Evening star., 1919-04-20

enough TOT MIN. Aunt ABBIe tOIu tuo
Rambler once that Uncle Hump had
seen George Washington one summer
day when the great man went to
service at Broad Creek Church, be-
tween Piscataway and Fort Foote,
but she never mentioned that they
drank tea together. Uncle Hump.
like most other Maryland. gentlemen.
did not think much of tea as a
beverage for men. anyway. He con-
sidered it. as they say nowadays,
lacking in authority" None of the
neighbors knew that he was gen.
eral. They called him plain Hump
Backum. The Rambler remembers
him very well. He was one of those
kind old mon to whom all children
warm up. and he was one Of those
generous old fellows who could
never make any money. He had
gray beard that was nearly always
stained with tobacco joice. He was
pious on Sunday morning at church,
but not particularly SO at other
times. He never cared much about
working himself and he could not
get excited II the colored hands on
the place felt that way about it too.
The Rambler never heard him say a
word about his lands being a royal
grant from King Charles, but he
spoke very often about how hard 1t
was to pay taxes on the place.
His daughter, Agathy, was fair
and animated slip of girl who
never seemed to care hang what
kind of dress Marie Antoinette or
Mary. Queen of Scots, was executed
in She was not interested in execu-
tions She was interested in going,t to
dances and parties, even though they
were thirty miles away in the next
county. If the horses were needed
both for pulling the plow and the
carriage, Agathy went to the ball
and the plow waited. Everybody
born in south Potomac county knew
a family just like that. All the
families were pretty much alike. II
the boys needed the horses for hunt
ing, courting or other laudable pur-
pose. the plow could wait. And the
Rambler often hears somebody
speak unkindly of those old people
because they were poor! Bless their
old hearts they We're noble in their
poverty-noblemen in jean pants and
noblewomen in gingham!
X
Aggie had many beaux. The house
was always full of them. Most OF
them would stay until 1t was too late
to go home and some would stay Tor
q week. Uncle Hump and his sweet
tempered wife were often perplexed'
as to how to feed and lodge the COM
pany, but they found a way and never
murmured. If they could get together
enough corn bread. hot biscuits and
fried chicken to feed the company
they were as happy as the young
people. Among the beaux the Ram
bier can recall Jim Jinkins. Zed Null
lican and others by the names OF
Posey, Dent, Brent, Mudd, Camalear,
Rally. Wyville, Blandford. Under
wood, Hoxen. Cox and Grimm. Aunt
Aggie became engaged. There was
no more plowing on that farm or
any other in the neighborhood Tor
several weeks before and after the
wedding. The time was given over to
dressmaking. cakebaking. eating,
dancing, visiting and everybody talk
ing at the same time. The colored
people were too much excited about
the event to take any interest In corn
and tobacco. Besides they were kept
busy going and coming from the
store and post ONCE, and in carrying
messages from farm to farm. Be-
sides. that wedding concerned the
colored people as much as 1t did the
white folk. They would all be dressed
up and present. They would be pack
ed around the kitchen door looking
into the dining room and all the win
dows looking into the parlor would
be crowded with them. They would
also share IN the wedding refresh
ments. The marriage music and the
wedding dance music would be fur
nished by their own violinists and
banjoists. They also have a dance
themselves out in the barn where the
floor had been put In fine condition.
After the great event the--country
would settle down. but only for Q
short while. Festivities broke loose
again when Agile and Jim came back