Rose of Old Harpeth | Page 8

What shall we do? She says she just won't
have it, and Aunt Amandy is crying when Aunt Viney don't see it. She's
made up her mind, and I don't know what more to say to her."
"Rose Mary," said Uncle Tucker, with a quizzical smile quirking at the
corners of his mouth, "mighty often the ingredient of permanency is left
out in the making up of a woman's mind, one way or another. Can't you
kinder pervail with your Aunt Viney some? I've got a real hanker after

this little birthday to-do. Jest back her around to another view of the
question with a slack plow-line. Looks like it's too bad to--"
"Rose Mary, oh, Rose Mary, where are ye, child?" came a call in a high,
sweet old quaver of a voice from down the garden path, and Miss
Amanda hove in sight, hurrying along on eager but tottering little feet.
Her short, skimpy, gray skirts fluttered in the spring breezes and her
bright, old eyes peered out from the gray shawl she held over her head
with tremulous excitement. She was both laughing and panting as Rose
Mary threw her arm around her and drew her into the door of the barn.
"Sister Viney has consented in her mind about the party, all along of a
verse I was just now a-reading to her in our morning lesson. Saint Luke
says: 'It is meet that we should make merry and be glad, for this thy
brother was dead and is alive again,' and at the same minute the
recollection of how sick Mr. Mark has been hit us both. 'There now,'
she says, 'you folks can jest go on with that party to-day for the benefit
of our young brother Everett's coming to so good after all his sufferings.
This time I will consider it as instituted of the Lord, but don't nobody
say birthday next April, if I'm here, on no account whatever.' I take it as
a special leading to me to have read that verse this morning to Sister
Viney, and won't you please go over and tell Sally Rucker to go on
with the cake, Rose Mary? Sister Viney called Jennie over by sun-up,
when she took this notion, and told her to tell her mother not to make it,
even if she had already broke all the sixteen eggs."
"Yes, Aunt Amandy, I'll run over and tell Mrs. Rucker, and then we
will begin right away to get things ready. I am so glad Aunt Viney is--"
"Rose Mamie, Rose Mamie," came another loud hail from up the path
toward the house and down came the General at top speed, with a
plumy setter frisking in his wake. "Aunt Viney says for you to come
there to her this minute. They is a-going to be the party and it's right by
the Bible to have it, some for Mr. Mark, too. Tobe Poteet said 'shoo'
when I told him he couldn't come, 'cause they wasn't a-going to be no
party on account of worrying the Lord about forgetting Aunt Viney,
and I was jest a-going to knock him into stuffings, 'cause they can't
nobody say 'shoo' at the Bible or Aunt Viney neither, to me, when there

Aunt Viney called for us to go tell everybody that the party was
a-going off and be sure and come. I believe God let her call me before I
hit Tobe, 'cause I ain't never hit him yet, and maybe now I never will
have to." The General paused, and an expression of devout
thankfulness came into his small face at thus being saved the necessity
of administering chastisement to his henchman, Tobe the adventurous.
"I believe he did, Stonie, and how thankful I am," exclaimed little Miss
Amanda, with real relief at this deliverance of young Tobe, who was
her especial, both self-elected and chosen, knight from the General's
cohorts.
"Yes'm," answered Stonie. "Come on now, Rose Mamie! Put your hand
on me, Aunt Amandy, and I'll go slow with you," and presenting his
sturdy little shoulder to Miss Amanda on one side and drawing Rose
Mary along with him on the other, Stonewall Jackson hurried them
both away to the house.
"Well," remarked Uncle Tucker to himself as he took up a measure of
grain from a bin in the corner of the feed-room and scattered some in
front of a row of half-barrel nests upon which brooded a dozen
complacent setting hens, "well, if the Lord has to pester with the affairs
of Sweetbriar to the extent Stonie and the sisters, Rose Mary, too, are
a-giving Him the credit of doing looks like we might be a-getting
more'n our share of His attentions. I reckon by the time He gets all the
women and