Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-07-31
AN UNHlSTORIC PAGE.

An elderly negro man, Uncle Enoch
by 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, en-
deavoring 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 a youth rather
taller and lighter in color than his faith
er, of an active and good-natured dis
position, and hitherto supposed to be
devoid of disturbing ambitions.
"Look a-heah, daddy" said he,
"won't you lemme 60 to Washinton
mex week."
Uncle Enoch stopped tugging at his
axe, and turned round to look at Dick.
"What fur?" said he.
"I'se gwine to be a page in Con-
gress."
"What's dat?" asked his father, his
bright eyes opening very wide. "What
yuh want to do dat fur?"
ga page is one of dem chaps as runs
round and waits on the Congressman
when dey're doing dere work in Wash
inton. Dere's lots of EN-, and some OF
EN- is culle'd. Dey hab to be mighty
peart and cut around and fetch the Con-
gressmen eberyting dey wants. And
dey don't have to work for no fifty cents
Il day, nudder. Dev gifts sebenteen hun
dred dollars year."
"What's dat?" exclaimed Uncle
Enoch. "Yuh means de whole kit and
Doodle Nv EN- gifts dat"
mo, DON'T" said Dick. "Ebery
one gifts it for hissef."
"Yuh shuh Oh dat?"
eyes, sah," replied Dick. "I heerd
it all from a man down at the cross
roads, when l took ole Billy to be shod
dis ebenin. He was tellin lot o. folks
all about it at de stoah. An won't yuh
lemmc go mex week?'
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
was inclined to think himself better at
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 ad-
vice in private whenever he saw cause
for it, and this very often in the shape
of some old fable, which generally be-
came strangely twisted as it passed
through the old mans mental organism.
"Look a-heah, Dick" said he, "l'se
gwne to tell yuh = story. It's one NV
ole Mahsr Georges stories, and I've
heerd him tell it often to the chillun.
Dere was mouse what libed in de city,
l ddnno zactly whar, but jus as like as
not it was Washinton, an he went to
see a friend Of hisn who had planta-
ton. De plantation mouse he were glad
to see de udder one, an put him in de
chamber wild de new carpet, an give
him de bes he had {; but de fine gemmen
he didn't pear to be satisfy wild muffin
but light bread an cohn poue for break
fus, an chicken an ham for dinner ;
and he says. says he:-
"'Yuh don't git canvis-back ducks
down heah, | reckin?
NO, sab = says de plantation mouse.
"'Nur tarpins, stewed in Madary
wine?'
." NO, sah!'
"'Nur oysters, fresh from de bay eb-
cry mawnin; nur ice-cream, all de COL
ors OBJ de rainbow; an little candy
balls, what go off pop when you pull
EN-; an whole bottle OBJ champain to
each pusson?'
"'No, sdhP ses de plantation mouse,
a-fannin OBJ hissef wild he hankercher
"'well, now, jus yuh look ahead,
ses de udder one, gwine on de poach tc
smoke his cigar, 'yuh come to de city ar
see me, and when you taste what dem
dar tings is like, yuh won't be conten
fur to stay no more on dis yere nocou nj
farm, so fur from de railroad
$50, soon as he sell he baccer, d'
plantation mouse he 60 TO see his city
frien. He glad to see him, an sot hin
right down to a pow-ful good dinner
wild all de canvis-back ducks an de tar
pins an de oysters an de champaln, al
de udder tings dat he done tell bout.
"If I'd a-knowed you was a-comin,
ses de city mouse, sd had regla
cump'ny dinner; but yuh'll have to g
'long and JUS take pot-luck wild US di
time
"'Den you didn't git my letter. Sc
de plantation mouse.
"'No, sab. Reckin yuhr man don
forgot to put in de pos'office.'
$50 dey sot an eat till dey mos lik
to bus, an de plantation mouse he won
ner what he would a-had if he fren ha
done got he letter.
"Jus as dey was litin dere cigars
and putin dey heels up on two cheers