Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1846-04-30
BARNEY OMAN AND the EviL ONE,
X SAM SLICK.

There lived an old woman. some years ago
at Musqussh Creek, in South Csrolins, that |
had a large fortin' and an only darter. She |
was q W iddcr, a miser and a Bunker. She
was very good and very cross, rs many righ-
teous folks are, and had a loose tongue and a
tipht purse of her own. All the men that
looked at her darier she Thought had an eye to
her money. and she warn't lar out oi the way
neither, for il seems as il beauty and money
was too much 20 so together in a general way:
Rich gals aud handsome gals are seldom good
for nothin' else but their cash or their looks.
Pears and peaches amt often found on the
same tree, l tell you. She lived all alone
Almost, with nobody but her darter in the
house. aud some old Niger slaves in a hut
near at hand; and she seed no company she
could help. The only place they went to in a
gineral way, was meetin', and JeTusha never
missed that, for IL was the only chance she
had sometimes 10 get out alone.
Barney Oman had a most beautiful voice,
and always went there, too, 10 sing along with
the gals, and Barney. hearin' of the iortiu' OF
Rushy. made up To her as fierce as possible,
and sung 80 sweet and kissed so sweet. that
he soon stood number one with the heircss.
But then he didn't often get a chance To walk
home with her. and when he did, she darsn't
let him come in for fear of the old woman; bu.
Barney warn't to be put off that way long.
When a gal Is in one pasiur and a lover IN
another, lisa high fence they cant over that's
a TACT.
81 tell you what" says Barney, 'sit up
alone in the kccpin' room, Rusty dear, ar,er
old mother has gone to bed, put out the light.
and I'll slide down on the rope from the trap
door ON the root. Tell her you are exercised
in you mind. and want To mediate alone, as
the words YOU hn~s hoard dis day nave reach
tct you. heart"
Jcrusha was frightened TO death almost. but
| what won't a woman do when a lover IL in
the wsy2 Sc that very night she told the old
woman she was exercising in her mind and
would wrestle with the spirit.
"Do, dear" said her mother. "you wont
think OF the ~vanities OF dress and idle company
no more. You see | have given them all up
since ] made profession, aud never SO much as
speak OF them now, no, nor even think of EN-.
Well, the house was a fiat rooted house,
and had a trap door in the ceilin' over the
keepin' room, and there was a crane ON the
rooi. with a rope 10 IL, TO pull things up 90
spread TO dry there. As soon as the lights
were all out, and Barney thought the old wo-
man was asleep, he crawls up on the house.
and opens the trap door aud lets himself down
by the rope, and he and Jemsha st down in
the hearth IN the chimney corner couItin," or
as they cali !, in them diggins, fin ashes
When daylight began 10 show he went up
the rope hand over hand. aud hauled il up ar
ter him, closed the trsp-door, and made him
self scarce.
Well, all this went on slick as could he Tor
a while. but the old woman seed thathcr dar.
ter looked pale as IL she hadn't had sleep
enough, snd there was no gittin' of her up in
momin'; and when she did, she was yawnin'
and gapin, AMI so dull she had not a word to
say.
She got very uneasy about il at last and
used TO get up in the night sometimes, and
call her datter, aud make her GO oil TO bed:
and once or twice came very near catching OF
them. So what does Bany do, but takes
ntggers with him when he goes srter that. |
and leaves them on the roof, and ~fassens a
large basket Ia the ropv, and told them IL they
felt the rope pulled. 10 hoist for dear life, but
not TO speak a word for the world. Well, one
night the old woman came To the door as usual,
and saiS-
"yerushu," sais su- "wiat ON uir,h ui,s you,
10 make you SIT up all night that way: do
come 10 bed, that's a dear"
Presently mann" sails she, 81 am vras,.
ling with the evil one now-Tll come present.
ly."
Dear dear sails she, ''you have wrastlcd.
long enough with him 10 have throwed him
by tins time. ii you can't throw him now
givei IL up, or nc may throw you"
Presently marm," says her darter.
ITS always the same tune" sails her moth
er, going OF grumbling, it's always presently;
what has got into the gal 10 act so. OH what
a pro'racted time She has on IT,. She has been
sorely exercised, poor girl"
AS soon as she had gone, Barney larfed 40
ne had 10 pct his arm round her Waist TO
steady him on The bench, in a way that didn't
loon oniike romping', and when he went TO
Whisper, he Aried 80 he did nothin' but touch
her cheek with his lips, in a way that looked
pleguily like Kissing, and felt like il too. and
she pulled TO get away. and they had Almost
reg lar wfsstle as they sat on the bench, when
~ luck would have il, over went the bench.
anu down went both on 'em on the floor with
an awful smash, and in bounced the old wo.
man.
Which is uPpermosti' said she; ''havc YOU
throwd Satan. or has Satan throw'd voufs-
speak, Rushy; speak dear, who's throw'd?
i have throwd him." sais her darer; and
l hope We broke his neck-he acted sof9
Tome To bed, then" said she, "dahinq.
on" oe 'hahhi'ilj say a prayer backward and
Jist then the old woman was se;,ed ,o,,1
the waist, hoisted through the ,rap.doo, ,otha
Iooi' end rom there TO the crane. whera The
basket stopped, and the first thing she know'd
she vas away up ever so far in the air. swing
IN IN large basket, and no soul near her.
Barney and his niggers cut stick double
quick crePt into the bushes, and went ali
round 10 the road in font Of the house. just :
DAY was breakin'. The old woman was hon
slngln OCT Ior her dear life, kickin' and souesI.
~ snn gym aud pfayin', all in Zone, properly
nnsn'eneo; Down came Barney as hand ss
heend noihin' Of il, and pretended To- h. ho,4id
tnghtener offers his services cI;,ah noIl'
leases Ne old woman, and gets blesss6 .nd
,neiikea and thanked and blessed. til no 80