Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-14
At the Big House
How Mr.. Terrapan Lost His Beard

The "cook house" stood at some little DIS
tance from the big house, and every even
ing after supper ittwas full Of light and
noise and laughter The light came from
the fire on the huge hearth, above which
hung the crane and the great iron pots
which Eliza, the cock, declared were indis-
pensable in the practice of her art. To be
sure, there was cook stove but Liza was
welded to old ways and maintained there
was nothing ''stove cooked that could hope
to rival the rich and nutty flavor of ash
cake, or greens billed slow an long over
de hath. wild piece er bacon In de pot"
The noise and laughter came from a circle
OF dusky and admirfng friends, for Aunt
Liza was a great favorite with everybody
on the plantation, and, though hunch-
backed and homely, had, nevertheless had
her pick, as she was fond of boastine, of
the Understanding men on the place: and
though she had been twice welded and
twice widowed, aspirants were not wanting
Tor the position now vacant for a third time
Indeed, not long before, a member of the
family, on going to the cook house to see
why dinner was so late, had discovered one
sam, the burly young oX-cart driver on his
knees, pleading very earnestly with the
elderly and hump-backed little cook while
dinner sfmmered on and on unnoticed and
1orgotten. When demonstrated with. she
sad that she was 'bleeged ter have coffin
times cz well ez de res. er folks" and inti-
mated that in affairs Of the heart these
tnlhSs We're apt to happen at any time or
place and that If a gentleman chose an in
opportune moment ''twan't her fault" and
no one could, with any show of reason, cx-
pect her not to pay attention to him. She
ruled everybody. her white folks included.
though just how she did 1t no one could saw
unless she was one of those COMMANDING
spirits and born leaders who sometimes n n
pear even In the humblest walks of life 1t
is possible that her uncommonly strong will
compelled the aHecttons Of her male admir-
ers, but it is also possible that she condo
scended to f1atter, and it Is certain that she
fed them well
One night. between supper and bedtime.
the children heard the sound of a banjo
proceeding from the cook house Thew had
never ventured into Aunt 'Iiza's domain he
fore, but the plinkettyplunk Of the banjo.
the sound OF patting and the thud of feet
keeping time to the music drew them ire
sistbly. Aunt Nancy was there in the cir
Gle about the embers, as was also her old
time foe. Aunt 'Phrony, and the banjo was
in the hands of Tim, a plow-boy, celebrate led
as being the best picker for miles around.
Lastly, there were Aunt Liza and her
latest conquest, Sam, whose hopes she could
not have entirely quenched or he would not
have beamed so complacently on the assem-
bled company.
There was hush as the three little heads
begged them to go on, and so Tim nicked
away for dear life and Sam did wonderful
double shuttle, with the pigeon-wine thrown
IN Then Tim sang plantation song about
Clndy Ann that ran something like this:
Ise ewine down ter Richmond,
III tell You wat hits for:
Use swine down ter Richmond
Fer ter try an'(end dis war.
Refrain:
Ana you goodbye, Cindy. Cindy.
Goodbye. Cindy Ana,
Ana you Goodbye, Eindy, Cindy,
Use gwine ter Rappahan.
III tell de reason wy:
Her neck so long anrsklnny
lse feared she npveF die.
Don may rich gal
III tell de reason wy:
Bekase she dip much snuff
Tier mouf Is nnVer dry.
/ rurr may a young gal.
apple in her ham,
Dan ter ma y q wildly
wiz house an lot er Ian
cs. Refrain.
At the reference to WILDLY" he winked
at the others and looked Significantly at
Sam and Aunt Liza Then he declared II
was the turn of the ladies to amuse the
gentlemen. Aunt Nancy and Aunt 'Pbronv
cried: "Hysh. Go way, man, wat ken
we-aii 40! Done got too Oh fer foolishness
leave dat ter de 'galsY' But Liza was NOT
inclined to leave the entertainment of gen.
tlemen to gals" whom she declared to be-
for the most part, "wufless trunnel-baid
trash"
Come. come. Sis 'Phrony, an Won. too
Sis Nancy" said she. you knows dar ain
nurr pusson on de place kin beat you bofe
In der marter Nv tellin' tales. ain n1yer
have de knack myself, but / knows a good
tale Wen l years hit, an l bin gittin' nv
The children added their petitions, second
ed by Tim and Sam. Aunt Nancy looked as
If she were feeling around in the dusk of
haif-forgotten things for dimly remem-
bered story, perceiving which the nimbler-
witted Aunt 'Phrony made haste to say
that she believed she knew a story which
might please the company if they were not
too hard to suit. They politely protested
that such was far from being the case,
whereupon she began the story of how the
Terrapin lost his beard
"Um-umph! snorted Aunt Nancy who
uver year tell Nv tarrp pin wild by'udv'
Look-a-yer, CONAN" said 'Phrony. who
tellin' dis. me er you? You s'pose Use talk
In bout de III OF nokyount tarr'pins dey
has desc days3 Nav, sub. Use tellin' bout
de OF time Tarr'pin whar wuz greet chieft
an big fighter. an wensomuver tu'rr
creeturs come roun' an try ter pay him
back, he jes drord his haid in his shell an
dar he wuz Dish yer ain no OIL niger
tale. neener; dish yer Injun tale whar my
uauCy zone tol me wen L want no big
germ ISIS Janey. He say dat sidesen de
by'ud. Tarr'pin had big wattles hangin'
down beneaf his chin, jes' lax de turkey
gobblers has desc days. Him an Mstah
Wfyum WiP-tukkey wuz mighty good
fren's dem times, an Turkey he thought
Tarr pin wuz monst GUS good-lookin' man.
He useter mex greet 'miration an say, Mis-
tab Tarry-long Tarr'pin, you sut'n'y is
harnsum man. Oar ain nu'rr creetur In
desc parts got such by'ud an wattles ez
" at you is
Den Tarrpin he'd stroke down de by'ud
an swell out de wattles an say, 'Sho! sho!
Mistah Turkey, you done praise desc yer
heap mon W at dey is wuf,' but all de same
he wuz nightly please, fer dar's muffin
lax III bit er fiattry fer Him up de j'ints
an mekin' folks limbersome in der feelin's.
Turkey git ter thinkin' so much bout de
by'ud an de wattles dat seem ter him eZ eff
he KANT git long nohows lessen he have
some fer hisse'f, 'kase In dem days de COB
blers ain, have none. He study an he
study. but he KANT see whar he kin git
EN-, an de mo- he study de mo- he hone
after EN- Las he git so sharp set after
EN- dat he ain kyare how he git 'em. jes'
so he git 'em, an den he mex up his min
he gwine TEX 'em way FUN Tarr' pin. So
one day wen he metup wild him in de road
he stop him an bob his haid an mex his
manners mighty plitely, an he say. sezee,
:. PUSHES RI