Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1892-09-02

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 un-
moved.
After awhile the old negro took out
silver dollar, looked at it a moment
and then threw it into the river,
! Look here, what did you do them"
a man asked,
~ flung er dollar in dis yere river,
sah.'
"And you're the biggest fool l ever
saw"
"Mebbe I amt ez big err fool ez you
think is; mebbe had er aim in f1ingin'
dat money erway,"
Aim in throwin' it away Was it
that you've got too much and want to
get rid of it?"
"No, bless yo' life it amt De Lawd
knows dat der amt er man in dis yere
'munity dat needs money MORN does"
"Ah, and you threw that dollar away
because you thought it would bring you
good luck, eh?"
sich er 'stition ez dat"
"Well, why did you throw your dol
lar away?"
"My son." said the old man, "you
amt ez much o er floserfer CT is, an
darfo you doan know de tricks dat
sarve ter turn er way de troubles o dis
yere life. Lcmme tell you suthin.
Some time de mine kin worry so long
ober de same thing dat er pusson will
go crazy eff he doan make his mine
change de subject. Now, dat's stab
hshed an granted, an We'll git down
ter de pint Err few weeks ergo got
'quainted wild er lady dat mighty nigh
tuck my bref. You may think dat er
little mouf black bass an one deze yere
speckled pearchcs is putty, but dad no
mo- compar' wild dat piece O human
flesh der er mud turllle would show up
wild er pea fowl, Soon cz | seed her,
does you know whut | done? |
drappcd right inter pure love. My ole
wife had dun been run er way wild dat
yaller barber mon er year, an llnowed
dat | wus titten ter marry, 'cordin'
ter de church an spectacle s'ciety, so
put out arter dc lady, did. Invent ter
see her er good many times; tuck her
hoss apples tied up in er red banker
chuck; | yered dat she smoked, an
fotch her some yaller leaf te.backer dat
| raised myself; made meriasses candy
fur her; eben went SO FUR ez ter steal
er chickiu an fry it an take it ter her;
an now | wauter AK you cf er pus-
son could do much mo- den all dis? She
could sec 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 all dis? Did she take
mol. O my han like she oughter done,
an say: Simon, lead de way an I'll
foller 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 Shelllu peaSe, Sez 1; HoWdy do
MAN, an set down on de step au'
tuck up err pea hull an gunter look at
il like dar wuz suthin' cu'is er bout it,
Sho says:
"'Good mawnin', sab
""Taint quite ez dry ez it was cr few
days CIR go, says |.
"'No, an it amt quite ez wet ez it
wuz while 1t wuz rainin,'
"She sorter cut her eye up at me an
smiled but she shut off dc light dat fell
on me by lookin' some whar else.
"Whut's de reason didn't see you at
church yeste'd'y?' | asked.
81 reckon it wuz becaze didn't go.
'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?'
An l missed You nightly, too
Who, you" She stobbed me wild er
dirk @ light an l<cp on er shcllin.'
"Y@s,' says !, an ef wuz ter be
matched fran dis wCrl an tuck ter