"Now, jes lis'en at 'im!" exclaimed the Colonel, with a broad grin of wel come. "He's came up ter speecherfy wid de Colonel.

"Of course, honey, I might bradiate [relate] de matter fer yo' 'prebashun," he said, waving me to a bench near at hand, over which a ground-vine hung its golden treasures; "but my mine 's all kerrupted wid de misery pains dat I've hed ob late in de jints an' bones, dat I aint in very proper shape.

"An yer wants ter hear ob how I cotch Aunt Honner?-- which Aunt Honner?" he asked, stopping short and bestowing an inquiring glance on

me.

"Which?" I repeated in mild amazement; "I did n't know there were two of them."

"Jes' lis'en at 'im!

jes' lis'en at 'im!'

cried the Colonel, with an expressive gesture. "Did n't know dar

66

"At fus' I'd jes' drop a 'howdy do,' now an' den, ez I promulgated erlong, den ez I got more sassy an' jawery I'd stop an' jaw wid her a leetle.

"One mawnin' I tuck erlong a nice bowky ob flowers what Mis' Marthy hed gave me. Honner war standin' at de do', wid one eye sot on me an' one on de bowky.

"I'dressed her ez follers: "Yer seem quite chip an' chattery dis mawnin," sez I. "Sez she, Likewise de same ter yer, Mistah Wade.' Sez I, 'I'm a seekin' fer a good-looklikely

'oman dat I

kin gave dis bowky ter.' "Sez she, 'Yer kin

wuz two ob dem. Well, honey, dar wuz two ob dem, de fus' Aunt Honner an' de second Aunt Honner. I'se sorter got a hankerin' arter de name, I 'spose

"Well, the last one," I replied at a venture.

"Yer oughter said so," responded the Colonel with becoming dignity. "How somever wuz I ter kalkerlate which hoss yer war a drivin' ?"

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The last one," I repeated contritely. "Lemme see," said the Colonel reflectively; "I lit up wid de las Aunt Honner 'bout five year arter de fus' un died. De name hed a sorter 'quaintance sound 'bout hit, an' den she made herse'f mighty keen an' handy 'roun' de place whar I fus' seen her. She war spry an' quick, an' could make a track in de ashes scandalously. She kinder tuck a eye-speck [inspection] ober matters ginerally.

look 'round; but in case er ugly un 'll do, I kin pint out one what 'll take hit offen yo' hands.'

"Sez I, Yer welcome ter keep hit yo' se'f tell I find a good lookiner 'oman den yer is yerse'f, 'an' I ups an' repersents [presents] her de bowky.

"P'raps yer haint got no dejections ter gwine ter de funeril wid me termorrow. Hits gwine ter be a spacious one,' sez I, an' she 'lowed she hed no dejections.

Dis sorter broke de crust ob de pie, yer see," continued the Colonel, with an expressive wave of the hand.

Arter dat, I'd drop in fer a spell 'casionally. Brudder Smiff an' his wife, at which Honner war a stayin', dey wuz sorter coaxin' de bizness erlong, an' when I'd drop in dey would drop out mighty innercent like an' onsuspicious. I give her a lub charm too."

"Well, 'deed, honey, I will ef yer wants ter know 'bout hit. I'll jes' subscribe hit ter yer. Yer gits some beechtree bark offen de norf [north] side ob de tree. Yer haf ter go ter de tree at twelve er clock in de night, at de shinin' ob de full moon, an' yer walks 'round de tree twict an' sings

I gits dis bark frum the wild-beech tree An' makes er charm fer my true lub an' me. "Yer haf ter beat up dis bark wid a hoss-shoe dats bin foun' in de road. "Twont do no good 'cepten hits foun'. Den yer sprinkle sum ob de bark on sumthin' dat yo' true lub eats, an' puts sum o' hit in yo' lef' shoe. Dat's a sho lub charm."

"Were there no rivals-no other suitors to interfere with your love-making?" I asked.

"Arrivals," said the Colonel, with illconcealed scorn. "Ob course dere wuz plenty ob 'em, an' all younger den de Colonel wuz; but whilst dey wuz cuttin'

Honner up an' tole 'em kase she war savin' him fer sum ob 'em, ez hit didn't seem likely dey wuz gwine ter git nobody else. Hit minded me ob de time when de 'possum called de 'coon varmint. Yah! yah!

