Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-07-18

after tjnkiu' on de subiec', Ise done
come to de conclusion dat de true motto
is, God helps dem as helps themselves,
1 tell you Wy Ise come to dis conclusion
massa, an yer'l see dar is pherlosserp ply
IN what done.
"You member las Tanksgibin' Day
wen de President done make arrange
ments dat ebery darky in desc 'Nited
States shall hab turkey fo' he dinner
Well, sab, Ise wait till JUS one week
befo' Tanksgibin' Day an see no signs
OBJ dis chile settin' nary turkey. Dat
was Monday, and Ise kneel down and
pray TO the Lawd fo' turkey till my
knees was sore, but nary turkey come
along.
"Dat night dis chile go to bed VERY
much perplex but de ways OBJ Prov
dence, an come to de 'clusion dat suthin,
mus be out OBJ jint an dat de wheels
wanted greasin'. All day Chewsday
was a-prayin, and de nearest I come to
gettin' dat turkey was wen washington
Lafayette Grow come to my do bout
shutdown wild big gobSIer under he arm
an say, is Julius Jones libin heres'
"'No,' says I, wat 70 yer ak dat ques-
tion?'
"'Coz I hab Tanksgibin turkey TO-
him. SEE he.
"My heart went wallopin' down inter
my boots to tink come so near gettin'
a turkey, eos Julius nose lib mex do
I seen it mus be mistake somehow, an
dat day pray harder dan eber' but no
turkey come, an Ise go TO bed perplexed
wusser dan befo'.
"wednesday an. Thursday pray all de
time, but Viddout success an my heart
almos' busted, fo' see all de niggahrs
bringin' home Turkeys an all de time
my chances was a-lessenin',
"Friday I prayed as hard es ebber, an.
about sundown along come a flock of
Turkeys, wild two men a-driben' OBJ EN-,
an de Turkeys was a-gobbliu' loud enuf
to bust up Mefodis meetin'.
"Den my heart palperated wild Joy, fo'
[ tink that hab turkey, shUah. l stop
prayin' and go to winder, an 10! an be-
hole, de biggest turkey OBJ the lot leah De
flock, an run straight fo'my do, but de
Lawd wasn't wild me, fo' de dribber went
after dc turkey, and dribe him back, an
dat am de las l see OBJ the bird.
"Den tink my tactic wasa't right an
thought Id change 'em. So 1 pray de
Lawd ter glib me wisdom an let me go
forth an find turkey fo' myself, an
den / rekermembered de motto: DE
Lawd helps dem as helps demseIves,' an
see at onst de error OBJ my ways.
$50 I rise up an gor forth, like Hager
into de wilderness of Beer sheba,. sfo' ,,
sas I, is anything too difficult fo' de
Lawdp An 10 an behole, as I wan
nered in de dark, me eyes was opene'
like Hagers's was. She was a-perishin
of thurst au' seed well, an I seed a
dark object on de fence.
My instink tole m dat nay prayers hab
been answered an dat de object Oh de
fence was Messing mo- nor less dan a
roossin turkey. So crawls up an grabs
him an shoves him in bag which l had
fo' dat purpos.'
'Den 'presniate de beauty OBJ dat
motto which cay DE Law hep dem as
help demselves.'
envy constance smite me fo' two or
three minute, fo' I tink praps someone
might call it stealin', but on lookin'
round I foun' dat de ole tvkkey was a
roostin' On massa's fence. an den I re-
member he done bin roOstin' dere fo'
ODER tree month, an I done tux him fo'
de rent, an'dat's how I come to get my
Thandsgivin turkey, sah."
"Well Frank, I said, "you are q
subtle sasuist, and your COINCIDENCE was
easily quieted when you took that tur-
key off the roost. I should call that
stealing"
81 don't know wat dem words mean,"
said the old darby, sail I knows is I TUX
hem fo' de rent, be roost dar for tree
month, OATS 9 quarter rent shuah!"
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