Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-03-18
Squire Skaggs.

.You see,'' said the squire, pitching his
voice to an exegetical altitude, 4" it waz
sorter this way: Last Chuseday was a
week ago, | sailed down from Gwinnstt to
Atlanty with seven bags of cotton Arter
| sold 'em. kinder loafed roun' lookin' at
things in general an feelin' Jest as happy
as vou please. when who should | run agin
but Kernel Blasengame? Me an the kur-
mel used to be boys together, an we wuz
rs thick as five kittens in 4 rag basket
We drunk outen the same goad, an We
got the lint snatched outen us by the same
bandy-legged school-teacher. | wuz gitten
as lonesome as a rain-crow, afore struck
up with the kurnel an was glad to see
him-durned glad We knocked roun'
town right smartuallv. an the kurnel in
terjuced me to whole raft of fellers-
mighty nice boys they wuz, too. Arter
supper the kurnel says Shaggs.
says he. less 90 to my room where we
kin talk over ole times sorter comfortable
an ondistrrbed like
.. Greeable,' says /, an we walked a
squar or SO an turned into 4 alley an
walked up a narrer par of stars The
kurnel gin a little rap at green door, an
a slick lookin' merlatter popped out an
axed us in. He was wuz the durndest
got up an spun aroun' like a tom-cat with
her tail afire. The room wuz as fine as a
fiddle an full of pictures an sofys, an the
cheers wuz as saft rs lam's wool. an L
thought to meself that the kurnel wuz
lugsuriant cuss Thar wuZ 4 lot of mighty
nice fellers scattered rOun' a laffin an :,
talkin' quite soshobel like. Aperient the
kIrnel wuZent sot back. for he Sorter laffed
To himself an then he SAWS -
-. Boys says he. hay fetched up
fren.' Jedge Hightower, this is Squire
Skaggs of Gwinnett. Majer Briggs,
Squire Skaggs an so on all roun-' Then
the kurnel turns TO me an SAYS
-. .Reely, | wuzent eXpectin' company.
Skaggs, but the members of the Young
Mems Christian soshashun make my room
their headquarters
Il ups an saws | wuz mighty glad to
meet the boys. | used to be a premativ'
Babtis myself afore l got to cussin' the
Yankees, an hev always had sorter
hankerin' arter pious folks They all laffed
an shuck hans over agin an we sot thar
smokin' an chawin, Just as muchuel
as YOU please disremember how it come
up, but presently Majer Briggs gets up an
says
'.Kurnel, what about that new parler
game you got out the other day?
-. Oh says the kurnel, lOokin' sorter
sheepish, that waz a humbug. / can't
make no head nor tail outen it
"'Tll bet l kin manage it, says Jedge
Hightower, quite animated like
a. I'll show you how, jedge, with pleas
ure.' says the kurnel. an then he went to
Il table, unlocked box an tuck out a
deck of keerds an a whole lot of little
whatyoumaycallems, similarly to horn
buttons. some white an some red"
Squire Shaggs paused and supplied his
tireless jaws with a fresh quid Of tobacco
| "It amt no use to tell you any more.
When them fellers got done larnin' me
that game / didn't have money enough to
take me down stars. / lay l looked a
leetle wild, for when the jedge closed the
box he said as We hev had a pleasant
evenin,' squire. You'll find the kurnel
waitin' for you on the steps. an he'll give
You your money back >"
II amt never laid eyes on the kurnel
sence, an when l do that's goin' to be n
case for the kurriner-you mind my words.
l seed Rufe Lester. next day-you know
Rufe; he's in the Lesislatur now. but /
used to give him popcorn when he wuz-
emit so high-I seed Rufe an he sed / wuz
tuck in by the Pharaoh men. Tuck in
aint no name for it. Derned eff didn't
20 to the bottom an git skinned alive
Savannah NeUs.