Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-04-22
0BI'S MISFORTUNE.

Il reckon you II hab to git dem boots
SAM" Mrs. Sam Fisher said, with
broad smile on her fat, good humoret
black face. "Fac' is, dat ar boy don,
sot hisself up for goodness dis Who'll,
mont. He done gadered up de hens
eggs ebry day, and l amt missed q one
He's toted wood day in and day out
and he amt tored his pants once a
climbin'. We promised him dem boot,
fur his berfday eff he wos good, and he''
gwine to be tirteen year old to-morrer.
Sam Fisher, very close-fisted darkey
hummed and hawed and scratched his
head.
"Well, you see, Betsy Jane, dem
boots costs heap oh money. Tree
dollars and goodness knows we aint
got golt mine. S'pose 1 gifts him a
par OBJ brass-toed shoes? Dey's strong
and shiny, and dey'll do him eb'ry mite
as much good as dem boots"
Lava. mussy jest hear de man
talk. As eff shoes wos boots, and Oba-
diah didn't know de difference, and him
tirteen year old to-morrer. He wants
de boots cause dey comes up ober his
legs, and it's fun puliin' 'em on and off.
We aint got but him, San md reckon
tree dollar amt gwine to break us.
You'se bound to git en-"
Now when Betsy Jane said that with
emphasis, Sam Fisher knew that it was
useless to contend. She helped him
make his money, and sometimes, though
very rarely, she had voice in spend
ing it. But he couldn't resist grum-
bling.
"You'se jest as 'stravagant and as big
q fool as Obadiah hisseIf. He amt
neber wored no new shoes sence he wos
borned, and how you calklate he's gwine
to tote round dem heavy boots Reckon
you'll want to buy par OBJ socks too,
and start him ont a gennelman at once. "
Betsy Jane put her hand in her capa-
cious pocket, and pulling ont pair of
coarse knitted socks, fourished them in
her husbands cross face.
81 kin spin and l kin knit, Sam
Fisher" she cried "and / don't buy
wot kin make myself. Look at 'eml'
holding up the clumsy, shapeless socks;
''you reckon do store trash kin beat
dat? No wear out dar, SIR"
"It'll take powerful big par oh boots
to go ober dem," said Sam, obviously.
"Don't you worry bout dat. Take
Obadiah to de store dis mornin' and fit
him wild a par. OATS all you got to
tend to-"
"And pay fur 'em, too, I reckon, "
Sam growled. "Dat's de prime ting
dat comes to my share. 1 'clar to gra.
cious, eff you aint de obstinatest CONAN
when you gets ting in your head, and
dem boots is stuck dar now"
Betsy Jane did not vouchsafe a reply,
but she waddled to the door and called
for Obadiah at the top of her voice.
"Whar is dat ar drafted boy run off tot
Oh, here you is" as a roly-poiy black
boy, almost as fat as herself, rushed in
through the back door.
"Wot you breakin' your neck dat
way fur, as eff de house wos on fire
Wot you reckon your pappy gwine to
git fur you dis berry niornin' ?"
80 Lordy - shouted Obadiah, his
eyes round with terror. as pappy
gwine to wallop me 'clar to gracious,
l nebber let de oxen in de field. 'Twanl
me, sir; 'twant me. Twas de big brin.
die let down de bars"
"Oxen IN de fieldr' shouted Sam,
and "Oxen in de field !" echoed Betsy
Jane, and for few moments the widest
confusion prevailed in the Fisher home.
stead. When it was over and it was
proved conclusively that the big brindle
had let down the bars, Obadiah, who
had been knocked head over heels by
his father on circumstantial evidence
o,,I ffa1 1ryh ,.,NNIa,. l.. 1.
seemed like beehive, was led sobbinf
and snuffling into the kitchen ant
pumped down by tub of warm water
"Now scrub your hoofs, said Betsy
Jane-and the horny feet did look like
hoofs-" and den I'll tell you wot you S,
gwine to git"
Obadiah looked at the water and theI
at his feet. In his upset condition
nothing in the world seemed wortl
having. He snivelled again.
" It's gwine to hurt me awful bad. M,
foots is chapped so de water'Il burn EN-
like fire."
well, dey aint gwine to be chappet
no moro. Pappy's gwine to Norris
store to git you dem boots you'se beel
a-honin' fur so long"
BootS, -Ooadlah big round eye
grew bigger and rounder i'll his ecstasy
Words at first failed him. What ! he
who had never been the owner of
whole pair of shoes in his life, was b
to be promoted TO real pair of boots
with red or yellow tops reaching to hi
knees, and perhaps high heels. 1t wa
too good to be true.
"You're foolin' me sure, NANNY" h
managed to say.
"You'll see, sonny. When you git
to de store, put desc socks on fore yo
tries de boots" and Obadiah cramme
them into his pocket.
That foot-washing was really flayin
So, but Obadiah bore the pal
'Dy. They burned and sweilel
'heots had lifted him above q