Aunt Philliss Cabin | Page 9

said Mr. Weston. "There is no danger of your getting tired of
your native state again."
"Who says I was ever tired of her? I challenge you to prove your
insinuation. I wanted to see this great New England, the 'great Norrurd,'
as Bacchus calls it, and I have seen it; I have enjoyed seeing it, too; and
now I am glad to be at home again."
"Here comes Uncle Bacchus now, Mr. Barbour," said Alice; "do look at
him walk. Is he not a curiosity? He has as much pretension in his
manner as if he were really doing us a favor in paying us a visit."
"The old scamp," said Mr. Barbour, "he has a frolic in view; he wants
to go off to-morrow either to a campmeeting, or a barbecue. He looks
as if he were hooked together, and could be taken apart limb by limb."
Bacchus had commenced bowing some time before he reached the
piazza, but on ascending the steps he made a particularly low bow to
his master, and then in the same manner, though with much less
reverence, paid his respects to the others.
"Well, Bacchus?" said Mr. Weston.
"How is yer health dis evenin, master? You aint been so well latterly.
We'll soon have green corn though, and that helps dispepsy wonderful."
"It may be good for dyspepsia, Bacchus," said Mr. Weston, "but it
sometimes gives old people cholera morbus, when they eat it raw; so I
advise you to remember last year's experience, and roast it before you
eat it."
"I shall, indeed," replied Bacchus; "'twas an awful time I had last

summer. My blessed grief! but I thought my time was done come. But
de Lord was mighty good to me, he brought me up again--Miss Janet's
physic done me more good though than any thing, only it put me to
sleep, and I never slept so much in my born days."
"You were always something of a sleeper, I am told, Bacchus," said
Cousin Janet; "though I have no doubt the laudanum had that effect;
you must be more prudent; old people cannot take such liberties with
themselves."
"Lor, Miss Janet, I aint so mighty ole now; besure I aint no chicken
nother; but thar's Aunt Peggy; she's what I call a raal ole nigger; she's
an African. Miss Alice, aint she never told you bout de time she seed an
elerphant drink a river dry?"
"Yes," said Alice, "but she dreamed that."
"No, Miss, she actually seed it wid her own eyes. They's mighty weak
and dim now, but she could see out of 'em once, I tell ye. It's hot nuff
here sometimes, but Aunt Peggy says it's winter to what 'tis in Guinea,
whar she was raised till she was a big gall. One day when de sun was
mighty strong, she seed an elerphant a comin along. She runned fast
enough, she had no 'casion to grease her heels wid quicksilver; she
went mighty fast, no doubt; she didn't want dat great beast's hoof in her
wool. You and me seed an elerphant de time we was in Washington,
long wid master, Miss Alice, and I thought 'bout Aunt Peggy that time.
'Twas a _'nageree_ we went to. You know I held you in my arms over
de people's heads to see de monkeys ride.
"Well, Aunt Peggy say she runned till she couldn't run no longer, so she
clumb a great tree, and sat in de branches and watched him. He made
straight for de river, and he kicked up de sand wid his hoofs, as he went
along, till he come to de bank; den he begins to drink, and he drinks, I
tell you. Aunt Peggy say every swaller he took was least a gallon, and
he drunk all dat blessed mornin. After a while she seed de water gitting
very low, and last he gits enuff. He must a got his thirst squinched by
dat time. So Aunt Peggy, she waded cross de river, when de elephant
had went, and two days arter dat, de river was clean gone, bare as my

hand. Master," continued Bacchus, "I has a great favor to ax of you."
"Barbecue or campmeeting, Bacchus?" said Mr. Barbour.
"If you please, master," said he, addressing Mr. Weston, but at the same
time giving an imploring look to Mr. Barbour, "to 'low me to go way
to-morrow and wait at de barbecue. Mr. Semmes, he wants me mightily;
he says he'll give me a dollar a day if I goes. I'll sure and be home agin
in the evenin."
"I am afraid to give you permission," said Mr. Weston; "this habit of
drinking, that is growing upon you, is a disgrace to your old age. You
remember you were picked