Part 16 (1/2)

”Long 'bout dis time, de church fixin' ter have er sociable. Dey gwine have speakin' pieces, an' singin' jes' like fokes has. John Mockin'bird, he de haid man. 'Cose John wus lovin' Lilly, an' 'cose he want Lilly ter sing er chune er do sump'in, but Lilly say she bleege ter him fur axin'

her, but de Lawd nuv'r make her ter sing like Laura Nightingale, an'

'tain' no use er her tryin' ter do hit. I tell yer Lilly had er heap er sense--an' er heap er beaux, too; dar wus John Mockin'bird, an' Tom Jay Bird, an' Bob White, an' mo' b'sides. But she ain' keer nuthin' fur none uv 'em 'cep'in' John.”

”Mammy, did Lilly Dove know Tom Jay Bird went to the Bad Place every Friday night?” Willis went over and stood by the table.

”Cose she heah tell erbout hit, 'caze An' Polly Parrit done spen' de day wid her on de subjec', but Lilly, she sot right still tell An' Polly git th'u busin' him, an' callin' him low down gambl'r--den Lilly she up an'

ax, 'An' Polly does you recoleck whin you wus shet up in dat cage up at Mist'r Man's house?' An' Polly say she nuv'r is ter fergit hit. Lilly say, 'Does yer 'memb'r whin Tom Jay ust'r fotch yer all dem fat wurms?' An'

Polly say she know Tom's er good feller, but she jes' tellin' whut _fokes sez_.

”Yas, suh, Tom wus er good feller, but we got ter git back ter de sociable, er dem fokes git ti'ed er waitin'.”

Willis's foot accidentally upset the quilt basket. ”Take yer foot out'n Mammy's bask't, an' g'long back an' look at de pictur's wid Ma'y Van.”

”No, I won't--I'm tired sitting down on the floor.”

”Dat's jes' de way Tishy Peafowel talk whin her ma beg her ter stay at home wid dem loose straggly feath'rs er he'rn, but Tishy say, 'No, I won't,' jes' like you talks ter me sometimes. Jes' den one her purty feath'rs drap out.”

”Well, Mammy, I do want to stand up,” he added apologetically, ”and we've looked at all the pictures in that book.”

She found another book of birds which she opened on the table.

”Hyah, stan' up an' look at dese,--dar's Tishy de ve'y fus' one.”

Mary Van was soon beside him:

”Ain't Tishy pretty, Mammy Phyllis?” she said.

”She sho' wus sumthin' ter look at 'fo' Big Eye Buzzard come erlong. An'

Tishy wus er good gal, too, but she nuv'r had nuf 'ligion ter stan'

trubble.”

”Did her mama let her go down town?”

”Tishy done got so mean, her ma can' do nuthin' wid her. She tell her ma she gwine ter see how John Mockin'bird gittin' 'long wid de sociable.” She added with a confidential air: ”Tishy want ter act in de sociable, an' she wanter give John er chanct ter ax her.

”Oh, I tell yer John have er heap er trubble wid de diffunt kine er fokes ov'r dat sociable. Dar wus de Sparrer fambly dat yer can' keep out no way yer fixes. .h.i.t, dey'll eb'n git ter parties whar n.o.body don't want 'em an'

den act like dey wus de bigges' fokes ax'd.”

”How, Mammy?” Mary Van thought of her own birthday party where she had excluded Jim Weed.

”Oh, dey does like Miss Bizzy Sparrer done Lilly Dove whin she give er party one time. Miss Bizzy meet Lilly in de poplar tree an' say:

”'I heah yer 'bout ter give er party, Miss Lilly, an' I jes' wanter ax yer ef we got enything yer kin use?'

”Lilly, she thank her an' tu'n de subjec', but Bizzy she git back on ter hit ergin an' say:

”'Ain't dey sumpin' I kin do? Lemme hope yer.'