The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-09-11
THE DAILY DISPATCH
From the Southern Literary Gazette
UNDER THE STUMP
OR, SAMSOH'S KEEPERS couaTsp1p
BY PAUL CREYToN
TcosCLuDED1


Having thrown his vest on the. ground, and
rolled up his sleeves. MIR. Keeper commenced
chopping of the log, about eight feet from
the butt.
1t was hard job Samson afterwards said;
--and as the sun came pouring down upon
him, he was quite exhausted and heated, be-
fore the first 'cuf was off. Leaving the main
portion of the trunk hanging by chip TO
the stump, in order that blocks might be placed
under it to keep il from falling quite to the
ground, Samson stuck his axe into the log,
| and began to look for shady place to sit
down.
| Near by grew stately Eastwood, from the
| rootsiof which sprung up luxuriant growh of
shoots, surrounding the parent tree. Reflect
| ing that these would not only shade hiA from
| the sun, but also serve as a protection against
| the swarm of flies, he determined to find
| resting place among them, and began, ac-
| cordingly, to push them aside, IN search OF the
| most comfortable spot.
| AT that moment the chirping of a squirrel at
tracted his attention to the vast mass Of earth,
which adhered TO the upturned roots OF the
| fallen tree. The little animal was sitting on
| the summit of this mass, talking saucily to Mr..
| Keeper, who thinking OF The corn it would con-
| sumo the coming autumn, pickedup a club,
| and with a we'll aimed blow, knocked il into
the deep cavity left by the exhumed roots of
the tree. Mr.. Keeper, with an eye to pleasing
his little nephews, jumped into the hollow,
picked the kicking squirrel out of the mud.
| and having thrown it down by his vest, pro-
ceeded to ehsconce himself in the bushes.
| Mr. Keeper found most comfortable spot
| where he was quite concealed from the sun
| and flies; and there leaning against the ancient
| Eastwood, he INDUCED n revery, in which
| nice widow, a delightful family of children,
cider in the evening, and gooseberry pie
for dinner, were charmingly mixed up to-
! gether.
MIR. Keeper was startled from his pleasant
| reflections by dull cracking sound, in the
direction of the tree on which he had been
| chopping; and pushing aside the bushes, he
saw the chip breaking, by which he had left
| the log hanging TO the stump.
| There goes the log TO the ground he NUT.
tered with some mpatience.
| No sooner had he spoken, than the trunk
dropped of, and instantaneously the huge
mass of roots and earth oyerbalancng the
stump. which was no longer attached 10 the
tree, turned slowly back, and fell with dali,
heavy report, into its original bed
sThe dogs.' muttered Samson, 1t is lucky
didn't happen to be picking thatsquirrel out of
| tlle hollow just al this iime.'
And he shuddered to think what a horrid
death TO be crushed under an avalanche Of
roots and clay!
mr; heppe,, no"'re, reu.r~ Sa' from which he
was aroused oy most oi"''' oo."''
| renee.
| 1t afterwards appeared that Joe oyines, .he
| SHRED man. who was at work repairing
fence, near by, had TWICE o. ,,n tnaice cast % MS
| eyes IN the diTectoh y, 'no 'aii'H w. -
| ing the sound Of Mr.. Keepers axe no longer,
| Mr, Symes looked shortly after, and saw that
| worthy man in the hole, under the roots OF the
| tree; and in little while, startieo py siho'n
I cred concussion, he looked aga.h, anu Deueiu s.
the stump turned back. AT that moment, olr.
| Bunker appeared, ana inquired !oi his p'osh1'-
| in law. Both looked III tne ol,ecuoh y, .ne
| stump, aud seeing NOBODY, nf' Syihes suooen'
iy exclaimed .... re
| Il vown
.Whatf
4 bet Keepers ben ketched under the ou.t Oh
that treeo
| MIR. Bunker thought IL couia NOT oei ou'
Symes assuring hihi 'nat tI'e las' '..li. nc 90"
Mr.. n, ne was IN tn1 .o,e, "ou 49, - ;anka,
| Good Lord" cried Symes, here 8 his JacKet
there's his axe-t vow: mes gohef!
| This was the exclamation Wh.cn aloassu %
Mr.. Keeper. lie iooheo uifousn "'' '"'"'''
and heid ms p,eatn A. p,nL.r re,vouslv
| Can't be"
Where's DIR. Keeper theh oeinanoeu
| Symes.
Why, he's walked OIL suppose
Walked off-"aihed on u, piiiin sum
without MS hat Lou" a'' ia h.cheIo,,s ba,
close by The basswood Dusnes, wheie e. 'a'
Keeper had dropped II, on going ih'o us ie
treat ut
| 4 declare that looks bad! mnttered bunkel
Mr. hepper was on ihT very Poine y, ~ ,J
| ing himself, to end the joke and have grand
| laugh over il, when AIR. bunker naoe 'iio ie-
mark, that it looked bad. oh;..
Now Mr.. K. could nave not the ieas' o9ee,
ton to having any man say, such siate oi
things looked bad. He himself wouia nase ,hs,
been deeply impressed WIN 'ne cohSie.om M s,, ,na'
it looked bad, had he been under lne stump.
Yet the manner IN wacn ''f. D. hauI ,hinI;ao nG
mark, according TO Mf' n way Al p5,
looked bad IN i'seii. 10 oo y,''' s'a,;sfsc,;on
countenance ana tone e&Ps1o Z ,h,,ah,
which he could not concea anu n,, "a os s,,;na
he would just tfy Tue eApe'''"'"' V 'o
still. ..,Ioa.p cried symes.
Looks bad uuess i9uos H., ~ Kan,er
and he swofe 'oy oeo,so ma' "a ,har !,