“I’ve been sent to you by your cousin in Louisville, Aunt Mandy at Miss Lucy Leech’s. She tells me you weave carpets and make quilts and that Uncle Abe can make those lovely brooms with the handles formed of the broom straw wrapped with split oak,” said Josie.
“Well, ain’t it the trufe? Lawsamussy chil’, Mandy am right. Me’n Abe keeps right well, with me a plaitin’ rugs an’ patchin’ quilts an’ him a-fashionin’ brooms dat one time folks scorned when fact’ry brooms got so plentiful like, but now air come back inter fashion sence white folks took ter livin’ in one story houses what they calls bugaboos, with open fire-places an’ brick hearths what has ter be swep’ up.”
Josie must see the quilts Sis Minerva had on hand and admire the log-cabin, pine-tree and rising-sun patterns. Orders were given for several quilts and rugs and as many brooms as Uncle Abe could spare. The shipping of the wares to another state seemed to be an insurmountable obstacle to the old couple, but Teddy promised to attend to it for them and their minds were set at rest.
“I’ll have ter git busy an’ raise mo’ broom straw,” sighed Uncle Abe. “I’s gittin’ right stiff in de jints fer breakin’ up lan’ an’ I ain’t got a single gran’baby big enough ter mo’n han’le a hoe.”
“But where there are so many grandchildren there must be some children,” suggested Josie. “Haven’t you any sons and daughters?”
“Plenty of ’em, but dey’s mos’ly lef’ dese parts. We hears from some er ’em now an’ den an’ dey ’members us when dey gits flush an’ when dey gits broke an’ evy now an den one er de litter turns up with a baby fer de ol’ folks ter raise. De gals all got married but mos’ of ’em is out in service an’ nobody don’t want ter hire ’em with ’cumbrances. An’ de boys dey all got married but looks lak dey wives air all time dyin’ or something an’ den de offspring lands up here at Peewee Valley. Me’n my Minervy ain’t a kickin’. De chilluns air right smart comp’ny fer us an’ we air a bringin’ ’em up ter wuck. De bigges’ gal kin make the purties’ baskets out’n biled honeysuckle vines you ever seen. Dey done sol’ de whole lot in Lou’ville befo’ Chris’mus so they ain’t got none on han’, but I’s a-wonderin’ if you ain’t wantin’ some er dem too.”
“I certainly do,” said Josie. “No doubt they could be shipped with the other things and I am sure there would be a sale for the baskets in Dorfield.”
The young basket maker grinned with delight. “Does you fancy big uns or lil’ uns?” she asked with an air of being ready to go to work immediately.
“Both, and medium-sized ones, too.”
The price for the various commodities being settled upon, Teddy suggested it might be time to eat their own turkey and let Uncle Abe and Aunt Minerva eat their ’possum. With many protestations of mutual satisfaction from buyer and sellers, Josie was tucked in the cutter and the eager horses started on their homeward journey.