The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1909-04-03
THE wOoING OF MELINDY.

lookin' so well, too. Yes'm, I come
specially to see you, Miss Mamie
long as Miss Betty lived 1 use to tell
her my troubles. Now she gone,
seems like l kinder turns to you.
Nom, tain nothin' like dat. Sense
Enoch was took bin gittin' on well.
All my 'leben daughters is doin'
well FIVE married an doin' we'll I;
four out 10 service an doin' well.
Harriet an Molly, dey is ole 'nuff to
be at service, but I bin keep dem for
company. We amt had no trouble.
but, Miss Mamie, it's de trufe ;
Enoch done been took away two
years an dis winter I done have six
bids to marry. Yes, ma am; mourn
I eber had when l was young.
First one was Jeems Shorter. You
know dat ole man? He came to my
40 one night an knock. l was set
tin by de fire. 1 say: WHO'S dah?
He say Otis me tbs Jeems Short
er.' 1 say: What you want?' He
say I want come in an keep you
company. l say I don't want no
company He say: 'Melindy, 1
want come in to tell you 1 wants your
company for always says he.
"By dat time l done make up my
mind. say: Jeems when you wife
Polly was libbin' you didn't glib her
much of yo' company. She workin'
an strivin' at de washtub an you
settin' at de store smokin' an drink
in, says I. When dat po' soul was
layin' on her deathbed you nebber glib
her much of yo' company Go way
from here; l don't want yo' COM
pany 7 Yes, ma'am /; tole him dat !;
an l amt had no mo- words from
him. I amt nebber had no 'pinion
of Jeems nohow.
Mex one was Willum Johnsing.
You member he use 20 drive wagon
for ole Miss Sarah Brown? Hecame
long from church wild me. He say /:
'Melindy, 1 gwine move dis spring.
Says 1 i: rs you? Where you gwine
move tot? He says: L bin thinkin'
maybe you an me might live in you
house. Seems like you an me might
hit it off real we'll. Enoch done gone
and Sary done gone, why can't you
an me make a bargain? says he
kinder peepin' round at me.
"Den 1 speak. Says L: Bill, no
house amt big 'nuff to hold you an
me. You done had too many wives.
Some is dead an some is livin'. l
amt gwine to be one of dem He
says: Shaw, all dat is ober. ain t
takiE' no count of dem past days /
say: 'Enoch had one wife; 1 had one
husband. We got 'leben daughters.
Dat 'nuff for me-
$50, Miss Mamie, I amt seen him
since.
"Well, one ebenin' I was settin by
my do an 'Lijah Winsor he come
limpin' up. We pass time O. day an
he set down. Presently he say: Let
me hold yo' hand 1 say: What
for you want to hold my hand, man ?
He say: "Cause l lub you.'
Deed, don't wonder you laugh,
Miss Mamie, 1 laugh my own self.
81 say: 'Lijah, any man ole as you
is ought to have some sense an not
be cuttin' up like young goat. He
say: Deed, lub you, Melindy.
Eff you will marry me, kin get some
land on Mr.. Barry's farm to work on
sheers an you an me kin lib in peace
an plenty
''Says 1: How many days is ]
gotter work in de 'bacca field to pay
rent for dat Lam? No 'LJah, ain't
studyin' about marryin' jest now.
"He was hard to get shet of. He
KEEP OH comm.
Zone Sunday ebenin' while 1 wa:
settin' on de bench by de do here
come Moses Brown. He speak III
real peert like. 'Howdy, Miss Lindy
1 come to see you on special bushes.
I'd like to say word to you by yo'-
self. sayshe. 'Lijah, helook mighty
sour, but he got up an went away.
Moses he laughed. Says he: =
hope dat ole piece O. man amt think
he gwine court no fne-lookin' lady
like you is
"He was all dressed up, his fac'
was shiny, an his shoes was shiny
He done put on his bes' shoes an ;
red nectie. l 'spect he borrow da
| from Why, Sans wife, cause I neb
Der see him wild it before nor sence
He set down by me on de bench an
look at me sidesways, kinder insin
nerwatin' like, an says he: L come
to do some courtin' myself. an
amt neber gwine wild no man wha
drinks and fights like you does.
Law + says he, I amt gwine to d.
so no mo-. done glib it all up. Yor
an me, says he, 'gwine libe togethe
like two little birds.
"But 1 know Moses he can't foo
me; amt no trufe in him
CATER while come John Fisher
Po' ole man. 1 did feel sorter sorr.
for him. All he wants was for me t
take keer OBJ his po' ole bones till d
time comes for him to leab dis yerth
but didn't feel called on to do dat n
way. Yes, Miss Mamie, you right
It's his chilluns' place to take keer Q
him.
"'Deed, Miss Mamie, I spect yo
is tired hearin' all bout desc her
foolish histries; now I'm comm t
de most 'portant pint of all; this
what come to ak you bout:
"WelI, las mont l went to Sc
Sis Becky an dere 1 met up wild Be
Fletcher. Co'se I know him, but
amt seen him for long time; he q
kind don't go bout much. He CON
to see Sis Becky two or three time'
Zone day he say: 'Melindy, yo
is widow woman an l a widow-mai
You chillun is able to do for the,
selves an so is mine. I got hou:
| 3fo1.Uc ~ mo mid a 0ordinO an n