The Osceola times., 1886-06-19
WIGGINS VS.. LAZURUS.
A Suit Brought to Recover One
Spotted Heifer.

Brer Sam Lazarus was the pastor OF
the African Methodist Episcopal church
at Gopher Slope, faithful shepherd to
the sheep of his pasturage, veritable
Lion of the tribe of Judea to the black
denizens of the fold. Tall and portly,
black and oily, unctious and well versed
in Scripture, of the church militant, too,
he was power in the community. He
was about fifty years old, his kinky
whiskers just turning gray. His resi-
dence was a comfortable frame house
of six rooms, well furnished, located in
the center of a ten-acre tract, conven-
lent to the lambs of the flock. His
family consisted of his wife and one
daughter, also yellow dog noted for
his keen perception in running down
predatory chickens. This daughter,
Leah by name, was about twenty -one
years old, of full figure, bright, shining
complexion, and good solid posterial
feet. Her lips were like two well-de-
veloped mulberries, her eyes large and
jolly, one of them very badly crossed.
This. however, was positive advantage
to her, as she was thus enabled to see
what all the young ladies behind her
had on without even turning her head.
Brer Lazarus was a man of parts.
He had "A loud voice and copious flow
of language. He was equally at home
in the clab-board house where the fried
chicken and white bread flourished and
in the humble log cabin, sanctifed by
the plebian corn bread and the awe-in-
spring catfish. He treated all openly
alike, although inwardly he looked
after the main chance. This made him
power, politically, and his judicious
manipulation of his people at election
times had enabled him to lay by con-
siderable of the coin of the realm Ca
ring no more for dollar than most men
do for house and lot, his pet idea was
that his daughter should marry wealth,
and for that reason he allowed exag-
gerated ideas of his own financial con-
diton to become current, hoping there
by to ensnare the fly that walketh at
midday. His schooling had been very
limited, but retentive memory enabled
him to obtain the reputation of a pro-
found Biblical scholar. All lack of edu-
cation was made up by an inordinate
self-conceit a gall that would have
made map peddler turn green with
envy. The apple Of his eye was Miss
Leah, and in her many accomplishments
he took the greatest pride. He had
brought her up in the strictest Method
ist faith, and looked forward to uniting
her in marriage to one who should be
well endowed with worldly goods. To
this point all his ambition was bent.
How well he succeeded my story will
tell, Brer Lazarus wife was a mud
colored nonentty. She was . good
cook and housekeeper, but with no self
assertion. In this she differed from the
majority of her people. She, too, had
but one leading idea; the future welfare
of her daughter. Miss Leah was the
belle of the neighborhood. Not from
any undue supply of natural charms,
physical or mental, but simply from the
fact that she was the daughter of her
father, and that father was not only
'well fixed" but the leading man in
the community.
About half mile from the parsonage
was the snug, well-kept farm of Juniper
Wiggins, handsome young bachelor
of thirty, commonly called June. June
was a thick-set, plain, unpretending
plodder, black but steady. He had a
pair of fine mules of strong alto voices,
a nice horse and comfortable buggy, a
bunch of cattle, numerous poultry, two
big yeller dogs, and every year his crop
was "a right smart crop, thank ye. !"
This was the lover that Brer Lazarus
had fixed upon for Leah, although for
the present he was too cunning to be-
tray himself to either. Five miles off
was the residence of Rev. Peter Owens,
pastor of the Hghwater Baptist church
of Corn Hollow. With him, at present
residing, recuperating from severe at
tack of dingal fever, complicated with
the jim Jams was Ferdinand Arstocrat
Bcllases, his nephew, aforetime head
waiter at one of the ~nsAsS-nville hotels
Ferdinand was a dandy krU Dandy
vile; tall. slender and yelieS. with
black curly hair and mustache, Always
well dressed, and with knowledge of
the world that made him very captivAt-
ing to the fair sex. Now we have the
dramatis personae, roll up the curtain
and let the play proceed.
The course of tfse love ran very
smoothly for awhile in ,kis case, though
with some coyness on the. part of Miss
Leah, and some audacity on the part of
Mr.. Juniper. With the perversity Of
her sex Leah refused to set the day. She
accepted the many attentions of her
lover, his gifts of sugar-cane and pin
ders, rode with him in his buggy, sat
beside him in the church and allowed
him to be her escort everywhere. Fur
ther than this she would not go, nor
would she allow him to broach the sub
ject to her respected parent. Time,
that bald-headed old gentlemen with
an impossible scythe on his shoulder,
at last wore out all patience. At any
rate he did with June, and that worthy
determined to bring matters to a focus.
lie determined to have an interview
with Brer Lazarus. Accident favored
him.
1t was bright, beautiful day in early
June. The little birds sang as If it were
the one day of all the year. The fleas
kicked up their heels in delight, and
then lay behind grains Of sand in wait
for bare-legged urchins. The hum of
the mosquito answered the low thrilled
whistle Of the partridge. There was .
scent Of roses IN the cir. and from the
tops q tall tr:ssswayed soaIist oarooal: :
tpu u ~ beautve ef tks norniae' bus Of