Shields High School - Patriot Yearbook (Seymour, IN)

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Wal, ah don ' t ' spose it do, the old woman replied thoughtfully after a moment ' s consideration. Ise mostly foun ' that one man ' s jest as good as another, if you know ject perzactly how to handle ' em an ' ah ' spose ah ought to know most as much about it as anybody. Here she stopped and meditated deeply for a moment. Then, looking up with a beaming smile, she added, ' Cause you see Obidiah, he am my fourth. Mrs. Landon laughed delightedly at this reply of Aunt Betsy ' s, for this old servant was a never failing source of amusement to her mistress. Did you make his heart happy, Aunty? she asked after a few moments. Well, ah ' spose ah did, she answered with a doubtful shake of her head. Ah tol ' him dat if he wuz good to her dat wuz all right, but if he wuzn ' t he could jest set her back in the yard whah ' he foun ' her. You alls comin ' to the weddin ' , ain ' t you? she inquired of her mistress before she departed for the kitchen. Certainly, I ' d love to come, but when is it to be? Why, Saturday night o ' ' cose, ' cause George Henry Edward, dats de groom, he say dey ain ' t goin ' to be no full moon in July, so we gotta have it dis month, an ' if George Henry say dey ain ' t no full moon, now dey ain ' t. The old woman then began to relate the wedding plans that her active mind had already made. Dey ' 11 be married at Half past seven an ' we ' ll have flowah girls, and best mans and best ladies and everything. Ne ' n we ' ll have suppah and nen dance till mawnin. We ' ll call you all when it ' s time foh the ceremony. With this Aunt Betsy returned to her work, dreaming at intervals of the Saturday night feast and dance. At seven twenty-five Saturday evening Mrs. Landon seated herself on the porch and patiently awaited the expected summons. Seven thirty came and passed. Eight thirty! Mrs. Landon began to grow impatient. What could have happened? Some great calamity must have occurred for no ordinary disaster would be of sufficient importance to delay a darkey wedding this long. She made many anxious surmises, but none seemed to satisfy her impatience. Nine thirty came and passed; and at ten thirty, just as Mrs. Landon, pre- pared for the worst, was ready to start an investigation, a sleepy little picka- ninny presented himself and announced that it was time for the wedding. Mrs. Landon walked the short distance to the cabin, very much puzzled as to what the delay should be about, but she wisely asked no questions, knowing that she would be informed the following Monday. The ceremony took place on the small porch of the cabin. Everything and everybody was there, including the white gloves and the flower girls. Mrs. Landon could see no apparent cause for the delay unless George Henry had been late, for he turned and twisted and grinned as if he were intoxicated. The ceremony was finished in due time, however, and after wishing the couple much happiness Mrs. Landon returned home.

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m ' )L m him HEliEN LINKE, ' 21. UNT BETSY was a typical old negro mammy, although in her veins ran the blood of three races; the red, the white and the black. Doubtless this racial mixture accounted for her shrewdness and sense of humor, characteristics usually lacking in the dull, stupid negro of pure African descent. She retained, however, and in great abundance, many traits that infallibly appear in the true southern darkey, fore- most among which was her love of pomp and show. On this particular morning in June, Aunt Betsy was down at the big house doin ' up the clothes. Mrs. Landon, her mistress, (always called Miss Jane by Aunt Betsy) was reading on the front porch. A large black negro seated upon a lean gray horse rode up to the mounting block, dismounted, threw the reins over the drooping head of his steed, and made his way to the back door. Very soon after his disappearance around the corner of the house, Mrs. Landon heard Aunt Betsy break off in the middle of the fifth stanza of Old Time Religion and join in conversation with him. He reappeared in a few minutes and mounting his horse, rode away. Mrs. Landon, watching him as he rounded a curve, was startled by Aunt Betsy exclaiming, from the doorway, Law! Miss Jane, honey, don ' he look han ' some; an ' ain ' t he got on the most elegant clothes? Evidently Aunt Betsy had been impressed by the red flannel shirt and black and white striped trousers of her caller. With great difficulty Miss Jane refrained from laughing as Aunt Betsy continued, Yas, Miss Jane, an ' he ' s rich, too, ' deed he am. He ' s got a boss an ' buggy. Again Mrs. Landon managed to cheek a smile. Is he any relation to you, Aunt Betsy? she inquired, wondering why he had made such an early morning call Oh jio! not yet, honey, not yet, she replied, rolling her eyes upward and grinning broadly. But that ain ' t sayin ' he wouldn ' t like to be; ' cause that ' s perzactly what he ' s aftah. He wants to marry my gal Ploribel an ' he ain ' t the man ah thought she was agoin ' to marry eitha. That doesn ' t make anj ' difference, does it, Aunty? her mistress asked, hoping that she would tell the response she had made to the seeker of her daughter ' s hand.

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Aunt Betsy appeared early Monday morning and asked Mrs. Landon to tell her how she liked the wedding. It was very nice indeed, Auntie, but what made it so late and why did the groom turn and twist so much? Aunt Betsy drew a deep sigh, then laughed heartily before replying, Why, Miss Jane, didn ' t you see my little boys back there sticMn ' pins in George Henry Edward? At the look of horror on her mistress ' face she added, ' ' Dey really didn ' t mean no harm, dey jest wanted to make him laugh. ' ' Now I ' ll tell you what made the weddin ' so late. Well, you know, Miss Jane, de best man done los ' his white gloves, an ' you know dey can ' t git mar- ried on one pair of white gloves. Well, you see, dat ' s what took up de time. I drove almos ' fifteen miles huntin ' dat boy a pair of gloves. Did you find any? inquired Mrs. Landon. Lawdy, no chile! ah didn ' t fin ' none anywhah ah drove to, but ah ' 11 tell you all what ah did. Ah had de groom to put his right han ' glove on and put his lef ' han ' in his pocket. Den ah had de bes ' man put de lef ' han ' glove on his right han ' an ' put his lef, han ' in his pocket an ' you couldn ' t tell de difference, could you, Miss Jane, now could you? LIFE L STELLA HELLEWELL, ' 22. IFE CAN be one grand sweet song If we keep on smiling; If we fight against the wrong And cease from all reviling. We can make life what we will. Scatter sunshine through it If we mean to climb a hill We can surely do it. Life can be one summer day If we face it squarely. Woe and care will flee away. Met by us most bravely. If we scatter gladness round Life is worth the living, Joy and happiness are found In hoping, loving, giving.