The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-12

groun an make blieve he's dead When de ole
bar came up he sot down an look at de 'possum.
Fus' he turn his head on one side an den he
turn his head on de udder, but he look at de
! 'possum all de time. Dreckly he gifts done
lookin' an he says
Look heah. possum; is you dead or is
you libin2 If yous dead / won't eat you, fur |
neber eats dead critters but if you's lbn den l
eats you fur my breakfus' fur is bilin' hungry,
not havin' had muffin sence sun up but little
smack dat took afore gwine ont inter de damp
air oh de mawnin' Now, den, 'possum, speak
out an tell me, is you liba or is you deadF
dat are question frew de 'possum inter
pow full sweat If he tole de trufe an said he
was alibe he knowed well 'nuf dat de bar would
gobble him up quickern if he'd been hot ash
cake an a bowl of buttermilk; but if he said he
was dead SOS de bar wouldn't eat him. de bar,
like 'nuf. would know he lied. an would eat him
all de same So he turn de matter ODER an ober in
his min. an he wrastled wild his 'victions. but
he couldn't come ter no 'clusiou. Now don't
you tnk, said de bar. dat rs got time to sit here
de whole mawnin waitin' fer you ter make up
your mind whether yous dead or not If you
don't eide pretty quick I'll put a big rock atop
OF you. an stop for you answer when come
back in de ebenin'' Now. dis glib &c possum
powful skeer, an twas clar to his min dat he
mus eide de question straight off. Ii he tole de
truf, and said he albe, he'd be eat up shuh;
but if he said he was dead de bar mought blieve
him. 'Twarnt very likely dat he would, but dar
was dat one leetle chance. an he done took it,
L is dead says he. 'You's long time maxim
up your min bout it, says de bar. How long
you been deadp 'Sence day fore yistiddy,'
| says the possum. All right says de bar,
| when deyve only been dead two or free days,
an kin talk, eats EN- all de same. An he eat
| him mp"
| And now, Grandson" said Mr. Morris,
where is the moral of that parallels"
| ''De moral is dis, said Grandson; stick ter
de truf. If de possum had told de truf, an said
he was alibe de bar couldn't eat him no more'n
he did eat him; no bar could do dat. An axes
you. Mash'r Morris, dom dat par'ble show dat
| eb'rybody oughter stick ter de truf, no matter
| what happens2"
well. don't think your moral is very clear"
said Mr.. Norris 'for it would have been about as
| bad for the 'possum one way as the other But,
after all, | suppose it would have been better for
| the little beast to tell the truth and die with
| clear conscience"
Oats SOL" cried Brother 'Bijah, speaking in
his ministerial capacity, de great thing in dis
| WORT is ter die wild a clear conscience"
But you can't do dat said Grandson, IF
| you let dis thing an dat thing come in ter hinder
| We. Now dats jes' wot we's been disputn bout
| Mash'r Morris l clared dat we oughter stick
| ter de truf wlout lookin' TO de right or de lef
| but Brudder 'Bijah, his min wasn't quite made
| up on de subjck. Now, wot you say, Mahs'r
Morrisl"
II say stick to the truth of course" said Mr.
Morris gathering up his reins And. by the
way Grandson, do you expect to make that
payment your place which is due next
weekW
'Yaas. sah sartin. shuh," said Grandson.
II done tole you ia do it, Mahs'r Morris. an l
tends tel. stick ter de truf."
'Now den," said Grandson, in tone OF
triumph when Mr. Morris had ridden away,
you see rs right in my illusions, and Mahs'r
Morris 'grees with me-"
Dunno" said Brother Bijah, shaking his
| head dds is a mighty dubersome question.
| You KEEP dem apples ciar out o sight, Brudder
| Granson clar out O sight.
| 1t was about a week after this, quite early in
| the morning, that Grandson was slowly driving
| into town with horse and wagon which he
| had borrowed from neighbor. In the wagon
were three barrels of fine apples Suddenly at
a turn in the road, he was greatly surprised to
meet Mr.. Morris, riding homeward.
| What have you in those barrels, GrandisonP'
| inquired his landlord
''Dev's apples, sah," was the reply, "dat Is
| got de job OBJ haulin' ter town. sah."
| Mr.. Morris rode up to the wagon and removed
| the piece of old canvas that was thrown over
| asking any questions. No one but himself, for
many miles around, had "Bellfowers" and
| ''Jeannettes" like these.
How much do you lack. Grandson" he said,
| rows"
"Six dollars, sab" said Grandson.
''Slx dollars-three barrels-very good, +" said
Mr. Morris. / see you determined to stick
| to the truth, Grandson, and keep your engage
ment. But l will trouble you to turn that
wagon round, and haul those apples home And,
| if You still want to buy the place, you can come
| on Monday morning and work out the balance
you have to make up on the first installment.
and after this you make all your payments
| in work. A days labor is fair and plain, but l
can't expect to see through your ways of getting
money.
1t was not long after this that Grandson was
blowing in of Mr.. Morris's fields, when
| Brother Bijah along and sat upon the
fence.
''Gran'son," said he, when the plowman had
reached the end of the fufrow and was preparing
to turn. 'jes you let your boss res minnit till
| | tells you parble
| "Wot par blep said Grandson ia a tone of
unconcern. but stopping his horse, all the same,
| why dis one,' said Bijah. Oar ole
mule an he blonged to a cuilud man named
Harris who used to carry de mail from de cont
| house ter Cary's crossroads. De ole mule was
| pow'rfu trifiin' critter, an he cot lazier an
lazier, an fore long he got dreffle slow dat it
| TUX him more'n one day ter go from de cont
| house ter de crossroads. an he allus come in de
day ahfter mail-day, when de people was done
| gone home So de cullud man. Harris, he says
| You is too ole fur ter carry de mail you
trifn' mule, an l hain't got no udder use fur
you
$50 he put him in eully-fel, whar dar was
muffin but bar groun' an hog weed. Now, dar
WAS muffin in dis worp dat trihn' mule hated SO
| much as hog weed, an he says to hese'f: 'rs
boun' ter do somefn' better'n dis fur ibn.
reckln I'll go skeer dat ole Harris. an make him
glib me feed O meal So he jump ober de
fence, for he was spry nuf when he had a min
ter, an he steals ole bar skin dat he'd seen
hanein' up in de stoh pooh. an he pretty nigh
kivered himself all up wild it. Den he 60 down
to de pos offs whar de mail had ies' come in.
When dis trfn ole mule seed de cullud man,
| Harris. sittin' de bottom step OBJ de po'ch he
| begin to kick up his heels an make all de noise
he could wild he mouf. 'Wots datq cried de
cullud man, Harris is big grizzly bar said
| de mule escaped from de nagerie when twas
fordin' Scott's crick When did you git out? said
! de cullud man, Harris. i bus from de cage at
| half-past free o'clock dis ebenin'. An is you
| REILLY grizzly BARI OATS de truf' said de
| trifin' mule, ar Is powful hungry. an if you
| don't go git feed O. meal III swaler YOU
| down whole. An he begun to as like a
! grizzly bar as he knew how. Dat all de truf
] YOU tellin meT de cullud man. Harris ask Oats