The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1893-12-08
Story UF A LONG SLEEP.
and the Strange Disappearance OF
a Watermelon.


It was four o'clock on Sunday after
noon in the month of July. The air
had been hot and sultry, but light,
cool breeze had sprung up and occa-
sional cirrus clouds overspread the sun,
and for awhile subdued his ferceness.
We were all out on the piazza as the
coolest place we could find-my wife,
my sister-in-law and l. The only sounds
that broke the Sabbath stiffness were
the hum of an occasional vagrant bum
blebee or the fragmentary song Of a
mocking bird in a neighboring elm,
who lazily trolled q stave of melody
now and then as sample of what he
could do in the cool of the morning or
after light shower. when the condi-
tions would be favorable to exertion.
Annie" said /, suppose to relieve
the deadly dullness of the afternoon,
that we go out and pull the big water
melon and send for Col Pemberton's
folks to come over and help us eat 1t. I"
SIS it ripe yet?" she inquired, sleepi-
ly, brushing away troublesome fly
that had impudently settled on her
hair.
''Yes, think so. / was out yester-
day with Julius, and we thumped it
and concluded it would be fully ripe by
tomorrow or next day. But think it
is perfectly safe to pull it to-day"
"Well, if you're sure, dear, we'll CO.
But how can we get it up to the house?
It's too big to tote"
"Ill step around to julius cabin and
ask him to go down with the wheelbar-
row and bring it up" / replied.
Julius was an elderly colored man
who worked on the plantation and
lived in small house on the place, a
few rods from my own residence. His
daughter was our cook, and other men,
bers of his family served us in differ
ent capacities. hat
AS turned the corner of the house /
saw Julius coming up the lane. He
had on his Sunday clothes and was
probably returning from the afternoon
meeting at the Sandy Run Baptist
church. of which he was leading MEM
ber and deacon.
Julius" / said, 1--WE are going out
to pull the big watermelon and we
want you to take the wheelbarrow and
go with us and bring it up to the
house."
'Does yer reckon dat watermillun's
ripe yit, sah?" said Julius Didn't
pear ter me it went quite plunk enuff
yestiddy fer ter be pull befor' ter
morrer."
81 think it is ripe enough, julius"
''Mawning 'ud be better time fe1
ter pull it, sab, wen de night air an
de jews done cool it off nice"
Probably that's true enough, but
we'll put it on ice and that will cool it,
and I'm afraid if we leave it too long
some one will steal it.
81 specs dats So" said the old man
with confrmatory shake of the head.
"Yer takes chances wen yer pulls it,
en- yer takes chances wen yer dom.
Deys lot er po' white trash round
heah wat ain none too good fer ter
steal it. seed some un 'em loafn'
long de big road on mer way home fun
chu'ch jes' now. / has ter watch mer
( own chicken coop to keep ehick'ns 'nufi
fer Sunday eatin'. I'll go en- git de
w'eelborrow.
AS the old man turned to go away he
began to limp and put his hand to his
knee with an exclamation of pain.
whats the matter, Julius?'' asked
my wife.
"Yes, Uncle Julius, what ails you?'
echoed her sweet young sister. "Dit
you stump your toe?"
"No, miss, it's dat mis'able rheumatic
1t lketches me now an den in de lef
knee so can't hardly draw my bref
Oh, Lawdy," he added between his
| clenched teeth ''but dat do hurt! Ouch
It's little better now" he said after {
moment, "but doan' b'lieve kin rol
dat w'eelborrow out ter de watermillur
patch en- back. Eff it's all de same tel
yo', sab, I'll go roun ter my house Ell
SEN Tom ter take my place, w'iles
rubs some linimum on my laig."
"Ehat'll be all right, Julius" l said
and the old man, hobbling, disappeared
around the corner of the house Ton
was lubberly, sleepy-looking negr'
boy of about fifteen, related to Julius
wife in some degree and living witt
them
The old man came back in about fiv
minutes. He walked slowly and SCENE,
very careful about bearing his weigh
on the afflicted member
81 sent Liza Jane fer to wake Ton
up" he said "He's down in de orchart
asleep under a tree somewhar. 1t take
minute er so fer ter wake i'm up
Liza Jane knows how ter do it Sh
ticlxles i'm in de nose or der yeah wild
broomstraw. Hollerin' doan' do n
good. Dat boy is one er de Sebel
Sleepers. He's wuss'n his gran'dadd,
used ter be"
"Was his grandfather deep sleeper
Uncle Julius?n asked my wife's sister
"Oh, vas, Miss Mabel" said Julius
gravely HE wuz q monst'us pow'fu
sleeper He slep fer mont once"
Dear me, Uncle Julius, you must b
joking" said my sister-in-law, incredu
lousy, thought she put it mildly.
"0h, no, ma'am, ain jolin'. Ineve
Jokes on serious subjects l wuz der
wen it all happen. Hit wuz monstu
quare thing.
''Sit down. Uncle Julius, and tell u
about it. said Mabel, for she dearl
loved q story and spent much of he
time drawing out" the colored peopl
in the neighhorhood.
The old man took off his hat an
; seated himself on the top step of tn
piazza. His movements were som,
what stiff, and he was very careful I
get his left leg in comfortable p'
sition.
Toms gran daddy wu2sname Skul
dus," he began He had q brudd,
name TushuS en- ernudder name Cottl
EN- ernudder name Squinehus- II
. old man paused moment and gay
his leg another hitch.
"lsut ez | was a-saying, dis vel