NIGHTS WITH UNCLE REMUS 
“No-no!” exclaimed Daddy Jack, “’e no come bahck no’n 
’t all. ’E bin stay dey-dey wit’ ’e nice ole-a man.” 
“You put yo’ pennunce in dat!” said ’Tildy, scornfully. “Dey 
ain’t nobody kin hoi’ me w’en I takes a notion, ’cep’n hit’s Miss 
Sally; en, goodness knows, Miss Sally ain’t gwine ter be down dar.” 
“Who Miss Sally gwine put in de house?” Aunt Tempy asked. 
“Humph!” exclaimed ’Tildy, scornfully, “Miss Sally say she 
gwine take dat ar Darkess 1 nigger en put ’er in my place. En 
a mighty nice mess Darkess gwine ter make un it! Much she 
know ’bout waitin’ on w’ite folks! Many’s en many’s de time 
Miss Sally ’ll set down in ’er rockin’-cheer en wish fer ’Tildy — 
many’s de time.” 
*' This was ’Tildy’s grievance, — the idea that some one could 
be found to fill her place; and it is a grievance with which people 
of greater importance than the humble negro house-girl are more 
or less familiar. 
But the preparations for the holidays went on in spite of 
’Tildy’s grievance. A large platform, used for sunning wheat and 
seed cotton, was arranged by the negroes for their dance, and 
several wagon-loads of resinous pine — known as lightw T ood — 
were placed around about it in little heaps, so that the occasion 
might lack no element of brilliancy. 
At nightfall the heaps of lightwood were set on fire, and the 
little boy, who was waiting impatiently for Uncle Remus to come 
for him, could hear the negroes singing, dancing, and laughing. 
He was just ready to cry when he heard the voice of his venerable 
partner. 
“Is dey a’er passenger anywhar’s ’roun’ yer fer Thumptown? 
De stage done ready en de hosses a-prancin’. Ef dey’s a’er pas¬ 
senger ’roun’ yer, I lay he des better be makin’ ready fer ter go.” 
The old man walked up to the back piazza as he spoke, held 
out his strong arms, and the little boy jumped into them with an 
^ 1 Dorcas. 
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