Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1854-07-01

tation and his step was yet firm, his form erect,
his eye undimmed and-but hush !. Abram has
arrived bearing under his arm huge well
thumbed Bible. He isa little bent with age and
like most old fogies, dogmatical in Lis opinions.
He, like Isaac, has grown grey the service Of
the family and is therefore privileged char
acter. On week days he usually loiters around
the house and enters into theological arguments
with his mistress nephew who has come from
S. on visit. He quotes passages from the
Scriptures which the nephew (who has read
the Bible through three times-ten chapters
per die ~ cannot recall to his mind and insists
that ley are not in has book. Abram accuses
Mas Thorpe of careless reading and insinuates
that he is not as we'll versed in such matters as
he should be; both of which-accusation and
nsinuaton-Thope indignantly repels, and the
discussion is usually ended by a proposal to
ssgo o fishing or ga hunting proposition
eagerly met and accepted by the other.
Abram will not allow you to call him a
Preacher, he styles himself an Exalter, thereby
meaning an Exhorter. The Bible IA gift from
Thorpe, though Abraham knew not from b
which he has under his arm, has an exceedingly
wide margin at the bottom, for which the top
makes ample amends by its narrowness, par
consequence, the Bible is invariably placed upon
the stand upside down. and opened in the mid
die, Abram next proceeds to adjust upon his nose
a pair of spectacles innocent of glasses "a gift
from the donor Of the Bible| and deliver his
text
Now the Patriarch had but one text which he
could deliver well and that he misquoted. Sun
day after Sunday had he ssexalted " upon this
text and was never at a loss to say something
new in relation to it. Bending his eyes over
the book as if pondering well upon the subject
he would raice his eyes and say slowly.
"Verily, verily-I say unto you-if you be
not saved-ye shall be damned"
In course of time, his Cara Spousa, yclept
Suke, paid the great debt of nature, 1.-THE only
debt that Southern negroes ever pay.) Abrams
grief was violent in the extreme and throwing
himself by the side of his dead partner he
.'burt forth into resistless eloquence of wo."
Poor old Sukeys dead an gone an lef ole
in de mornin and cook ole Abrams brekfas
Whose gwine bile de crabs and roast taters
What use for ole Abram hunt and fish with
young massa-nobody to brile rabbit and squir
rel?-no Sukey to fry fsh,-no-."
s. Abraham!''
Hi. missus, answered he, looking up and re-
cognizing his mistress through his tears. ''Poor
ole Abram is sad and lone."
Feeling for his grief his mistress endeavored
to sootbe the old man. She knew, no matter in
what words he expressed his sorrow, that he
was not regretHng the loss OF MS COOK out his
wife-his partner for forty long years. To re-
move him from the scene of his sorrow she bade
him in future, take his meals in her kitchen
and she would give him another house in the
ssquarters =" '.Thank 'ye missus,'' replied
Abram wiping his eyes with the cuff of his coat
sleeve, s'I don't like to say anthing agin your
cook but eff she is my our dater, she can't cook
like her dead nanny.
Abram has since gone to his long home In
him, his mistress lost a faithful and devoted
servant. He had but few faults and those were
rather of the head than heart. He was one of
those old and tried family servants that are now
becoming rare. One of those who look upon
their master as a father and friend as well as
owner. Looking upon his masters children as his
own and ministering to their wants and pleasures
as much as lay in his power, he does not fail to
ehide when occasion demands, and "young
Massa," albeit little inclined to rebel, pays
to his advice and reproof that respect which he
accOrds to none other but father and mother.