Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-10-17
NO. GAG.

father and grand'ther before him all min
isters; he was putty up and down and
commandin' in his ways, and things had
to go putty much as he said. He was a
good deal sot by, Parson Williams was.
and his wife was Derby, one o. them
rich Salem Derby's. and brought him lots
o money. and 80 they lived putty easy and
comfortable so fur as this worlds goods
goes. Well, now. the parson want RELY
what you call worldly minded, but then
he was one o them folks that knows what's
good in temporals as well as sperituals,
and alters loved to hev the best that there
was goin'; and he alters had an eye to
good hose
"Now there was Parson Adams and Par
son Scranton. and most of the other min
isters, they didn't know and didn't care
what hoss they he'd; jest logged round
with these ERE poundin', pOt-bellied,
sleepy critturs that ministers mostly hes.
good enough to crawl round to funerals
and ministers meetins and associations
and sich; but Parson Williams he alters
would hev a boss as was boss; he looked
out for blood. and when these ere Yer
mont fellers would come down with a
drove, The parson he had his eyes open
and knew what was what. Couldn't none
of 'em cheat him on boss flesh and so
one time when Zach Buel was down with
a drove. the doctor he bought the best hoss
in the lot. Zach said he never see par
son afore that he couldn't cheat, but he
said the doctor reely knew as much as he
did, and got the very one he meant to "a
kept for himself.
This ere boss was peeler, I'll tell
you. They'd called him Tamerlane from
some heather feler or other. the boys
called him Tam, for short. Tam was
great character. All the fellers for miles
round knew the doctors Tam, and used
to come clear over from the other parishes
to see him.
"Wall, this ere sot up Cuffs back high,
| tell YOU. Cuff was the doctors nigger
man. and he was na'rally drefful proud
criitur! The way he would swell and strut
and brag about the doctor and his folks
and his things The doctor used to give
Cuff his cast-off clothes, and Cuff would
prance roun in en- and seem to think he
was doctor of divinity himself, and had
charge of all natur'
"Well. Cuff reely made an idol o that
ere hoss, regular craven image, and
bowed down and worshipped him; he
didn't think nothin' was too good for him !;
he washed. and brushed and curried him,
and rubbed him down. till he shone like a
lady's satin dress; and he took pride In
ridin' and drivin' him. cause it was what
the doctor wouldn't let nobody else do
but himself.
You see, Tam warn't no lady's boss.
Miss Williams was 'fraid as death of him.
and the parson he had to git her sort o.
low-spiritea crittur that she could drive
herself. but he liked to drive Tam and he
liz at IN Oo roupI 10 oountry IN hia hantr
and fine figure of man he was on him,
too. He didn't let nobody else back him
or handle the reins but Cuff, and Cuff was
drefful set up about it. and he swelled
and Dragged about that ar horse all round
the country Nobody couldn't put in
word bout any other hoss without Cuffs
feathers would be all up-stiff as q tom
turkeys tail-and that's how Cuff got the
doctor into trouble.
Eye see, there nat'lly was others that
thought they'd got horses. and didn't
want to be crowed over. There was Bill
Atkins, out to the west parish, and Ike
Sanders, that KEEP a stable up to Pequot
Holler; they was down a-lOokin' at the
parsons hoss, and -bettin' on theirn, and
a-darin' Cuff to race with 'em.
oval Cuff he couldn't stand it, and
when the doctors back was turned he'd
be off on the sly. and they'd hev their
race; and Tam be beat 'em all. Tam.
We see. boys, was a hoss that couldn't and
wouldn't hev a hoss ahead of hm-he jest
,Coaldnt! Ell he dropped down dead in
his tracks the next mint, he tCould be
ahead. and he alters got ahead, and so his
name got up; and fellers KEEP comm to
try their horses. and Cuff'd take Tam out
to race with fust one and then another till
this ere got to be a reg'lar thing, and be-
gun to be talked about.
Folks sort o. wondered if the doctor
knew, but Cuff was sly as weasel. and
alters had story ready for every turn;
There was folks as said they believed
the doctor was knowin' to it, and that he
felt sort o. carnal pride, sech as min
ister oughtn't fer to hev, and so shet his
eyes to what was goin' on. Aunt Sally
Nickerson said she was sure ont; twas
all talked over down to old Miss Bummi-
gers funeral, and aunt Sally she said the
church ought TO look into't. But every
body knew aunt Sally she was alters
watchn' for folks haltin's, and settin' on
herself up to jedge her neighbors.
oval. | never believed nothin' agin
Parson Williams; it was all Cuffs con-
trivances; but the fact was the felers all
got their blood up, and there was boss
racin' in all the parishes; and it got SO
they'd even race hosses a Sunday
"Wal, of course they never got the
doctors hoss out a Sunday. Cuff wouldn't
"a burst to do that. Lordy massy. no.
He was alters there in church settin' up
in the doctors clothes, rollin' up his eyes
and lookn' as pious as eff he never
thought o racin' hosses; he was an aw-
full solemn-lookin' niger in church.
But there was lot o. them fellers up
to Pequot Holler-Bill Atkins and Ike
Sanders, and Tom Peters and them Ho-
KUN boys-used to go out arter meetin'
Sunday AFTERNOON and race hosses. Ye
see. it was Jest close to the State line,
and they couldn't take EN-.
"Wal, il got to be great scandal the
fellers talked about it up to the tavern,
and the deacons and the tithingman they
took it up and went TO Parson Williams
about it, and the parson he told 'em jest
to keep still, not let the felers know that
they was ben' watched, and next Sun