th out
dat--

June--Miss Davis, I know how to spell my name.

Bertha Lee--I know how to spell my name, too. Me likes to go to school.

Visitor--Oh, I think it is nice to like to go to school. What do you do
at school?

June--Pull off your hat.

Bertha Lee--Us writes.

Visitor--Lizzie, how about those old time songs you promised to study up
for me? You ought to have a mind running over with them by this time.

Lizzie--Lord, Lord, honey, I had study up a heap of dem old tunes here
de other day, but I tellin you de truth, Miss Davis, dese chillun got me
so crazy till nothin won stick--

(Willie, age 10, comes over to play with the children and begins to
whistle.).

Lizzie--Willie, ain' you know it ill manners to whistle in anybody
house? Dere now, it impolite to walk by anybody house whistlin, too. You
is too big a boy for dat. Ain' gwine stand for you learnin dese chillun
no such manners for me to beat it out dem. No, boy, mind yourself way
from here now, I got to hunt up dat tune for Miss Davis. Yes'um, I got
one of dem old tune poppin now. Let me see--Great Happy! Dat pot done
gwine out all my sparks. (Lizzie rushes in the house to look after a pot
that she hears boilin over on the fire).

June--Bertha Lee, de lady don' know whe' us sleeps, do she?

Bertha Lee--Dere us house over dere.

(Bertha Lee gets up to point the house out and June immediately slides
into her seat on the bench next to the visitor).

Bertha Lee--Move way, June.

June--No, dis place whe' I been.

Bertha Lee--June, go further, I say.

June--No, Bertha Lee, dis whe' I been.

Bertha Lee--No, go further. (June holds his place) I go tell Aun' Izzie
den.

Visitor--Tell Lizzie I'm waitin to hear that tune she promised to sing.

Bertha Lee--Aun' Izzie, June settin in my place.

Lizzie--Fetch yourself on back out dere now, Bertha Lee, en settle your
own scrap. Ain' you shame of yourself en you bigger den June, too? Go
way from here, I say. I ain' got no time to monkey up wid you. I got to
get dese collards boilin hard, else dey ain' gwine get done time you
chillun start puffin for your dinner. Go way, I tell you. Miss Davis, I
comin toreckly.

(Bertha Lee returns to the porch quietly and takes her place on the
opposite side of the visitor, while June clings to his place).

June--Miss Davis, does you know Mr. Rembert?

Visitor--Is he your father?

Bertha Lee and June--No, he ain' us daddy.

June--Mr. Rembert, he bought me eve