ut it; in fac', he wuz de prime mover, cyarrin' on most of
his op'rations durin' dem las' three days. Well, de Cunnel give us one
of de out-buildin's fer dis heah weddin', an' I'd done made de cake--I'd
done made two cakes, but de second wuz fer Miss Ann's bu'fday; she bein'
'bout six, or sich a matter. All de niggers seen how purty 'twuz wid de
candles on it what Marse John done got in de city; an' de dude nigger
seen it, too. So what'd he do but slip Zack a piece of money, an' tell
him to git some of dem candles fer _his_ cake. Den Zack stole out on a
mule, an' rid to town;--an' now i'se gwine tell you how he busted up dat
chu'ch!"

She began again to laugh, and the Colonel, wiping tears from his eyes,
merrily cried:

"It's the truth, every word of it!"

"Dem wuz de days when de stoh at Buckville never had nuthin' less'n a
hund'ed yeahs old," she continued, "--dat is, 'cept when it come down by
mistake; an' it jest happen dat dis heah wuz one of dem mistakes. Ole
Zack walked in an' axed fer red, yaller, green an' blue candles, an' all
at onct a light come in de stoh-keeper's face. 'Why, bress mah soul,' he
say, 'some of dem come down yisterday wid anurr order,' he say. 'Dey's
marked Roman candles,' he say, 'an' de bill says foh colors,' he say.
But, 'course, dat don' mean nuthin' to him or Zack.

"Den de weddin' night come on. Zack wuz so stuck on hisse'f wid a
swaller-tail coat what didn' fit, an' Bible what he couldn' read, dar
warn't no gittin' nigh 'im. He go in whar de tables wuz, an' fix dese
heah candles on de cake, jest lak he seen 'em on li'l Miss Ann's.
'How-cum dey's bigger?' de dude nigger axed. '_You'se_ bigger, ain'
you?' Zack say, an' he walk 'way. Den ole Zack come out 'gin, bowin'
hisse'f an' scrapin' his foots to de gals lak he's done lost what li'l
sense he ever had. De niggers all prance in de doh, an' stand 'round de
table, 'spressin' deyse'ves so proud of dem candles on sich a purty
cake. Ole Zack stand at de haid an' say: 'Mah bruddern an' sistern, dis
am a 'mentous 'ccasion! I'se gwine to clasp in de th'oes of matermony
dis heah couple, but 'foh I does we'll pernounce grace, takin' our tex'
from dat po'tion of de Scripture whar Liza rid out de doh in a charity
of fyah! Light de candles, bruddern!' So dey all struck matches, jest
lak one man, an' lit dem candles!

"Lawd help us!" Aunt Timmie threw her apron over her face. "If Miss Liza
done rid out de doh in a charity of fyah, she suttenly