Beadle's Dime Novels No. 33: Maum Guinea and Her Plantation Children — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

18 MAUM GUINEA. Fast and faster flew Uncle Zip’s bow, and wilder grew the frolic, until musician and dancers paused from sheer exhaus- tion. The performer refreshed himself from a jug which stood on a box beside him, the gift of the company in part reward for his arduous labors. Some of the old women began to rake out sweet potatoes from the embers, which those disposed took in their hands and munched ; there Were also corn-cakes, baked on hot stones; and eggs which had been stolen or purchased, and saved for this occasion. It was rumored by some that there was a pig to be roasted; but this, it seems, had been reserved for Christmas-day proper, when there was to be a barbecue, and good times generally. In the midst of the first “ recess,” whiie these refreshments were being handed round, a group of .house-seryants ap- proached, led by the tall figure of Maum Guinea. _ “ Oh, dar’s Maum Ginny. | Oh, I's glad,” cried the childen, some of whom had pee ean eww ae and see the fun. “How is yer, Maum Ginny?” “Wat yer got? w’at yer got?” _ The whole crowd pressed around, knowing by instinct that she came for their benefit, as she never went to merry- makings for her own. July, the chambermaid, was with her ; and Hyperion, looking much less bright than on the day we made his acquaintance, though he was dressed with an elegance that made the “niggahs” stare; likewise Rose and another girl from Massa Bell’s plantation, and one or two others. .Maum Guinea carried a large basket, covered with a cloth, and Hyperion, with another man, two large buckets full of. steaming coffee, seasoned with sugar, The girls brought tin-eups to drink from. _ “Here, chil'un,” said the cook, “ is my treat.” a Comicloooks.corn