The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-12-15
STORY OF A LONG SLEEP.
And the Strange Disappearance OF
a Watermelon.

had been hot and Su try, but a hight,
cool breeze had sprung up and occa-
sional cirrus clouds overspread the sun
and for awhile subdued his fierceness
We were all out on the piazza as the
coolest place we could find-my wife
my sister-in-law and /. 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 a stave of melody
now and then rs a sample of what he
could do in the cool of the morning OF
after a light shower. when the condi-
tions would be favorable to exertion
Annie" said /, suppose To reliev,
the deadly dullness of the afternoon.
that we go out and pull the hi : water
melon and send for Col Pemberton's
folks to come over and help us eat ii. "
rs il ripe yet?" she inquired, sleepi-
ly, brushing away a 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
10 morrow or next day. But / think il
is perfectly safe To pull it to-day
''Well, ii you're sure, dear, well go.
But how can we get il up To the house?
It's too big to tote
IN step around to julius cabin and
ask him To go down with the wheel bar
row and bring it up replied
Julius was an elderly colored man
who worked on the plantation and
lived in a small house ON the place, "a
few rods from my own residence. His
daughter was our cook, and other MEM
bers Of ms family served US in differ
ent capacities.
As ! turned the corner of the house |
saw Julius coming up the lane He
lad on his Sunday clothes and was
probably returning from the afternoon
meeting at the Sandy Run Baptist
.hurch. of which he was a leading mem
Der and deacon.
Julius" | said, I'VE are going out
to pull the big watermelon and we
want you to take the wheelbarroyv and
70 with us and bring it up TO the
mouse"
Docs yer reckon dat watermillun's
ripe yit, sah?" said Julius. Didn't
pear ter me it went quite plum, enuf
yestiddy fer ter be pull befor ter
morrer"
II think it is ripe enough, Julius"
"Mawning 'ud be better time fer
ter pull II, sih, wen de night air an
de jew, done cool it OFF nice
''Probabiy that's true enough, but
well pat il on ice and that viii cool II.
and I'm afraid if we leave il too long
some one win steal it"
Il specs dat's So said the old man
!, -.
Yer takes chances Wen yer pulls ii.
en- yer takes chances Wen yer don
Deys lot cr po' white trash round
neah wat am none TOO gooI fer ter
steal it. l seed some un 'em loafin'
long de big road on mer way home FUN
church les now. l has ter watch mc-
own chicken coop to keep chic1'n 'nulf
Ter Sunday eatin'. I'll go en- git de
w'eel borrow"
As the old man turned to go away he
began t" limp and put his hand TO his
knee with an exclamation of pain
What's the matter, Julius?- asked
my wife.
Yes. Uncle Julius, what ails you?'
echoed her sweet young sister. Did
You stuTap your toc?'
mo, miss it's dat mis- fable rheumatic.
1t letches me now an den in de lcf
knee SO | can't hardly draw my BRET
Oh, Lawdy," he added between his
clenched teeth, but dat do hurt, Ouch.
It's a little better now" lac said after a
moment. but | doan' h'lieve l kin roll
dat w'eelborrow out ter dc watermillun
patch en- back. IF its all Dc same ter
yo'. sab, I'll 90 roun' ter my house en-
sen Tom ter take my place, wlles
rubs some linimum on my laig.
.-That'u b. all right, Julius" / said,
and the old man, hobbling. disappeared
around tl.e corner OF the house. Tom
las q Iunberly, sleepy-loOlSing negro
.uy Of .hau; fifteen, related II Julius
wife in some degree aud living with
them.
The old man came back in about five
minutes. lie walked slowly and secme'l
very careful about bearing his weight
on the afflicted nenIber-
Il sent Liza Jane fer To wake Tom
up" hc said Hes down in de orchard
asleep under 4 tree somcwhar. 1t takes
a minute er so fer ter wake i'm up
Liza Jane knows how ter do ii. She
tic,.lcs i'm in dc nose or der yeah Wid 4
bruomstr:lyv. Hollcrin' doan' do no
SIcepers. He's wuss'n his gran daddy
uscl ter be. "
Was his grandfather a deep sleeper,
Uncle julius asked my wife's sister.
.-Oh. vas. Miss Mabel" said Julius,
gravely. ''lIc wuz a monstus pow ful
sleeper lie slep' fer a mont once
Dear me. Uncle Julius, you must be
Joking" said my sister-in-law, incredu-
iously. thonght she put it mildly.
''Oh, no. ma'am, l ain jollin'- never
Jokes on serious subjects wuz dere
wen it all happen. Hit wuz monst' us
quarc thing
sit down, Uncle Julius, and tell Us
about it." said Mabel, for she dearly
loved a story and spent much of heI
time drawing out" the colored people
in the ncighbJrhood-
The oil man took off his hat anc
seated himself on The top step OF thS
p.azza. His movements were some
what sriif and he was very careful u
get his left leg in a comforta ble po
sitiou.
Toms gran daddy wuz name SlIun
duS.' he began. He had bruddcl
name Tushus en- ernudder name Cottu:
en- crnrdGcr name Squinchus. The
o;d man paused moment and gave
his leg another hitch.
..But ez / was a-saying, dis yer'
Sllundns Crowcd to be pert, lively
kind cr boy en- WIZ very well liked OF
de plantation. lie never quo'led wio
de res or de hans en- allus behaved
i,sc'f en- tended toy his wu'-- D On s
fault he had wuZ his sleep'ness. He
half ter be woke up cve'y mawnin te
go ter his wuI1. en- w'eneber he got
chance he'd fall asleep. He wuz might
ly nigh gctt;n' inter trouble NOR
once for gwinc ter sleep in de tieP.
never seed his beat fer sleeping. III
could sleep in de sun er in dc shade
He could lean upon his hoe en- sleeI
lie went ter sleep wall'n' long de roa
onct, en- mighty nigh bust his he'd ope