Morris tribune., 1880-08-19
THE VACATION or MUsTAPHA.

pha said ;ssI am wearied with much work :.
Thoughts, cares and worry have worn me
out; need repoee, for the hand of ex-
haustion is upon me, and death even lieth
at the door, ~
And he called his physician, who felt
of his pulec, looked at his tongue and
said
1.-TWO doilahs!' (for this was the oath
by which all physicians swore) "Of a
verify thod must have rest. Flee unto
the veiley OF quiet and close thine eyes in
dreamful rest; hold back thy brain from
thought and thy hand from labor, or you
will be Il candidate for the asylum in
three weeks
And he heard him, and went out and
put the business into the hands of the
clerk, and went away to rest in the val
ley Of quiet. And lie went to his Uncle
Ben's, whom he had not seen for lol these
ID years. Now, his U,cle Ben was
farmer. and abode in the valley of rest,
and the mountains of Iepose roee about
him. And he was rich, and we'll l-fsvorcd,
and strong as an OK, and healthy as an
onion crop. Outlines he boasted to his
neighbors that there was not lazy bone
in his body, and he swore thai he hated a
lazy man.
And Mustapha wist not that it was
SO. .... .....
But when he reached Uncle Ben's they
received him with great JOY, and placed
before him supper of homcly viands
well cooled ana piled upon his plate
like the wreck of box-car. And when
he could not eat al they laughed him TO
scorn.
And after supper they sat up with him
ard talked about relatives whereof
he had never, in all his lie, so much as
heard. And he answered their questions
at random, ard lied unto them, profess
ing to now Unc-e Ezra and Aur Be:hes-
da, and once he said he had letter from
Uncle George last week.
Now they all knew that Uncle George
was shos In neighbor's sheep pen. three
years ago. bui Mustapha wist not that it
was so, and only talked TO fill up the
time. And they had talked politics to
him, and he hated politics. So about
1 o'clock in the morning they sent him
to bed.
Now the spare room where he slept
was right under The root, and there were
ears and bundles of ears Of seed corn
hung from the rafteIs, and he bunged
mis- eyes with the same. and he hooked
his chin in festoons of dried apples, and
shook d1led herbs and seeds down his
back as he walked alono for il was dark.
and when he sat up in Jed in the night
he ran lcythe in his ear.
Anu it wa so that the four boys
slept with him, for the bed was wide.
And they were restless and slept cross
wise and kicked, SO that Mustapha
slope not wink that night neither
closed his eyes,
And about the fourth hou- sitter mid
night his Uncle Ber. smote him on the
back. saying:
f'Awake, arise, rustic out of this and
wash your face, tor the liver and bacon
are fried and breakfast waiteth. You
will find the we'll down at the other end
Of the COW lot. Take towel with
you"
When they had eaten, his uncle Ben
spake unto nim, saying: Come let Us
stIor around Them
And they walked about eleven miles
And his Uncle Ben sat him upon a wa
gon and taught him how to load hay.
Then they drove to the barn. and he
taught him how to uI'oad =. Then
they girded up their lions AMI walked
four miles, even into the forest, and his
uncle Ben taught him how to chop wood
and then walked back 10 supp. And the
morning and the evening were the first
day and Mustapha wished that he were
dead.
And after supper his uncle Ben spoke
once more, and said, "Come, let US have
some fun" And SO they hooked up a
team and drove nine miles, down 10
Belchers Branch, where there was hop.
And they danced until the second hour
in the marning.
When the next dey was come-which
wasn't long, for alresdy the night was
far spent-his uncle Ben took him cut
and taught him how to make rail fence.
And that nIsh sht there was wedding, and
they danced, made merry, and drank, and
ate, and when they went 20 bed at
o'clock, Mustapha prayed that death
might come to him before break fast time
But breakfast had an early start, and got
there first. And his uncle Ben took him
down to the creek, and taught him how
TO wash and shear sheep. And when
evening was come they went to spelling
school, and they got home the first hour
after n ;dnight, and uncle Ben marveled
that :. was so early. And he lighted his
pipe, and sat up Tor an hour and told
Mustapha all about the 4oscres be bought
last spring of old Mosey S.ringer to fin
ish out that north half, and about the
new colt that was foaled lat spring.
And when MIstapha went to bed that
morning he bethought himself of dose
of strychnine he had with him, and he
said his prayers wearily and took it.
But the youngest BOY was restless that
night and kicked al the poison out of
him in less than ter seconds.
And in the morning, while it was yet
night, they ste breakfast. And his I'm
Gle Ben took him cut and taught him
how to dig ditch.
And when the evening was come there
was revival meeting at Ebenezer Meth
odist Church, ard they all went. And
there were three regular preachers and
two exhofters, and a Baptist Evangelist
4
And when midnight was come they went
home and sat up and t.lked over the
meeting rntil il was bedtime.
Now wnen Mustapna was at home, he
left his desk at the fifth hour in the af.
ternoon, and he went to bed the third
hour ali II sunset, and he rose not unit
| the sun was high in tie heavens.
So The next dsy, when hls Unclc Ber
would take him oaS into the field, ant
show him how to make q pest and raj
fence, Mustapha would swear at him, an,
smo,e him with ak helve, and fed anC
got himself home.
And Mustapha sent for his physician
and cursed him. And he said he wa
tired 10 death, and he turned his face I,
the wall and died. So Mustapha wa
| gathered to his fathers.
And bis physician and his friends the,
mourned and said, Alas, he did not rest
soon enough. He tarricd at his desk tor
long,"
| But his Uncle Ben, who came to tn,
funeral and had to do all his weeping
with one eye because the other was black
half way down to his chia. said il was i