The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-12-28
A MELON MONOPOLY.
Why Dandelion's Shrewd Bargain
Proved Improbable.

The worst enemy of old Jacob Me
grims' son Dandelion. could not deny
that he was shrewd trader in spite OF
his queer name That name came to
him in consequence of the strong liking
of his mother, a pious old colored wo-
man, for the book of Daniel. The
Bible was the object of her deepest
reverence, but the portion of it which
tHeated of Daniel was listened to by her
pa holy awe, and what she called
Vrefrishment of de spirit"
When her friends among the young
white ladies would come to read to her.
which was every few days, she would
say: Read in the book of Dan'l,
honey. 1t sorter uplifts me wen hears
bout de ravenin' beastesses comm
open mouf ter swaller him, and he Jest
as brave and quiet, as eff dey was yelp-
in tarriers a-barbin' at him. Dellaw
me! de berry fust pusson l 'quire bout
wen l gifts in de golden chariot and
says. Goodbye world gwine ter be
dat same Dan'l."
OF course, with that fervent admira-
tion for the Bible hero, her first son.
after five daughters, was named in rev.
erential memory of him.
Il amt denyin' Dan'l amt a good
Scripter name" said old Jacob in his
usual deliberate fashion, but its sort
eb permiscus, amt it. round here? How
you gwine to 'stinguish our Dan'l from
Dan Brown and Dan Higgins. and dat
Vwdacious white trash. Dan Larry?'
You amt got much gumption, ia
tob," said his better-half, with a scorn-
ful sniff. my sons got ter be name
Dan'l, but amt gwine to mix him up
permiscus wild dem rag and bob-tails.
Use gwine ter name him Dan'i-ob-de-
lions dem
.Dellaw me, ole ooman," calculated
Jacob. lifting up his hands in dismay.
"Wot name you call dat? 'Taint no
Christian name at all. No preacher
gwine to baptize him in dat, shore"
well, Use got to hab Dan'l and lion
int it," persisted Hannah Jane Me-
grims, becoming little uncertain her
self as to the quality of the name. ..Ef
we is 'bliged to glib up de den. i reckon
We kin call him Dan de lion, and no
preacher amt gwine to cut up bout a
plain name like dat"
So that was how Dandelion came by
his wild flower name. A flower Ham
nah Jane had never heard of. or doubt
less she would have sowed the seed all
over the garden. She never allowed it
to be abbreviated. One day luckless
visitor addressed the boy as Dandy, and
was requested to depart
Il amt gwine to hab no miscallin' OBJ
Scripter names under dis here ruff
Hannah Jane said. with angry dignity.
''lt amt manners, and it amt Christian
Rduct, and Use 'bleeged ter tell you,
IS White, as how yer room is a heap
better dan yer company
When Dandelion was nineteen he was
a shrewd, wiry, wide-awake young fel-
low. and not very scrupulous where his
interests were concerned. He was
darker than his mother, who was a
light mulattress, and fairer than his
father, who was as black as tar, but he
was very unlike his honest, simple
minded parents.
must say Hannah Jane did her best
to bring him up properly, and did not
spare the rod, but his why little b.
used to slip out of her grasp, and hi
cunning little mind devised a thousand
expedients for escaping punishment.
Nalnly did she hold up before him the
heroism OF her Bible hero, for instead
OF being nptifted as he ought to have
been, he was apt to Singer irreverently.
I'm fraid. sonny. you amt brave"
she said one day, with heavy sigh.
you're skulky, and you can't stand