Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1875-10-02
JES, I.OOKIN'. FOR WE ALI.'S
,POSSUM.

Sam was a sharp darkey, but had u
laundering for Spring chickens. Dea-
con Jones had many hens on the roost
at night. This thought had troubled
Sam at prayer-meeting and lcve-feast.
Ills mind had planned how to obtain
few Of the fowl. How Ii, did it,
The wind whistlad mornfully thro'
the tree-tops; window shutters sway
ed in and out; some fell off the hinges,
others shattered panes from the win
dows awoke pains in the old De;.eon's
joints as he nestled closer to the part
ner Of his sorrows. Twas. indeed, a
snorter.n The pedestrian hurried
home to seek warmth before the bla-
king hearth, the smiles of a loving
wife, and the kisses of the little ones
who
"Clmb bis knee the enyied kiss TO
share"
The witching time of night 7
came on apace. Sammy had a large
sack thrown over his shoulder, and,
with his son Tom, were in Deacon
Jones hen-house. Nothing disturb
| ed the nocturnal visitors save the &C.
casional bark of Widow Thompson's
Rover AS the old Deacon had no
dog on the premises, everything was
propitious for them; but how was it
with the Deacon? He usually slept
soundly, but on this eventful night
he thought of his happy days of child
hood--also when he went To be a sol
dier in the regular army-how the
red coats ran; then he thought OF his
wife, how she loved him then the
second, how she had hurried him to
an untimely bald head and was
thinking whether he'd go to sleep or
not, when he heard noise in the di-
rection Of the hen-roost. He arose,
donned his clothes, seized his old
flint and steel, and crept noiselessly
to the hen-house. He paused at the
door. There Sam and his boy were
cleaning out the hennery. The Dea-
con looked and listened. The cold,
North wind whistled around his bare
legs. His gums smote together--(h he
wore store teeth on Sunday )--but
amid the excitement the following
dialogue was waited to his ears:
(Sam.) Look here my boy, hand
me down dat speckled pullet, and
leave dat old brown hen.
(Tom.) All right dad, here comes
dat speckled pullet.
| (Sam.) Now hand down dat rooster
keep your eye skinned dat he don t
git away from you. All right dat s
good lem me see! OATS fifteen al
| together. Dat'll do, come down now
my boy, and let's go home.
The old Deacon heard it all. At
ter Offering tlp short prayer, he
proceeded to ire oll that old blunder-
| buss, but concluded to give his vic
tins notice before hand.
Thus he spoke as he rushed in their
| presence. You infamous scoundrels
what are you doing here OH my prem
isesl villains, would we rob me.
"No, sah no, sah!" exclaimed
the old darkey, ''you see Massa
Jones our possum got out last night,
and we come down here to see eff we
couldn't find him. Jes' lookin' for
we all's possum, Massa Jones, dat s
ALL" The old Deacon heard their
explanation. Did he drop his gun
and say, ''you have done wrong l
forgive you all ~ Well, perhaps he
did, but the neighbors about that
time heard an awful explosion, and
two dark forms might have been
seen fitting like shadows tower the
fields and far away and if you
think there was reconciliation
ask the son who relieved the old man
of a half pound of double bis which
the Deacon had deposited under his
coat tails for safe keeping.
| Now, when the minister speaks of
the sin of hen roost robbing Old
Sam prays fervently that he may
never feel inclined tie go again in
search Of, 1--WE all's possum, Massa
| ,JOnes.''