Sophie Kerr Underwood

“ Uncle Jonas taught me how to make a bee-skip, an' I make all o' mine. If you want, I 'll show you how, an' you can start one or two for yourself. More, if you want 'em."
"I don't want to bother," said Zelia. "I 'm afraid of 'em."
Hester went on ahead a little. "You need n't be afraid of mine," she said. "They 're nice-dispositioned." But even as she spoke, three or four bees from the nearest skep began to buzz angrily about, and Zelia waved her arms wildly and backed away.
"Stand still!" commanded Hester. "It drives bees crazy to have people jumpin' about. ”

“ Seems like a man gits better jedgment with women when he picks a secont—more choicy like."
"Jonas's first was a Deevers," piped up an old man, "an' while there ain't no call to misname the dead, it ain't fur from the truth to say she had all the Deevers temper, and was puny besides. An' Zelia 's her very spi't an' image, only not so puny. But Myry, now, she 's a good woman, Myry is."
"I don't hold with secont marriages," said Anse' Ringgold, slowly, his big body towering over the group. "I hold that ef you 're married oncet, accordin' to Bible you 're married f'r this world and the next." ”

“ The bees were gone. Then Hester Ringgold turned, like some great avenging goddess, and pointed her finger at Zelia.
"It 's you!" she said with terrible emphasis. "It 's you that done it. This here 's a sign. Many and many 's the time Unc' Jonas has told me that bees won't stay where there 's hate in the house. You know what you been doing. From the very first day sence you been here you tried to turn Anse' Ringgold to you—away from me. An' you 've despised me continual' an' wished me ill. ”

“ There ain't no other man in the world for me, an' I know that there ain't no woman in the world f'r him but me. You cain't no more really come betwixt us than you can alter your sinful spirit, Zelia Massey. ”

“ Anse' likes 'em, but Anse' 'd eat crumb pie if they wa'n't no other kind of pie to be had."
"Is Cousin Anse' so pow'ful' fond of pie?" asked Zelia, curiously, as they turned to the garden.
"I never yet seen a man that was n't pow'ful' fond of pie," laughed Hester, throwing back her fine head, gaily; "but Anse' is the beateree." ”

“ This was sheer art, for his farm was the thing dearest to Anse's heart.
He expatiated on his corn, his oats, his melon-patch, just made. He 'lowed to raise a little patch of buckwheat, too. Hester, seeing that he had not marked Zelia's thrust at her, was well content to see him pleased and interested. She even made excuses for Zelia's ill temper to herself. "She ain't nothin' but a child," she thought, "an' she just outs with everything that comes into her head. I do wisht, though, the bees would 'a' took to her. I cain't understand how they come to sting her." ”

“ There was a long silence between them after that, but finally Hester brought out with a sigh:
"I should n't wonder if there 'd be conflictions between Aunt Myry and Zelia over the prop'ty. They ain't never agreed over nothin' sence Unc' Jonas brought Aunt Myry home. 'T ain't in natur' to like a stepmother ner a stepchild, I suppose; but they cert'n'y have had powerful rookuses between 'em. I cain't never be sure whose fault it is, neither."
"If you ask me, it 's Zelia's," replied Anse'. "She 's always been a forward piece an' she 's got a kind a mean streak in her, like her ma's folks." ”

“ The bees has told on you complete."
Zelia fell back before the accusation. The scarlet left her cheeks, and she looked withered and old and ugly. Hester went on:
"You little pitiful whiffet! You think you c'n turn Anse' from me! I 've lived with him f'r nigh on to fifteen year', an' we never had a cross word. Anse' an' me ain't two people; we 're bound together so 's nothing but death can part us, an' death could n't part only our bodies." She turned to Anse', and her voice softened and fell. "Sunlight an' moonlight, sleep an' waking, my life an' Anse's is shared together. ”

“ Zelia made no answer, but her little doll-like face set into rigid lines of obstinacy.
"Well, well," went on Hester, "we 'll say no more about it. Oncet you 're home with Anse' an' me, we 're goin' to try to make you forget how onpleasant things has been f'r you. I 'm layin' out to teach you to help with the bees. Unc' Jonas he was a master hand with bees, an' I expec' you 'll prove the same."
"I hate 'em," said Zelia, sharply. "Nasty stingin' things!" ”

“ Funny, when you spoke up about the melons, I was sittin' here studyin' about the bees. Last year come this time I 'd had two swarmin's. I hope some of 'em takes it into their heads to swarm to-day whilst we 're off."
"You always talk like they was humans," said Anse', with a little smile.
"They got more sense 'n humans some ways," maintained Hester. "Unc' Jonas ust to quote Bible that bees was the wisest of insecks. Land! what store he set by the old sayin's! If I 've heard him say over
A swarm o' bees in May
Is wuth a load o' hay
oncet, I 've heard him say it a million times. ”

“ There was a silence.
"There 's the bees," said Hester, trying to keep her voice natural and cool. "Anse' laughs at me, I 'lot on 'em so. But I work out here in the garden s' much by myself that they kind o' make comp'ny f'r me. There 's somethin' powerful folksy about bees, oncet you get to know 'em. Don't them old-fashioned skips look purty settin' out like that? ”

“ The longest-living author of this work died in 1965, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 57 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works. ”