A Story About Aunt Tildy

Mote went to school in the new rock school in Mineral Wells, as high as it went. To finish high school he went on the train to Birmingham and stayed with his Aunt Tildy (Matilda.) She was dark and showed more Indian. Once in a blue moon, in later years, Aunt Tildy would come on a train to visit. Her daughter Lou’s husband was a train conductor and they could ride free. He kept the job until he was old. She had four sons, all wealthy. They had shallow coal on their land. One was a lawyer, then a commander in the Navy. Aunt Tildy was real cranky. She would come in and throw up her hands “Get them kids out of here. Go outside and play.” She lost her glasses. She had seen one of the kids pick them up. Everything in Granmama’s house was turned over. Everybody was scared to death. Then someone saw them stuck up in her hair. Kids better get out of the way when she come.