Miss Minerva and William Green Hill

Miss Minerva and William Green
Hill

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Title: Miss Minerva and William Green Hill
Author: Frances Boyd Calhoun
Release Date: February, 2004 [EBook #5187] [Yes, we are more than
one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on May 31,
2002]

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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MISS
MINERVA ***

MISS MINERVA AND WILLIAM GREEN HILL
BY FRANCES BOYD CALHOUN

MISS MINERVA and WILLIAM GREEN HILL

CHAPTER I
A SCANDALIZED VIRGIN
The bus drove up to the gate and stopped under the electric street-light.
Perched on the box by the big, black negro driver sat a little boy whose
slender figure was swathed in a huge rain coat.
Miss Minerva was on the porch waiting to receive him.
"Mercy on me, child," she said, "what on earth made you ride up there?
Why didn't you get inside?"
"I jest wanted to ride by Sam Lamb," replied the child as he was lifted
down. "An' I see a nice fat little man name' Major--"
"He jes' wouldn' ride inside, Miss Minerva," interrupted the driver,
quickly, to pass over the blush that rose to the spinster's thin cheek at
mention of the Major. "Twan't no use fer ter try ter make him ride
nowhars but jes' up by me. He jes' 'fused an' 'fused an' 'sputed an'
'sputed; he jes' tuck ter me f'om de minute he got off 'm de train an' sot
eyes on me; he am one easy chile ter git 'quainted wid; so, I jes' h'isted

him up by me. Here am his verlise, ma'am."
"Good-bye, Sam Lamb," said the child as the negro got back on the box
and gathered up the reins. "I'll see you to-morrer."
Miss Minerva imprinted a thin, old-maid kiss on the sweet, childish
mouth. "I am your Aunt Minerva," she said, as she picked up his
satchel.
The little boy carelessly drew the back of his hand across his mouth.
"What are you doing?" she asked. "Are you wiping my kiss off?"
"Naw 'm," he replied, "I's jest a--I's a-rubbin' it in, I reckon."
"Come in, William," and his aunt led the way through the wide hall into
w big bedroom.
"Billy, ma'am," corrected her nephew.
"William," firmly repeated Miss Minerva. "You may have been called
Billy on that plantation where you were allowed to run wild with the
negroes, but your name is William Green Hill and I shall insist upon
your being called by it."
She stooped to help him off with his coat, remarking as she did so,
"What a big overcoat; it is several sizes too large for you."
"Darned if 'tain't," agreed the child promptly.
"Who taught you such a naughty word?" she asked in a horrified voice.
"Don't you know it is wrong to curse?"
"You call that cussin'?" came in scornful tones from the little boy. "You
don't know cussin' when you see it; you jest oughter hear ole Uncle
Jimmy-Jawed Jup'ter, Aunt Cindy's husban'; he'll show you somer the
pretties' cussin' you ever did hear."
"Who is Aunt Cindy?"

"She's the colored 'oman what 'tends to me ever sence me an' Wilkes
Booth Lincoln's born, an' Uncle Jup'ter is her husban' an' he sho' is a
stingeree on cussin'. Is yo' husban' much of a cusser?" he inquired.
A pale pink dyed Miss Minerva's thin, sallow face.
"I am not a married woman," she replied, curtly, "and I most assuredly
would not permit any oaths to be used on my premises."
"Well, Uncle Jimmy-Jawed Jup'ter is jest nach'elly boon' to cuss,--he's
got a repertation to keep up," said Billy.
He sat down in a chair in front of his aunt, crossed his legs and smiled
confidentially up into her face.
"Hell an' damn is jest easy ev'y day words to that nigger. I wish you