Mexico Missouri message., 1911-12-07

shining with tears
What is the matter, William she
coldly asked.
81 amt never slop' by myself" he
sobbed wilkes Booth Lincoln al
ways slept on pallet by my bed ever
sence we's born an'--an' wants
Aunt Cindy to tell me bout Uncle Pill
jerk Peter"
His aunt sat down on the bed by
his side She was not versed In the
ways Of childhood, and could not know
that the little boy wanted to pillow
his head on Aunt Cindy's soft and am
pie bosom, that he was homesick for
his black friends, the only companions
he had ever known.
"I'll tell you Bible story" she
temporized. You must not be baby.
You are not afraid, are you, William?
God is always with you"
q don't want no God" he sullenly
made reply; Il wants somebody with
sho' 'nough skin an bones, an'-an'
wants to hear bout Uncle Piljerk Pc
| ter"
Il will tell you a Bible story"
again suggested his aunt. Il will tell
| you about"
Il don want to hear no Bible story,
neither," he objected. Il wants TO hear
Uncle Jlmmy-Jawed jupiter play his
'corjun an sing:
Rabbit up the gum tree. Coon is in
the boiler
| Wake, snake; Juney.Bug stole half
a dollar"
"I'n sing you a hymn" said Miss
| Minerva patiently.
Il don't want to hear you sing no
i-mn." said Billy impolitely. Il wants
to see Sanctifed Sophy shout"
As his aunt could think Of no sub
stitute with which to tempt him In
lieu Of Sanctified Sophy's shouting,
she remained silent.
An | wants Wilkes Booth Lincoln
to dance clog" persisted her
nephew.
Miss Minerva remained silent. She
felt unable to cope with The situation
till she had adjusted her thC-ghts and
made her plans.
Presently Billy, looking at her
shrewdly, said:
Gimme my rabbit foot, Aunt Mi
aerya, an I'll go right of to sleep"
When she again looked in on him
he was fast asleep, a rosy flush on his
nabyish, tear-stained cheek, his red
lips half parted, his curly head pill
lowed on his arm. and close against
his soft, young throat there nestled
the left hind foot OF a rabbit.
Miss Minerals bed time was half
after nine o'clock, summer or winter
she had hardly varied 4 second In the
years that had elapsed since the ~
away MARRIAGE Of her only relative
the young sister whose Cl4ld mad now
come to live with hen Iut on the
night OF Billy's arrival The stern, mar
row woman sat for hours in her rock
ing chair her mind busy with thoughts
Of that pretty young sister, dead since
the boys birth.
And now the Wild, reckless, dissi
pated brother-in-law was dead, too
and the child had been sent to her
to the aunt who did not want him
who did not care for children, who
had never forgiven her sister her I'm
fortunate marriage. "If he had onlJ
been girl" she sighed. What she
believed to be a happy thought en-
tered her brain.
81 shall rear him." she promised
herself lust as II he were a littl,
girl; then he will be both a pIeasur,
and comfort to me. and a compan
ion for my loneliness"
Miss Minerva was strictly method
ical; she worked ever by the clock
so many hours for this, so many fo
that. william. she now resolved, TO
the first time becoming really inter
ested in him. should grow up to be
model young man, a splendid ant
wonderful piece OF mechanism fine
practical machine-like individual
moral, upright, religious. She wa
glad that he was young; she woul'
begin his training on the morrow. Sh
} would teach him to sew. to sweep, Il
churn, to cook, and when he was old
er he should be educated for the min
istry.
Yes" said Miss Minerva; 81 snail
be very strict with him Just at first
and punish him for the slightest dis
obedience or misdemeanor, and h
will soon learn that my authority 4
not to be questioned"
And the little boy who had neve
had a restraining hand laid upon hin
, in his short lifeP He slept sweet
> and innocently in the next room
, dreaming Of the care-free existence o.
the plantation and of his Idle, happy
negro companions.
. ITO he continual \