Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-04-12
BARNEY O'BALENTINE AND THE
DEVIL
ny SAM SLICK, ESQ.

"Well, there lived an old woman some
years ago at Musquash Greek, in South Caro-
lima, that had large fortin and an only
darter. She was widder, q miser, and a
drunker. She was very good and very cross,
us many riteous pious people are, and had a
loose tongue and tight pus of her own. All
the men that looked at her darter she tho't
had an eye to money and she warnt far out
of the way mother, for it seems rs if beauty
and money was too much to go together in a
general way. Rich gals and handsome. gals
are seldom good for nothin else but their
cash or their looks. Pears and peaches are
not often found ON the same tree, l tell you.
She lived all alone the most with nobody but
her darter and her in the house, and some old
nigger slaves in hut near at hand and she
seed no company she could help. The only
place they went, in ageneral way, wasmeetin;
and Jerusha 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, hearn of the fortin of Miss
Files made up to her as fierce rs possible,
and sang so sweet, and talked so sweet, and
kissed so sweet, that lie soon stood number
one with the heiress. But he didn't often
get chance to walk home with her, and when
he did she darsn't let him come in for fear
of the old women. But Barney warnt to be
put off that way long. When gals in one
pastur and lover in another, it's. high
fence that they can't get over, that's fact.
"Tell you what" says Barney, ''sit up alone
in the keepin' room, Jerusha, dear, arter old
mother has gone to bed, put out the light,
and I'll slide down on the rope from the trap
door on the roof Tell her you are exercised
in your mind, and want to mediate alone, as
the words you heard this day have reached
your heart" ...
Jerusha was frightened to death Almost; but
what won't woman do when lover is in
the way? So that very night she told the old
woman she was exercised in her mind, and
would rastle with the spirit.
"Do DEAR" says the mother, "and you
won't think of the vanities of dress and idle
company no more. You see how | have
given them all up since l made profession,
and never so much as talk of EN- now, or
even thinks of en-" ......... .....f
"Strange, Squire amt it?" But it's much
easier to cheat ourselves than cheat the devil
That old hag was too stingy to buy dress,
but persuaded herself it was bein' too good to
wear it,"
"Well, the house was fiat rooted house,
and had trap-door in the ceilin' over the
keepin' room, and there was crane on the
roof, with a 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
trap-door and lets himself down by the rope,
and he and Jerusha sat down on the hearth
in the chimney corner courtin', or as they
call it in them diggins' "snidin ashes" When
daylight began to show, he went up the rope
hand over hand, hauled it up after him,
closed too the trap-door, and made himself
scarce. Well, all this went on as slick as
could be for while, but the old woman seed
that her darter looked pale, and as if she
hadn't sleep enough, and there was no gettin'
her up in the mornin, and when she did she
was yawnin' and gappin' and so dull she
hadn't word to say. She got very uneasy
about it at last, and used to get up in the
night sometimes, and call her darter, and
make her go off to bed, and once or twice
come plaguy near catchin' Ofthem. So what
does Barney do, but takes two niggers with
him, when he went after that, and leaves them
on the roof, and fastens large basket 10 the
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
night the old woman came to the door as
usual, and sails, "Jerusha," sais she, what on
airth ails you, to make you sit up all night
that wayH Do come TO bed, that's dear"
Presently, marm," said she. "Pm rastling
with the evil one, I'll come presently
Dear, dear, sais she, 'you have rastledlong
enough with him TO have throwed him by
this time. If you can't throw him now, give
it up, OF he may throw you" Presently,
marm," sais her darter. "Its always the
same tune" sais her mother, goin offgrumb-
lin'-"it's always presently-what has got
into the gal to act so? Oh, dearl what a
pertracted time she has on it. She has been
sorely exercised, poor girl"
As soon as she had gone, Barney larfed 50
that he had to put his arm around her to
study him on the bench, in a way that didn't
look unlike rompin, and when he went to
whisper, he larfed SO he did nothin' but touch
her cheek with his lips, in a way that looks
plaguily like kissin, and felt like it too, and
She pulled to get away, and they had most
regular rastle as they sat on the bench, and
down went both on 'em on the floor with an
awful smash and in bounced the old woman.
(which is uppermost," sails she. Have you
throwed Satan or has Satan throwed you?
Speak, Jerusha, speak, dear who's throwedp"
81 have throwed him" sails her darter and
hope have broke his neck, he acted so"
"Come to bed then, darling. sails she, "and
say prayer afterward, and'--jist then the
old woman was seized round the waist,
hoisted through the roof, and from thence to
the crane, where the basket stopped and the
first thing she know'd she wal away up ever
so far'in the air swingin' in large basket,
and no soul near her. r
barney ana MS niBgers cut sIicA IN uounie
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,
kiclxin' and squealing, and cryin', and prayin',
all in one, properly frightened. Down runs
Barney, hard as he could slip, lookin' as inno-
cent as ifhe'd never heerd nOthin' of II, and
pretendin' to be horrid frightenedi offers his
services, climbs up, releases the old woman,
and gets blessed till he was tired oft. "OhP'
sails the old woman, "Mr. 0 Balentine, the
moment Jerusha throwed the, evil one, the