Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-04-03

nails, / wished that my voice had power to thun-
Ter the life-story of which had been witness,
into the ears of all living men,
Written for the Memphis appeal.
Death of UucIe Sam.
''Well, old Uncle Sans dead. Poor fellow,
ne had hard time while he lived, and hope
le's better Off Requiescaf in pace. That means,
s'pose, that we must take warnin', and mind
)ur ways"
"Who was Uncle SAM ganny, and what made
him have hard timer"
"Lors a massy, children, he's seed heap of
rouble in his day, and I'm glad the old critters
out of his misery, i am, for you see his children
turned agin> him in his ole age, and when the
children get to quarreling it's all up with the old
folks"
"Well, tell us about it, ganny'
"Well, you see long time ago, ole John Bull,
that lives over tother side of the pond, he had a
sight of children, and they was mighty cramped
In the old humstid. So Sam, he come over this
side of the pond, 'thout asking Johns leave,
and built him house. Ole John was called n
mighty close listed old chap, and when he saw
Sam he was getting along purity well, he sent
over some of his tea 10 him. but he sold il mighty
high, and so Sam wouldn't have il. and flung il
into the pond. Now they'd alters minded John
right well before though they was on this side of
the pond, so when they flung the tea in the water
it riled the old gent purity considerable, and he
sent some of his servants over to tell Sam 70 be-
have, and to try and make 'em buy his tea. Sam
sent the fellows back with flea in their ears, and
told 'em to tell the old govner they wouldn't
have nothing to do with him, and was going to
buy their tea somewhar else.
Well, a spell arter that they got along purity
well. Uncle Sam had raft of children and
grandchildren, and so he pinted housekeeper TO
carry the keys and take keer of his tea candies
and sugar chists. He used to change his house
keeper every four years, and sometimes they
used to quarrel sight when the time come to
change; for some of the children wanted one
housekeeper and some another. Just at first
Uncle Sam had mighty good housekeepers; one
on um made purity striped counterpin with white
stars on it, ard whenever any of the children
got troublesome, the old man used to show um
the counterpin and tell um how they'd all worked
together at it like brothers and sisters, and they'd
all kiss and make friends.
Uncle Sans oldest child was big fellow
named Jonathan He lived on the north side of
the house, and had lots of children, and they was
powerful feered on the cold air and wouldn't have
no winders hardly, and them they had they KEEP
clo'st shet all the time. The other child of Sans
was girl named Virginny. She and her family
lived on the south side of the house. They was
a free and easy sort of folks and KEEP all their
winders open, for that side was all round green
fields and blossoms and blue skies.
Well, when the house got too full, they used
to add rooms all round but arter a spell, Jona-
than and bis folks said Virginny KEEP too many
open winders, and said 'twant healthy nor gen
teel, nor no ways seemly to live that way. They
tried hard to make um shet um up, and when any
of Virgnnys children come over thar they
wouldn't open a winder for love nor money.
Well, you see ole John Bull, he had a sight of
poor kin on his side of the pond; and Hans and
Paddy they come over to stay with Sam; and
arter while they filled up all the house, and then
they had to build heap more rooms. Jonathan
he told Hans and Paddy 'twant healthy this side
of the pond to have the winaers open, and so they
shet up all THEIRS and in pint of fact the critters
didn't have no money to make winders. Well,
thard been a power of fuss and talk about them
winders, but Virginny and her children just laft
| at it., and didn't keer much. for they loved ole
| Uncle Sam, and didn't want to hurt the ole man
feelings
Now it come to be time to change house keep
ers, and Jonathan, and Hans, and Paddy put
their heads together and sed old Miss Lincoln she
should be housekeeper, and she'd shet up all the
winders in no time. Ole Aunt Jemimy Buchan
J an, she was the housekeeper then, and she didni
keer bout the winders much but when it come
to having ole Miss Lincoln thar at the head. Vir-
ginny and her children got mad and said she
| shouldn't have the keys. So they made power
full bluster, tell you. But 'twouldn't come tc
much arter all, eff Virginny's Oldest daughter
little Palmetto, that lived close to the pond
hadn't been more spunky than the rest. Shed
helped to drive John Bulls sarvants off, in thai
tea kettle fuss, and she thought it didn't become
the likes of her to be put upon by Jonathan an,
more'n John Bull his self. So she said she'd
shut up all the doors between Jonathan's folk:
and her, and have housekeeper of her own, and
pantry of her own, and live 10 herself. iona.
