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

up gap In one Of his Sunday boots, "is
to buy dis track O. land on de hill back
heah, an make a vineyard Nv ii. No
use foolin no more wild little tater patch
es, an cabbyges, an tree an foh dozen
hills of cohn; nj sell the grapes, and
buy all dat sort o. ting. At de wine
celler in town dey'll take all de grapes
yuh kin raise an ef have TO buy hoss
an wagm to haul EN- inter town, yuh
won't see dis yere family wa.kin TO
church no moh wild de mud up to dere
knees and de hot sun brilin on ter dere
heads"
A little after daylight the next morn
ing Uncle Enoch, wearing his tall
white hat with the broad band of Grape.
around it which it had on when it was
given to him; with his highest and
stifiest shirt-collar; long black coat
reaching nearly to his heels; apair Of
blue jeans trousers rolled up at the ank-
les; his enormous Sunday boots well
blacked; in one hand very small cow
hide trunk tied up with rope and car
ried in the manner Of a violin-case; n
vast umbrella with horn handle in
the other hand; and the greater part OF
his recently paid months wages in his
pocket, started off to walk three miles
to the railroad station on his way TO be-
come a Congressional page.
Dick assumed the oX-whip, and as
there was no one else to take the vacated
placed, he cracked il in pride and glory
over the heads of Bob and Blinker, and
although they ran into more deep ruts
than was good for themselves or the
cart, the winter wood Of Mr.. Gregory
continued to be hauled.
One week, and two weeks passed on
without news from Uncle Enoch, and
then Aunt Maria began TO get impatient,
"Look a-heah, Dick" she said, "when
you come home ter-night, an has had
yuhr supper, an has done split up dem
ole rails, what's too short fur de fence
anyway, fur taint no use for yuh to try
no moh on dat black-gum log what ynh
daddy done went and luf, an eff he don't
come back soon he won't find no fence
at all, reckin, when he do come. Yuh
Jus sot down an write him letter, an
tell him taint no use fur him TO be sabin
up all dat sebenteen hundred dollars to
buy vineyards while his, chillun's
gwine about wild scace no close TO derc
backs.
"Dere's yuhr sis'r Charlotte what has
to 90 to church wild dem light blue slip
pers Miss Sallie glib her, an no stocSuns,
an no wunner de people laf ather. An
dere's yuhr daddy maxim all dat money
down dere in Washin'ton wild de Con-
gressmen.
San she gal, too, what's done won
de prize tree times in de cake-walk. /
spec he's done forgot what told him
bout de weddln-ring fur me. done
told him TO buy 1t wild de fus money he
got an send It in letter. l'se nebber
had none yt, though we wus both mar
ried long back befoh de war.
"An it's no use waitin nuddcr, fur
little Jim's funeral till he comes back.
He kin sem de money fur de cake and
wine JUS as well as not, an Brudder
Anderson is ready, he tole me las Sun'y
wild de fax an de tex. Little Jim's
been dead now nigh on ter two yeah,
an its time his funeral was preached.
"I amt got no 'jections to de wine
yard, spesh'ly ef we hab ter hab wag-
on to haul the grapes, but | don't want
yuhr daddy TO come back yuhran' find
hissef shamed Nv his family arter
livin' down dar 'mong all dem quality
folks. I'll send Charlotte dis mawnin'
to borrer a sheet Nv paper, an apen
an ink from Miss Sally, an see ef she
won't let her pick up some apples In de
orchard while she's dar, an p'raps
she'll give her bucket NV buttermilk
eff she's done churned yistiddy. An
yuh put all dat In de letter, an sem 1t
of JUS as soon as yuh kim"
Dick willingly undertook this busi-
ness, having made up his mind while
his mother was talklngto him to put
in a few words on his own account;
and before he began the important epis-
tie each Of his sisters had something to
say TO him in private in regard TO sug-
gestions which they wished him to
make to the head Of the family.
The letter moved more slowly than
Bob and BlInker over the toughest
road. After three nights work it was
only half-done, for Dick found a pen
much more difficult to handle than
whip, besides being very stumbling
speller, invariably went to sleep over
his paper after quarter Of an hours
work. Late in the afternoon Of the
fourth day after the commencement OF
this literary enterprise, Dick was stand
ing by the black-gum log, with the axe
in his hand, wondering II 1t would be
better to take another rail from the for
lorn fence around the little yard, for
what difference could it make when
there were so many open places al
read? or to split up a solitary post,
which having nothing attached TO 1t
was clearly useless, when he saw upon
the high-road figure approaching him.
II wore tall white hat with broad
band of rusty Grape around II; it had on
high stiff shirt-collar, and . long black
coat, in one hand it carried an umbrella
with rough horn handle, and In the
other little hair trunk tied up with a
rope; it had bright and flashing eye,
and determined step. .ts a