Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1842-02-19
Vol. e.

door being open, showed which was the girls
room, where l presumed my sister was also
asleep.
| was prodigous hungry, but still hated to
spoil the joke l calculated on, by waking any
body. An old.fashoned safe stood in the pas
sage, which was sure contained something in
the eating line. | opened it and found half
boiled ham, the best part oil chicken pie,
plate Of biscuit, &C., and jug Of butter-mlk
cooling itself in pail Of water. Besides these,
basket Of peaches was standing on the table,
and several large watermellons lying under it.
With my then keen appetite, and knowing how
welcome it was to any 'ne, much less to a long
absent son, did not hesitate 10 satisfy my appe-
tte in pretty substantial manner.
Having appeased the first calls of hunger, l
looked around to reconnoer the premises. The
furniture, as well as the house all looked new and
strange-the cats, dogs and horses ditto-the
negroes, as far as | can Judge from their sleeping
posture we're also new The old man must have
sold out, negroes and stock, as we'll as land.
thought I, or | should certainly see something
familiar However, tkey will soon be awake.
and then shall know all about it. Now for my
joke, Il said to myself.) l will lie down and
pretend to be asleep, just to enjoy their surprise
when they find me. But | must first peep n
and look at little sis, she has left her door
open. | sole softly to the door, where could
plainly discern the form Of a young lady fast
h,tt ba 1 a,J. bo
too dark to make out her features distinctly
You little toad, (sad ~ how you've grown,
I'll punish you for this. I'm great mind to kiss
YOU and suiting the action to the word, | stole
sleeper cringed, and l thought was going to
awake, so | stole out, and lay down on bench
in the piazza, pretending to be asleep, but the
heat OF the weather and the fatigue Of my jour
ney, together with hearty dinner, soon put me
in sound sleep. How long continued in this
state | do not know; but when l opened my eyes
l found fright(ul little negro about nine years
old, strangely deformed, tanning me with long
bush large red.laced, redhared old man sat
opposite to me, grinning and chuckling and
wringlng about, as though he wished but feared
to awaken me, while little old woman was
busting about very notably.
Il was completely amazed and dumfounded-
had forgotten how come there, and did not know
where was. As my scattered senses returned, |
began 10 recollect my situation aud the iok e |
| PurPosed playing upon my supposed parents
and sister.
You have had long nap, (said the cid man,
hope you feel refreshed.
Very much told him-and tried to apollo.
gise for the liberty had taken in strange house
Not at all-not at ALL Continued he,) ex.
pected you yesterday, and had fine beef killed,
old woman, isn't there some Of it left yet?'
The old lady answered there was plenty.
Then. make haste with supper. The gentle
man has had long ride, and dare say he is
hungry as well as tired
4 told him felt quite refreshed, and was not
at all hungry, having taken the liberty of open
ing the safe, and helping myself to such provs-
ions as found there
Quite right-quite right. And now tell US
the news. When did you leave Savannah
what's the price of salt? how do they sell sugar
and iron? and especially what's cotton worth?
Do you think | done good business in selling
mine? Don't you think it's going to rise?'
Confused and embarrassed, as well by the ra-
pidty OF his questions as by the nature Of them
his hauing expected me yesterday, his asking
when left Savannah, &C. placed me in quite a
quandary. answered that had little news
that | left Savannah five days prevous-that
cotton was ten cents and falling.
Good, good. Mine brought ten and half |
done well by selling.
You certainly did, told him.
Twenty. seven bales at ten and half comes
to how much?'
Allowing the bales to weigh 800 lbs. piece,
they would come To-
But they weighed more than three hundred
some OF them 32s--and none OF them less than
'3l5.'
'Supposing then they average 320'-and !
pulled out my pencil figured up the amount and
showed it to him.
1T comes to more than that. You can't fool
me, I've got your letter. 1t comes 10 925 dollars.
So fork over the money !
told him it was very probable his cotton
might come TO that, but could not tell whether
it did or no, without knowing the exact number
of pounds. And | asked him what he meant by
my letter, and by 'forking over the money.