than said he'd whip her eff she didn't hold her jaw
and some of Virginny's other children said Pal
metto wanted a whipping, and Jonathan had orr
to give it to her. Virginny she said Jonathan
shouldn't do it, and eff he touched Palmetto she'd
show him the length of her foot-and her fist too
Ole Aunt Jemimy said Jonathan hadn't ought
to do it, and he mustn't do it, and Palmetto must
be let alone; but Jonathan whispered something
in the old oomans ear, and she jist whipped right
round and said If Palmetto shet up any of them
doors she'd have um opened agin. Then she
shook her keys and trotted round like old hen
with one chicken, and begged uncle Sam TO make
Jonathan and Palmetto behave and make friends
Pore ole uncle Sam, he tried and tried. He
talked to Jonathan and he talked to Palmetto
J but t'want the least mite of use. Aunt Jemimy
| she sent one of the farm servants round TO open
of the doors Palmetto d shut up, but Palmetto
she ordered him of, and when he didn't go she
| flung big stone at him. He took TO his heel:
then and went back to Aunt Jemimy and told
her, and she went to old uncle Sam agin, and
begged him to make Jonathan and Virginny quit
| quarrelling, and talked bout sending more mer
round to open the doors; but then Georgy and
| Floridy and Alabamy and Mississipy, Virginny'i
other children, they all commenced shetting uI
the doors too, and talked so sassy to aunt Jemim,
that she was crazy as a March hare with trouble
and most ready to throw the keys IN the pond
She didn't let old uncle Sam have minits peace
aggravatin the old critter to make the children
behave.
Well, the upshot of the thing was, they shu
up all the doors between the two families, ant
when ole Miss Lincoln got the keys, she found
the pantry hadn't the least mite of a thing to ca
in it; and she didn't have nothin to keep hous,
on; and Hans and Paddy gin her lots of troub
to keep um quiet. Virginny, she want no bette
off nuther, for some of her children had a might,
hankering arter that old counterpin of Unc
Sans, cause the first housekeeper had il made
and you see it rightly belonged to Virginny, 70
she'd helped TO sew on every stripe and star in it
and when they was all in she bound it round AM
finished it up at Yorktown, when ole John Bull
boys was making mighty row about that tea
But she'd let Jonathan get hold IN it, and b
wouldn't hear on her havin al rag even for keep
sake to remember the good houeekeeper who ha'
it made when Uncle Sam first set up fur hisself
He said he'd won it from Virginny at Bunke
Hill, Bennington and Saratoga. Then virginn
tried to put him in mind how she got it bacl
when they played at Cowpens and Yorktown. an
told him he played at Saratoga with some of he
cards; but he put his fingers in his ears an
wouldn't hear word. Pore ole Uncle Sam, h
could not tell which to stay with, and he pine
and pined away till the cold March winds com
soon and finished him. / hope Jonathan's salts
fed now with all his shet up winders. for he
just been the death of the old with then
winders, he has. Poor ole Uncle Sam. / aller
loved him mighty, and / love to hear him tel
how he fit old John Bull. And sakesi how prou
he used to be of that ole striped counterpn. Blu
he's out of his MISERY Well its a debt we'v
all got to pay eff it please God we live to see i
And now children go to bed, and don't forgit .
say your prayers.
PARDoSED.-Old Mrs. Knapp, she who mur
dered her husband near Auburn, Dekalb county