“And he daid off one day right when dey wuz a lashin’ him up. Didn’t see he wuz daid, kep’ on a whippin’ his cole daid body.”
Here Aunt Mela sunk down in a chair and covered her face in a corner of her apron, and rocked to and fro.
And I hain’t ashamed to say that I took out my white linen handkerchief and cried with her.
But pretty soon Aunt Mela wiped her eyes, adjusted her glasses agin, and went about her preparations for dinner.
And I jest hurried out of the kitchen, for my heart wuz full, full and runnin’ over.
And I gin her that very afternoon a bran new gingham apron, chocolate and white checks, all made up and trimmed acrost the bottom with as many as seven rows of white braid.
And I didn’t give her that apron a thinkin’ it would make up for the loss of her companion—no, indeed! What would store clothes be to me to take the place of my Josiah?
But I gin it to her to show my friendliness to her and to show her that I liked her, and to remind her that after she had been tosted and tore by the ragin’ billows she had got into a good harbor now, and a well-meanin’ one.
So I gin her the apron.
There wuz another family of colored folks who lived pretty nigh to Belle Fanchon, and I got to know considerable about them because they used to come after so many things to my son’s house.