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

Jim Sells his Father Bay Mare.
"I've come all the way in from home to
git little law" said man with horse
whip under his arm, blue overalls in his
boots, and gray stubby beard on his
face, as he entered the Allen House read
ing-room lately. where number of boys
were talking politics. "Mebbe some o
you fellers kin give me the correct thing
without me dickerin' with lawyer.
The speaker was well-known farmer
of the southern part ofYthe county. He
and his son Jim we're 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 boy Jim had bay mare that he
traded yearlin bull and q erass-tooth
harrow fur. She was a 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 be came to my house kind O careless
like, and sot down on the front stoop. Twas
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 1 carried 10 my kind
lin l sot down on the stoop beside him.
"Jim," l sez, "you better let your old
father have that bay mare, sez |.
Jim had just started the second verse
o the "Sweet By,and-By," but he whistled
her all the way through afore he answered
me.
"I ben thinkin' o lettin' you have the
mare, pap" sez he, "seein's you got yer
heart sot on her so, sez he, "perYidin' We
kin git up dicker," sex he.
"Jim had been gOin' to camp-meetin'
pooty steady for week back, and / heerd
be was gettin' serious he hadE't been
whistlin' nothin' but hymn tunes for two
or three days, an when he come round so
nice on the mare question, made up my
mind that me an the old woman would
see him jinin' the mourners fore long.
"Jim, l sez, II kin stand eighty dol
lars fur the mare" sez /.
"Jim looked up the road and hummed
verse of "Come ye sinners, poor an
needy" Then he sez:
"Pan" seq be, II know 1 orter to let you
have that mare fur them figures" sex he,
shut you know I've refused double Ihat
for her" sez he. And so he had, boys,
sure.
"Jim," sez l, again, II think / could
raise the eighty about twenty more. maxim
hundred, sen l; ''but that's all kin do.
Remember, Jim, sez /, 'that I'm yer
father, an TN gittin' old, an my hearts
sot on that mare" sez |.
Plunged in a gulf o dark despair"
hummed Jim, lookin plumb up 10 the
sky. guess he got away with two verses
afore he said anything 10 me, an l didn't
interrupt his singin." Then he sez:
Pap" scr he, "I'll tell you what I'll
do. Give me hundred dollars sen he,
1
san throw in them two Berkshire pigs, an
the mare is yourp, SEE he, 'jest as she is. "
"a bargain, sezI. "The pigs is yourn,
an III be down arter the mare to-mor-
row, seq l.
II counted out the hundred an give
it to him. He druy the pigs home with
him. They were worth fifteen dollars
apiece, easy, could hear Jim Uhistlin
"Hold the Fort" till be got half mile
away.
aJemima," / sez to the old woman,
"Jcmima," sez l, 81 never thought Jim a
git pious, did you But I've got the bay
mars" sea l, ''an' what the old boy jim
was thinkin' of l can't see. She's with
two hundred an ifty any day 10 the week, :
sez l.
"Well, next mornin' early ! went down
to Jim's to git the mare. Jim had gone
to town. 1 seed his wife.
''I've bought the bay mare, Nancy" /
seq.
"Yes, l know yOa have" sez Nancy,
GRIMM all over her face.
0Where is she?" l sez
''Shes down in the stone lot, sex Nan
ey, GRIMM more'n ever,
II thought it was funny that the mare
should be down in the stone lot, but | went
down to find her. Boys, l found her.
She was layin' behind big stOne-heap
deader'n door-nail went back to the
: house.
"Why, Nancy" sez I, "the bay mare.
dead /"
30, yes" sez Nancy, laughin' as j
she'd split. "She died yesterday mornin
with the collie, sez she.
"Boys, for minute was mad. TheF
l come to and sez to myself, am be glueC
> if l don't git the mares shoes, anyhow,
; sez l. So 1 went back to the stone lot Il
draw her shoes of. Boys, I'll divide my
farm up between ye if J i'm hadn't drawet
them shoes hisself, an the mares feet wal
as bare as when she was born.
"Now, l amt no ways mad at Jim
boys, for it was fair an square dieker
, an it shows there's stuff in him; only h'
, might left the shoes on the mare. Wha
l want to know is, can't git back at th,
camp-meetin' folks some way for damages
IF it hadn't bin for them hymn tune
Jim larnt at the meetin's I'd bin lookin
out fur him. But they throwed me wa,
off my guard. The way l look at it il
that the camp-mectin' society is responsi
BILE for me losin' my hundred dollars anC
two fifteen-dollar pigs. Can't cit bacl