The Conjure Woman Charles W. Chesnutt (best fiction novels .TXT) đ
- Author: Charles W. Chesnutt
Book online «The Conjure Woman Charles W. Chesnutt (best fiction novels .TXT) đ». Author Charles W. Chesnutt
âCoâse Becky went on some âbout losinâ her man, but she couldnâ heâp herseâf; en âsides dat, she had her pickaninny fer ter comfoât her. Dis yer little Mose wuz de cutesâ, blackesâ, shiny-eyedesâ little nigger you eber laid eyes on, en he wuz ez fonâ er his mammy ez his mammy wuz er him. Coâse Becky had ter wuk en didnâ hab much time ter wasâe wid her baby. Ole Aunâ Nancy, de plantation nuss down at de quaâters, useter take keer er little Mose in de daytime, en atter de niggers come in fum de cotton-fielâ Becky âud git her chile en kiss âim en nuss âim, en keep âim âtel mawninâ; en on Sundays sheâd hab âim in her cabin wid her all day long.
âSisâ Becky had got sorter useter gittinâ âlong widout her husbanâ, wâen one day Kunnel Penâleton went ter de races. Coâse wâen he went ter de races, he tuk his hosses, en coâse he bet on âis own hosses, en coâse he losâ his money; fer Kunnel Penâleton didnâ nebber hab no luck wid his hosses, ef he did keep hisseâf poâ projeckinâ wid âem. But dis time dey wuz a hoss nameâ Lightninâ Bug, wâat bâlonged ter ernudder man, en dis hoss won de sweep-stakes; en Kunnel Penâleton tuk a lackinâ ter dat hoss, en axâ his owner wâat he wuz willinâ ter take fer âim.
âââIâll take a thousanâ dollahs fer dat hoss,â sez dis yer man, who had a big plantation down toâds Wimâlâton, whar he raiseâ hosses fer ter race en ter sell.
âWell, Kunnel Penâleton scratchâ âis head, en wonder whar he wuz gwine ter raise a thousanâ dollahs; en he didnâ see des how he could do it, fer he owed ez much ez he could borry aâready on de skyoâity he could gib. But he wuz des bounâ ter hab dat hoss, so sezee:â â
âââIâll gib you my note ferâ âleven hundâed dollahs fer dat hoss.â
âDe yuther man shuck âis head, en sezee:â â
âââYoâ note, suh, is better ân golâ, I doan doubt; but I is made it a rule in my bizness not ter take no notes fum nobody. Howsomeber, suh, ef you is kinder shoât er funâs, mosâ lackly we kin make some kinâ er bahgâin. En wâiles we is talkinâ, I mought âs well say dat I needs ernudder good nigger down on my place. Ef you is got a good one ter sparâ, I mought trade wid you.â
âNow, Kunnel Penâleton didnâ râally hab no niggers fer ter sparâ, but he âlowed ter hisseâf he wuz des bleedzd ter hab dat hoss, en so he sez, sezee:â â
âââWell, I doan lack ter, but I reckon Iâll haf ter. You come out ter my plantation ter-morrer en look ober my niggers, en pick out de one you wants.â
âSo shoâ ânuff nexâ day dis yer man come out ter Kunnel Penâletonâs place en rid rounâ de plantation en glanshed at de niggers, en who shâd he pick out fum âem all but Sisâ Becky.
âââI needs a noo nigger âoman down ter my place,â sezee, âfer ter cook en wash, en so on; en dat young âomanâll des fill de bill. You gimme her, en you kin hab Lightninâ Bug.âââ
âNow, Kunnel Penâleton didnâ lack ter trade Sisâ Becky, âcaâse she wuz nigh âbout de besâ fielâ-hanâ he had; en âsides, Mars Kunnel didnâ keer ter take de mammies âway fum dey chillun wâiles de chillun wuz little. But dis man say he want Becky, er eâse Kunnel Penâleton couldnâ hab de race hoss.
âââWell,â sez de kunnel, âyou kin hab de âoman. But I doan lack ter senâ her âway fum her baby. Wâatâll you gimme fer dat nigger baby?â
âââI doan want de baby,â sez de yuther man. âI ainâ got no use fer de baby.â
âââI tell yer wâat Iâll do,â âlows Kunnel Penâleton, âIâll thâow dat pickaninny in fer good measure.â
âBut de yuther man shuck his head. âNo,â sezee, âIâs much erbleedzd, but I doan raise niggers; I raises hosses, en I doan wanter be bothârinâ wid no nigger babies. Nemmine de baby. Iâll keep dat âoman so busy sheâll fergit de baby; fer niggers is made ter wuk, en dey ainâ got no time fer no sich foolisâness ez babies.â
âKunnel Penâleton didnâ wanter huât Beckyâs feelinâsâ âfer Kunnel Penâleton wuz a kinâ-heaâted man, en nebber lackâ ter make no trouble fer nobodyâ âen so he tolâ Becky he wuz gwine senâ her down ter Robeson County fer a day er so, ter heâp out his son-in-law in his wuk; en beinâ ez dis yuther man wuz gwine dat way, he had axâ âim ter take her âlong in his buggy.
âââKin I kyar little Mose wid me, marster?â axâ Sisâ Becky.
âââN-o,â sez de kunnel, ez ef he wuz studyinâ whuther ter let her take âim er no; âI reckon you better let Aunâ Nancy look atter yoâ baby fer de day er two youâll be gone, en sheâll see dat he gits ernuff ter eat âtel you gits back.â
âSo Sisâ Becky hugâ en kissâ little Mose, en tolâ âim ter be a good little pickaninny, en take keer er hisseâf, en not fergit his mammy wâiles she wuz gone. En little Mose put his arms rounâ his mammy en lafft en crowed des lack it wuz monstâus fine fun fer his mammy ter go âway en leabe âim.
âWell, dis yer hoss trader staâted out wid Becky, en bimeby, atter deyâd gone down de Lumbeâton Road fer a few miles er so, dis man tuânt rounâ in a diffeânt dârection, en kepâ goinâ dat erway, âtel bimeby Sisâ Becky up ân axâ âim ef he wuz gwineâ ter Robeson County by a noo road.
âââNo, nigger,â sezee, âI ainâ gwine ter Robeson County at all. Iâs gwine ter Bladen County, whar my plantation is, en whar I raises all my hosses.â
âââBut how is I gwine ter git ter Misâ
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