The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1905-08-13
THE DEVIL AND DOT.
BY ISABEL BOWMAN FINLEY.

bnt one subject She was tempted OF 4
the devil-she knew il was the devil /
she did not even try To mask him with I
he face OF All angel She taught in /
Sunday school, and she SO frequently /
presented his Satanic Majesty in his /
numerous forms and dissAises 10 hei |
class of interested and absorbed girls /
lhat she could net mistake him when /
she would
'Do il" he had been saying to her
for a week
Il viii not, she had replied. The
denial al first had been fierce. now il
vas growing faint
Dot came down the steps She was
one OF the class that had been warned
Of the insidious ways of the willy ser
pent. Her white sunbonnet hung
down her back, her curis were tow
seled and damp with Precipitation
about hersred little face, and she was
breathing hard. dragging by the arm
large rag doll which dangled sidewise
and limp, its pancake face staring out
in hard and dusty deection.
20, Miss Teacher Sweetheart" she
painted, Il sawed the devil and ! run
ned away from hhnl'
yes, ma am" she said, her words
almost running over each other in the
great hreaths of haste it took TO re-
late: and ii was this way This
morning after breakfast | asked moth
ar if couldn't 90 To see Helen Wheel
or, ana take Reunion Roberta Lee with
me-I call her that cause my father
bought her for no when he went TO
she reunion at New Orleans. and
mother said: Certainly daughter, but
! whatever you do. don't stop on your
way to play with Evergreeny John
SON And said. No. na'am. | won't
1 Evergreeny is little colored girl the
/ daughter Of our washeTwomaD, and Q
/ my! bat she knows los Of games! She
amt bad little girl, but mother says
1 I'm getting too old TO play with little
1 girls amt going to play with when
/ I'm growcd up. and ladies' don't never
play with their washerwomen, do they2
Helen was Mighty glad to see me,
/ and we had lots and lots Of fun un,
/ dressing and dressing Reunion Robert
Lee, ard Helen asked me to give her
4 to her. and when | said no. just as
! polite as could. she said she'd swap
/ her new alphabet book for her; but !
wouldn't give up Reunion Roberta for
nothing or nobody. And then Helen
she got mad. and she said she wouldn't
have that ugly Reunion Roberta for
The learings; no, not even If put her
her In her bed and went off and left
her. And / said good reason why
cause | amt going to put her in your
bed or leave you nothing. Then sht
got 'bnsive, and said Reunion Roberts
was sqnint-eyed. Now Is she squint
eyed. Miss Teacher Sweetheart
Course her eyes is just right AND
she said rag dolls warn't worth
nothing nohow, and she called Reunion
Roberta Lee eonck and crab ant
said, Now mind, Helen Wheeler.
amt never. never, never going to pla,
with you again TIL you 'pol'gize L
Reunion Roberta.
THE sun was mighty hot walkin'
home, and the dust jus got in my eye
and made the water come into them
ana | had to snifTle a lot cause Id don
forgot my hank'chuf When | come t
Evergreeny Johnsons gate save,
Evergreeny under the big hick'ry tire
In her yard, ami she looked might
cool and comf-able, and she hollere
out to me to come in. and | said
couldn't. cause IL was mos lunch tim
and | had to get home. didn't wan
to hurt her feelings by telling her m
mother didn't want me to 60 in an
play with her. Then she rolled hi
watermelon round in front of he
! and dropped it on the ground, and
! broke open, and it was ripe way out
the rim and red as red could be, an
. such lots and lots of hearth And p
/ ergreeny took great big piece Of
! and she said the other piece was fl
me if I'd come in and get 1t, and the
q she took big. big bite. the juice ju
q TunlCu NONu lNl tiAlaA Gnu hrhhSs
q Was SO mighty ripe and fine, and I
}. JUS started to 60 In when a great bi
o black thing stood right in front
Z me. Right off knowed it was Il
l. devil. and | was awful scared, al
k then 1t JUS popped into my head III
Is popcorn on the fire what you'd to
us In Sunday school, IL the devil ge
nl TOO big to fight, then run away fro
le him az quick as ever YOU can, and
IL did, and Egergreany was a-calling on
ii she's skeert Of the bull! SHE'S skee
IL OF the bulli' but ! knowed It war;
II no bull and all the time ! was RI
Ar ming | was JUS saying over and os
re to myself like | was crying insid
ld o Miss Teacher Sweetheart O Nj
4 Teacher Sweetheart! q Miss Teach
q Sweetheart cause knowed Y
We knowed the devil and how to scare h
or Of. and sho' 'nough when ] got insi
your yard | JUS turned my head
~ weensy bit over my shoulder 70 !
~ where he was, and he'd gone, hol
rel and tail and all. Course he knowet
'g- was your yard, and was scairt to co