FOLKS FROM DIXIE
'fu' '— I never shell fu'git how he said it, —'fu' I 'spec' my son to tek a high place in de society of ole Kintucky an' to mo' dan surstain de reputation of de Venables. Den when de las' day come an' young Mastah was home fu' sho, so fine an' clever lookin' wif his new mustache—sich times ez dey was erbout dat house nobidy never seed befo'. All de frien's an' neighbours, 'scusin', o' co'se, de Jamiesons, was invited to a big dinner dat lasted fu' hours. Dey was speeches by de gent'men, an' evahbidy drinked de graderate's health an' wished him good luck. But all de time I could see dat Mas' Tho'nton was n't happy, dough he was smilin' an' mekin' merry wif evahbidy. It 'pressed me so dat I spoke erbout hit to Aunt Emmerline. Aunt Emmerline was Mas' Tho'nton's mammy, an' sence he'd growed up, she did n't do much but he'p erroun' de house a little.
"'You don' mean to tell me dat you noticed dat too?' says she when I tol' huh erbout it.
"'Yes, I did,' says I, 'an' I notice hit strong.'
"'Dey's somep'n' ain't gwine right wif my po' chile,' she say, 'an' dey ain't no tellin' whut it is.'
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