Mary Baldwin College - Bluestocking Yearbook (Staunton, VA)

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The Mary Baldwin Seminary. 17 fish and all upon the floor. Eve, in her anger, fell upon him with the broom and he would have received a severe beating indeed, had not the mistress of the house just then entered. Eve allowed poor Uncle Abram to get up, and after hasti- ly explaining the accident to Mi.ss Fannie began gathering up the bits of fish and arranging them in some kind of order. In the midst of the excitement, the Judge was heard coming, possibly to inquire the cause of the delay. Eve planted her- self in the doorway. Head him off, Miss Fannie she cried, faw de Lawd ' s sake, head de Jedge off ! So the Judge was warded off and the fish mended and made beautiful with fresh sprigs of parsley and more gravy, so that no one imagined what an unsightly mass it had been but ten minutes before. Tlie dining passed off without a flaw. Uncle Abram took care to keep out of his wife ' s way, and Eve was satisfied when she peeped in at the dining room door to see how ' dey tuk de turkey ' . I knows dey didn ' had nary nudder one like it afore, she said with a .satisfied grin. After the meal was over and the stately company had ad- journed to the library, Eve sent Uncle Abram to assist in the dining room and to put everything safely away. Now, Abum, go in dar an ' put dat turkey carcass up, so I kin make hash fer de Jedge ' s breakfast ' in de mornin ' . Yer done act once like yer been used ter wukin ' fer po ' white trash. Now go show yer breedin ' . Yer be ceedenly pertickler wid dat carcass too, kase if dare is one thing de Jedge do ' preciate, it am de turkey hash wut dis heah nigger kin make. Uncle Abram was evidently angry at his wife ' s rebuke but to face her openly was out of the question — he would nev- er have dared to do it. With a quiet grin, he made his w ay to the dining room, secretly plotting his revenge. In a little while, he disappeared, and after looking for him in vain, Eve ran in very much excited, Fer de law ' s sake, Miss Fannie, wut yer reckon dat nig- ger done now? Jes ' let ' im come back heah, an I ' ll break his ole hade for him ! Why, Mi.ss Fannie, Abum done gone scap-

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1 6 The Annual of III. There was a goodly company in the parlor of the old Southern mansion, for the Judge was to give a dining and the most distinguished members of the barw ere present. Leaving her guests deep in the discussion of Smith versus Peterson, Miss Fannie, the Judge ' s wife, slipped into the kitchen to give the final orders. Here Eve, the cook, sole monarch of the realm, was busi- ly engaged in preparing the feast. Proudly she lifted the large red-fish from the oven. Now look dar Miss Fannie, ain ' t she a bute? I jes ' tell yer wut, an ' I doan ' mean ter be braggish neider, dare ain ' t no nigger, doan ' kere whar she done been raised, wut kin cook a rade-fish like dat. It certainh ' is a success, Eve, but the gentlemen are wait- ing, so do hurry, there is no time for talk. Law, Miss Fannie, j ou sho ' ain ' t scusin ' me ob bein ' talkative ! and ' ou raised wid me too, an know I neber did spatiate none wen dare warn ' t time. De Jedge got ter hab ' is toddy yit, too. Well I ' m going in now, and you must be quick. All right. Miss Fannie. WardatAbum? and Eve look- ed out of the window in the direction of the woodpile. Just then litt ' e Tom ' s shrill voice was heard, Now, please. Uncle Abram, please tell us about Brother Rabbit and the Tar Baby ! ' ' Oh yas, said Eve, monkeyin wid dem worrelsome chil- lun agin. I clar ef he do git me flustrated, an ' make me lose my temper, I ' ll kill ' im dade. You Abum, Abum, come heah. Doan ' yer know de company am waitin ? You am sartinly a sassy nigger ter show yo ' respec ter de Jedge an ' Miss Fannie by settin ' on de woodpile gassin ' ter chillun w en dey am wait- in ' fer dey dinner. Doan ' do dat ! Deseheah taters got to be smashed fust. For Uncle Abram in his desire to make amends, had seiz- ed the fish and started for the dining room. Eve flew at him so suddenly that she .startled him, and stumbling, heup.set di.sh

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1 8 The Annual of ed clean off de place wid de carcass ! Yassuni, mid de car- cass, gravy and all ! Katherine Jones. Shrieveport, I a. HOW A MARY BALDWIN GIRL GOT TO HARVARD. Well equipped for an hour ' s ride, grip in hand, I leave Providence for Boston, with the admonition Don ' t get lost. If your friend is not at the station, wait a little while, she ma} be late, and above all, don ' t look at a strange man. As I sit in the car, I think what queer things brothers are. Of course Miss L will meet me, and why should it hurt for me to look at a strange man. Why, I think it would be much easier for him to check me and put me in the Baggage car. You would think I was going to an unexplored country, or at least that I was very childish, when I am reallj ' sixteen ! With such thoughts an hour soon passed, and I was star- tled from my re very by the deep voice of the Conductor, Can- ton Junction, next stop Boston ! My hat is quickly adjusted and I am ready to alight by the time the train has stopped. But where is Miss L ! no where can I find her. Well, I think to mj ' self, I ' ll just walk there; it ' s not very far from the station. So having inquired my way, I start out, wa k two blocks straight ahead, turn to my left for a block, then to my right. So far very good, but I ' ve run right into a wall. I have always heard that Boston was a queer place. I inquire of a policemon the way, and start again. There stands my hotel, but surely do you think Miss L. can live here in such style? I enter a spacious doorway, a porter instantly takes my bag, but thinking I must be mistaken, I hold on to the other end and ask in a meek voice, if Miss L lives here In- quire at the de.sk. The same question is asked again, in the meantime the porter and I are both manfully tugging at my grip. No such name here I believe the clerk felt sorry for me, for he scratched his head and said; Let me see, walk