The Brookhaven leader., 1889-08-15
WHY BOB DIDN'T PLAY.
A simple Tale That Expressed More
Than Volumes of Lectures.

river. The lazy loungers and the in
dustrious liars had gone down to the
landing; the half-clad negro boys had
thrown down their tishing-polcs, and
with wide-open eyes were standing
about Some one exclaimed: "Yon-
der comes Knock-Kneed Bob! Fetch
out de cards, fellors, fur dat Niger
gwine ter buck ergin us"
The cards were brought out and
were thrown down on bale of cot
ton; old Bob, paying no attention to
the cards, stood gazing at the boat.
What's de matter. Bob?' a deck
hand cried. ivy, lowed you be
shufflin' dem dar pastebo' DIS by dis
time. Gospel folks amt got arter
you, is dap
Bob sat down on stump, and a
mum Der of deck-hands, astonished at
his refusal TO play, gathered about
him, expecting to hear u miraculous
story of reformation.
Look yare, niger" said an old
follow known as Flat-IIcad Kinchin.
"Wharfo' you ack SO cuts in or 'muni-
ty dat is so straightfor' an ter de
pint? Oar lays de cards on de bale;
yare is do boys jinglin' dc dimes
mighty like da ken hardly hol 'em in
dar pockets. Wy l wouldn'ter como
up on dis trip ter-day lessen | haden ter
thought dat gwine ter git some o dat
money whut you totes round in yo'
jeans. Look yare, man. whut is do
matter wild you, nohow? Some preach
er done got de swing on 20? Some
mo ner s. bench politician dun WINGED
you dat you gwine ter de place whar
de warm ain t dead yet, an whar dar
amt been no water poured on de FREQ
"Genermen," old Bob replied. Il
didn' come down yare ter gamble.
amt gwine gamble no mo-. l wanter
see de cap'n O. de boat ter see eff |
KANT git some plank
What in de worP You want wild
plank. man? Cut dem pastcbo'ds dar
an let us dance ter de music O. de sill
yer jingle"
mo, l tells YOU" Bob replied. u
tells you no, hat-footed. Day bcfo'
yistidy Wen dis boat WIZ up yare
gambled wild you. didn' come down
fur de purpose O gamblin, nuther. My
little gal wuz sick, an my wife she gin
me thirty cents, all de money dar wuz
on de place, an tole me ter hurry ter
de plan alton drug sto up de bayos
yonder an git some medicine. got
long yare jest as dis boat landed, an
you genermen wanted me ter play
cards wild you. Wall thinks l,
thirty cents amt gwine buy huff med,
icine ter do much good, so I'll try my
luck fur err mint ur two. Gaze | feels
like ken win anyhow.
AN you did win," old Kinchin ex,
claimed.
''Yas, did win. l wen ten dollars.
Den l struck er trot fur de sto'.
an wen l got dar felt so proud O my
'bility dat | thought I'd treat myse'f
ter err little Ticker; so after gitten
de medicine tuck er drink, O. Ticker.
Den some O de boys drapped in an we
had some mo-. Den thinks |, 'dar
has SIGH luck como ter me dat | ken
er'ford to Joy myself right yare, l
sailed in, | did, an bought err quart.
an den putty soon l started fur home.
| cut er cross err near way through de
woods, but hadn't gone fur till l met
one o ole Abs boys. We sat down
on err log an looked at dc sun through
my bottle, De next mornin' l woke
up, lynn side er log in dc swamp. De
fust thing | thought erbout wuz dc
medicine. | clapped my han on my
pocket an dar it wuz. Den | hurried
on home thinkin' bout my little gal
thinkin' O her sweet song in de cbenin'
after all her work wuz DONE Jest
befo' l got home l met ole Aunt Silvy
Johnson.
Good mawnin', Aunt Silvy, says I.
Good mornin'. Bob she piled,
an stopped in de path. She stood dar
fur few minits, an den said:
" 4 has jest left yo' house
SO OATS jest like you, Aunt Silvy,
huntin' fur places whar folks is sick.
De Lawd amt gwine furgit you. Wall,
l mus hurry on home wild dis yare
medicine so my little gal ken sing
ergin in de ebenin' when her work is
done
You neenter hurry now said she.
'Yo' little gals ebenin' has come, an
her work is done. De little lady is
dead.
'Genermen," the old negro added,
as he took up his hat, Use come
down ter see de cap'n O. de boat ter git
some plank ter make coffin outen. "
-Opie p. Read. in America.