Bypaths In Dixie Part 17

nuv'r got nuf purty on de inside, ter make no mo' purty on de outside ergin."

"Did Jack Sparrow take Lilly Dove home?" asked Mary Van.

"Yas, mam, 'caze John ax him ter, an' John ax Lilly ter give him dem flow'rs, too. Lilly dunno whut ter make whin she see John take an' th'ow 'em out'n de wind'r--she mos' die!"

"Did she cry, Mammy?" Mary Van asked sympathetically.

"She nuv'r cry den, but she sho' bus' her eyes op'n whin she git home by herse'f. Po' Lilly, she stay er prayin' an' er cryin' all night long."

Phyllis's voice trembled in sympathy, and unconsciously the little girl and boy found themselves on either side of her, so close as to prevent the progress of quilt making. She laid the unfinished square on the table, and placed an arm about each.

"Yas, chillun, Lilly fix her eyes on de Lawd. Dat's de diffunce b'twixt her an' Tishy--yer see, trubble make some fokes purtier on de inside 'n ev'r. Lilly dunno whut ail John, but she _do know_ dat she holdin' on ter de Lawd."

"Tell G.o.d about Lilly quick, Mammy." Willis fidgeted.

"Ain' I done tole yer de Lawd doan need fokes ter hope Him?"

"But we don't want Lilly to cry any more," urged Mary Van.

"She was.h.i.+n' her eyes in cole water now, 'caze An' Polly knockin' at de do'. An' Polly see de cur'us doin's at de sociable las' night, an' she can' wait ter eat her brekfus' 'fo' she go up ter Lilly's house. Whin An'

Polly see po' Lilly's sweet lit'le face all swool up, de Lawd tu'n her h'art ter goodnes' an' she kiss Lilly an' say, 'I wants yer ter go out ter de Water Falls, an' hope er po' lit'le bird Doct'r Peck'rwood say some bad boy hit wid er rock.'

"Lilly she tie her bonnet on, an' fly out ter de Falls 'fo' yer knows. .h.i.t.

Den An' Polly she come on ter Tishy Peafowels an' ax Tishy, 'Whut in de name er de Lawd ail Lilly Dove an' John Mockin'bird?'

"Tish thow her head back an' laf one dese mean sorter lafs an' say: 'I done hit, I wus jes' ti'ed uv ev'ybody runnin' atter dat mealy mouf Lilly Dove, an' I jes' 'termine ter part her an' John--'caze John orter be my beau, ennyhow.'

"An' Polly mos' fall out'n de tree whin Tishy say dat. Yas, suh, she jes'

fly up ter John's quick es she kin. John, he walkin' up an' down wid his han's und'r his coat tails, mumblin' an' grumblin' ter hisse'f, an' hit wus right smart time 'fo' he see An' Polly settin' dar.

"An' Polly, she say: 'John Mockin'bird, Tishy Peafowel done tole me dat low down sto'y she tole you 'ginst Lilly Dove.'

"John, he look at An' Polly like he can't make out whut she say.

"An' Polly say, 'Hit's de trufe,--Tishy make up ev'r wurd she tell you, an' po' lit'le Lilly bin cryin' her eyes out all night.'

"John bus' out moanin', 'Whut mus' I do?'

"She tell 'im: 'Lilly out at de Water Falls now.'

"But John he feerd ter go whar Lilly at. So An' Polly, she fly wid him tell dey sights de Falls, den she lef' 'im. John, he fly er lit'le, an'

hop er lit'le tell he git clost nuf ter see Lilly wrop'n up de po' lit'le bird's leg, an' cooin' so sof' ter hit--den John, he fly on de tree, an'

cry out er chune ter Lilly dat mos' broke her h'art,--he sing:

"'I ain' good nuf fur Lilly Dove, But she de onlies' one I love.'

"Lilly she stoop low ov'r de lit'le bird so John can't see whar she cryin'

at. An' John he fly down an' tell her he gwine jump in de Falls ef she 'fuse ter keep comp'ny wid him--but Lawd, whin he git clost ernuf ter see dem tears er Lilly's, he th'ows his arms 'roun' her an'--but you all chillun ain' got no biznes' knowin' no mo' en dat."

"Please, Mammy, tell us if John jumped in the falls," sympathetically begged Willis, eager to lose none of the details.

Phyllis chuckled, "No, my Lawd, dey got marr'ed instid, an' went ter housekeepin' in dat tall pine stump ov'r yond'r on Tinker k.n.o.b."

