"Shucks!" said she, "is I uver tol' you 'bout Mis' Molly Hyar'? Naw, suh, she b'longs in dem ol' nigger tales whar Nancy tells you. De Injun tales ain' say nuttin' 'bout no wife er his'n. He wuz too gre't a fighter an' too full er 'havishness uver ter sottle down wid a wife; an' now lemme finish de tale.
"Dey gin him a turr'ble trouncin' an' den turnt him aloose, an' stidder gittin' him a wife he got him a hide dat smart f'um haid ter heels; but w'en my daddy tell dat tale he useter een' her up dis-a-way, 'An' mebby Hyar' git de bes' uv 'em, atter all, 'kase w'en you git a hidin', de smart's soon over, but w'en you git a wife, de mis'ry done come ter stay.'"
THE CO-OPERATIVE HOUSEKEEPERS[2]
By Elliott Flower
Ten thoughtful women, ever wise,
A wondrous scheme did once devise
For ease, and to economize.
"Coöperation!" was their cry,
And not a husband dared deny
'Twould life and labor simplify.
One gardener, the ten decreed,
Was all the neighborhood would need
To plant and trim and rake and weed.
The money saved they could invest
As vagrant fancy might suggest,
And each could then be better dressed.
So well this worked that, on the whole,
It seemed to them extremely droll
To pay so much for handling coal.