Beadle's Dime Novels No. 126: Old Jupe — page 18: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

20 OLD JUPE. she had hetrayed the one sweet hope and comfort of het life. “ Got a few coppers, and six dimes, tied up in rag, to buy wn new apron when I goes to town. Laws, don’t tink poor nigger slaye hab money, chile?’ and she shot a sharp twinkle out of her black eyes at her young mistress, “Oh, you need not be afraid to tell us,’ laughed Mary, “we don’t own you, and shan’t take it away from you. We are glad you have it. Come now, auntie, how much haye you got, tied up in that rag in that broken pitcher? Isn’t a broken pitcher as bad as a broken bank ?” ‘“ Laws, chile, how funny you be,” said auntie, who liked Mary immensely already, and would have served her with the blind devotion peculiar to her people, had any need - arisen. “If I was to chuse, I’d take de pitcher—so! Dat’s what Jupe’s allers askin’ when he comes whinin’ round— ‘how much money you got, Clare? and whar is it ?—fer, you see, I don’t let him guess whar I keeps it, else he’d spend his hull evenin’s countin’ of it over. W’en he’s arned a little by extra jobs, he allers gives it to me to put away; he’s a good nigger, bout some tings, Jupe is, dough he bodders me awful, whinin’ round w’en I’m so busy I don’no w’ich end I stand on.” Her listeners laughed again; for if auntie had a crying sin it was that of laziness, while her poor husband, of whom she always spoke as if he were a dog, was a most cheerful, active, industrious fellow. “ What are you saving up money for?” Mary went on; she being an eastern girl, was not yet so familiar with the colored people, but that she was amused with and curious about them. Again Clare darted upon her that flashing glance. “Spect to lib in bondage all our days, purty much, but Con’t spect to die in it. WN o, Miss Bryant, spects to buy our- selves in our ole age, and go up to de land ob Canaan, ober de riber Jordan, jes’ as free to take, our ch’ice ob de bes’ seats as any body. W’en we knacks at de door and de Lord calls out ‘ Who’s dar? we tends to show him our free papers, go’s he'll say, ‘ Walk right up to de front pew, and don’t sit dar under de gallery,’ ” At which her audience eould but be amused, although Ccomiclbooks.Cconn