The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-12
pqatea By Special Arrangement oopyrioassd 1885
GRANDISON'S QUANDARY.
BY FRANK II. STOCKTON.

Grandson Pratt was a colored man OF about
thirty. who with his wife and two three
children, lived in neat log cabin in one of the
Southern States He was a man of very indie
pendent turn of mind, and he much desired to
own the house in which he lived and the small
garden patch around it, This valuable piece of
property belonged to Mr. Norris and as it was
IN outlying corner of his large farm he had no
objection to sell it TO Grandson, provided the
latter could pay for it; but of this he had great
doubts. The man was industrious enough, but
he often seemed to have great difficulty about
paying the very small rental charged for bis
place, and Mr. Morris, consequently. had we'll
grounded doubts about his ability to purchase it
but, sah,' said Grandson one day. when
these objections had been placed before him, Us
been turnin' dis thing ober in my min ober an
ober know ies how much / kin make, an
how much is got to spend an how kin save ter
buy the house. an if agree TO pay you SO much
money on such a day, an so much on such an
udder day, rs gwne ter dc it. You kin jes' put
thar down. sab, for sartin shuh'
'Well, Grandson" said Mr. Morris, "Ill give
you a trial If at the end of six months you can
pay me the first installment, Til have the neces-
sary papers made out and you can go on and
buy the place, but if you are not up to time on
the first payment I want to hear no more about
the purchase"
"All right, Mahs'r Morris" said Grandson
If GIBBS you my word ter pay de money on de
fus day oh October, rs gwine to do it, OATS
sartin shuh."
Months passed on, and, although Grandson
worked as steadily as usual, he found towards
the end of September, that, in the ordinary
course of things, he would never be able to make
up the sum necessary for the first payment
Other methods out of the ordinary course came
into his mind, but he had doubts about availing
himself of them He was extremely anxious to
make up the amount due, for he knew very well
that if he did not pay it on the day appointed he
might bid farewell to his hope of becoming "a
freeholder. In his perplexity he resolved to
consult Bro Their 'Bijah, the minister of the little
church in the pine woods to which Grandson
belonged
Now look a-heah, Brudder 'Biah," said he,
''wots I gwne to do bout dis bizness. | done
promised ter pay dis money on de fus day OBJ
de comm month, an dar's six dollars OBJ it dat
amt got yit'
AN amt dar any way ter git t9' asked 'Bijah.
''Yaas, dars one way" said Grandson. us
been turnin' dis matter ober an ober in my min,
an dars only one way. / mought sell apples
Apples is mighty skarse dis fall, an | kin git 81
bari for 'em in town. Now, if | was ter sell
three bar's of apples I'd hab dat dar $6, sartin
shuh. Dom you see dat Brudder BiiahF
Oats all clar 'nuf," said the minister, shut
whar you gwine ter git three bar'ls O. apples!
You don mean ter tell me dat you's got nuf
apple trees in your little gyardin fur ter shake
down three barls osapples.'
Now. look aheah, Brudder 'Bijah," said
Grandson, his eyes sparkling with righteous in
dignation, 'dat's too much to spec OBJ man
who's got ter work all day to sport his wife an
chiilun. / digs. an l plows, an plants an
hoes. an if anybody GIBBS me any gwahner |
is dat on de groun' But all dem things amt
nut ter make apple trees grow in my gyardin like
as dey cohnfiep peas"
Oats So" said 'Bijah refectively. Oats
too much to spec ob any man. But hows you
gwine ter sell de apples if you amt got 'em2"
"Ts got ter git EN-" said Grandson. Oars
apples huff CROWN roun', an not so fur away
dat / can't tote EN- ter my house in a bahsket
It's powful hard on man wots worked all day
ter have ter tote apples ahfter night, but dar
ain no other way OBJ gittin' dat dar money"
II spec de orchard whar you's thinkin' o
gwine is Mahs'r Morrises," said the minister
low down orchards on de udder side de crick,
does ye9 Mahsr Morris has got the bes apples
in dis county OATS de kin wot fotch So a
BARI"
"Brudder Gran'son," said 'Bijah solomnly. 'is
you min runnin' on takin MahSr Morrses
apples inter town an sein emf
''Well, he gifts de money, don't he?' answered
the other and if don sell his apples faint no
use sein' none. Dem udder little nubbins roun
heah won't fetch two dollars bar1"
Dem amt justfyin' deeds wots runnin' in
your mind" said 'Bjah. "Dey Amt justifyin.
lob course" said Grandison.s 'dey wouldn't
be justifyin' if had de six dollars. But amt
got EN-, an Use promised to pay 'em. Now, is
[ ter stick to de truf or isn't IL"
'.'rruf is mighty" said the preacher, '.an
ought not be rendered from prevailin'"
Oats so! OATS sci" exclaimed Grandson.
you can't go agin de scripters. Truf is mighty,
an faint fur pore human critters like US try
to upset her. Wot we're got ter do is ter stick
to her through thick an thin"
lob course, OATS wot ought ter do" said
Bijah but ] can't see my way clar to you
sellin' dem apples"
''But dar amt muffin else ter dol" exclaimed
Grandson, ''an' eff don't do dat, away goes de
truf clar out O. sight An wot sort O 1igion
You call dat. Brudder 'Bijahl"
"'Tant no kind at all" said 'Biiah, fur we's
bound ter stick to de truf, which is de bottom
cornerstone OBJ piousness. But dem apples
don't seem ter git themselves Strengthened out in
my mind Brudder GRANDSON"
ut pears ter me, Brudder 'Biah, dat you
doan look at dern apples in de right light If
was gwine ter sell 'em to git money ter buy lot
o spotted calliker ter make frocks fur de chillen
or eben ter Duy Two pafS o SHOES fur me an
judy ter go to church in dat would be a sin
sartin shuh. But you done furgit that rs gwine
ter take de money straight off ter Mahs'r Morris
If apples is riz an gifts So 25 barl oh course l
keeps de extry quarter which dom pay anyhow
Iur de trouble ob pickin an haulin EN- But
dc S6 sibs, cash down, ter Mahs'r Morris. Dom
you call dat puffecty far an squar, Brudder
'BiahP'
'Bijah shook his head. 'Dis is mighty du-
bersome question, Brudder Gran'son, mighty
dubersome question"
Grandson stood with disappointed express
sion on his countenance He greatly desired to
gain from his minister sanction for the financial
operation he had proposed But this the solemn
.Bijah did not appear prepared to give. AS the
two men stood together by the roadside they
saw riding towards them, Mr. Morris himself.
'iNow. den" exclaimed Grandson, ''heah
comes Mahs'r Morris, and Use gwine ter put dis
question to hissef. He oughter know how ter
eide bout it il anybody does"