Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-09-18

gro neighbors. aud was fond of listening
to their peculiar humor. Therefore, when
he saw that Grandson wished to speak to
him he readily pulled mp his horse
"Mahs'r Morris, said Grandson, re
moving his hat, "l'rudder 'Biiah an me
has been argyin ON de subick oh truf.
/ An les as you was comm up ! was
gwine ter tell him par'ble, bout sticken
ter truf. An if you's got time Mahs'r
Morris I'd be pow'ful glad to ter tell you
de par'ble, an let you eide tween us. -
Very well" said Mr.. Morris, settling
himself easily in his saddle go on with
your parable
"Dis we're parblc.' said Grandson,
"has got II justifyin' meanin in it, an it's
| bout Il bar an 'poSsum, De possum
was a-gwine out early in de mawnin ter
git Il little cohn fur his breakfus'-'
every wrong in the Opossum,' said Mr..
Morris. "for ! am sure he hadn't planted
any, corn" o,.
"praps twas akerns but, anyway, afore
he was ont oh de woods he see II big, ole
bar a-cOmin' straight long to him. De
| 'possum he amt got no time ter climb
tree an git out ON de lpetlest end oh II
long limb, an so he lay hesef fiat down
on de groun' AN make blieve he's dead.
When de ole bar came up he sOt down an
look at de postum. 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. D'reckly he gifts done lookin' an
he says:
(" T.ook-a-heah possum, is you dead or
is you libn' If you's dead ! won't eat
you, fur neber eats dead critters, but if
you's libn' den ! eats you fur my break
fus', fur is bilin' hungry, not havin' had
muffin scnCe sun-up bnt little smack dat
! took afore gwine out inter de damp air
do i'm Il I'M
out an tell me is you 'libe or you dead :
/ Dat are question frew de postum inter
a pow'ful sweat. If he tole de truf an
said he was alibe he knowed well 'nuf dat
de bar would gobble him up quicker if
he'd been hot ash cake an a bowl of
buttermilk but if he said ne 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 'cluson. Now don't you link
said de bar, dat Is got thine to sit here de
whole maWnin waitin' for you ter make
up your mind whether you's dead or not.
If you don't eide pretty quick I'll put Il
big rock atop % you. an stop for your an
sWer when | come back in de ebenin'.'
/ Now dis glib de 'poSsum II pOW'tul skeer,
an twas cl'ar to his min dat he mus
eide de question straight off. If he tole
de truf, an sand he was alibe. he'd eat
him shuh but if he said he was dead, de
bar moHgH blieve him. II warn't very
likely dat he would, but dar was dat one
lcetlc chance, an he done took It, i Is
dead, says he. 'Iou's long time maxim
up your nm bout it, says de bar. How
long you been dead = 'Sence day fore
yestidday,' says the 'poSsum. All right
says de bar, when dey've on'y been dead
two or free days an kin talk, eats EN-
all de same An he eat him up"
! nd now. Grandson said Mr. Nor
ris, where is the moral of that para
"De moral is dis" said Grandson ;
stick ter de truf. If de possum had tole
couldn't eat him no more'n he did eat
him no bar could do dat. An axes you
Mahs'r Morris, don dat par'ble show dat
eb'rybody oughter stick ter de truf, no
matter what happens"
clear said Mr.. Morris, ''fOr it would
have been about as bad for the 'possum
one way as the other. But after ali, |
suppose it would have been better for the
little beast 20 tell the truth and die with a
clear conscience.
Oats so :" cried Brother Biiah. speak
ing III his ministerial capacity, de great
thing in dis wOrl' is ter die wild Il clear
Conscience
But you can t do dat - said Grandson,
IF you let dis thing an dat come in ter
hinder ye Now dats jes' wot we've been
disputin' bout, Mahs'r Morris. | 'cared
dat we oughtcr stick ter de truf widout
lookin' to de right or lief but Brudder
'Bijah, his min wasn't quite made up on
de subjick. Now wot you say, Mahs'r
Morris -
Il say stick to the truth, IF course, s"
said Mr. Morris, gathering up his reins.
And, by the way, Grandson, do you eX-
poet to make that payment on your place
which is due next week -
"Yaas, san, sartin, shuh," said Grandi-
son. II done tole you I'd do it, :Mahs'r
Morris, an tends ter stick ter de truf. ,
Now dem said Grandson, in tone of
triumph when Mr.. Morris had ridden
away, you see Is right in my illusions,
and Mahsr Morris grees with me. ~
Dunno said Brother 'Bijah, shaking
his head, dis is mighty dubersOme
quest on, 1ou KEEP dem apples clar out
o sight, Brudder Gran son ; clar out o
sight"
1t was about week after this, quite
early in the morning. that Grandson was
slowly driving into town with II horse and
ii wagon which he had borrowed from IA
neighbor. In the wagon were three bar
rel- of fine apples. suddenly, at turn
in the road, he was greatly surprised to
meet Mr.. Morris, riding homeward.
"What have you in those barrels
Grandson - inquired his landlord
"Dcy' apples, sab, was the reply, dat
Is got de job 90 haulin' ter town, sab.
Mr. Morris rode up to the wagon and re
moved the piece of old canvas that was
thrown over the tops of the barrels. There
was no need of asking any questions
No one but himself for many miles
around, had "BeililoWers and Jean
HettcS' like these.
"lIow much do you lack, Grandson, -"
lac said, "of making up the money you
owe me tomorrow -
''SiN dollars, sab. " said Grandson.
'SiX dollars-three barrels-very good -
sad Mr., Morris, 81 see you are dctermin-
ed to stick to the TRUTH Grandson. and
keep your engagement. But ! will trouble
YOU to turn that wagon round and haul
those apples home. And, if you still want
10 buy the place, you can come on Mon
day morning and work out the balance
you have to make up on the first install
ment and after this YOU can make all
your payments in work. a days labor is
IA r and plain, but | can't expect to see
through your ways of getting money!
II was not long after this that Graudi-
son was blowing in one of Mr.. Morris
fields, when Brother 'Bijah came along