Aunt Mary walked in, took a seat before the fire, placed her bag and an
old hat-box on the floor by her side and for a moment looked around the
room, noticing everything. Then she took up the poker, commenced poking
the fire, as if she wanted more heat to enable her to explain the chief
object of her visit. The heat is now up to the degree required, the
poker is laid aside, the old hat-box is in her lap, and aunt Mary is
ready to talk business. Opening the box, she said to Mrs. R., "Sister, I
have something har I want ter show you; dun know if you want ter see
it." "What is it?" Mrs. R. enquired. Here she pulled out a second-hand
bonnet trimmed in high colors. "A lady," she said, "give me dis last
night to sell. I aint show it to no body yet; she say to take it to some
of de preachers' wives be case it's too stylish for these yer common
niggers." The hat was examined and returned with, "I don't think I need
a hat just now, aunt Mary."

"Do you sell a great deal?" "Yes 'urn, but sometimes 'tis mighty hard
to get money out ter our people. Dat ar ---- (naming the man) tuck a
dress from me for his wife; can't get a nickel from him, and every time
he see me he dodge inter some corner." "How do they pay? Cash?" "No, one
dollar a week till dey finish payin." "As a general thing I suppose they
try to meet you pretty promptly, don't they?" "Lors, no, honey! dey alus
put me off; but I keep a runin' and runin' every week jis ter make dem
tell lie."

The subject of the hat, etc., rested here, and aunt Mary took up some of
her experience at church. "Broder ---- (she said, calling the preacher
by name) get so now-a-days he don't preach out ter de Bible no more. He
alus (always) on de path, he aint got time ter look in de book. I aint
got nara larnin, but I kin tell if anybody is preachin out ter de Bible.
We had a meetin ter vote him out de other day and I was a sittin' near