XIII

MISTER GRAB-ALL SPIDER

"What made that old hornet sting me for, Mammy Phyllis?" demanded Mary Van, regarding tearfully her little red swelling hand.

"'Caze, honey," replied Phyllis, seating herself in a chair beside the hammock, "he thought you had done jine Cap'n Yall'r Jackit's army ter fight 'ginst him."

"What they going to fight about?" Willis began to fidget to see the fight.

"Set still, boy, you'll th'ow dis gal clean out'n de hammock." She readjusted both of them, and resumed her seat. "Dey fightin' ov'r dat ole pan er dirty cid'r settin' out yond'r b'hime de ash-hopp'r. Yer see Cap'n Yall'r Jackit an' Cap'n Hornit, bofe uv' em, jes' er gwine back'ards an'

fur'ards 'mongst de varmints, tryin' ter see which one kin git de mo'es fokes ter jine der side. Miss Queen Bee tell 'em, hit's de bizzy season in de honey biznes' an' she ain' got no time ter fool wid none uv 'em. Cap'n Yall'r Jackit sorter stop and study, he do, den he g'long down de big road tell he come up wid Mist'r Grab-All Spid'r. He pa.s.s howdy wid 'im, den he 'nounce:

"'Mist'r Grab-All, 'cose you gwine jine de Yall'r Jackits' side, ain't yer?'

"Grab-All Spid'r sort'r op'n an' shet his claws an' th'ow his 'bark'r quid on de uth'r side his jaw an' 'spon':

"'Nor, I'm jes' er plain ole biznes' man,--I ain' got no fightin' sense like dese rip snortin', hifalutin' solger boys. I'll jes' stan' off an'

watch de battle, but,' sez he, 'I hopes you'll whup de fight, Cap'n Yall'r Jackit, 'pon de wurd uv er gent'mun I does, 'caze dat pan er cid'r's wuth er tussle, an' youse de man ter make hit.'

[Ill.u.s.tration: "MIST'R GRAB-ALL, 'COSE YOU GWINE JINE DE YALL'R JACKITS SIDE, AIN'T YER?"]

"Yall'r Jackit sorter swell hisse'f out er lit'le big'r, an' Mist'r Grab-All roll hisse'f up in er ball like he bin sleep er hundred ye'rs, an' ain' nuv'r heah tell uv er Yall'r Jackit in his life.

"Bimeby, hyah come Cap'n Hornit zoonin' down de big road. Old Grab-All Spid'r onrap hisse'f an' start ter stretchin' his legs out, an' chawin' on his bark'r quid ergin.

"Cap'n Hornit say, 'Name er de Lawd, Mist'r Grab-All, is you bin sleep th'u all dis fracus dat's 'bout ter bus' loose?'

"Grab-All spit his quid out; an' gap loud er time er two, an' say, 'Whut you torkin' 'bout, Cap'n Hawnit?'

"Hawnit zoon erbout, an' holl'r, 'Wake up!' sez he, 'Wake up, I wants yer ter hope me wipe dem Yall'r Jackits off'n creation.'

"Grab-All set up an' take notice, like he gwine jine de hawnit's army dat minit, den he sorter crumble hisse'f down, an' low, 'Lawdy, Lawdy, ef I jes' wus er solger like you is, Cap'n Hawnit, I'd be de bigges' man in de woel.' Whut's de use er you axin' enybody ter hope you fight?--Why you kin whup out dem Yall'r Jackits 'fo' de time start ter commence!' Den he laf'

an' slap hisse'f on de knee, an' say, 'I wush ter de Lawd I wus er fightin' man like you is, Cap'n!'

"Cap'n Hawnit swell his chist out tell he look like he gwine bus' dem solger b.u.t.t'ns off sho', an' Grab-All roll hisse'f up ergin like he done gone back ter sleep er nuth'r hund'rd ye'rs.

"Soon es Cap'n Hawnit g'long off, Grab-All onrap hisse'f ergin, an' swing er long on de lim' er de trees by his spid'r web."

"Mammy, why didn't he walk on the ground?"

"'Caze, son, he nuv'r want ter make no tracks, so fokes kin fine out his biznes'.--Nor, suh, he swing hisse'f by dat spid'r web er his'n tell he come ter Mist'r Inch Wurm's house. Inch Wurm's old lady say, 'Yond'r come dat old Grab-All Spid'r, yer bett'r take keer how yer fools wid 'im.'