When de white folkes heard 'bout me an' Honner gwine ter jine poplars, dey preshiated de fac' fer sho an' sartain. Sum gimme one thing an' sum anodder. Marse George, which keeps de grocery right on de corner ez yer go up Main Street, sez he, 'Colonel, jes' locate in hyar an' pick out yer bridle gif',' an' I jes' likewise did de same, an' trotted off wid a wash-board an' a cake er soap; den ez I war a passin' dat t'other grocery, Marse Jeems stops me, an' sez he, What on yeath hez dis nigger got?'

"Sez I, 'hits a new style piany what I'm er taken ter my true lub, ter see ef she kin play on hit.' Well, dat sorter tickled him, an' he ups an' hands me a washtub, an' sez he, 'Take dis erlong, too.'

"Well, den sumbody gimme a broom, an' sumbody er coffee-pot, an' sumbody er bucket, tell I look like I wuz movin' from 'roun' yere.

stove-pipe hat what Marse Jeems gimme arter he hed done wid 'em.

"De church wuz jes' jam' an' runnin' ober wid people, big, leetle, ole an' young, an' ez we promulgated [promenaded] up de eyelit [aisle] dey played de Dead March on de orgin.

"Ebery body said de audjence an' de sarymony wuz jes gran' an' invisible. An' hit wuz; sho ez yer born, hit wuz. "Dat warnt all nuther; no, honey, dat hit warnt.

"When we driv back frum de church, Mis' Sally, an' Mis' Marthy, and Mis' Jane, an' a lot more lady folkses hed spread a

"Marse Bob," which keeps the liberty [livery] stable down yonder, he sent de convenience [conveyance] fer me an' Honner ter ride ter church in-yessir he did do dat perzackly-de same, sho-nuff, convenience dat all de tonified white folkses rides in when dey gits married, an' hit war drawed by two white hosses an' druv by a black gemman ob color. "Yer jes' orter er seed me an' Honner er settin' up in dat fine kerridge.

"Honner war dressed in er kinder white dolly-varden, wid flounces on hit, an' er muskeeter bar, er sumthin', on her hed; an' I hed on er black suit an' er

bridle feast in Mis' Sally's dinin' room, ober in dat big, white house right ober dar.

"Sum ob de culled folkses came ter de weddin' feast, an' sum did n't came. We hed flowin' an' plenty on de table too. Dar wuz leben cakes, none ob yo' common gingy-bready kind, but big, nice uns. Sum hed dis brown fixins 'tween 'em, like a log house wid the plasterin' chucked in, an' sum looked jes' ez if dey hed bin white-washed.

"I tell yer, honey, hit was scrumptious, an' not a nickle did hit cos' me, no, sir, not a nickle.

"Every body 'joyed demselves fine. Me an' Honner set at de end ob de table, whar de bigest cake wuz, wid a bowky o' flowers er growin' right out ob hit. De white lady folkses fotch 'roun' de cakes an' vittles dereselves, an' hit did n't take no coaxin' ter get us ter eat. "I hed a little veranda [memorandum] ob de good fixin's dey brung; but hits los' now. Dar wuz leben big cakes a trimmin' up de festible board wid dar in sinerwatin' presence-I haint fergot dat. "Well, er day er two arter de weddin' feast, de folkses what cum ter see me an' Honner begin ter talk 'bout er bridle tower. Dey sez ez people marryin' in sech style oughter take a bridle tower likewise ez de res' ob de tony folkses do, an' so dey got Honner's heart set on hit. "She wuz pertickerler anxious ter see sum ob her folkses ober at Nicklisville, an' put at me ter take er weddin' tower ober dar.

honey. Taint ridin', hits jes' flyin', dat's what hit ez. I don't 'preshiate hit. Ebery time I hears ob people gittin' destroyed and pulverised on dem kee-ars, hit weakens me-hit jes' do.'

"Sez I ter myse'f, Walkin's good 'nuff fer de Colonel. Ef it haint, he kin stay at home.'

"Honner hed set up ter take er bridle tower, an' dar haint no passafyin' wimmin folkses when dey do get tuck wid a noshun, so, sez I, 'Well, my beloved, I'll jes' take yer down ter dem kee-ars an' put yer on de agrivatin' conventions [inventions], an' yer kin go ter Nicklisville on a bridle tower. De Colonel 'll stay at home an' ten' ter de house.'

