in prepara-
ton for the modest dinner. closely watched
In turn by the greedy Bouncer, who lay
close to the hearth with his nose in his
paws, apparently asleep but with one eye
on the dinner. Every time she passed
Classy administered little furtive punish
ment. at which Bouncer each time raised
up the voice of complaint
Look yer. GAL" Aunt Nancy finally in
quired. wat ails dat dog er mine?' Classy
answered innocently. Deed dunno gran
ny. he pears ter be mighty Uneasy, startin'
an yappin' dat-a-way in his sleep"
We'll. you come outside yer wild we-alr,
an l boun' you my dog git long all right"
commanded Aunt Nancy.
Law. granny" said the girl, you know
mighty we'll dat eff leave Bouncer in dar
wild de dinner he gwine git hissef outside
Nv 1t In thee shakes Nv a sleeps tall
We'll den." said the old woman, "jss'
you bring de dog out yer wild you whar l.
KIN keep my eye on bofe I'm you; 1 ain
gwine have my dog cuffed by no pusson,
lessen sees fit ter do hit myself"
With that Classy and the reluctant Boun-
Ger came out and joined the little circle
about the doorstep, Bouncer on the ex
treme edge watching his chance to teal
into the house unperceived. They effected
welcome diversion. for Janey was feeling
rather guilty over her incivility to the
Thompson children. When Classy and
Bouncer had subsidized Aunt Nancy re-
sumed her story telling. relating the ad-
ventures of Molly Cotton-tail and Mr. Ter
rapin while on a hunting expedition.
Hit happen dis-a-way," she began. "Ore
time Mis- Molly Cotton-tail an Mlstah
Tarr'pin wuz tol'ble frenzy fer a right
smart NV a spell. an vile things wuz
gwine on lax dat. Mis- Molly she met up
wild him one day an she say: 'Mistah
Tarr'pin I dunno how it's wild you, sub,
but is sort er tired er de vittles 1 bin
havin'. 1es' desc yer peas an cabbage an
gyardin truck in gin'l long wild iii
grass. 1 knows you bin havin' de same
sort err stuff an seem ter me you looks
III pindlin'. Eff we cu'd jes go huntin' an
git wse'fs III fraish meat. 1 boun' you
we'd pick up an feel sprucy right off,
TAR pin ain bin notussin' dat he felt
bad, but wen Mis- Molly talk dat-a-way
he felt sort er doncey an painyfied dat min
nit, an he say he spec twould do him
good ter have Ill meat-vittles, so wild
dat dey up an went hintin' toge'rr Dey
go up an down de woods, perusin' roun'
fer wat dey kin fin. an w'iIes dey sa'nter
long Mis- Hyar' she wuz talkin' an argy-
fyin' wild Tarr'pin bout dis an dat, tryin'
her bes' ter aggervex him, 'kase she wuz
chock full er talk an mighty please wen
70 yl-fd bar
She ain git much satisfaction fun Mistah
Tarr'pin, 'kase he want no greet shakes at
talkin' an he lax ter do evythng slow an
easy, 'twus come-day, go-day with him,
Mis- Molly so tucken up wild her own
talk dat she ain notuss wat gwine on
an dat de reason she ain see Mis- Painter
comm. She bin rampagin' up an down de
woods huntin' fer sump'n ter eat, an bout
de time she git SO hungry she ca'cely kin
stan hit, she seed em comm 'Hyar' NV
my whiskers! SEE she, dis whar 1 gwne
whu'l in an git me my dinner. Two kin's err
meat ter onct, lawsy, lawsy, wat luck 1 is
havin'? She see dey ain kotch sight NV
'er yit, so she mex base ter stretch husse'f
cross de road an tend lax she daid
Molly Cotton-tail so busy talkin' dat she
ain see Mis- Painter yit, but wen dey git
ter whar she wuz layin' cross de road, Mis-
Molly say: 'Jumpin' JehoshaphatI eff we
ain got de luck dis day, Mistah Tarr' pin,
den you kin call me sinner. Yer meat all
raidy ter ow' hans, an fraish kilt. too, eff
I ain mex no mistake, 'kase she WON
git
Den Tarrpin he say, sezee: I spec
you is right, Mis- Molly you mos in ginly
is. But dish yer wat troublin me; l KANT
see how we gwine tote dis meat home,
'kase look lax she monst'ous haivy'
Mis- Hyar she putt her haid on one side,
an cock one year up an tu'rr down an
look fus' at Painter an den at Tarr'pIn lax
she wuz medjin' 'em bofe. Las she low,
she do, 'Mstah Tarry-long Tarr'pin, you
know I Is soon CONAN an a willin'
CONAN. but l ain got much strenk in de
backbone. Now you got de hardes' back
bone an de bigges' backbone fer yo' size
Nv any man whar I knows, an pears ter
me dat eff 1 kin jes' git her laid cross you
an git you started, mebbe we kin mex out
ter tote her home
"Tarr'pin gree ter dis, he run his haid
unner Mis- Painter an Mis- Molly gin her
a shove, an dar she wuz. Den OF Tarr'pin
move off, an eff he wuZ slow man befo
I dunno wat you call him now, slower dan
'lasses in Jinnawary. Mis- Hyar mex out
dat she wuz shown behime, but stidder
dat she mount up on de kyarkiss an po'
OF Tarr'p pin drug her long, too. Bout dat
time he say, MISSY me! Mis- Molly, seem
lax dis meat done got heap haivier all ter
onct!'
"In co'se Mistah Tarr,pn,' SEE de Hyar',
seq she, in co'se dat 'bleeged ter be de
way, fer de kyarkiss gittin' mo- colder all
de time, an de daider she is de haivier she
boun ter be-
"I reckon dasso SEE de Tarr'pin, sezee.
an he g long pantin an puffln, out l let
you know, sezee, dish yer de bigges' con-
trac' l Is uver unnertooken, an hits de fuS'
an de las de kim, let you know dat
"All de time dey z gwine long, Mis-
Painter she jes' reich down one claw an
scratch. scratch, scratch mighty softly on
OF Tarr'pins neck. sot he sea cely feel
hit, an pres'ny de blood gun ter drip. drip,
drip. After vile Tarr'pin he seed de
blood drippin' an he 'spose 'twuz fit er
de nose-bleed, so he call out, Hi! Mis-
Molly, I done tote so hard Use tucken wild
de nose-bleed, an I be bleeged ter stop at
de branch an sta'nch de bleedin',' sezee.
".All right sings out Mis- Hyar,' an
she elm down FUN de kyarkfss an come
roun' ter de front an done lax she bin
pushin' hard all de way an wuz plumb wo'
out. She hep onload an den she squat
down by Painter vile Tarrpin go ter de
branch ter wash de blood Off. OF Tarr'pin
fin 'twant no nose-bleed; stidder dat
sumpin done cut his meek mos off. Bout
dat time. Wen he n feelin' mighty weak
an, skeery, Mis- Painter she gin spring at
him an she think She done got him dat
time, 'kaZe he z t66o weak ter git way
FUN her. But sho. ol' imam Tarr'pin want
bawn yist'd'y. He jes'l gin a roll an over
he went inter de water, an, den he wuz
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