Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-09
At the Big House.

The Mocking Bird and the Dry Fly.

The Mocking Bird and the Dry Fly.
One crisp day in late October Aunt Nancy
elected to go to mill" To this end she
borrowed the plantation cart and the plan
tation mule, old Dick, known to Aunt
Nancy as "Dick-mule." The children were
| invited to go along and JoyfuIly accepted
the invitation. for cart riding was an en-
tirely novel experience to them. Ned sat
on the seat with Aunt Nancy and was al
lowed the privilege OF handling the whip;
no easy task. indeed. for Dick was a slow
traveller and needed much urging, SEEM
ing to lose himself entirely every now
which he awoke with start as Ned ap-
piled the whip. In fact, the little boys
arms ached before long and he gave re-
lief to his evaporation by breaking into
doggerel to this effect:
"Oh. Dick. Dick,
You make me sick!
You better be quick
Or I'll tickle your back with this hickory
stick"
But even this efrusion. punctuated by
blows from the whip. had no effect on
Dick; he was too old a stager for that,
and he calmly went on his way. giving
no sign that he was aware anything
else was expected Of him. Dick was
a well-known plantation character, q priv
legged one at that. whose ways were ia
miliar to Aunt Nancy; SO she finally said:
Mars Ned. you mought ez well putt down
dat hick'ry; tain no use. Dick-mule gwine
jes' de way he wanster; you KANT hurry
him; you jeS' vase yO BRET an yo strenk
He nuver specs ter do wat folks want him
to do; dat ain mule manners But mebbe
you'll see him humpin' hisse'f on de way
home, eff he gifts STRICKEN wild dat notion an
thinks you done gin up de hope er mekin'
him 60" So Ned ceased to ply the hickory
and presently gave up his high perch by
Aunt Nancy to sit with the other children
on the straw at the bottom of the cart,
whose motions, though jerky IN the ex-
treme, had for them the unfailing charm
of novelty. The road wound for miles be-
meath the tall pines, down, down into the
depths of the woods, where 1t brought up
by deep. dark, still pond, whose existence
was unguessed until you came full upon 1t.
Here was the mill to which all the corn
for miles around was brought for grind
ing. very primitive affair indeed, whose
counterpart Is yet to be found in some of
the rural districts of the south. The wa
ter that furnished the motive power was
conducted from higher level, for at least
a hundred yards, In a narrow wooden
trough In which were several rude combs
to catch distractions, to a tall fume down
which 1t fell on-the wheel. The machinery
was of the rudest, in keeping with all the
rest The miller was given fee in
money, but received. instead, certain por-
ton or toll of the grain ground This
he measured out In a wooden measure
which was known as the toll dish" Rude
and simple the machinery is the corn
meal turned out from these primitive mills
produces bread of a sweetness and fresh
ness of flavor unknown elsewhere, one Sc
cret of which Is, no doubt, that families
prefer having the grinding done in small
quantities 30 that the meal may always
be fresh.
After the children had examined the mill
and made the millers acquaintance and
eaten the luncheon brought with them they
settled down to walt for the grinding of
Aunt Nancy's meal, for several people had
arrived before her and she was obliged to
await her turn. Meanwhile she offered to
beguile the time by telling the little folks
a story.
Hits bout de mockin bud an de dry