"Dog bite?" she asked. "Yes," was the reply, "but he won't bite you, open the gate." Aunt Mary opened it and entered the yard. "Mornin'" (again at a high key). "Good morning, walk in." "I come roun ter see you all dis mornin'; I dun know if I am 'ceptable." "Certainly, aunt Mary, you are, walk in and take a seat by the fire."
Aunt Mary walked in, took a seat before the fire, placed her bag and an old hat-box on the floor by her side and for a moment looked around the room, noticing everything. Then she took up the poker, commenced poking the fire, as if she wanted more heat to enable her to explain the chief object of her visit. The heat is now up to the degree required, the poker is laid aside, the old hat-box is in her lap, and aunt Mary is ready to talk business. Opening the box, she said to Mrs. R., "Sister, I have something har I want ter show you; dun know if you want ter see it." "What is it?" Mrs. R. enquired. Here she pulled out a second-hand bonnet trimmed in high colors. "A lady," she said, "give me dis last night to sell. I aint show it to no body yet; she say to take it to some of de preachers' wives be case it's too stylish for these yer common niggers." The hat was examined and returned with, "I don't think I need a hat just now, aunt Mary."
"Do you sell a great deal?" "Yes 'urn, but sometimes 'tis mighty hard to get money out ter our people. Dat ar —— (naming the man) tuck a dress from me for his wife; can't get a nickel from him, and every time he see me he dodge inter some corner." "How do they pay? Cash?" "No, one dollar a week till dey finish payin." "As a general thing I suppose they try to meet you pretty promptly, don't they?" "Lors, no, honey! dey alus put me off; but I keep a runin' and runin' every week jis ter make dem tell lie."
The subject of the hat, etc., rested here, and aunt Mary took up some of her experience at church. "Broder —— (she said, calling the preacher by name) get so now-a-days he don't preach out ter de Bible no more. He alus (always) on de path, he aint got time ter look in de book. I aint got nara larnin, but I kin tell if anybody is preachin out ter de Bible. We had a meetin ter vote him out de other day and I was a sittin' near de stove; I hear dat ar —— (calling the person's name) say, 'Broder A., I don't want you to go 'way, I want you to stay,' and she was a sittin' right up under de preacher's coat tail; and who tell you she didn't wisper somethin ter him, then look at me and laugh?" "Is that so?" "Tis so, honey! and I jis tuck up de shovel and went for her." Aunt Mary was now on her feet, poker grasped in her hand, and arm lifted above her head. "Laugh agin, says I, laugh agin, Miss Nigger, and I will stave you down, who dar you to laugh at me, you unfogotten, hen-pecken, know-nothin, off-scorn of the eart."
With this, aunt Mary slung her bag across her shoulder, took up her hat box, bade good morning, and as she got through the gate, struck out at the very top of her voice one of her favorite melodies.
This bit of history was imparted in an examination in answer to the question, "What were the Alien and Sedition Laws?" "Alien and Sedition were members of Congress."
Definition of education: Education is the cultivation of the moral, brain, intellectual and voice.