The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-11-16
JRck,s Speculation.

Bragg is as black as the ace of spades
and his face about as broad, and before
the war he was chattcl of planter on
the river. Said planter had an interest
in several steamboats,, and as Jack was
a trusty fellow he allowed him to run
occasionally to and from New Orleans,
and finally allowed him to be employed
on the boats most of the time.
On one of the boats-thc May Queen
the engineer discovered that Jack
was intelligent and faithful, and en-
ploycd him in his department. This
was glory for the chattcl. The roar,
and the sweep, and the majestic pulsa-
tions of the mighty engine were to him
revelation. They brought out in him
all that was grand and aspiring. To be
able to control that wondrous array of
mechanism-to be himself the man
whom that stupendous power should
obey-was thought that crept into his
mind and possessed him entirely.
/ Thc engineer of the May Qucon was
q goodh-eartcd man, thorough in his
profession, and given to be lazy, and
slightly addicted TO drink. When he
found that Jack was eager to learn how
to run the engine he gave him help /;
and in this he was entirely selfish, for
he had made sure that the negro would
very soon surpass his own assistants.
And so it proved. Never was repair
made upon any part of the machinery
that Jack was not watchful of the way
and manner in which that part was
fashioned, and whenever there was any
thing to be done which he could do. he
did 1t.
His owner, at the request of the cap
tain of the May Queen, put him on
board to clean the enginc-lO scrub,
sconr, polish, and dust and clean the
bright work, and TO oil the running
parts and bearings. In six months
from that time he could lie OH at pleas
urc, feeling perfectly safe to leave Jack
in charge of his engine; and OCCASION
ally, when Jack would lay him away
out of sight, and do his duty for him
while he was overcome with liquor, he
would do the generous thing. In this
way Jack saved up money. But n
change was coming.
Jacks owner died, and his widow.
preparatory to selling ont, called in all
the chattels, to have them on hand, and
Jack went in with the rest. Oh, it was
hard for him. The chances were that
he would be sold off down the river.
What should he do? lie went to his
old friend, the engineer of the May
Queen, and asked him for help.
''But what can do?" the man asked
in return.
"Promise, fust, Mas'r Linkum, dat
you'll keep my secret"
Mr.. Lincoln promised.
And then Jack asked the engineer to
go to a physician whom he could trust
and get some safe and simple medica-
ton by means of which he could make
himself sick at pleasure, but which
should produce no lasting effects.
Lincoln understood and entered into
The spirit of the thing at once. In fact,
Jack had been so kind to him, had TAX
cn care of him so many times when he
had been too far gone with drink to
take care of himself and at the same
time running his engine for him-that
he felt bound to give all the assistance
in his power. He knew physician at
Natchez whom he could trust with the
exact business us ii was-a New York
man, whose heart was in just the right
place.
The doctor heard the story and COM
pounded the required article. IL was
simply nauseating mixture, which
would keep the stomach completely up
set while being taken, without produc-
ing any effect that would endure be-
yond the dosing.
Armed with ihi, drug Jack went
home.
"My soul an body, Missue, | feel
kind oh GURUS! Golly. hope to marcy
| hain't got none OBJ dem ribber fe-
vers!"
On the next day Jack was really sick
He was too valuable hand to he given
up, and his mistress called physician
There was no fever, a simple derange-
ment of the digestive organs, which he
thought would be readily conqured.
"YOu must make him WE'LL" the wild
ow said, "for l want to sell off as soon
as can, and if Jack is all that my hus-
band claimed him to be | certainly
ought to get twelve hundred dollars for
him."
Jack happened to overhear this and
he grew no better very fast. In a few
days his mistress became alarmed.
"What can be the matter with him -
she asked of the doctor.
And the doctor told her, with profess
sional dignity, that he thought the
''boy" was "breaking up" Some old
disease, contracted on the rivera sort
of low, persistent fever, it was coming
to.
BY and by, when Jack had stood the
breaking down process as long rs he
could and when he knew that the phy-
sician had given up all hope of curing
him, he ventured to broach the subject
nearest TO his heart.
"Missus,' said he, as solemn ms SOL
emn could be, struggling for breath
gaspingly, II specs dis yer niggcr's
gwine fur to die. Dis ole carcass Is
bout done for an gone up. Now is
got bit OBJ money laid away-money
dat | made on dc ribbcr-an' twom't be
oh no use to me artcr Pm dead an put
inter de groun.' Oh, missus. I'd like
to die free man. Golly! pears to me
if could jes' for once own myself
should be de happiest nigger goin'.
could die my own mas'r.'
Jack confessed that he could raise Il
hundred dollars, and for that sum his
mistress gladly gave him the papers
that made him a free man. On the
next day after getting his papers he
went Oh board the May Queen, and was
hired at once by the engineer at good
wages; and after cutting of his med
icinc he was not long in rcgaining his
pristine health and vigor.
Jack is gray-headed now, but he is
still in the land of the living, and, as |
said at the outset, one of the best engi-
neers on the river; and he loves, even
at this day, to tell of his grand spccula-
tion when he made that trade with his
mistress. sc, in.
LOVE AND AsTRONOM.-''By .ipi-
ter, these are lovely nights! Nothing
Mars the serenity of the scene," cx-
claimed young Jones. the other night,
as he Saturn the porch meath the sill
very rays of the crescent moon, with
his arm around the waist of Venus.
/ Hui Whnn iln oil xunnaan ananad il.a