Port Royal commercial and Beaufort County Republican. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1873-1874, 1874-03-26
Sam's Feast. .

tuluBS. lo p0 ouS3 ehSJ "SAS SP' w
be little startling, and generally end
ed by soaring her listeners half out OF
their wits; but that only made them
more delightfully."- exciting.
By the time the children got hint
of the coming treat, they crowded
around, and Sarah began:
"Now, oil you young uns must sit
'mazin' still if I'm gwine to tell a
story"
Sarah's virtue as a story-teller was in
her face and manner. She was very
black, with large rolling eyes, very
long face, a monstrous mouth, great
white teeth, and long thin hands, which
had an uncanny white look on the in
side, as though the color were coming
off.
Perhaps you don't think hands have
much to do with story telling, but they
had with Sarah's, I can tell you.
Quieting her audience with threats
of " "claring 'em all out the house." she
began in q low, solemn voice:
"Onct upon q time, way down in
Ole Kentuck', there lived a MA N! He
was awful rich, and had heaps an
heaps O. nice things in his dark cellar.
Bottles an bottles O. wine, bar'ls an
bar'ls O. cider, an lots an lots O. hams,
bar'ls an bar'ls O. bacon, an bins an
bins O. apples, an jars an jars O. sweet
meats, an boxes an boxes o raisins,
an o ! piles O. good things to eat, in
that dark cellar"
Sarah paused to see the effect. Rush
smacked his lips, and the eyes of the
whole Johnson family rolled in ecstacy
at the delightful picture.
"But he was awful stingy! Not
speck of all these yer goodies would
he guv to amy body. Lor he allus
KEEP the key in his own pocket, an if
he wanted ham for dinner, he went
down in that yer dark cellar, an cut
slice, nuff for hisself. An if he
wanted wine, he ies went down an
fotched bottle, an allus locked the
do arter him, an never guy Sam
the fustest speck !"
"Well, now," Sarah went, on rolling
her eyes, "that ar Sam was a po' nigga
the only nigga the stingy man had ;
an he was that stingy he never half fed
him no way. He guv him leetle corn
meal fur hoe cakes, an onct in great
while leetle teeny bit Nv slice O.
bacon. So Sam got thinner an thin
ner, till he was near shadder, an his
fingers were Long and b-o.n-y."
And Sarah held up hers and clawed
them in the air, till the children could
almost see Sam and his bony hands.
"Well, one day this bad man had to
go way off to the big city, an he hadn't
got nobody to leave in the house but
jes Sam. So he done measured out jes 30
much corn-meal, an he said: Now,
Sam, shall be gone away three days,
and thatll have to last ye till I get
back. I'll warrant ye'd like to jes eat
it every scrap the fust day, an ak fur
mo'-it's jes like ye; but not snojen
do you get till 1 come back, fur I've
locked everything up. An if find
anything out O. order when I come
back, I'll-Tll-wallop you; see if I
don't!p
"With that so d-r-e-f-f-u.l threat, the
cruel Mah'sr went of, an left Sam all
alone. Well, Sam went to clearin' up
the house, an when he went to hang up
Ills Mah'sr's everyday close-fur in
course he wore his Sunday ones to 60
to town-he hars somethin' hit agin the
wall, an he thought to hisself, I'll see
what that ar is. Mebbe Mah's done
left penny in his pocket. Oh, golly!
won't I buy q bunr An he put his
hand in the pocket, an uhat do you
S'pose he .founds
"THE CELLAR KEY!!p
Sarah, looking wildly at her listen
ers, said these thrilling words in an
awful whisper, with roll of the eyes
and dropping of the jaws, that made
it still more horrible.
"sOh, Lor' here's the keyl' said
Sam to hisself; what shall do ?
An then he thought awhile. But,
sakes chillen, pears like the Debil is
al'us waitin' fur chances, an 80 he
popped into Sans head to jes 60 an
look at the good things. Il won't touch
airy Bit said Sam, 6 fur ole Mah'sr d
find out if one apple stems gone-but
I'll look That was the fust wrong
step, chillen. Ye know how hard it is
to defrain, if ye look at the things ye
oughten ter. Well, this yer onreverent
nigga c-r-e-p-t down stairs an unlocked
the do, and p-e-e-p-e-d in-trem'lin.
fit TO drop. He mos spected to see ole
Mah'sr behind a barl. But it was as
still as the grave, SO he c-r-e-p-t in.
There hung the Long rows O hams
so Juicy an sweet and Sam went up
an thought to hisself, Now, I'll ies
smell O one.' So he smelled Of it, an
it was so nice seems like he couldn't
help jes touch it with his finger an
clap his finger in his mouf, an then he
did it agin. Ye know, chillen, how the
old Debil STAINS side O. We an helps ye
on. Arter Sam had tasted onct OF twice,
he seen t-e-e-n-y bit of ham, way off
in the fur corner, an he said to hisself,
Il don't blieve ole Mah'sr II ever miss
that ar one-'tain't much 'countno wayI
An chillen, he was that hungry he
couldn't help it, 1 do b'leve. He
snatched that ham, an he eat an eat an
eat till he couldn't stuff another mouf-
full, an hid the rest behind a barl.
Then he went on an went on till he
come to the apples-bins an bins O.
beautiful red apples! And he
smelt of 'em, an then he eat an eat an
eat till he couldn't stuff another mouf-
ful. Then he went on an went on till
he came to the shelf o sweetmeats, an