"Er half er water-milion [melon] is bettern'n none at all, so Honner she 'cluded ter take de bridle-tower by herse'f.

"Marse Jesse offered ter git me a freepass ticket, what did n't cost nothen', ef I'd go erlong wid Honner; but, sez I, 'De Colonell 'll jes' hoof it erlong fer

"Marse Jesse sed I could holp Honner on de kee-ars den, an' res' er bit tell dey wuz ready ter start, an' I jes' likewise did de same, only I jes' stopped on de leetle porch at de hind eend. Dat war jes' ez fur as de Colonel wanted ter put his hed in de kritter's mouf [mouth].

"Marse Jesse 'lowed he 'd play er trick on me; but de Colonel warn't sleepin' wid boof [both] eyes shet.

"Dreckly de ingine give a toot, an' de kee-ars begin ter jim-crack erlong right gently, an' Marse Jesse begin ter laf. He thought de Colonel wur ketched in de trap sho; but de Colonel jes' nimbly shuffled offen dem kee-ars, like a turkle drops offen er log inter de ribber. Dat's jes' perzactly what I did.

"Honner went right erlong on de journey, an' sed she 'joyed hit powerfully, barrin' dat I warn't erlong wid her; but de Colonel could n't make up his mine ter let dem agnominious kee-ars grind on his bones yit awhile; no, dat he could n't.

"Me an' Honner libed mighty peaceable an' mild tergedder more 'n four year; den de po' kritter tuck ter ailin'. I dunno what war de matter wid her. She jes' graduately perished.

When she fus' begin ter git grunty, I ambled right 'roun' ter de doctor an' got er stificate, an' tuck hit ter Mistah Jimery Cooke's druggery an' got de healin' truck frum him.

"Hit did n't do no powerful lot o' good, and soon she war jes' ez wurst ez eber. Den I fotch her dis yere sulfurious watah from Marse Ike's new well-lordy, how hit do smell. I don't see how folkses kin punish der stomicks wid sech unfumery stuff. De Lord surely neber made hit fer human kritters ter drink an' ruin der vitals wid. did n't 'pear ter hab no benediction [benefit] for her nudder.

Dat

'Well, hit went on an' on an' on, den, finally, biemby Honner she tuck anudder journey all by herse'f again. De Colonel hed ter stay behind dis yere time.

"Hit seems powerful lonesum, too, kase der haint much ter do 'cept ter sit an' wait tell he kin start arter her."

The Colonel paused. His wrinkled hand went tremblingly to his eyes, while

VOL. VIII.-39

"And you now live here all alone?" I ventured, after a short silence.

"De Colonel jes' do dat bery way," he responded, somewhat regaining his cheery tones. "Nobody but me an' myse'f. De Colonel locks his own door an' puts his own key in his pocket. He haint entrustin ter enybody. He don't own much; but he wants ter keep his 'cumulations ter hisse'f yit erwhile; an' dere's lots ob no 'count pussons in dis worl which would steal de shortenin' outen a biskit. Dey perzactly would."

When I took my leave, it was with the promise that I would soon "drop in an' cogitate erwhile."

Thus I left the Colonel, still basking in the sun, his lingering gaze resting on the far-away hills, where the soft mists hung like purple shadows.

From the maple-tree at his door, the falling leaves dropped now and then, rustling about his feet in the gently stirring wind. "I likes ter hear 'em," he said gently; 'dey minds me ob sumbody er callin' from way off yonder."

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But my visit was never repeated. Not long afterward, while away from home, I heard of the Colonel. He had started

on his journey to meet "Honner."

In his early life he had been a great drunkard; but all through the later years he gloried in being a strict "hyperbitionist," and in expressing his intense hatred of "de ole hussy," as he called liquor.

In his last illness the doctor told him he must take a stimulant.

"What 's dat?" he feebly inquired. "Whiskey," responded the doctor. "Look yere, my preciousness," said the Colonel, rousing himself to unwonted energy, "De Colonel haint had no 'quaintance wid de ole hussy fer many er year, an' ef he cant git erlong widout her sassiety now, he 's jes' gwineter die-he jes' ez." In this matter he stoutly persisted to the end.

The humble cabin stands quite lonely and deserted, and the other day I overheard the housemaid at home inform the cook, in an awed and impressive tone, that the Colonel's "hant" had been heard, on more than one occasion, whetting his scythe, at midnight's hour, on the grind-stone by the door.