The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-04-16
MAHAILY JAMES HALF-Ho11DAy

"a
Deen enjoying it; but she wasn't not at oil +bornb
she nad beeen looking forward to it for FORTNIGHT
Ihlllgs are that way sometimes witt, the very
"mtest little girl, and Mahaily-weH. MahaiIv lane
was black little girl
but that fact wasn't what made her 1,nbanr,
and spoiled her holiday: no. coud Won bave saa
her on other days when she laughed and showed her
sparkling white teeth, you would have said MabaiI1
white. '''i'' 'Of''>
Mahaly Jane herself had no idea of what was
cloudlng her hoIlday-but | know all about if The
day before the cook up at the Great House had
scofched big loaf of plum cake and she has ba
slowed II on little Mahaly Jane; and little Mabailv
Jane had taken it to bed with her at night and
eaten every crumb of 1t, burnt crust and all
That was why little girl with tagging stems
"a nao arrived at Gran'mammys cabin, down at the
branch" IN a very cross sullen state of mind 10
spend her half-holiday. -
Gran nanny beamed with love and ioy at see
ing her grandchild, but little Mahaily Jane. she
just said ''howdy." and sat down and kicked bor
heels against the rrngs of her chair, Gran,man,-
my was tull OF plans to entertain her; but Mahav
Jane wouldn't look at the new chickens. nor 90 ont
ana Try TO md the beautiful peacock feathers that
were sometimes lying about in the grove, nor down
to the branch" after smooth pebbles
Little Mahally Jane could see no holiday Hen-
tertalnment' in any of Granmammy's plans.
she SAID her stomach ached, and Gran'mamnlv
gave her some peppermint and had her lie down
on the big plump patchwork bed. But Mahailv
Jane didn't stay there many minutes: she got up
ana sat III her chair again, and kicked her heels
ana looked unhappy and wouldn't talk Every
time, all the afternoon, when Gran'mammy spoke to
her, she said: "Lemme lone! nay stomach aehes!''
Foor Granmanmy kept ironing, but now
and then she cast glance at her grandchild and
by and by she could that the little stomach was
not aching quite hard, and then presently. all at
once Mahaily tied on her sunbonnet as if she were
going home.
'.Yo Needn't git supper she said Il don
wan ANY,"
No" said Gran'mammy Goose not Dis ain
no visit.
"Cose tain no visitw said little Mahaily. ready
to cry.
At that moment the call of frog rose from the
swamp the cabin
Oar" said Gran'mammy "yo des lssun to dat!
spec Mister Snake has started out for his supper"
Little Mahaiy knew a story was coming but
she felt too to notice it. She sat a-listening
and wondering in her mind what Mister Snakes
supper had to do with the frog. However, Gran
nanny crooned out the old negro-cabin verse:
Snake baked hoe-eake
Set the Frog to mind it.
Frog drop a-noddn',
Lizard come an find it.
Aahay Jane cast shy sidewise glance at
iran mamny-she knew that old jingle well.
Snake been hungry ever since he los dat hoe |
'ake," Mahaily Granmammy went on; "an' MORN |
lat he spec Frog to pay for losin dat hoe-cake by
lie noddin. So Snake he try ever since to catch an
at Frog he see! He start Frog a-runnin' in de
wamp out dar, an Frog he maxim for de deep wa
er fas' he can, an jes ahollerin' an ahollerin:
"'Quit! Quit! Quit! Quit! Quit! Quitr"
Gran'mammy gave such good imitation of the
rogs scared notes that it made cross little Mahaily
lmost smile.
Frog, he'll get to de water safe an SCUM" said
Iran'mammy Oar he'll iine his fellers where
Ill 1oU ;ho1t davcy hove
omp'ny, fine comR;ny! Frog ask what compny.
Zen dey all tell him:
President! President! PRESIDENT"
You would have thought that big bullfrogs were
alling deep in their Threats, outside under Gram
lammy's cabin window.
''Den,' said Gran'mammy "dey all ask what
uch fine comp'ny wants to cat, an de Lady Frogs
II takes up de word:
Fried bacon! Fried baconl Fried baconr"
That was too much for little Mahaily Jane. She
as obliged to laugh, for out yonder IN the swamp
he Lady Frogs were answering in those same
ords:
"Fried bacon! Fried bacon! Fried bacon!"
Den" said Gran'mammy, appearing if she
dn't know that her grandchild had smiled and
ken off her bonnet, "dey wants ter know how many
osses pull de Presidents carriage dar. An de
ull Frogs dey answer agin:
Ten! Ten! Ten! Tent"
Little Mahaiy laughed and laughed, for she
,uld hear those deep notes out IN the swamp:
"Ten! Ten! Ten. Ten!"
ooh, der Frogs, dey des able allus to do DER
yn talkin'," declared Gran'mammy; 'onct dey
keter skeered Man mos ter death, an dey did
Ger him outer his rougishness. He love tobacco
good dat he done stole up nights and fill a bag
item his Ole Massa's patch. One night he was
lnnin' to his cabin wild it, an DIES as soon as he
t der swamp de Bull Frogs holler to. him.
You stole! You stolei You stolcp
"He knowed dat was truf, an it skeered dat
ugish Man He stop still an he say: IF | stole,
nat did L steal? IF 1 stole, what did | stealF
"Den de little Frogs tuck up de ansa in DER
lall voices
.To-bac-ca! Tobacco, Tobacco To-baccap
DAT Man he dropped his bag and he never has
Little Mahaily laughed again. ''De Frogs is de
nnies' folks, cause dey sholy do talkF' she said
@ Sc long, chile" said Gran'mammy. Hits
tim late"
Gran nanny dess tell some mo- how de
.ogs talk" eoaxed Mahaily Jane between her gig
..Den- you go right home" asked Gran'1nammy.
4 sho WILL said Mahaily