Miss Minerva and William Green Hill | Page 3

scornfully made answer. "Me an' Wilkes Booth Lincoln been
undressin' usself ever sence we's born."
"I'll come in here after a while and turn off the light. Good-night,
William."
"Good-night, Aunt Minerva," responded the little boy.

CHAPTER II
THE RABBIT'S LEFT HIND FOOT

A few minutes later, as Miss Minerva sat rocking and thinking, the
door opened and a lean, graceful, little figure, clad in a skinny, grey
union suit, came into the room.
"Ain't I a-goin' to say no prayers?" demanded a sweet, childish voice.
"Aunt Cindy hear me an' Wilkes Booth Lincoln say us prayers ev'y
night sence we's born."
"Why, of course you must say your prayers," said his aunt, blushing at
having to be reminded of her duty by this young heathen; "kneel down
here by me."
Billy looked at his aunt's bony frame and thought of Aunt Cindy's soft,
fat, ample lap. A wistful look crossed his childish face as he dropped
down in front of her and laid his head against her knee, then the bright,
beautiful little face took on an angelic expression as he closed his eyes
and softly chanted: "`Now I lays me down to sleep, I prays the Lord my
soul to keep, If I should die befo' I wake, I prays the Lord my soul to
take.
"`Keep way f'om me hoodoo an' witch, Lead my paf f'om the po'-house
gate, I pines fey the golden harps an' sich, Oh, Lord, I'll set an' pray an'
wait.' "Oh, Lord, bless ev'ybody; bless me an' Aunt Cindy, an' Wilkes
Booth Lincoln, an' Aunt Blue-Gum Tempy's Peruny Pearline, an' Uncle
Jimmy-Jawed Jup'ter, an' ev'ybody, an' Sam Lamb, an' Aunt Minerva,
an' alley Aunt Blue-Gum Tempy's Peruny Pearline's chillens, an' give
Aunt Minerva a billy goat or a little nanny if she'd ruther, an' bless
Major Minerva, an' make me a good boy like Sanctified Sophy, fey
Jesus' sake. Amen."
"What is that you have tied around your neck, William?" she asked, as
the little boy rose to his feet.
"That's my rabbit foot; you won't never have no 'sease 't all an' nobody
can't never conjure you if you wears a rabbit foot. This here one is the
lef' hin' foot; it was ketched by a red-headed nigger with crosseyes in a
graveyard at twelve er'clock on a Friday night, when they's a full moon.
He give it to Aunt Cindy to tie 'roun' my nake when I's a baby. Ain't

you got no abbit foot?" he anxiously inquired.
"No," she answered. "I have never had one and I have never been
conjured either. Give it to me, William; I can not allow you to be so
superstitious," and she held out her hand.
"Please, Aunt Minerva, jest lemme wear it to-night," he pleaded. "Me
an' Wilkes Booth Lincoln's been wearin' us rabbit foots ever sence we's
born."
"No," she said firmly; "I'll put a stop to such nonsense at once. Give it
to me, William."
Billy looked at his aunt's austere countenance and lovingly fingered his
charm; he opened his mouth to say something, but hesitated; slowly he
untied the string around his neck and laid his treasure on her lap; then
without looking up, he ran into his own little room, closing the door
behind him.
Soon afterward Miss Minerva, hearing a sound like a stifled sob
coming from the adjoining room, opened the door softly and looked
into a sad, little face with big, wide, open eyes shining with tears.
"What is the matter, William?" she coldly asked.
"I ain't never slep' by myself," he sobbed. "Wilkes Booth Lincoln
always sleep on a pallet by my bed ever sence we's born an'--'I wants
Aunt Cindy to tell me 'bout Uncle Piljerk Peter."
His aunt sat down on the bed by his side. She was not versed in the
ways of childhood and could not know that the little boy wanted to
pillow his head on Aunt Cindy's soft and ample bosom, that he was
homesick for his black friends, the only companions he had ever
known.
"I'll you a Bible story," she temporized. "You must not be a baby. You
are not afraid, are you, William? God is always with you."

"I don' want no God," he sullenly made reply, "I wants somebody with
sho' 'nough skin an' bones, an'--n' I wants to hear 'bout Uncle Piljerk
Peter."
"I will tell you a Bible story," again suggested his aunt, "I will tell you
about--"
"I don' want to hear no Bible story, neither," he objected, "I wants to
hear Uncle Jimmy-Jawed Jup'ter play his 'corjun an' sing:
"'Rabbit up the gum tree, Coon is in the holler Wake, snake; Juney-Bug
stole a half a dollar."'
"I'll sing you a hymn," said Miss Minerva patiently.
"I don' want to hear you