The Marshall republican., 1912-01-26
<. MISS MINERVA I'D
I"WILLIAM GREEN f1IE
BY FRANCES BOYD CALHOUN
finances BOYD CALHOUN


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 eve known.
I'll tell you a Bible story" she
temporized. You must not be a baby.
You are not afraid. are you, William
God is always with you"
81 don't want no God" he eullenly
made reply: II wants somebody with
sho' 'nough skin an bones. an'-an' I
wants to hear bout Uncle Piljerk Pc
ter"
II will tell you a Bible story"
again suggested his aunt. II will tell
you about"
II dom want to hear no Bible story,
neither" he objected. Il wants Z hear
Uncle Jimmy-Jawed jupiter play his
'corjun an sing:
rabbit up the gun tree. Coon is in
the boiler
Wake, snake: Juney-Bug stole a half
dollar"
It'll sing you a hymn" said Miss
Minerva patiently.
Il don't want to hear you sing no
hymn" said Billy impolitely. II wants
TO see sanctifed sophy shout"
Al his aunt could think Of no Sub
stitute with which to tempt him in
lieu OF sanctined Sophy's shouting.
she remained silent.
AN I wants Wilkes Booth Lincoln
TO dance q clog" persisted her
nephew.
Miss Minerva remained silent She
felt unable to cope with tho situation
TIL she had adjusted her thoughts and
made her plans.
Presently Billy. looking at her
shrewdly. said:
Gimme my rabbit foot, Aunt MI.
nsrva, an I'll 70 right on 10 Sleep"
When she again looked In on him
he WAS fast asleep. q rosy flush on his
babyish, 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 q rabbit
Miss Minerals bed time was half
after nine o'clock, summer or winter.
She had hardly varied n second IN tho
years that had elapsed since tho run.
away marriage Of her only relative.
the young sister whose child had now
como to live with her. But 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 SEM 20 her;
10 the aunt who did not want him.
who did not care for children. who
had never forgiven her sister her un-
fortunate marriage. III he had only
been a girl" she sighed. What she
believed TO be a happy thought en-
tered her brain.
II shall real him." she promised
herself. lust as II he we're a little
girl; then he will be both n pleasure
and n comfort to me, and a compan'
ion for my loneliness"
Miss Minerva was strictly method.
zeal; she worked eve by the clock,
80 many hours for this. so many for
that. William. she now resolved. for
the first time becoming really inter
ested In him. should grow up to be .
model young man. q splendid and
wonderful piece Of mechanism. a fine,
practical. machine-like individual,
moral, upright. religious. She was
glad that he was young; she would
begin his training on the morrow. She
would teach him to sew. to sweep. 10
churn. to cook, and when he was old.
er he should be educated for the min
istry.
YES" said Miss Minerva; IL snail
be very strict with him Just at first,
and punish him for the slightest dis
obedience or misdemeanor. and he
will soon learn that my authority ia
not to be questioned"
And the little boy who had never
had a restraining hand laid upon him
In his short iifef He slept sweetly
and i~nnocently In the next room,
dreaming of the care-free existence on
the plantation and Of his idle. happy.
negro companions,