Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1889-09-28

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"One day, !, @.
Aunt Mirandy, one of .Ay., dinner
slaves, WIS sitting in the fg-ahbor back
of my house, missing miz'rv il. netN
lef' laig.' as she said when suddenlSs
she called ont:
'Marso J'romc! o. Marse J'romo!
"'Well. what is it" l querried
querulously, foh | haze to be disturbed
when I'm writing
"'Dahs cr man out hyar what wants
CT jawb, was her ansah.
II wss needing little whisewash-
| ing, so laid my pen on its rack and
went ont 10 make terms with the APP
plicant.
He must have been scventy-iivc
veahs old. sab. black as the character
of an OPT osition candidate, sab, and
raggeder than the immortal edge OF
| Avernus, sab.
Well 2 questioned.
'Ynas, sab, boss, wanter jawb.'
What can YOU dog
'Fawhm, clean bosses, men fences,
whitewash, saw wood, plant trees, take
keer o flowers, scrub f!oahs, keep de
baha in ohdeh, drive, look aftah de
clildr en--'
But / have no children l inteh-
posed.
Look aftah de missus, den.
1 But | have no missus. Ncvah had
and nevah propose to have.
den he added shyly, and with the
suspicion of a tear in his old eyes.
What is 20 name, | inquiahcd.
'Pompey Fairfax, sab
What all yo' terms, Pomp?'
Feed n findin'.'
Nothing monh?'
No, marse.'
Well. whitewash that balm, and
then come to me. Considah yourself
as engaged for three months-engaged,
vo know.'
Yes, sah,' and he walked off. hap
about seven o'clock that evening. old
Aunt hlirandy limped into my pres,
ence.
'Clar I gracious, Mnrse J'rome,
| she said, hit beats all how some ing
| gahs do eat Now. dar's dat Pomp He
done swallered er hull chicken, an
sebcnteeu fried 'taters, an foh cohn
pones, an twelve aigS. an nine cups er
coffee, an sence suppah he has drank
er quaint o yer best whisky, an smoked
eleben sigyars.
Great gravy cried. Bnt Ter
haps the poail fellow Iva, been famish
ing
AT the end Of the first week. how
ever, not only found that my balm
was only half whitewashcd but | found
that the cost of supplying myself aud
suhvauts with provisions had doWb!ed
TO dot
Il called in old Aunt Mirandy, and
we had lorG conference.
"'Mnrsc ,'rome, she said 4 made
fohty -seben slapjacks fer dat Pomp dis
very mawuin. fii,d twenty-five aigs,
an used up er half er ham, an he apper-
tite WIS not ez irisky ez usual.
THAT settles it, | said, and called
Pomp in.
'Yo' must leave.'I Numbered.
g. Nuffer free monfs-two monfs an
free weeks noah. Dat was de con-
trac'. An looky heah, boss, mer wash
bill hain't er done been sittled yit.'
IS How much is it p
- Seben dollars an two bits
Why, you black rascal, you have
MT changed dud since YOU came here.
Ono; but mer wife an mer twenty
one chillins, an mer brudders hez
changed, AMI"
81 threw up my hands in horror.
Name your price, and depart cried.
Fawty dollahs. Takin' er 'sition
wild you 'uns frew me outer jawb.'
81 handed the wretch the money.
He went to the doah and returned.
"'Youll glib me-er-gib me- er-let-
ter O Commentator
so, yesn | said, cheerfully, and l
wrote the following:
FANCY FARM. Oct, IL. 1883.
ITO all BhOnl ii MAY concern:
This is to cert fy that the bearer has an
appetite that has kept my larder in a con-
slant state of bankruptcy since hired him;
30 minutes work; that he is a fraud Of the
first order, who ought to be passed on. with
II kick that would pain lovely sunset I'M
der under his coat-tails.
JEROME SHACKLEFoRD.
"He thanked me and went out. That
was the last | ever saw of him, but |
heard that the basement of his panta-
looms was decorated by the mark of
many n boot befoh he could retiah
from ouah section of kedntry.
"The whitewashing of my balm cost
me 1925. 75." And the Colonel turned to
the bar for refreshments and relief.