Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1906-04-06

| st. NICHOLAS.
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On his seventh birthday little Pate
received a silver quarter for one of his
gifts; and he was allowed to go down
to the small country store with Uncle
Bergen, the coachman, that he might
spend it. He returned with-of all
things on plantation where fat poul-
| try were plenty-a lean and protesting
old speckled hen!
| His mother was upstairs in her own
room; Aunt Jinsey, his colored mann
N.Y." received him on the front gall
lery.
What you got dar, honey boy?" she
asked, curiously. What you do with
! dat oil hen?"
81 bought it with my silver quarter"
returned Pate, stoutly. His own belief
in the suitability of the purchase was
beginning to weaken.
Aunt Jinsey threw up her hands and
laughed. ooh, yah-yah-yah!" she
shouted. "Ain't we all got chickens
'nough on dis Broadlands plantation,
widout you go to de sto' an buy dat
OF hen what look like she belong to
Mathusalems grandmother" she in
quired.
| Patricia and Isabel here joined the
court of inquiry. Perhaps they had
honnd for Coma cpoau troot xuhon thar
brother returned
But she was so cheap" murmured
the little boy, disconsolately, as he
seated himself on the gallery steps and
nursed his purchase.
"Nothin' amt cheap what you don't
want" said Aunt Jinsey, conclusive
ly. "Suttin'ly not sorry oil hen like
dat, when VEAL got de finest chickens
in Miss-sippy, an mo- dan VEAL kin
eat"
The gloom deepened on Pate's coun-
tenance. The old furse saw it, and to
relieve the situation offered one of the
ready tales with which she was wont to
instruct and admonish her little brood.
you minds me o. young Miz. Song
Sparrer. Dat lady wuz what you might
call bargain seeker. She amt think
bout much else. She amt talk bout
much else. All she kin say dest,
Cheap! Cheap! Cheap!' "
This sounded promising, and all
three children settled themselves to lis
ten. Mr. Song Sparrer talk to her
dest. like | been talk to you, little
Marse. He beg her look at sumpin'
| sides de cheapness when she go to mar
ket.
de lady amt listen. She fortch
home string in place O. worms, an
when Mr.. Song-Sparrer ak how he
gwine eat SIGH truck, she say, oh, but
you must mind how cheap dey wuz. A
body got to scratch for worms; but |
dest pick up des'hyer string for
song-yes, sir, an sung dat song my
self. Dey amt cost me nuffin'.'
An dey amt with so much as
totin' home said poor Mr.. Song-Spar-
rer, as he peck at de string, and try to
make snack on EN-"
Pate let his bargain slide from his
knees to the steps. Somehow, there
was likeness to string in the hens
scrawny neck and legs, the latter tied
with big of Bingham rag.
Matters rock along with de Spar
rer family tell after de eggs been laid
in de sparrer's nest, an Miz. Sparrer
settin' on EN- all de day long, so she
can't go out an seek no bargains. an
Mr.. Sparrer feedin' her so she have her
time for to do SO. Hit come to de
fourth day o July-date late for a
sparer to be hatchin' out brood, even
when hit de second brood in de year
Miz. Sparrer felt dat she ort to make
dem eggs hurry up; an she wonder
heap <os times is dey any cheap truck
lynn round on de bushes dat Mr.. Spar
rer might as well pick up, an dat he
amt a-gettin'. sae1 o
'Dest at dat time de little boy what
live in de house near by de tree whar
de sparrer' nest build, come out an
fling sumpin' down in de gyarden walk
Den he run way
'Miz. Sparrer peek over de aidge de
nest. What de boy flung down look
dest like a nice red stick wild a string
at one eend. Miz. Sparrer amt study
bout what use she got for-a red stick
wild a string at one eend
The old negress looked from the cor
ners of her eyes at the little boy. Pate
occupied himself with the knot on the
legs of his hen.
No." Aunt Jinsey went on; ode lit
tie sparrer lady amt akin no slch
quisti'ns. BEST goin' for nothin',' she
say, as she look at hit. "A body kin
get dat for dey own price,. An she
fly down right quick, pick up de little
red stick, an pack it back of her nest.
an tuck it un'neath her wings wild de
eggs.
DE little boy what brung hit da-,
he watch. Now he holIer to he ram
my in de house. oh. ma! De bird carry
off my frecracker-an' hit a-burnin'.
What you reckon hit gwine to do to
her?'
Nobody didn't have long to wait to
find out what dis-hyer last cheap BUSH
ness gwine to do for Miz. Sparrer. She
dest bout got herself fixed good via
de firecracker mongst de eggs when
Bingety bang! -bam-blip.- dat
frecracker go of. De eggs de splosh
all bout Miz. Sparrer git her wings
an her tail feathers SINCE Mr.. Spar
rer, comm home wild a good fat worm
for her, dest bout skeered out'n his
wits when he see her shott up in de