The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-09-26
Romance. A"ssaote. fiction.
GRANDISON'S DOUBT.
The Story of Colored Man and His Con
science.
a Humorous Tale of The Sou;h-i Maj a
tive Written by Frank Il. Stockton, Au-
thor of the '.Iiudder Grange Stories,
"Thc Lady or ne Tiger" Etc.

from me ihHdGtipHid NHHdCy EfTS.
Grandson Pratt was a colored man
of about so, who, with his wife and
two Or three children, lived in a neat
log cabin in one of the Southern States.
He was man Of very independent
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.. Morris, and as it was an outlying
corner of his large farm he had no OBJ
lection to sell 1t to Grandson, provided
the latter could pay for it but of this
he had great doubts. The man was
industrious enough, but he often seem
ed to have great deal Of difficulty
about paying the very small rental
charged for his place, and Mr.. Morris,
consequently, had well-grounded doubts
about his ability to purchase it.
But, sah," said Grandson one day
when these objections had been placed
before him, "I's been turnin' dis thing
ober in my min ober an ober. l know
jes' how much | kin make an how
much Is got to spend an how l kin
save ter buy the house, an if | agree
to pay you SO much money on such a
day an SO much on such anudder day
rs gwine ter do it. You kin jes' put
that down, sab, for s1rtln shur."
"Well, Grandson" said Mr.. Morris,
"I'll give you trial. If at the end Of
six months, you can pay me the first
installment, I'll have the necessary
papers made out, and you can go on
and buy the place, but if you are not
up to time on the first payment, | want
to hear no more about the purchase"
"All right, Mahs'r Norris" said
Grandson. eff GIBBS you my word
ter pay de money on de fus' day OBJ
October, Use gwine to do it. OATS
sartin shuh."
Months passed on, an, although
Grandson worked as steadily as usual,
he found toward 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 we'll
that if he did not pay it on the day APP
pointed he might bid farewell to his
hope of becoming freebooter. In
his perpleXity he resolved to consult
Brother 'Bijah, the minister of the little
church in the pine woods to which
Grandson belonged.
"Now, look-a heah Brudder 'Bijah,"
said he, "wot's | gwine to do bout diz
blzness. l done promised ter pay dis
money on de fust oh de comm month,
an dar's six dollars oh it dat | amt got
yit."
can amt dar any way ter git it?"
asked 'Bijah.
"Yaas, dar's one way" said Grandi-
son. '1's been turnin' dis matter ober
an ODER in my min =, an dar's only one
way. | mought sell apples. Apples is
mighty skarse dis fall, an l kin git So
bar'l for 'em in town. Now, if | was
ter sell three bar'ls of apples I'd hab
dat dar Sc, sartin shuh. Don't you see
dat, Brudder Bijah?"
'Dat's all clar 'nuf," said the minis
ter, but whar you CINE ter git three
bar'ls O. apples? You don mean ter
tell me dat yous got 'nuf trdes in your
little gyardin fur ter shake down three
bar'ls O. apples"
"Now look-a -heah, Brudder 'Bijah,"
said Grandson, his eyes sparkling with
righteous indignation, "dats too much
to spec oh a man who's got ter work
all day to sport his wife an chillun. |
, digs, an l plows, an l pie 8 an
hoes, an if anybody GIBBS n
ner dusts dat on de gre