Short stories; United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
“Wall, to go back to Dixie--I'll be comin' right along, boys.” (This to
Brad Gibson, who was taking his farewell drink of ginger tea preparatory
to beginning work.)
“I pity you, Steve!” exclaimed Brad, between deep swallows. “If you 'd
known when you was well off, you 'd 'a' stayed in Boston. If Jabe hed a
story started, he 'd talk three days after he was dead.”
“Go 'long; leave me be! Wall, as I was sayin', Dixie brought Fiddy home
['Dell,' he called her), an' they 'peared bride 'n' groom at meetin'
next Sunday. The last hundred dollars he hed in the world hed gone into
the weddin' tower 'n' on to Fiddy's back. He hed a new suit, 'n' he
looked like a major. You ain't got no idea what he was, 'cause his eyes
is dull now, 'n' he 's bowed all over, 'n' ain't shaved nor combed,
hardly; but they was the han'somest couple that ever walked up the broad
aisle. She hed on a green silk dress, an' a lace cape that was like a
skeeter nettin' over her neck an' showed her bare skin through, an' a
hat like an apple orchard in full bloom, hummin'-bird an' all. Dixie
kerried himself as proud as Lucifer. He didn't look at the minister 'n'
he didn't look at the congregation; his great eyes was glued on Fiddy,
as if he couldn't hardly keep from eatin' of her up. An' she behaved
consid'able well for a few months, as long 's the novelty lasted an' the
silk dresses was new. Before Christmas, though, she began to peter out
'n' git slack-twisted. She allers hated housework as bad as a pig would
a penwiper, an' Dixie hed to git his own breakfast afore he went to
work, or go off on an empty stomach. Many 's the time he 's got her
meals for her 'n' took 'em to her on a waiter. Them secesh fellers'll
wait on women folks long as they can stan' up.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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