Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1889-03-06
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 n shrewd trader in spite of
his queer name. That name came TO
him in consequence of the strong liking
OF his mother pious old colorcd wo-
man, for the book of Daniel. The
Bible was the object of her deepest
reverence, but the portion of it which
treated of Daniel was listened TO by her
with holy awe, and what she called
''refrishment of dc spirit"
When her friends among the young
white ladies would come to read to her,
which was every few days, she would
say: "Rcad i'm the book of Dan1,
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-barkin at him Dellaw
me! de berry fust pusson ! 'quire bout
wen l gifts in dc golden chariot and
says, Goodbye world gwine ter be
dat same Dan'l'
OF course, with that fervent admira-
ton for the Bible hero, her first son,
after five daughters; was named in rev.
erential memory of him.
81 amt denyin' Danl amt good
Scripter name said old jacob in his
usual deliberate fashion, "but its sort
oh permiscus, amt it, round here? How
you gwine to 'stinguish our Dan'l from
Dan Brown and Dan Higgins. and dat
owdacious white trash. Dan Larry?'
"You amt got much gumption, ia
cob" said his better-half, with scorn-
full 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'l-ob-de-
lions den."
"Del,aw 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, / reckon
we kin call him Dan dc lion, and no
preacher amt gwine to cut up bout a
plain name like dat.
So that was how Dandelon came by
his wild flower name. A flower Han
nah Jane had never heard of, or doubt
less she would have sowcd the seed all
over the garden. She never allowed it
to be abbreviated. One day luckless
visitor addrcs.e the boy as Dandy, and
was requested to depart.
IL amt gwne to hab no miscallin' OBJ
Scripter names under dis here raft"
Hannah Jane sid, with angry dignity.
at amt manners, and il amt Christian
conduct, and Ise 'bIeeged ter tell you,
Miss White, as how yer room is n heap
better dan yer company
When Dandeiou was nineteen he was
shrewd, wiry, wide-awake young fell
low, and not very scrupulous where his
interests were concerned. He was
darker than his mother, who was "a
father, who was as black as tar, but no
WIS 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 wiry little body
used to slip out of her grasp, aud his
cunning little mind devised thousand
expedients for escaping punishment.
Vainly did she hold up before him the
heroism OF her Bible hero, for instead
OF being uptijted as he ought TO have
been, he was apt TO Singer irrcvorcntly.
I'm 'fraid, sonny, you amt brave"
she said one day. with heavy sigh.
you're skulky, and you can't stand
straight up and tell de troof and shame
dc debbil, like Dandelion orter ter
do" His mother spoke truly. He was
not brave, he was not honest, but when
worsted, was cunning enough to throw
dust in the eyes OF his antagonists, and
get off skin whole while they were rag
ing in the arena
II had been very bad season for wa
termelons In and around Centreville.
and melons were a commodity in which
Dandelion dealt. He had shuckly old
cart and mule, Jim Crow. which was
lean enough and old enough 10 be
turned out 10 grass, and during the
melon season from early morning until