Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-04-06

BARNEY O'BlLENIYNE.
BY SAM SLICK, ESQ


pfous people are, and had loose tongue and a
tight pus of her own. All the men that looked
ut her darter she tho't had an eye to money,
and she warn't far out of the way mother, for
It seems as II beauty and money was too much
To 60 together in general way. Rich gals
and hsnsome gals are seldom good for nothin'
else but their cash or their looks Pears and
pesches are not often found on the same tree,
1 tell you. She lived all alone amost with no.
body but her darter and her in the house. and
some old nigger slaves in a hut near at hand;
and she seed 10 company she could help. The
only place they went, in q general way, was
meetin, and Jerushy never missed that for it
was the only chance she had sometimes to get
out alone.
Barney had most beautiful voice. and al
ways went there, too, to sing alone with the
gals; and Barney, hearin of the fortin of Miss
Elles, made up to her as fierce as possible, and
sung SO sweet, and talked so sweet, and kissed
so sweet, that be soon stood number one with
the heiress. But he didn't often get chance
to walk home with her, and when he did she
darsnt let him come in, for fear of the old
woman. But Barney warn't to be put off that
way long. When gals in one pastur' and a
lover In another, it's high fence that they
can't get over, that's a fact
Tell you what, says Barney, 'sit up alone
in the keepin' room, Rushy, dear, arter old
mother has gone to bed put out out the lipht
and I'll slide down on the rope from the trap.
door on the roof. Tell her you are exercised
Ia your mind and want to mediate alone as
the words you heard this day have reached
your heart"
Jerushs was frightened to death almost: but
what won't woman do when a lover is in the
way 30 that very night she told the old
woman she was exercised in her mind and
would rastlo with the spirit
DO dear, says the mother, "and you won 4
think of the vanitisS Of dress and idle company
no more. You see how L have given them ali
up since made profession, and never so much
aS taik OF em now, or even thinks of EN-"
"otrange, Squire amt it?" But it's much
easier to cheat ourselves than cheat the devil.
That old bag was too stingy to buy a dress, but
persuaded herself it was bein' too good to wear
it." o0 ~ "'"i
We'll, the house was fat rooted house. and
had trap-door in the ceilin over the keepin'
room, and there was a crane on the roof with
rope TO pull up things to spread out to dry
there. As soon as the lights were all out, and
Barney thought the old woman was asleep. he
craWls on the house, opens the tran door and
lets himself down by the rope and he and
Jerushy sat down on the hearth in the chin.
ney corner courtin', or as they call it in them
olggihS SDlthn ashes When daylight be-
gan TO show, be went up the rope hand ovcr
hand, hauled it up after him, closed too the
trap door. aud madefhimself scarce. Well. all
tnls went on as slick could be for n while
put the Old woman seed that her darter looked
pale anu as II she hadn't sleep enough, and
there was no gettin' her up in the mornin',
anu anu "nen she did she was ya%nin' and gappin
ana SO dull she hadn't a word to say She got
very uneasy about it at last and used to Get
up In the night sometimes and call her darfer.
and make her 60 off to bed, and once or twice
come plaguy near catchin' of them So what
does Barney do, but takes two niggers with
him, when he went after that and leaves them
l..
rope, and tells them if they feel the rope
pulled, they must hoist away for dear life, but
not TO speak word for the world Well, one
nlght the old woman came to the door as usual,
and sais, 'Jerusa, sails she what on airth ails
you, 10 make you sit up all night that way ?
marin, said she, I'm rastling with the evil
one, II come presently" Dear, dear sais
she, you have rastled long enough with him
To have throw ed him by this time If you can I
throw him now, give it up, or he may throw
you Presently, marm,'' sas her darter
Ii $ always the same tune, sails her mother
goin OF grumblin' Its always presently
what has got into the gal to act so {? Oh, dear
what pertracted time she has on it, She has
been sorely exercised, poor girI'
-, AS soon as she had gone, Barney larfed SO
that ne had TO put his arm around her to study
MIN on TIE bench, in a way that didn't look
unlike rCmpin, and when he went To whisner
with MS lips, III way that looks plaguilv like
klssln and felt like it too. and She null ID "a
get away, and they had a most regular rastle
rs they sat on the bench, and down went
both on em on the floor with an awful smash,
ana In bounced tho old woman. Which is
9Ppermos'' sals she. "Have You throwed
Satan, or has Satan throwed y0u1 Sneak
huShy, speak, dear-who's throwed 7'' :. |
have thrOwed him, =" sais her darter. and II
hope L have broke his neck, he acted so -
Tome to bed then, darling" sais she, "and
say prayer afterwards, and list then
the Old woman was seized round the waist,
hoisted through the roof and from thence In
the crane. where the basket stopped, and the
first thing she know'd she was away up ever so
lar In the air, swiDgin' in a large basket, and
no soul near her
Barney and his niggers cut stick in double
quick time, crept into the bushes, and went all
round the road, just as day was breakin'. The
old woman was singin' out for dear life, kickin'
ana squealing, and cryin', and prayin'. all in
one, properly frightened. Down runs Barney,
hard as he could clip, lookin' as innocent as if
he d never heerd nothin' of it. and pretendin'
to be horrid frightened; offers his services.
climbs up, releases the old woman, and gets
blessed till he was tired Of it. "Oh," sails the
old woman, ''Mr. O'Balentine, the moment
Jerusha throwed the evil one, the house shook
like an earthquake, and rs entered the room
he grabbed me. Oh, l shall never forget his
fiery eyeballs, and the horrid smell of brim-
stone he had"
Had be cloven foot and long tail?" sais
Barney. Il couldn't see in the dark, :" sais She
but his claws were awful sharp, oh, how they
dug into my ribs. 1t e'en most took the flesh
of-oh hear! Lord have mercy on Us, hope
he's laid in the Red Sea now"
Tell you what it is, sunty,,' says Barney,
that's an awful story; keep it secret for Your
life-folks might say the house is harnted-
that you were possessed. and that Jerusha was
In league with the evil one. Don't so much as
lisp syllable to livin' sinner breatbip': keen
the secret, and will help you"
The hint took; the old woman had no wish
to be burnt or drowned for a witch. and the
moment feller has a woman's secret he is
that woman's master. He was invited there.
stayed there, married there-but the old woman
never knew who the evil one was and always
thought to her dying day it was old Scratch
himself. After her death they didnt keep it
secret no longer, and many a good laugh has
there been at the story of Barney O'Baientine
and the Devil
DETROIT BREACH OF PROMISE CAsE-Tbe
following, from the Detroit Free Press. goes a
little ahead Of the Carstang case, just concluded
al st. Louis: