The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-08-06

IN Era N old negro with
\ s]as ~@WS@ bossed on his
II count enance
was seen standing on the bank of o
river. Certain gestures implying help
lessness and the peculiar tone of his
mutterings proclaiming despair, might
have led one unacquainted with negro
character to suppose that the old fellow
was about to destroy himself; but the
persons who were near knew that a
black negro never kills himself pur-
posely, and they were therefore I'M
moved
After awhile the old negro took out
silver dollar, looked Mt it moment
and then threw it into the river
Look here, what did you do thcn?"
q man asked.
Il flung err dollar in dis yere river,
sab"
"And you're the biggest fool I ever
saw"
"Mebbe amt ez big er fool ez you
think is; mebbe had er aim in flingin'
dat money erwny."
"Aim in THROWN 1T away! Was 1t
that you've got too much and want to
get rid of it9"
mo, bless yo' life it amt De Lawd
knows dat der amt er man in dis we're
munity dat needs money morn does. -
"Ah, md you threw that dollar away
because you thought it would bring you
good luck, eh?"
mo, sab, Gaze doan' b'leve In no
SIGH er 'stition ez dat"
swell, why did you throw your dol
lar away?"
"My son." said the old man, 'you
amt ez much O. er floserfer ez is, an
dnrfo' you doan know de tricks dat
sarve ter turn err way de troubles O. dis
yere life. Lemme tell you suthin.
Some time do mine kin worry SO long
obcr de same thing dat err pusson will
go crazy eff he doan make his mine
change de subject Now, OATS stab
lished an granted, an We'll git down
ter dc pint Er few weeks ergo got
'quainted wild er lady dat mighty nigh
tuck my BRET. You may think dat er
little mouf black bass an one deze yere
specified pearches is putty, but dad no
mo- compar' wild dat piece O. human
flesh den er mud turl1le would show up
wild er pea fowl. Soon ez seed her,
does you know whit done?
drapped right inter pure love. My ole
wife had dun been run er way wild dat
yaller barber mon er year, an 1 knowed
dat l wus fitten ter marry, 'cordin'
ter de church an spectacle s'ciety, so 1
put out arter de lady, did. went ter
see her er good many times; I tuck her
boss apples tied up in er red banker
chuck; yered dat she smoked, an I
fotch her some yaller leaf terbacker dat
raised myself; made merlasses candy
fur her; chen went so fur ez ter steal
er clickin an fry it an take it ter her;
an now wanter AK you eff err pus-
son could do much mo- den all dis? She
could see by all deze yere 'tentions dat
wuz ready an er waitin' ter lay down
my life fur her. But did she smile at
me in return fur oil dis? Did she take
holt O. my han like che oughter done,
an say: Simon. lead de way an I'll
follcr you through dis yere life% Did
she do dat? No sab, but I'll tell you
whut she done. Wen ! called at de
house de las time She wuz settin' In de
do shellin' pease. SEE 1: 'Howdy do
man, an set down on de step an
tuck up er pea hull an gunter look at
II like dar wuz suthin' cu'is er bout It,
She says:
GOOD mawnin', sah.'
""Taint quite ez dry ez itwas or few
days er CO. says I.
"'No, anti amt quite ez wet ez it
wuz while it wuz rainin'.'
"She sorter cut her eye up at me an
smiled, but she shut Off de light dat fell.
on me by lookin' some whar else.
"'Whut's de reason didn't zee you aS
church yeste'd.y?' asked.
4 reckon it wuz becaze didn't 90. {"
''She flung some more light on me an
went on shellin' pease.
"'Bruder Jasper lowed dat he missed
.you nightly lowed.
"'Who, dat ole fool?'
AMT missed you nightly, too
Who, you% She stobbed me wid efa
dirk O. light an KEEP on or ehellin' /;
"'Yas,' says I, an Of ] wus ter DO
snatched frum dis WORT an tuols tap