The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-01-01
An OLD vIRGIyIA STORY.
Uncle Jerry Tells why He Always Voted
"The Dry Ticket"
fBY A LADY OF RICHMOND.

as re2lar as ole marSe hlsSell, an ore
marse neber missed many days widout
his mint julep TO breakfus. his brandy
an water at dinner. an his hot 'nlghtcap'
when he went TO bed; not that ole marse
eber drunk to '%s'cess, no indeed, sahi
Marse Randolph was a gem'man. ebry
inch OF him. He was as straight as dat
| Lombardy poplar dab. an mos as tall.
an his eyes were dat black an keen dey
look right thro' you. clean into de oder
room, an his nose was like de beak oh de
eagle. sab. VERY proud an gran, an he
rode his bay magyar, Lightfoot, like he
been born an raised horseback.
There was nothin' mean bout Nlarse
Randolph, neider, all open an buy board,
an nothin' underhanded. and / was his
body servant an knew all his ways.
What me and Marse Randolph was we
was. What oder people was dey wasn't.
Now. Lawyer Corbin TUX his dram unbe-
known TO nobody. an neber axed a soul
to tine him. and Deacon Fisher got on big
sprees, and KEEP II close, but dat was not
de way wild me an Marse Randolph.
What we was, we was; what we wasn't
we wasn't.
Now. Kitty neber believed in drlnkin'
sperrit. nothin' stronger than blackberry
wine when you was sick. and sweet cider
at harves'! Kitty was my wife, as good
a creatur as cher ~libed-(she's dead now,
and gone to glory)-but. at times, as sot In
her ways as any oman de Lord eber put
a bonnie or Kitty was all de white
chillun's nanny: she nursed EN- all, sab.
and dey lobed her dat dearly dat nothin'
on the whole plantation was too good
for her, she could of worn fine silks In
satins IF she had chose. She used TO tide
to meeting in de kerridge, ev'ry fifth
sunday Union Prov T,,rIar pro.gb.I u.iI
me q drivin', and de ~leetlest chillun Wild
her ef it were a fine day. Kitty was n
great rusticrat. an held her head
moughty high. She could red de Bible,
write sum, an knew how TO teach de
chillun' manners mos as well as Miss
Alice herself. Dere were six leetle gals
Jes like star steps, an not a single boy in
de family, and Kitty an Miss Alice was
sorry, an Marse Randolph used to say
de ole name gwine to die out. But time
went on, an 10, an behOlei one Christmas
mornin' Marse Randolph rode down 10 de
quarters his face list a shinin', and he
say: Jerry, call all de hands out. | want
TO glib dem a treat. an l want dem all TO
wish me joy. and drink 20 de healf oh de
fine boy up at the mansion. who com dis
morning, bright and early, an whose
maine is Randolph Carter, Jr..' says he.
Bless de Lord. says |, you don't say
so-dats a Christmas eif Ia be proud Of,
sure nuff. an right from de- hand Oh de
good Lord Hisself. Here, Sam, here Job,
here, boys. come gratilate Marse Ran
dolph. Bring out your cups an drink de
long life an happiness oh de new boy
babyr
"Dcy all crowded round, an Marse
Randolph called Toby, who was totin' de
big jemi-JOhn, an poured out a plenty for
all, an den l gin de toast: Three cheers
for big Marse Randolph. and three ch eers
for nttie Marse Randolph-de lost Is
found, de dead is come TO life agin. let's
kill the fatted calf Marse Randolph
LATED right hearty, an say he hoped de
baby won't be no p~rofiget son, no how
"Well, gem'men, dere Mas gran doin's
up at de house dat Chris'mus-folks
come from far an near to see dat leetle
boy, an gratilate Marse Ran an Miss
Alice, an bof on 'em was mighty happy |
an proud, but, sab, my wife, Kitty, were
de proudest Of all! De oder chillun' want
nc whar now Wild her-it was 1eetle
RAM 1eetle Ran with her all day long!
She used to walk up an down de gravel
walk sunny days, up an down, proud
as a peacock. wild de leetle fellow I'm her
his long white close a trailin', she
a talkin' TO him. an he a. cooin', like a
wood pigcOn-for he were a mighty peart
baby from de very fust.
well, lectle Ran grew rapid, an ef I
do say it, gem'men. who shouldn't. he
was de purtiest an de brightest leetle |
chap dat cher 1 sot my ole eyes n pom. |
50 mannish. too. an dat takin' dat YOU
couldn't help lettin' him hab his own
way about evry ting. lie list ruled de
whole house. de chillun. Miss Alice, me
Kitty. an lawsakes. he was de very
spit o Marse Randolph. and jist de apple
his eye. He an Miss Alice sot so
much sto' by him dat l use TO tell Kitty
what on airtl wd become on 'em IF de
good Lord should see fit TO take him up
to glory, an Kitty w'd get riled an say:
Hush, Jerry, hush. ole man, de good
Lord won't do nothin' so unnat'ralr
But when Kitty's gray hairs went a.
to de grade. sab, she sed to me,
SEE she, "Ah! ole man, ef we had as much
as we had hindsight, de Lords
in euttin' down de young wouldn't
seem so parst fndin' out. but a marcy,
a snatchin' from de evil to cum, SEE
she.
"Well, sab, 70 dat boy was knee-high
to a duck. he were a ridin' eb'ry colt on
De plantation, an a begin of his pa to
let him go foX-huntin' wd de hounds, for
1t was a sight how he did love all de-
dorgs. / have seen him hug an kiss,
kiss an hug ole Snip an her puppies till
Kitty w'd hab to cum an pull him away,
il was jist a shame she neb'cr
could keep him decent for wollerin' wild
lie dOrgs, hole'in 'em in his arms, an
a. leanin' of his curly hade aginst 'em.
He alleys glib EN- one harf his dinner
an all his lunch, ef Kitty didn't watch
nim' an he was dat free handed dat de
eetle darkeys got all his toys, an all his
candy an cents, an Kitty had to tell
EN- she would jist skin 'em alive eff dey
stop begin leetle Ran, an fakin'
his things, for dey neber let him hab
lOthin' at all OBJ his own the day arrer
he got it, but dey did Tub him dearly,
rs did eb'ry ting on do plantation, an
Jerry mos oh all-and when / think
)b him, sab, happy as de day was long,
/ gallopin' on his colt Samuel--he name
him Samuel arter de leetle boy in de
3ible-wid his yellow hyar a. flying, an
lis cheeks like roses, purifier dan any
neber feared o. nobody or nothin',
'ut frien's wild all. an so tender hearted
lat he neber could hurt chen an ole molly
lyar-an' den gittin' bigger an bigger.
IN han'somer an han'sOmer. an we all
an prouder OBJ him eb'ry day;
when l think oh him-O sahs. God forgih
/ carn't help wondering whar
lie was. and what he was a'doin', when
10 lowed poor leetle Ran. the finest piece
J work he ever made out O dust, / bet
o 'scape so intirely out o. his hans!
well. de wa cum. you know all bout
{: faint worth while 10 harry yore feel
MS rakin' up ole Goals, which lie a
m%oulderin'. an a. ~smoulderin' here in
ne, as l sets here in my cabin do, and
mokes my pipe-Marse Randolph's pipe.
ah-he left me. and steadies bout po'
Hiss Alice an all dem gals, an how