The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1879-05-10

ago, there were two brothers-one
was rich and one poor. Now, one
Christmas Eve the poor one hadn't
so much as a crumb in the house,
either meat or bread, SO he went
to his brother to ask for something
10 keep Christmas with, in Gods
name. It was not the first time
his brother had been forced to
help him, and you may faLcy he
wasn't so very glad to see his face.
but he said;
eff you win do what / ask you
to do, I'll give you a whole fitch
of bacon"
So the poor brother said he
would do anything, and was full
of thanks.
"Well, here is the fitch" said
the rich brother, land now go
straight to hell"
"What / have given my word to
do I must stick to, said the other;
SO he took the fitch aud set of.
He walked the whole day, and at
dusk he came to place where he
saw q very bright light.
"Maybe this is the place" said
the man to himself. So he turned
aside, and the first thing he saw
was an old man, with long white
beard, who stood in an clubhouse
hsving wood for the Christmas
"Good even," said the man with
his fitch.
'srhe same to you; whittier are
you going so late9 said the man.
"Oh! I'm going to hell, if / only
knew the way" answered the poor
man.
"Well, you're not far wrong, for
this is hell" said Athe old man;
"when you get inside they will be
al for buying your fitch, for meat
but mind you, don't you sell it
unless You get the hand quern
which stands behind the door for
it. When you come I'll teach you
how to handle the quern, for it's
good to grind almost anything"
So the, man with the fitch
thanked The other for bis gold ad-
vice, and gave 9 great knock at
the devils door.
When he got in, everything went
Just a. the old man had said. All
the devils, great and small, came
swarming up to him like ants
around an ant-hill, and each tried
to outbid the other for the fitch.
"Well !" said the man, "by rights
my old dame and Fought to have
this fitch for our Christmas dinner,
but since you have all set your
hearts on it, / suppose l must give
it up to You; but il l sell it at all,
I'll have for it that quern behind
that door yonder."
At first the the devil wouldn't
hear to such a bagain, and chatter
ed and haggled with the man; but
he struck 70 what. be said, and at
last the devil had to part with his
qneru. When the man agot out
into the yard he asked the old
woodcutter how be was to handle
the quern, and after he had heard
how to use it, be thanked the old
man and went home as fast as he
could, but still the clock had
struck twelve on Cbristmas Eve
before be had reached his own
door.
where in the world have you
been ?" said his old dame; "bere
have I sat hour after hour waiting
and watching. without 30 much as
two sticks to lay together under
the Christmas broee."
"Ohl" said the man, Il could
not get back before. for | had to
GO long way. frs. for one thing
and then for another, but now you
shall wee what you shall see"
So he put the quern on the table
and babe it first grind out lights,
then q table cloth. then meat, then
ale, and SO on till they had got
everything that was nice for Christ
mas fare. He had only to speak
the work, and the quern ground
out what be wanted. The. old
dame stood by blessing her stars.
and kept on asking where he had
got this wonderful quern. but he
wouldn't tell her.
"It's all one where got it; you
zee the quern is good one, and
the mill stream never freezes, that's
enough" = Oh Gut
So he around meat and drink