Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1886-06-18
WIGGINS VS.. LAzURUS.
A Suit Brought to Recover One
Spotted Heifer.

at Gopher slope, 1altnlul shcphcTu W
the sheep of his pasturagc, u veritablc
Lion of the tribe of Judea to the black
dcnizcns of tho fold. Tall and portly,
black and oily, unc.!ous and well verscd
in Scripture, of the church militant, too,
he was power in the community. He
was about fifty years old, his kinky
whiskcrs just turning gray. His resi-
dcnce was n 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 cc9sistcd 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 twcnty-one
years old, of full figure, bright, shining
complexion, and good solid posteral
feet Her lips were like two well-dc-
vcloped mulborrics, 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 n man of parts.
He had loud voice and copious flow
of language. He was equally at home
in the clab-board house where the fried
chicken and white bread tlourished and
in the humble log cabin, sanctiiied 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 p idea was
that his daughter should marry wealth,
and for that reason he allowed cXag-
geratcd ideas of his own financial con-
dition to become current, hoping there
by to ensnare the fly that walketh at
midday. His schooling had been very
limited, but retcntive memory enabled
him to obtain the reputation of a pro-
found Biblical scholar. All lack of edu
cation was made up by an inordinatc
sn'f-conccit, 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 strictcst 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 mud
colored nonentity. 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 .ncighborhood, 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
thc 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 thick-sct, plain, unpretending
plodder, black but steady. He had n
pair of fine mules of strong alto voices,
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 Brcr Lazarus
had fixed upon for Leah, although for
the present he was too cunning to be-
tray himself to either Five miles of
was the residence of Rev. Peter Owens,
pastor of the Highwater Baptist church
of Corn Hollow. With him, at present
residing. rccuperating from severe at
tack of dingal fever, complicated with
the jim-jams, was Ferdinand Aristocrat
Bcllases, his nephew, aforetime head
waiter at one of the Jacksonville hotels.
Ferdinand was a dandy from Dandy
vile; tall, slender and yellow, with
black curly hair and mustachc, always
well dressed, and with knowledge OF
the world that made him very captivat.
ing to the fair sex. Now we have the
dramatis. personac, roll up the curtain
and let the play proceed.
The course of true love ran very
smoothly for awhile in this case, though
with some coyness on the part of Mis-
Leah, and some audacity on the part oi
Mr. Juniper. With the perversity o.
her sex Leah refused to set the day. She
accepted the many attentions of hel
lover, his gifts of sugar-cane and pin
ders, rode with him in his buggy, sal
beside him in the church and allowed
him to be her escort everywhere. Fur
tier than this she would not 20, moi
would she allow him to broach the sub
ject to her respected parent. Time
that bnld-headed old gentlemen will
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
He determined to have an interview
with Brer Lazarus. Accident favored
him.
1t was n bright, beautiful day in earl,
June. The little birds sang as if it wer
the one day of all the year. The flea
kicked up their heels in delight, an,
then lay behind grains of sand in wal
for bare-leggcd urchins. The hum G
the mosquito answered the low thrille
whistle Of the partridge. There was
scent of roses in the air, and from tn
tops OF tall trees swayed scarlet caronal
OF flowers. June, however, was NJ
full Of the beauty of the morning, but {
hominy and fried bacon. He was worl
ing in the cotton-feld when he hear
the monotonous tramp Of horses fee
He looked up. There was the yer
man he wanted to see. Parson Lazi
rus. horseback, with green cotton un
brella over his head.
"Good mornin', June"
"Good mornin', Brer Lazurus."
slows yo crop, Junep'
sony tOllable, on'y tollable."
You'se jokin'. / isn't saw sich fiji
crop anywhere in de naborhood. You
lucky, June. hopes you tank de Lau
fo' hit"
81 allus does, sab. Isyou in er hurr
nsar I Ia.nrnapii