"Marse John's done tol' you 'bout de twins part an' de marr'in'--an' as
for de namin', why, dat won't take no time. You see, when I wuz 'bout to
be borned mah mammy wuz in a turrible state. Most cullud folks is, at
dat time, an' most of 'em gits de 'ligion, 'caze it kinder ease 'em up.
Well, sah, whilst mah mammy wuz havin' de 'ligion an' me, Zack's mammy
wuz havin' de 'ligion an' him. Our cabins set jest lak yoh two han's
togerr--dat a-way--an' dar warn't no secrets 'tween dem famblys, dat's a
fac'! Well, when 'twuz all over, mah mammy's so thankful she say she
gwine name me outen de Scriptires. Zack's mammy heah dat, an' she lay
low an' study 'bout a name, too. De upshot wuz dat mah mammy settle on
de fu'st line of de hymn: 'Timorous-is-we-poh-mortal-worms.' Dat stun
'em some, you bet; but towa'ds evenin' Zack's mammy raise up an' shout
she's done foun' de name, an' when dey-alls run to her doh she say:
''Zackly-how-thankful-I-is-dat-dis-heah-trial-an'-tribulachun-am-over-
de-Lawd-in-His-goodness-only-knows! An' dat's mah son's name!' Well,
sah, de niggers fer miles 'round wuz jest bustin' dey jaws tryin' to
say dem gran' names, but a coolness set in on mah mammy. She got mighty
uppish, an' say it warn't fayh fer Zack's mammy to wait an' go her one
better, dat a-way. So dey sent fer ole Aunt Moony Jorden. Ever'body
stepped 'round fer Aunt Moony, 'caze she's bohn wid a cawl on her face
an' could see speer'ts; so she got out a dried buzzard's foot an'
whispers to it, an' den says ever'body mought as well make up, 'caze
someday de li'l chillun is gwine git mahr'd, anyway. An' sho' nuff,"
Aunt Timmie sighed, "we did."
The Colonel gave Brent a wink.
"Well, that was most fortunate," he mused, "for Zack has been a very
upright husband."
The old woman bristled. Glaring at him she said in a low voice:
"Upright ain' so diffe'nt from downright! You knows how oudacious he
done treat me 'bout dat 'surance!"
"Oh, yes, you mean about that policy!"
She maintained a moody silence, and the Colonel ventured:
"You see, Brent, Timmie thought so much of Zack--"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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