see, I'se allers been a plain, straight-sided nigger, an' hain't
never had no use for new fandangles, let it be what it mout; 'ligion,
polytix, bisness--don't ker what. Ole Horace say: "De ole way am de bes'
way, an' you niggers dat's all runnin' teetotleum crazy 'bout ebery new
gimerack dat's started, better jes' stay whar you is and let them things
alone." But dey won't do it; no 'mount of preaching won't sarve um. And
dat is jes' at this partickeler pint dat Meriky got dat dressin'. She
done been off to Richmun town, a-livin' in sarvice dar dis las' winter,
and Saturday a week ago she camed home ter make a visit. Course we war
all glad to see our darter. But you b'l'eve dat gal hadn't turned stark
bodily naked fool? Yes, sir; she wa'n't no more like de Meriky dat went
away jes' a few munts ago dan chalk's like cheese. Dar she come in wid
her close pinned tight enuff to hinder her from squattin', an' her ha'r
a-danglin' right in her eyes, jes' for all de worl' like a ram
a-looking fru a brush-pile, and you think dat nigger hain't forgot how
to talk! She jes' rolled up her eyes ebery oder word, and fanned and
talked like she 'spected to die de nex' breff. She'd toss dat mush-head
ob hern and talk proper as two dixunarys. 'Stead ob she call-in' ob me
"daddy" and her mudder "mammy," she say: "Par and mar, how can you bear
to live in sech a one-hoss town as this? Oh! I think I should die." And
right about dar she hab all de actions ob an' old drake in a
thunder-storm. I jes' stared at dat gal tell I make her out, an' says I
to myself: "It's got to come;" but I don't say nothin' to nobody 'bout
it--all de same I knowed it had to come fus' as las'. Well, I jes' let
her hab more rope, as de sayin' is, tell she got whar I 'cluded war
'bout de end ob her tedder. Dat was on last Sunday mornin', when she
went to meetin' in sich a rig, a-puttin' on airs, tell she couldn't keep
a straight track. When she camed home she brung kumpny wid her, and, ob
course, I couldn't do nuthin' then; but I jes' kept my ears open, an' ef
dat gal didn't disquollify me dat day, you ken hab my hat. Bimeby dey
all gits to talkin' 'bout 'ligion and de churches, and den one young
buck he step up, an' says he: "Miss Meriky, give us your 'pinion 'bout
de matter." Wid dat she flung up her head proud as de Queen Victory, an'
says she: "I takes no intelligence in sich matters; dey is all too
common for _me_. Baptisses is a foot or two below _my_ grade. I 'tends