Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1878-11-21
A Story of Twenty Years Ago.

A Story Of Twenty Years Ago.
Mr.. b. was a great merchant in
Baltimore. One morning be was
passing over the vessels that lay a,
the wharf, he stepped upon the deck
OF one, at the stern of which he saw q
negro, whose detected countenance
gave sure indication of distress. he
accosted him with:
Hey! my man, what is tho mat
ter?r
The negro lifted up his eyes and
looking at Mr.. B., replied:
"Ah! massa, Use in great trouble.
"What about?"
Case Use fotched up here to be
sold."
"What for? What have you been
doing? Have you been stealing? or
did you run away? or what?"
NO, no, massa; none O. dat. Its
bekase I dodn't mind de audahs."
What kind of orders?"
WELL massa stranger, will tell
you. Massa Willum VERY strict
man, and VERY nice man, too. and
eberybody on de place got to mind
him, and brake frew de rule, but 1
didn't tend to brake de rule, doe: 1
forgot myself and got too high"
at is for getting drunk, then, is it?"
"Oh, no, sab, not dat Mother"
"Then tell me what you are to be
sold for?"
For praying, sah."
"For prayingl That's strange tale.
Will not your master permit you to
pray?"
"Ob, yes, sab, he left me pray easy; /;
but / hollers too loud"
"And why do you hslloo in your
prayers"
"Kase the spirit comes on me and I
gets happy fore knows it; den I
gone, can't 'trol myself; den I knows
nutting bout massa's rule"
"Anj do you suppose your master
will really sell you for that?"
"oh, yes, no help for me now. ~All
de men in de world couldn't help me
now-kase when Massa wifium says
one ting he no do anoder."
"What Is your name?'
Moses"
what is your masters name?"
"Massa's name is Colonel VIM.
c."
where .oes he live?"
Down on the Easin Shoah."
as he a good master and treats
you well?"
"Oh. yes; no better man in de
wuld."
@Stand up and let me look at you.
And Moses stood up and presented
robust frame; and as Mr.. B. strip
ped up his sleeve, his arm gave evil
dence Of unusual muscular strength.
"Where is your master?'
"Yander he is, jss comm to de
warf."
As Mr.. b. started for the shore he
heard Moses give a heavy sigh, fol-
lowed by a deep groan. Moses was
not at all pleased with the present
phase of affairs. He was strongly
impressed with the idea that Mr.. B,
was trader aud intended to buy him
and it was this that made him so un-
willing to communicate to Mr.. b. the
desired information. Mr.. b. reached
the warf just as Colonel c. did. He
introduced himself and said:
"I understand you want to sell that
negro man yonder, on board the
schooner"
Colonel C. replied that he did.
What do you ask for him?"
II expect to get $700."
'How old do you reckon him tc
be?"
Somewhere about 80"
"Is he healthy?"
"Very; he never had any sickness
In his life except one or two spells o.
the ague."
'Is he hearty?"
"Yes, sir, he will eat as much as an,
man ought, and 1t will do him al
much good"
us he a coed hand?'
"Yes, sir, he Is the best hand on m!
place. He is steady, honest and In
dustrious. He has been by foreman
for the last tep years, and mor'
trusty negro never knew"
why do you wish to sell him?"
Because he disobeys my orders
As said. he is my foreman; and tha
he might be available at any momen
1 might want him, built his hu
within about hundred yards OF IN.
own honse, and / have never runl
the bell at any time OF the night o.
morning that the horn did not answe
in five minutes after. But two yeas
ago he got religion and commences
with what he terms family prayer
that is praying in his hut every nigh
and morning and when he began bi
prayers it was impossible to tel
when he would stop, especially il Ia
hetermed IT'D he got happy. Then h.
would sing, and pray, and halloo 70
an hour or two together, that yol
might hear him nearly a mile Of
And he would pray for me and On,
wife and my children, and our Who'll,
family connections to the third gen
GRAFTON, and sometimes we wouls
4 Il