The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-12-22

erlong this way till Tom he got worse
and worse, till at last one night when
the niggers had gathered out in their
yard and were playing and er singing
under a big oak on the grass Tom he
jest set out on er horse block and
whitfield with his knife and looked
down at the ground till he hered the
niggers sing the old song:
"Old massa give me holler day
He said he'd give me more,
And thanked him very kindly
And l showed my boat from shore.
It's OH my dearest May
You're lovely as the day.
Your eyes so bright
They shine at night,
When the moon has gone away.
"And from across the branch came
the plaintive sound of negro voices
from Freeman's quarter, and as Tom
listened his heart seemed to go out in
sympathy to the singers, for as they
progressed he slowly raised his head
and leaned forward, as if to catch the
sound, and his lips moved in unison
as the words
Il took her hand within my own,
A tear was in her eye,
I asked her if she would be mine,
Her answer was sigh.
Oh, Emma, dear. dear Emma,
From the Mississippi vale,
In all this wide world over
There is none like Emma Dale
swelled upon the breezes, and at the
finish he arose from his seat and
walked toward the woods.
"When the niggers got through with
their frolic Tom was gone, and the
next morning when the other niggers
went to work thar want no Tom
there, and it was soon known that
Tom was runaway.
''Peter and Lucy wouldn't hear to
putting hounds after Tom, and so he
was not heard from any more, and
they had quit talking about him on
the place. Thus it went for year.
The crops were sorry and Peter failed
to pay anything on his thousand dol
lar note to old man Smith, but had
to renew and. borrow a little more.
Peter was confident and Lucy was
cheerful, and so they pitched another
crop and resolved to economic and
work hard, never thinking that luck
had turned ergin' 'em.
"Erlong in June, though" continued
Plunkett, "the niggers that Peter had
bought got the smallpox ermong them,
all three of them died and the crop
was lost, but Peter rolled up his
sleeves and worked the harder and
Lucy she was jist the same good little
woman, and they made er pretty good
crop and got it housed, and l don't
think airy one of 'em ever thought
erbout luck being ergin EN-.
"But,' continued the old man, ION
the Sd day OF December-on the
night OF that day. never would for
get it if l were to live er thousand
years, Peters barn ketched er fire and
burned up his whole crop and all
three Of his horses, and the very next
morning old Smith was over there err
pressing him for the twelve hundred
dollars and said he had to have it or
he'd take possession OF the farm.
The money would be due on the 25th
day of December, and old Smith
wanted his money or possession on
that day. The prospects for a happy
SiAA AoO'llc1c NOo ullSuUy SlOOluy IOr
Peter, but Lucy said:
Well, Peter, you've got me and
the children yet
eyes, said Peter, 'and you've
never herd me complain, but l do
hate to give up the home
That was about as much to do as
there was erbout it, until at last
Christmas eve night rolled around
and the little children hung up their
stockings and talked themselves to
sleep about old Santa Claus, and
Peter and Lucy listened with tears,
and all through the long night they
sat until the hands on the clock
pointed to the hour OF three, and
then Peter raised his head and
lowed: -....'.
"Lucy, we will have to give up
our home to Smith, -
Before Lucy could answer soft,
cat-like tread was heard upon
the porch and the latch string
was pulled, and as the door opened
there was revealed to the sight OF the
astonished pair.
"Old Tom the runaway.
"Tse worth $4,000 of any mans
money and that will pay off old
Smiths mortgage said old Tom as
he unslung a clean pillow case from
his shoulder that was filled with good
les for the little ones, and that soon