Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-03-14

more delightfully."- exciting.
By the time the children got hint
of the coming treat, they crowded
around, and Sarah began:
"Now, all you young uns must sit |
'mazin' still if I'm gwine to tell
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, can tell you.
Quieting her audience with threats
of " claring 'em all out the house." she
began in low, solemn voice:
comet upon a time, way down in
Ole Kentuck', there lived a NJ A 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 guy to amy body. Lor he aIlus
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, huff for hisself. An if he
wanted wine, he jes went down an
fotched a bottle, an al'lus locked the
do arter him, an newer guy Sam
the fustest speck y
"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 guy him leetle corn
meal fur hoe cakes, an onct in great
while leetle teeny bit Nv O slice O.
bacon. So Sam got thinner an thin
ner, till he was near a 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 ies so
much corn-meal, an he said: Now,
Sam, I shall be gone away three days,
and thatll have to last ye till I get
back. I'll warrant ye'd like to ies eat
it every scrap the fust day, an ak fur
mo'-it's jes like ye; but not g snojen
do you get till come back, fur I've
locked everything up. An if 1 find
anything out O order when I come
back, I'll-Tll-wallop you; see if 1
dont!p
"With that so d-r-e-f-f-u-l threat, the
cruel Mah'sr went off, an left Sam all
alone. Well, Sam went to clearin' up
the house, an when he went to hang up
his Nah sr's everyday close-fur in
course he wore his Sunday ones to go
to town-he HAIRS somethin' hit agin the
| L
what that ar is. Mebbe Nah 'sr's done
left penny in his pocket. Oh, golly!
won't 1 buy bun! An he put his
hand in the pocket, an aOhat do you
S'poSe he found?
"THE CELLAR KEY!!p'
Sarah, looking wildly at her listen
ers, said these thrilling words in an
awful whisper, with a roll of The eyes
and dropping of the jaws, that made
it still more horrible.
"'Oh, Lor' here's the keyp said
Sam to hisself; what shall I do p
An then he thought awhile. But,
sakes chillen, pears like the Debil is
al'us waitin' fur chances, an so he
popped into Sans head to jes go an
look at the good things. 'Iwont touch
airy Bit said Sam, fur ole Mah'sr d
find out if one apple STEMS gone-but
I'll look That was the fust wrong
step, cLillen. 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 bari. 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 jes
! 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 We
$ on. AFTER Sam had tasted onct or twice,
/ he seen a t-e-e-n-y bit of ham, way of
! in the fur corner, an he said to hisself,
/. [ don't b'lieve ole Mah'sr II ever miss
a that ar one-'tain't much 'countno way!'
= An chillen, he was that hungry he
: couldn't help it, I do blieve. He
7 snatched that ham, an he eat an eat an
} eat till he couldn't stuff another mouf-
9 full, an hid the rest behind O bari.
r Then he went on an went on till he
: come to the apples-bins an bins O.
0 beautiful red apples And he
4 smelt of EN-, an then he eat an eat an
d eat till he couldn't stuff another mouf-
e full. Then he went on an went on till
+ he came to the shelf O sweetmeats, an
he looked at 'em an smelt of 'em, and
finally he snatched a jar, tore off the
cover, an eat an eat an eat till he
= couldn't stuff another moufful.
- An then he couldn't eat any more
. sure huff, an he went out an lock the
u do. But he never had so much to cal
i in his life, an pears like he was stuffed
u so full he sort O lost his reasons. He
8 went out an laid down on bench in
a the sun, an he said to hisself, Lor'