The Osceola times., 1885-07-25
AN UNHISTORIC PAGE.
A Five Hundred Dollar Prize
Story.
Uncle Enoch's Trip to Washington. and
Why He Went There-The Only Story
He Knows About Two "Eber-
lastin' Fools"

An elderly negro man, Uncle Enoch
ey name, short of stature and with hair
and beard beginning to grizzle, but with
arms and body yet stout and strong,
stood back of his little Lighthouse, not far
from Virginia public road, endeavoring
TO pull his axe out of a knotty black
gum log. Often and often, when his
stock of fire-wood had diminished to this
one log, Uncle Enoch tried TO split it,
and now he was trying again. While
Thus engaged, there came TO him his son
Dick. This was youth rather taller
and lighter in color than his father, of
an active and good-natured disposition
and hitherto supposed TO be devioed of
disturbing ambitions.
Look a-heah, daddy" said he,
"won't yuh lemme 20 to Washint ton
mex week."
Uncle Enoch stopped tugging at his
axe, and turned round to look at Dick
"What furp" said he.
"f'se gwine to be page in Congress :"
whats datP" asked his father, his
bright eyes opening very wide. "What
yuh want to do dat fur?"
"A pageis one of dem chaps as runS
round and waits on the Congressmon,
when dey're doing dere work in Wash
in'ton. Dere's lots of 'em, and some of
'em is culle'd. Dey hab to be might
peart and cut around aud fetch de Con-
gressmen eberyting dey wants. And
dey don't have TO work for no fifty
cents day, nudder. Dey gifts seben-
teen hundred dollars year"
whats dat?" exclaimed Uncle
Enoch. "Yuh means de whole kit and
Doodle NV 'em gifts dat"
mo, 1 don't" said Dick. "Ebery
one gets it for hisse'f."
.'Yuh, shu'h OBJ dat?"
"Yes, sab, replied Dick. 81 heerd Il.
all from man down at the crossroads.
when took ole Billy 10 be shod dis
ebenin'. He was tellin' lot o. folks
all about it 1T de stoah. An won't yuh
kmmc go mex weekp'
The old man put his hand on his axe
handle and stood reflectively.
Uncle Enoch had been born n slave.
and had been an honest and industrious
servant, whose only failing was that he
all times, and TO dress himself better on
Sundays, than his companions; and now
that he was as free as anybody, he was
still honest and industrious, and still
went TO church with the highest white
hat, the biggest shirt collar, and the
longest coat of anybody in the congre-
CATION. As he grew older. his opinion
Of himself did not decrease, and he was
very fond Of exhorting his fellow-mem-
bers in church, and of giving them adj
vice in private whenever he saw cause
some old fable, which generally became
strangely twisted as it passed through the
old mans mental organism.
Look a-heah, Dick, said he, Use
gwine ter tell yuh a story. It's one nv
Ole Mahsr Georges stories, and I've
heerd him tell it often TO the chillun.
pere was n mouse what lived in de city,
dunno 'zactly whar, but jus as like as
not 1t was Washin ton. an he went to
see friend of hisn who had a planta-
ton. De plantation mouse he were
glad to see de udder one, an put him
In dc chamber wild dc new carpet, an
Glib him dc bes' he had; but de fine
gemmen he didn't pear to be satisfy
wild muffin but light bread an cohn
pone for broakfus'. an chicken an ham
for dinner; and he says, says he:-
"'Yuh don git canvis-back ducks
down heah, reckin?'
"'No, sahH says de plantation mouse.
"'Nur tar'pins, stewed in Madary
wine?
"'No, sahr
"'Nr oysters, fresh from de bay
ebery mawnin'; nur ice-cream, all de
colors OBJ de rainbow; an little candy
balls, what go off pop when you pull
'em; an whole bottle OBJ champain to
each pussonp
"'No, sdhP ses de plantation mouse,
a-fannin' oh hissef wild he han kercher.
"'Well, now, jus yuh look a-heah'.
ses de udder one, gwine on de poach to
smoke his cigar, 'yuh come TO de city
an see me. and when you taste what
dem dar tings is like, yuh won't be con-
tent fur to stay no more on dis yere no.
count farm, so fur from de railroad.
80, soon as he sell he 'baccer, de
plantation mouse he go to see his city
hien'. He glad to see him, an sot him
right down to pow'ful good dinner
Wild all de canvis-back ducks an de tar
pins an de oysters an dc champain, an
de udder tings dat he done tell bout.
"'lf I'd a-knowed you was a-comin'.
ses de city mouse, I'D had reg'lar
c!ump'ny dinner; but yuh'll have to go
long and JUS take pot-luck wild us dis
time
Den you didn't git my letterP ses
De phantom mouse.
"'No, sab. Reckin yuhr mau done
forgot to put it in de pos'oflice.'
so dey sot an eat till dcy mos like
70 bus, an de plantation mouse he
wonner what he would a,had If he fren
nad done got he letter.
Jus as dey was litin' dere cigars,
and putin dey heels up on two cheers
&c diuin' room door open, an in walk
oe sheriff OBJ de county.
Look a-heah, kurnel. ses he, have
yum got de money ready fur all de ducks
an de oysters an de wine you've had
iur yuhse'f; an de slab meat an de
conn from de West fur yuhr han n'sP
tuh know | said wouldn't give yuh no
longer uur ter-day.' De city mouse he