The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-10-13
GOV. TAYLOR'S VISITOR

come to pray for the pardon of man who had been convicted of stealing a saddle blanket, when another visitor was announced, an old negro, who, when the governor was boy, had made shuck collars and sold horse apples.
 "Why, how are you, Uncle Ben2 Come in."
 "Dat's whut I come fur, sah. Hadn't CT tended ter come in I wouldn'ter been here on dis yere ercasion. Wall, how you gittin' erlong, nohowp"
 "Very well, Uncle Ben."
 "Doin' much fiddlin' nowf"
 "No, haven't played any since the campaign"
 "I Earned you how ter play dat fiddle. Doan you recolleckp"
 "As perfectly us if 1t were yester- day"
 "I ricollecks 1t better den dat, sah. Let me fetch up CT little pictur' fur yer, sah. One Saddy ebenin', when de ole folks dun gone ter camp-meetin', CT little boy come inter my cabin whar wuz plsyin' my fiddle an tole me dat ef would l'arn him how ter play he would mighty nigh ever' day fetch me out some buttered biscuits wid CT whole lot O white sugar on lem. jumped at that idee, jumped at 1t like CT toad-fraug hoppin' at CT fly. wuz monst'us fon' O biscuits, an, huh, an whut fine ones ole Aunt Silvy did uster make. Made lem up by ham an sorter tucked lem in, wid CT pat on top. Wy, aah, uster think dat ef you fling up CT painful O dem biscuits da would come down like snow fakes. da wuz 80 light. Wall, we got erlong mighty fine wid de fiddle an wid de biscuits too, tell you, am 1t want long alter dat tell de boy he Tow dat he wanter rarn how ter chaw terbacker. l tole him dat he better not wanter Parn dat, but he den Tow dat he couldn' be CT man till he did know how, 90 seed his reason am l hauled out my twist am tore him off CT chaw. He smacked his mouf down on it, he did, an he gunter spit yaller jes like CT man, but stterwhile-aR I knowed 1t wuz CT comin'-he gupter turn pale, den de Laws CT massy neber did see CT sicker chile. His daddy got skeered an' sont fur CT doc- tor am wen he come an zamined de chile he says, says he: Its CT mighty good thing you sont fur me. cage in CT nuder hour dat chile would CT had CT monst'us case O fold fever.' Shortly alter dat de boy wuz runnin' all er- bout am de folks all Tow dat de doc- tor wuz de fpes' one in de lam, but huh, me am de boy knowed all erbout dat doctor. We knowed dat we'd dun plum fooled him. Wall, sah, dat boy Earned ter chaw terbacKer like CT Hard-Shell Babdiz preacher, an it want long till he could fiddle wid de best O lem. Does you reckernize dat pictur', gubner7"
 "Well, yes, since I helped to paint its original"
 "Yas, sab, l reckons SO. Law, me, how dat gone time do come up 'fo' me. Ricolleck de Sunday we bur- jed po' ole Aunt Silvy out in de or- chard? Ah, Lawd, I did miss dat good ole soul, am tell you ds biscuits want nigh 90 good alter che died. ricolleck dat wen we wuz shovelin' de dirt in de grave, CT yallerhammer set up in CT ellum tree am raised CT mighty row wid CT sapsucker dat had lit down on CT stake Q de rail fence. Am while ole Uncle Jcsperson stood prsyin', wid CT bible in his haD'-an', bless yo' life, honey, he couldn't read CT word O it-ole Uncle Johns dogs am some half hounds dst 'longed ter ole Pete, ober st de Frazier place, got ter fghtin' an Laws CT nassy, I neber did sec wimin am chillun scatter @. Dem days all dnn gone. De lsaf has