Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1917-10-11
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FALL OF A PALARss
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When Judy expressed admiration for
me or was solIcitous OF my comfort,
Immediately experienced vague feel
ing Of impending trouble.
Il mos forgot dat yaller Sallie is
on de back porch waitin' to see yer"
(which yellow Sallie7'
Yellow SalIies are as plentiful on an
Arkansas plantation as roses in June.
"Dat hyf'lutin' niger what calls her
self Sadie" With a snort Of contempt
and a high head she trudged or to the
kitchen humming: ''De fire will ketch
you sinner, run"
"Good mornin', Miss Lena" said a
neat looking yellow girl, as ] came
down the back veranda. ''Miss Lena,
Use in little trubble an wants you
to help me outen 1t. Use named Sadie.
an / helps Liza wild 20 cio'es eye'y
week." -
every well, Sadie, what is the nature
of your trouble7" l felt no surprise
at the request, as I had held the Office
of peace restorer for the plantation
during the ten years Of my happy mar
rled life.
"OIe Judy's at de bottom Nv it."
glancing Indignantly at the open kitch-
en- door "dey call her mournin' shep-
ard, pillar of de church, but calls
her a straight out old haitian, / does,
an If she warn't ole 'nough to be my
nanny I'd play chune on her neck"
Sadie's anger was evidently growing
as she prepared to relate her woes, and
as / heard an omlnous snort from the
kithen I thought 1t advisable to have
the story quickly and be done with II.
"It's dis way. Miss Lena" resumed
Sadie. "Eve'y body knows me an
Manuel has been fixin' to get mah'd for
some two years; but since he has been
wurlrin' round de house here and un-
der de 'f1uences of dat old haitian, his
love has been a GOBLIN an GOBLIN.
SO Liza, she ups an says he been con-
jured, somebody's put bat in his bed.
/ tried not to b'lieve her, but fore
Gawd, Miss Lena, when Sabbath after
Sabbath went by an Manuel either jes'
stopt at de gate as he past gwlne to
church, or didn't come bout a tall, /
jes' got thinkin' It an warn't hardly
able to eat nothin'. Liza, she jes' KEEP
on bout de conjur, tell Jes' couldn't
stan II no longer. So me an LIZA puts
out over to Manuers hous' when we
was sho he was In de fiep at work,
What do you recon / foun' dere. Miss
Lenap
could not imagine.
"They wus three bokays on de tabui.
n bottle Of mus on de mantle shelf, a
pair NV yo' ole lace curtains 'dornlng
der winders, pair NV Mr.. Johns slip
pers under de he'd, some cake mos
know cumd from de big hous', cause
twas In one NV your bes' white nap
kIns, an photograf nv dat ole bag
hangIn' on de wall"
"well, Sadie" said !, a new ligbs
dawning on me. "sihce You love Dat-
uel and want TO marry him, why lion't
you put pretty fixings in his housef
You are younger and better looking
than Judy, you know"
eyes, / knows, Miss Lena, but Tisn't'
got nothin' perty. Now, II you'd give
me er old tidy I'd put II ON his chear
and try IT,"
/ signaled my Willingness.
''WhIIe you'se in de house, please
ma'am. gimme a little harts-horn for
Liza's haid."
/ begun 10 search for old finery,
dreaming the while Of helping Sadie TO
beat Judy at her own game. thereby
smoothing the course OF true love.
Gathering up the "find" and the am
monia bottle, went back to the We
randa to discover living moving mass
on the floor, composed Of kicking feet,
bobblng heads and flying hands.
Sadie holsted the white flag with a
shrek. Judy, the ancient, arose wind
ed, but triumphant and silently re-
sumed her daily avocation as II moth
ing out Of the ordinary had happened.
The crestfallen Sadie took the things
/ handed her and disappeared.
The next morning Sthe mistress was
also the maid" As / was toillng over
the midday meal in walked Sadie, srnil-
ing and happy.
you jes' go to de hous'. Miss Lena"
she said, "Irl finish de dinner. Dc
mournin' shepard won't be here-no,
she won't be here soon"
Sadie laughed mysterlously. Last
night seed Judy an my Manuel come
into de church arm I'm arm, an my
blood pintedly billed, / tells yer Pras-
emily Brother Jarrett, he calls mourn
ers an we all sings, fire will ketch
you, sinner, rum
"Maauel goes up to de mourners'
bench wild lot more men. Den out
falls de shepard In err trance-llke
dald. ! puts de bottle Of harts-horn In
my pocket, an goes up too. We mourn
ed long time, and Brother Jarrett, he
say, why doan yo' pray. don't be stiff
necked an keep de shepard precon-
sclous all night" Den we all went TO
whar she lay and dropt on our knees
to mourn an pray. | cotched de shep-
ard lookin' ct Manuel outen de corner
oh her eye, so l comes through an
falls out, bringln' Liza down VIII me
on de top OBJ de shepard. Miss Lena.
somehow dat harts-horn got in de
shepard's eyes. an mouf, en- nose, an
she comes to maxim quick. Yessum,
you jes' g'long to de house outen de
heat, me an Manuel ten to de wurk"
Copyright, 1917. by W. q. Chapman.)
Optimistic Thought.
Those only despise the pun who can
not make one.
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