The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-02-05
dait and 9anlor.
Jim Sells his Father Bay Mare.

! Jlm Sells his Father Bay Mare.
"I've come all the way in from home to
git a little law said a man with a horse
whip under his arm, blue oyeralls in his
boots, and a gray stubby beard on his
face, as he entered the Allen House read
ing-room lately, where number of bows
were talking politics. "Mebbe some O.
you fellers kin give me the correct thing
without me dickerin' with lawyer"
The speaker was a welLknown farmer
Of the southern part Of the county. He
aud his son Jim were noted for their sharp
ness at bargain and readiness to trade
horses, cows, wagons, farms, or anything
that belongs to them, at any and all times
customer may present himself. Jim
lives on farm mile from the old mans.
Ye see, boys, continued the speaker,
''my jim had a bay mare that he
tradeA : yesrlin bull aud cross-tooth
harrow fur. She was good critter an
no mistake. wanted that mare the wus
Kind, an made Jim heap o good offers
fur her, but he wouldn't bite. Last Wednes-
day he came to my house kind O. careless
like, and sot down on the front stcOp. was
a chopin kindlin' wood for mornin', Jim
sot there lookin' up an down the road
whistlin' the ''Sweet By-and- By" kind o.
to hisself. When carried in nv kind
lin l sot down on the stoop beside him.
Jim" seq, 'you better let your old
father have that bay mare" sez I.
Jim had just started the second verse
o the ''Sweet BY nd-By, but he whistled
her all the way :brough afore he answered
me.
Il ben thinkin o lettin' you nave the
mare, pap" sez he, "seein's you got yer
heals sOt on her so, sez he, "pervidin we
kin git up dicker,n sez he.
"Jim had been goin to camp-meetin'
pOOty steady for a week back, and heerd
he was gettin serious. He hadn't been
whistlin nothin' but hymn tunes for two
or three days, an when he come round so
nice on the marc question, made up my
mind that me an the old woman would
see him jiuin' the mourners fore long.
"Jim," sex, Il kin stand eighty dol
lars fur the mare" sez I.
"Jim looked up the road and hummed
a verse of "Come ye sinners, poor an
needy" Then he seq
"Pap," sez he, Il know l orter to let you
have that mare fur them figures" sex he,
but you know I've refused double that
for her, sez be. And so he had, BOYS,
sure.
Jim, sez l, again, II think could
raise the eighty about twenty more, maxim
a hundred, sez |; "but that's all kin do.
Remember, Jim, sex /, ''that I'm yer
father, an I'm gittin old, an my hearts
sot ou that mare" sea l.
Plunged in a gulf o dark despair
hummed Jim, lookin plumb up to the
sky. guess he got away with two verses
lfore he said anything to me, an I didn't
interrupt his singin" Then he sez:
pap sez he, "I'll tell you what I'll
io Give me hundred dollars" sez he,
IAN throw in them two Berkshire pigs, an
he mare is yOurn, " sez he, 'iest as she is.
"a bargain, sell. "The pigs is yourn,
IN III be down arter the mare to-mor-
Tow, seq /.
Il counted out the hundred an give
t to him. He druV the pigs home with
him. They were worth fifteen dollars
piece, easy. l could hear Jim whistlin
Hold the Fort" till he got half a mile
Iway.
"Jemima," l sex to the old woman,
'Jcmima, sez l, ~ never thought Jim d
,it pious, did you But I've get the bay
mare, sez l; san what the old boy Jim
vas thinkin' of can't see. She's wuth
wO hundred an fifty any day in the week"
ezI l.
swell, next mornin' early | went down
o Jim's to git the mare. Jim had gone
o town. l seed his wife.
I've bought the bay mare, Nancy" 1
ez.
"Yes, know you have, sex Nancy,
rinnin all over her face.
"Where is she?n l sex.
"She's down in the stone lot" sez Nan
y, GRIMM more'n ever.
Il thought it was funny that the mare
hould be down in the stone lot, but 1 went
own to find her. Boys, l found her.
he was layin' behind big stone-heap,
eader'n door-nail went back to the
Ouse.
"Why, Nancy" seq l, "the bay mares
cad r
80, yes" sez Nancy, laughin' as if
he'd split. "She died yesterday mornin'
18th the collie, sez she.
"Boys, for minute l was mad. Then
come to and sea to myself, "lll be glued
| don't git the mares shoes, anyhow"
Y |. So | went back to the stone lot to
raw her shoes of. Boys, I'll divide my
irm up between ye if ] i'm hadn't drawed
lem shoes hisself, an the mares feet was
J bare as when she was born.
"Now, | amt no ways mad at Jim,
'ys, for it was fair an square dicker,
l 1t shows there's stuff in him; only he
light left the shoes on the mare. What
want to know is, can't l git back at the
mp-meetin' folks some way for damages?
it hadn't bin for them hymn tunes
IN larnt at the meetin's I'd bin lookin'
1t fur him, But they throwed me way
my guard. The way l look at it is
at the camp-meetin' society is response
3 for me losiu' my hundred dollars and
o ifteen-dOllar pigs. Can't I git back
EN- for trespass, or false pretences, or