Miss Minerva and William Green Hill. Frances Boyd Calhoun

the child. “He's ole Aunt Blue-Gum Tempy's Peruny Pearline's boy; an' Peruny Pearline,” he continued enthusiastically, “she ain't no ord'nary nigger, her hair ain't got nare kink an' she's got the grandes' clo'es. They ain't nothin' snide 'bout her. She got ten chillens an' ev'y single one of 'em's got a diff'unt pappy, she been married so much. They do say she got Injun blood in her, too.”

      Miss Minerva, who had been standing prim, erect, and stiff, fell limply into a convenient rocking chair, and looked closely at this orphaned nephew who had come to live with her.

      She saw a beautiful, bright, attractive, little face out of which big, saucy, grey eyes shaded by long curling black lashes looked winningly at her; she saw a sweet, childish, red mouth, a mass of short, yellow curls, and a thin but graceful little figure.

      “I knows the names of aller ole Aunt Blue-Gum Tempy's Peruny Pearline's chillens,” he was saying proudly: “Admiral Farragut Moses the Prophet Esquire, he's the bigges'; an' Alice Ann Maria Dan Step-an'-Go-Fetch-It, she had to nuss all the res.'; she say fas' as she git th'oo nussin' one an' 'low she goin' to have a breathin' spell here come another one an' she got to nuss it. An' the nex' is Mount Sinai Tabernicle, he name fer the church where of Aunt BlueGum Tempy's Peruny Pearline takes her sackerment; an' the nex' is First Thessalonians; Second Thessalonians, he's dead an' gone to the Bad Place 'cause he skunt a cat—I don't mean skin the cat on a actin' role like me an' Wilkes Booth Lincoln does—he skunt a sho' 'nough cat what was a black cat, what was a ole witch, an' she come back an' ha'nt him an' he growed thinner an' thinner an' weasler an' weasler, tell finely he wan't nothin' 't all but a skel'ton, an' the Bad Man won't 'low nobody 't all to give his parch' tongue no water, an' he got to, ever after amen, be toast on a pitchfork. An' Oleander Magnolia Althea is the nex',” he continued, enumerating Peruny Pearline's offspring on his thin, well molded fingers, “she got the seven year itch; an' Gettysburg, an' Biddle-&—Brothers-Mercantile-Co.; he name fer the sto' where ole Aunt Blue-Gum Tempy's Peruny Pearline gits credit so she can pay when she fetches in her cotton in the fall; an' Wilkes Booth Lincoln, him an' me's twins, we was borned the same day only I's borned to my mama an' he's borned to his 'n an' Doctor Jenkins fetched me an' Doctor Shacklefoot fetched him. An' Decimus Ultimus,”—the little boy triumphantly put his right forefinger on his left little one, thus making the tenth, “she's the baby an' she's got the colic an' cries loud 'nough to wake up Israel; Wilkes Booth Lincoln say he wish the little devil would die. Peruny Pearline firs' name her 'Doctor Shacklefoot' 'cause he fetches all her chillens, but the doctor he say that ain't no name fer a girl, so he name her Decimus Ultimus.”

      Miss Minerva, sober, proper, dignified, religious old maid unused to children, listened in frozen amazement and paralyzed silence. She decided to put the child to bed at once that she might collect her thoughts, and lay some plans for the rearing of this sadly neglected, little orphaned nephew.

      “William,” she said, “it is bedtime, and I know you must be sleepy after your long ride on the cars. Would you like something to eat before I put you to bed? I saved you some supper.”

      “Naw 'm, I ain't hongry; the Major man what I talk to on the train tuck me in the dinin'-room an' gimme all I could hol'; I jest eat an' eat tell they wan't a wrinkle in me,” was the reply. “He axed me 'bout you, too. Is he name' Major Minerva?”

      She opened a door in considerable confusion, and they entered a small, neat room adjoining.

      “This is your own little room, William,” said she, “you see it opens into mine. Have you a nightshirt?”

      “Naw 'm, I don' need no night-shirt. I jest sleeps in my unions and sometimes in my overalls.”

