Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 June 1901 — AUNT HULDAH’S 4TH. [ARTICLE]

AUNT HULDAH’S 4TH.

<T> UNT HULDAH GREEN was lu /A\ a great bustle, and the humble household about her felt its influence in a way that was decidedly irritating and uncomfortable. > For about a week before the Fourth of July she bad been making "great preparations.” It was a rare occasion when Huldah “went gadding,” a red-letter day when she aeglected her home duties for a whole twenty-four hours at a time. Yet Just that she was planning to do now, and Uncle Remus shook his head dolefully as he hobbled over beyond the ’taler patch, and oat down opposite his scapegrace nephew, Bam, who was mending a whitewash brush. “ 'Pears to me dat ole ooman gits perker and more foolish eb'ry day," remarked Remus. “ 'Pears to me she must guess we’e back in de fifties, plantation lands with jist nothin’ on our minds but larks." “It's along of de Foth, uncle— de Foth es July." grinned Bam. "Tells yo now, chile ain't gvlao to go totin' down

to no passon's jubilee, if he am a relative. Yo heah me!” “Yaas, yo’se goin’, yo good for nothin’, lazy, lubberin' nigger. Hus yo lost all respeck for yoself, and the proprieties nnd yo patriotism? Shame on yo, Mistah Remus Green! to allow dat boy to discuss de motives and intenshuns of yo helpmeet in dat cole-blooded Way. It’s scnnd'lous! Yo won't go? Young man, yo be ready bright and airly to-morrow mornin' to drive dis heah ancient couple ober to Pine Grove, and yo be prepared to act de gemman, or dar’ll be some hot times hyarabouts for your lazy self, yo heah me!” Aunt Huldah had taken the enemy unawares. Sam made off, grumbling. Remus knew it was wisest to say nothing. Huldah was a cyclone of resolve when she got started. He was getting too old to do much junketing, but he couldn't help becoming somewhat interested as bis better half made him hustle around the cabin and barn, helping her in her preparations for the eventful morrow. These wore decidedly elaborate. Aunt Huldah claimed to l>e “no ornery, lowdown brack trash!" She boasted a proud line of dusky relatives. Was it not her own cousin, Parson Augustus Brownell, who was to deliver the oration of the day over at the great colored picnic at the grove? And was it not meet that her little household should appear in style, and do honor properly to the day that was doing honor to her relative, wh< was the leader and ruling shepherd of the Pocasset circuit branch of the African M. E. Church? Well, she guessed so! Uncle Remus burned his fingers turning baking tins, and got rated for failing to stir cake frosting briskly enough, nnd was done tired out when dusk came, and Aunt Huldah kept still bobbing around, packing the grand lunch, trimming up the old wagon outside with flags and green boughs and pieces of bunting."Dat lazy Bam wants to get back wid dat mewl,” she announced. "He's to be curried and rested. And i want his mane braided, and little red, white and blue ribbons tied in. Spec some of de Browns ’ll just turn yaller wid envy when dey see us on de road. We's de genuine cullud quality, doan' forgit dat, Mistah Remus Green, to-morrow, and keep up yo dignity."

"Well, well. Aunty! What seems to be the trouble hefe?" Fourth of July morning was at hand —bright, clear, bracing—yet to poor old Aunt Huldah the sun seemed blotted oat, the skies weeping tear# of ihk. A booted, spurred pedestrian, superbly mounted, turned into the yard of the little cabin about 8 o’clock, started ter the pomp.

With a purled smile he challenged tM lay-out before him. Grim as a statue, her faded silk dress smoothed out primly, her bejeweled and beflowered bonnet not a hair’s breadth out of kilter, her lace-gloved hands folded in her lap, upon the high seat of the wagon, staring straight ahead, was Aunt Huldah. “Mornin’, Bah,” she returned tartly. “If yo’ll eccuse me, sah, I’se celebratin’." A rueful kind of a celebration it seemed, for, although all the glories of bunting surrounded her, although full baskets of generous provisions lay at her feet, Aunt Huldah’s face was set in a stern mold that suggested a funeral rather than a lark. Uncle Remus made frantic efforts to attract their visitor’s attention. Finally he got him to one side. “I knows yo, sah. Young Mistah Austin, I knows yo fine old family. I knows yo’s gemman enough to spar Huldah de humiliation of any furder remarks, sah. She's boilin’ now—soon she’ll be bustin'. I|’s shocking, sah, but dar's no mewl.” “No mule?” “Dat’s it, sah- Oh! dat rascal, Sam. He steals out of de house airly dis mawnin' and makes off across country to see his young lady, and won’t be home till no one knows when’. De Browns went by and sneered, and de Hoopers went by and yah-yahed, and Huldah’s cousin, de reverend Mistah Augustus Brownell, ’ll / deliber de Foth of July oration, and she won't be dar to heah, because dar’s no mewl.” Young Austin smiled amusedly. Then he looked thoughtful, glanced at his watch, at his horse, at the heartbroken but Trojan-faced figure in the old cart, and then acted on a generous impulse. "Remus,” he spoke, “have you got another harness?” “Paht of one, sah, but plenty of rope.” “Rope will do.” “Yo don’t mean, sah ” “To hitch up and drive you over to Pine Grove —just that.” Huzza! Down the pike rattled the old vehicle. Was there ever such a pace! Past the gaping Browns; past the staring Hoopers—a whirling blur of color, a blooded steed to the fore, “a gemman of de quality” in the seat, and bld Remus holding on for dear life behind! It was the sunniest day in Aunt Huldah’s life. A shaft broke as .they turned the curve at the grove, a wheel went whirling off as they halted, but what did that matter? She sat among the ruins like a queen. Mule or no mule, she had arrived on time! The honor of being driven in state to the celebration added to all the laurels of relationship, and when in his address the reverend Augustus innocently and incidentally alluded to “some coming in chariots,” proud old Aunt Huldah darted a triumphant look at “those low-dpwn Browns,” and felt that life was worth living, and that its crowning glory had come to her on that great and glorious Fourth of July.