The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-07-24
AN UNHISTORIC PAGE.
a Five Hundred Dollar Prize
Story.
Cncle Enoch's Trip to Washington. and
Why He Went There-The Only Story
He Knows About Two "Eber-
lastin' Fools"

STncle Enoch's Trip to Washington. an
why He Went There-The Only Story
He Knows About Two "Eber-
lastin' Fools"
An elderly negro man, Uncle Enocl
BY name, short of stature and with hal
and beard beginning to grizzle, but will
arms and body yet stout and strong
stood back of his little Lighthouse, not ia
from Virginia public road, endeavorins
to pull his axe out of knotty black
gum log. Often and often. when hi,
stock of fire-wood had diminished to thi.
one log, Uncle Enoch tried to split it.
and now he was trying again. While
thus engaged, there came to him his sor
Dick. This was a youth rather taller
and lighter in color than his father, OF
an active and good-natured disposition,
and hitherto supposed to be deyioed OF
disturbing ambitions.
Look a-heah, daddy" said he,
'won't yuh femme go to Washin' ton
mex week."
Uncle Enoch stopped Juggling at his
axe, and turned round to look at Dick.
~'W hat furP' said he.
Use gwine to be page in Congress. "
whats datP" asked his father, his
bright eyes opening very wide. "What
yuh want to do dat furP"
"a page is one of dem chaps as runs
round and waits On the congressman,
when dey're doing dere work in Wash
linton. Dere's lots of 'em, and some of
Tn,,r fs lnfA hoh 20 10 l<xs
peart and cut around and 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
Euoch. "Yuh means de whole kit and
Doodle NV 'em gifts dat"
mo. l don't" said Dick. "Ebery
one gets it for hisse'f."
''Yuh, shu'h OBJ dat?"
Eyes, sab, replied Dick. 81 heerd it
all from man down at the crossroads.
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
lemme 60 mex week."
The old man put his hand on his axe
handle and stood refiectiveiv.
Uncle Enocb had been born a 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 10 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
-ery fond of exhorting his fellow-mem-
bers in church, and of giving them adj
vice in private whenever he saw cause
for it, and this very often in the shape of
some old fable, which generally became
strangely twisted as it passed through the
cid 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.
Dere was q mouse what lived in de CITY,
i dunno 'zactly whar, but jus as like as
not it 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 de chamber wild de new carpet. an
glib him de bes' he had; but de fine
gemmen he didn't pear to be satisfy
wild muffin but light bread an cohn
pone for breakfus', an chicken an ham
for dinner; and he says, says he:-
"'Yuh don git canvis-back ducks
down heah. reckin?'
".No. sahn says de plantation mouse.
<''Nur tar'pins, stewed in Madary
wine?'
".No, sahr
"'Nur oysters, fresh from de bay
cherry mawnin'; nur ice-cream, all de
colors OBJ de rainbow; an little candy
balls. what 60 off pop when you pull
'em; an whole bottle oh CHAMPAIGN to
each pSo son?'
No. sohr ses de plantation mouse,
a-fsn1is' OBJ hisse'f wild he han 'kercher.
Well. now, JUS yuh look a-heah',
ses de udder one. gwine on de poach to
smoke his cigar, syuh 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 we're no.
count farm. so fur from de railroad
so, soon as he sell he 'baccer, de
plantation mouse he 60 to see his city
frien'. He glad to see him. an sot him
right down to a pow'fi good dinner
wild all de canvis-back ducks an de tar
pins an de oysters an de CHAMPAIGN. an
de udder tings dat he done tell bout.
If I'd a-knowed you was a-comin','
ses de city mouse. I'D had a regular
cump'ny dinner; but yuh'll have to go
long and jus take pot-luck wild us dis
time
.Dea you didn't git my letter?' ses
de plsntion mouse.
mo, sab. Reckin yuhr mao done
forgot to put it in de pos Office
80 dey sot an' eat till dey mos like
10 bus, an de plantation mouse he
wonner what he would a-had if he fren'
had done got he letter.
''Jus' as dey was litin' dere cigars.
and putin dey heels up on two cheers.
de dinin' room door open. an in walk
de sheriff oh de county.
"sLcok a-beah, kurnei. ses he, have
yuh got de money ready fur all de ducks
an de oysters an de wine you've had
fur yuhse'f; an de slab meat an de
cohn from de West fur yuhr hAn'sf
Yuh know said wouldn't give yuh no
longer nur ter-day.' DE city mouse he