      “Well, you may sleep in your union suit to-night,” said his scandalized relative, “and I'll see what I can do for you to-morrow. Can you undress yourself?”

      Her small nephew wrinkled his nose, disdainfully. “Well, I reckon so,” he scornfully made answer. “Me an' Wilkes Booth Lincoln been undressin' usself ever sence we's born.”

      “I'll come in here after a while and turn off the light. Good-night, William.”

      “Good-night, Aunt Minerva,” responded the little boy.

CHAPTER II

       Table of Contents

      THE RABBIT'S LEFT HIND FOOT

      A few minutes later, as Miss Minerva sat rocking and thinking, the door opened and a lean, graceful, little figure, clad in a skinny, grey union suit, came into the room.

      “Ain't I a-goin' to say no prayers?” demanded a sweet, childish voice. “Aunt Cindy hear me an' Wilkes Booth Lincoln say us prayers ev'y night sence we's born.”

      “Why, of course you must say your prayers,” said his aunt, blushing at having to be reminded of her duty by this young heathen; “kneel down here by me.”

      Billy looked at his aunt's bony frame and thought of Aunt Cindy's soft, fat, ample lap. A wistful look crossed his childish face as he dropped down in front of her and laid his head against her knee, then the bright, beautiful little face took on an angelic expression as he closed his eyes and softly chanted: “'Now I lays me down to sleep, I prays the Lord my soul to keep, If I should die befo' I wake, I prays the Lord my soul to take.

      “'Keep way f'om me hoodoo an' witch, Lead my paf f'om the po'-house gate, I pines fey the golden harps an' sich, Oh, Lord, I'll set an' pray an' wait.' 'Oh, Lord, bless ev'ybody; bless me an' Aunt Cindy, an' Wilkes Booth Lincoln, an' Aunt Blue-Gum Tempy's Peruny Pearline, an' Uncle Jimmy-Jawed Jup'ter, an' ev'ybody, an' Sam Lamb, an' Aunt Minerva, an' alley Aunt Blue-Gum Tempy's Peruny Pearline's chillens, an' give Aunt Minerva a billy goat or a little nanny if she'd ruther, an' bless Major Minerva, an' make me a good boy like Sanctified Sophy, fey Jesus' sake. Amen.'”

      “What is that you have tied around your neck, William?” she asked, as the little boy rose to his feet.

      “That's my rabbit foot; you won't never have no 'sease 't all an' nobody can't never conjure you if you wears a rabbit foot. This here one is the lef' hin' foot; it was ketched by a red-headed nigger with crosseyes in a graveyard at twelve er'clock on a Friday night, when they's a full moon. He give it to Aunt Cindy to tie 'roun' my nake when I's a baby. Ain't you got no abbit foot?” he anxiously inquired.

      “No,” she answered. “I have never had one and I have never been conjured either. Give it to me, William; I can not allow you to be so superstitious,” and she held out her hand.

      “Please, Aunt Minerva, jest lemme wear it to-night,” he pleaded. “Me an' Wilkes Booth Lincoln's been wearin' us rabbit foots ever sence we's born.”

      “No,” she said firmly; “I'll put a stop to such nonsense at once. Give it to me, William.”

      Billy looked at his aunt's austere countenance and lovingly fingered his charm; he opened his mouth to say something, but hesitated; slowly he untied the string around his neck and laid his treasure on her lap; then without looking up, he ran into his own little room, closing the door behind him.

      Soon afterward Miss Minerva, hearing a sound like a stifled sob coming from the adjoining room, opened the door softly and looked into a sad, little face with big, wide, open eyes shining with tears.

      “What is the matter, William?” she coldly asked.

      “I ain't never slep' by myself,” he sobbed. “Wilkes Booth Lincoln always sleep on a pallet by my bed ever sence we's born an'—'I wants Aunt Cindy to tell me 'bout Uncle Piljerk Peter.”

      His aunt sat down on the bed by his side. She was not versed in the ways of childhood and could not know that the little boy wanted to pillow his head on Aunt Cindy's soft and ample bosom, that he was homesick for his black friends, the only companions he had ever known.

      “I'll you a Bible story,” she