The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-12-13
A FINE CARPENTER.
The Boy Rebels AgGans, old Ike And
 Calls Him a Fool.

Old African Ike, holding piece of board with one hand and using a saw with the other, knelt on the doorstep of his cabin. He seemed to be in the gayest of humor, for occasionally he would sing:
 "oh, de buckeye grow on de timber twig Oh, de ches nut grow in de bur,
 An I'll take my chances eriong wid de pig, But de sinner man runs wtd de cur.
 Oh, sit up, sim en, fur day Is CT breakin',
 Fire in dc stove an de hoe C ake bAkin'"
 "What are you doin', Uncle Ike P asked young Mulkittle, approaching.
 "H .ng roun' heah an yer1l soon fine out" taking up a block of wood and carefully examining it. Bought CT table down town al CT secon' han sto' dis mawnin', but when fotch It ap home an put it down, seed dat one O de laigs wuz erbout two inches short. Dat wuz why go, it so cheap ieckons, but it doan make no difference, case l'se gwine ter put dis block on d~ laig, whut. tie it down an varnish it tell yer couldn' tell which usser be de shor, laig."
 "Are you a carpenter ?"
 "YAs, an CT blacksmif besides. l ken make anything et yer gin me de tools. Jes' step in ef yer wants ter see CT fine piece O work. If folks knowed how ken han1e de implements da neber would sen fur nobody but me"
 When they went into the room, Ike turned the table bottom upwards and, humming a tune, placed the block on one of the legs. Han me dc hatchet an nails, honey. Oats it. I'se glad ter hab yer 'roun', case yer'll learn heep rum me. .Ef dar is anything whut l likes, it is ter be O use ter de risin' gen. eration. aebcr had nobody ter show me, bless yer. Had ter hgger erlong an gitIit all myself Now watch me. Yer mout hab ter do erJob CT dis kinc one O desc days. nails de block on dis way, see?" driving a nail. "Take erbout three nails. Four mout split it, but three is jes' de thing. Han me de drawin' knife"
 He stood over the leg, shaving the block down to proper size. This com pleted, he applied wood-rasp and then finished with piece of sand-papcr.
 That is nice," said the boy.
 "Wait till git through wid 1t. Han me dat bottle O varnish dar on dc hearth"
 "Are you going to varnish it7
 Do jes' like tells yer an den step 'roun' heah an see yerse'f in de polish. . Oh de buckeye grow on de timber twig. breaking again into his song. @Now," be said when he h d pu, on the varnish, yer kain' tell whar de j'in, is. Oh, Tse CT workman run erway up dc holler. Coup take my tools now an go out an make three dollars any day. Jes' val, till dat varnish gifts dry"
 Why don't you make three dollars a day, shen5"
 {" Oh, well, tell yer. ! doan wanter fling none O desc heah young folks ou,en 'ployment. Da needs de money much wus den does; much wus. Wy, ef 1 wus ter do dat, de young wimmen O de church woul say, Uncle Ike oughter be 'shamed O hissef fur crowdin' de young folks outen de market. He knows he ken beat any O 'em, but he oughtenter do it. He's gittin' erlong in years now an it ain't right fur him ter banker % airtcr money iur he ain't got no family ter sport' l couIdn' bar ter hab folks talk erbout me dat way. I'd druthes struggle eriong an eat my ash-clke ~id- out any bad feelin', but da needD' think dat da ken keep me rum doin' my own carpenter work at home. l reckon dat varnish is erbout dry srnuH. Come, hep me turn it ober. Here we goes, ho, heave." The old man stepped back and exclaimed:
 "Wall, berfo' de Lord O heabeus, 1 has nailed dat block on de wrong laig 1 Look CT hezh, young ieiier, " turning with an angry scowi to the bsy, yersef is dc cause Q dis"
 "Me?1
 ~Ya., m. p
 "I dont see bow caused it, Uncle fke0