Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-12-27

a candy cat for dem loetle creeturs dat amt
seed no Crismus, not sence der pa were
buried"
No, Uncle Pompey God forgave you
that crime, even if the recording angel ever
put il down.
whats the matter, uncle?" inquired a
gentleman who entered at the moment
'Lor', Mr.. Dale ~ whimpered Uncle Pom
pey, "twarn't nothin but jes' a han'ful o.
goobers-no morn nuf ter put in yo eye"
"How bout de cat, Niger - jeered his
brother, showing every tooth in his head.
"An den" continued Uncle Pompey to
Mr. Dale-'an' den dere were Il little cat set
tin up on de counter. which people KEEP
a-buyin' all round her, an didn't nobody seem
to keer bout gittin' O. her an ] thought by
dat how she couldn't be much count, an /
jes' TUX holt NV her an when de man hol-
Tered it skeered me so / run out an forgot to
put her down. But Lord Lord what harm
were it jes' to take dat little ole cat, an Mars
Tips grauchiun cryin' fit TO kill derse'f!"
who is Mars Tip p asked Mr. Dale
"He were my ole marster but he done
dead and gone dis many day, an Mis- Lot
tie (dats Mis- Radcliffe), she were Mars Tips
onlest chile, an' desc oders is her'n."
Mrs. Radcliffe Is she q sempstress?' p
asked Mr.. Dale
Uncle Pompey drew himself up: "Gre't
day No, sab We Sint got no seamsters
in our family. Sence de war Mis- Lottie do
a little sewin' when she kin git it, jes' ter
make n little money, but she amt no seam
ster. 1t don't run in our family to be seam
sters, sah."
Mr.. Dale smiled; "She takes in sewing,
then, does sheI'
"Yes, sab an lows how 1 kyar's bun
dies TO yo' house for her sumtimes"
"Ah thought | knew you. Yes, Mrs.
Radcliffe gavyc fnr m xxifa and very rnuch of
a lady she is Well, what is this about the
children and what is the matter about you -
Lord, sir dey amt got nuf ter eat ter
keep EN- erlive, an Cord knows l amt got
nary crum ter give em / aint got none for
myself. But they was a-cryin' so pitiful bout
Cris'mus dat l jes' took dem COOLERS an de
little ole cat-dog-gone her soul! to fill up
der stockin"
"Why didn't you take something to eat for
yourself? We're you not hungry 7" asked
Mr.. Dale and Uncle Pompey replied simply,
'Iln always hungry now, sab, but I'm 'feered
to steal, COS | can't run like | use ter, an |
amt eben got strenth nuf in my arm to
throw nuthin' fur 'nuf to git it out o sight
ef dey was tryin' to cotch me but jes' tried
il tonight, COS couldn't bar to see de stress
o de chilun-chillun what der pa use jes' to
roll in money ?"
What became of all his property" asked
Mr.. Dale
Uncle Pompey felt that he had friend, and
resumed more composedly "Wall, sah
heap on it were in niggers; den some on it
had ter be turned inter meat an bread au'
some on il were in some outlandish, far-On
place. l Use ter hear ole mars talk bout his
lucky Ian, an Mis- Lottie gifts writin' sum
times from sumbody out dar, an dey says
taxes or sum 'nuther's eatin' NV it up, an
talks bout putin NV it under de hommer
a. 1 - 1 -
mers an taxes.-My Lor! Mis- Lottie use ter
have niggers TO do her tackin' an hommerin'
Umph! umph umph!"
Uncle Pompey fixed his eyes on the floor
and shook his head gloomily from side to
side.
mo, my Lor !" he continued, rousing him
self Miss Lottie don't know no morn a ba-
by how ter keep it from bein' ct up, an she
amt got no money to pay nobody to go out
Gar an see bout it. Cord knows amt too
proud to walk out dar for the chile, ef l
knowed de way or knowed what ter do arter
l got ont dar, but l don't eben know what's
a-eatin' NV it up"
Uncle Pompey's statement bore the unmis-
taxable mir of truth and policeman enter
ing at the moment, one of the proprietors of
the store said to him brusquely, mo use for
you all II mistake. Obliged to you. And
now, you old rascal" he continued address
ing Uncle Pompey, IF you don't go right to
work and show this crowd how much bread
aud cheese you can eat, and how many ap-
pies your pockets will hold, I'll call back that
policeman and send you to jail anyhow"
The whole crowd had become sympathetic,
and was filled with generous emotion, and
Uncle Pompey almost thought it dream as
he found himself surrounded by smiling faces
and his wants supplied by friendly hands.
Larrum Sons brought forth crackers and
sardines, and piled the old man with apples,
and placed before him jug of foaming ale,
and the crowd pressed around buzzing ap-
pause but when Mr.. Dale said 10 him, And
now, Uncle Pompey, after you have eaten all
you can, if you don't see how many oranges
and dolls and popguns and sugar cats you can
take TO those children, I'll have the police
man after you myself, the buzz went up in
to a cheer, and such clapping of hands you
never heard. But the best of all was when
he took his cane and unlocked one of the
baskets that hung from the ceiling-the very
biggest basket of them all-and began to fill
it up. Not n soul in the house but must put
in something, great or small, till it was full to
the brim and running over. And when it was
found that Uncle Pompey could not lift it,
everybody wanted TO help him and must have
a hand in it, and so they upset it and had to
fill it over again and while some were doing
that others made the old man eat more bread
and cheese, and stuffed his pockets with more
sardines, and loaded him down with ever so
many more of the golden pippins, and finally
carried his basket to the widows door and
had not Uncle Pompey been so terrified at the
proposition they would have taken him on
their shoulders and carried him also.
Mrs RadcliHes candle was haring in the
socket, her work had fallen on her lap, and
she was leaning lstlessly on her hand, when
she heard the sound of something being drag
ged through the front entrance, and then a
knock at her door and on opening it what
should she see but an enormous basket filed
with all sorts of good things, and behind it
Uncle Pompey joy beaming from his black
features as plainly as the blaze from a lump
of Kanawha coal
Uncle Pompey! Where on earth-how
in the world-why, what does this mean 7"
she asked, bewildered as he dragged the bas-
ket to the centre of the room.
at mean Cris'mus, Mis- Lottie-no mo- an
no less, replied Uncle Pompey with delight
mo longer an no shorter"
but where did they come from2 Who
gave them to you"
Uncle Pompey had not had the advantage
of two squares for consideration as TO how he
should explain ''Cris'mus' to Mis- Lottie, at
the same time shielding his own honor, with
out availing himself of the opportunity; so
he replied promptly: II does little jobs for |
Mr. Larrum sumtimes, you know, Mis- Lottie,
and l were passin' by tonight an he called |
me in to gimme little Cris'mus an genl- |
man in dar were buyin' Cris'mus for his FAM
lily, an he nxed me who wor, an den he |
lowed how he use ter go TO school wild Mars !
Tip, an den he gimme dis yer basket for ter |
bring ter de chillun, for Mars Tips sake.
''Was he an old man ?" asked Mrs. Rad
clife.
Uncle Pompey scratched his head 'Well |
-er, he moughtbe-uTur-so -somewhar tween |
me an you, like" Which was leaving play |
for the imagination, as she was not more than |
twenty three.
''Did he give you his name?" asked Mrs. |
Radcliffe, still too much astonished to touch |
anything did he give you his name 2"
"Well-urrur no MN, don't say as l |
rik'lak bout dat. My mind were so sot on de |