The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1867-08-22
D0BBs AND HIS DIFFICULTIES.

J am no novelist, and have never as
/ pired to be, but l claim to be something
of a politician.
If there is a loyal man believe 1 am
one. | made great sacrifices during the
war for my country. | did not go TO war
because L could not. My private affairs
would not permit it. But if one person
IN the United States of America kept up
more CALLING fire in the rear than any
other one l am the man. / have been
the mark of the Copperheads. And be-
sides it has cost me much domestic trou-
ble
George Washington Harrison Socrates
Clay Dobbs, CHATS mel unfortunately
married one Amy Amanda Maria Louisa
Scraggs, and as old Scraggs was Demo-
crat, my Amy has been follower of the
old rebel sympathising Copperheaded But
ternut, and at times the climate at "Dobbs'
Cottage" became somewhat tropical. But
have borne it all like "A Christian
Old Scraggs has always been too fast
for me IN argument, but when he came
visiting and l held family prayer and got
the old reprobate upon his knees had all
the say, and you better believe | poured
grape and canister into Fort Sumter.
Amy was beautiful girl, and l married
her because | loved her. Some said |
married her for ''Dobbs' Cottage" but
that Is copperhead lie. 1t is true, her
father made us a present of the farm and
cottage, but what Of that? 1t was his
daughter, aud she had right to it. l
WAS master of the situation until recently.
This suffrage question involved me in a
very serious difficulty. / had taken spe-
cial pains to tantalize Amy about copper
heads, butternuts and sympathisers, but
when this suffrage question came up she
gave me bark upon the negro equality
question.
l Tended the best could, but found the
position was getting untenable, and so |
declared straight for equality and went at
1t upon general equality principles.
went my whole length and declared
for outright equality.
Our people had got patriotic and had
admitted the Negroes into the public
schools, and l had the honor of moving
first in thai important step.
One evening few weeks ago I came
home and Amy and had set-to on the
equality question. The children had been
at school that day, and each had negro.
next to them. l saw Amy was working
her wits, the result Of which was an an
nouncement that if the children had to
associate with negroes, l should too.
regarded the threat as an idle boast,
and thought no more of it.
A few days after this l notified her that
General - and his wife would dine
with US. Her eyes sparkled. | knew
there was mischief brewing, but L could
not forsec it.
l advised her that the General, his wife
and L would be at the cottage at one.
And sure enough we were.
And Amy was prepared for us. She
had prepared an excellent dinner, and
met us at the door to welcome us, an
nouncing Mt the same time that dinner
was ready.
So soon as we were prepared she led
the way to the dining room, and to my
surprise had spread large table, and had
a saucy old negro by the name of Crow,
with his wife and the two children that
were seated next to our children at school
already at the table, She apologized
for her haste in seating her first guests,
assuming that she had concluded we
were not coming, and then proceeded
to formally introduce old Crow and the
Crow family generally to the General
and wife as brother Crow, sister Crow,
master Crow, and little miss Crow.
felt good deal like growing some
myself, My legs began to show unmis-
taxable signs of elasticity. l felt as if l
could heave out any six negroes in the
neighborhood. But fully comprehended
the nature of the situation. The Gener-
ais wife was about TO explode. The
General, although an earnest Radical,
could not suppress his oltactory from be-
coming slightly elevated. My Amy was
extremely polite, and chatted away ap-
parently in one Of her happiest moods.
Old Crow sat back with his thumbs in
the armholes OF his dilapdated old vest,
whilst his wife, with folded arms. was
assuming an air of maiden innocence.
Amy han led the General seat by the
wench, which filled up that side of the
table, and hurriedly seated the Generals
wife by old gums and ivory Then gath
ering up the children seated them beside
their school fellows, after which she took
her seat at the head Of the table, and re-
quested me to be seated at the further end
to wait upon the guests.
Up to this time l had managed well.
But the Generals wife arose and remarked
that she did not intend to bear the insult
further. At this the General flew into a
passion, and accused me of purposely ar
ranging an insult. l protested, and ac-
cused Amy, and as l did SO old Scraggs
stepped in. The General remarked, "you
old but;ernut, you are at the bottom of
this My Amy reminded him that that
...n. hnr hama nnH M, l,r,1, sLa..Il L.