Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-04-07
UNCLE BOB.

It was on an evening in late Sep
tember that Mr.. and Mrs. Barbour
were sitting on their front gallery.
Mr. Barbour had been reading his
paper and Mrs Barbour sewing, but
they both abandoned their occupa
tions for a moment and looked at
each other.
James. | have been thinking about
this sheep stealing that has been 60
ing on for some time, !" said Mrs. Bar
bour. I'VE must do something to
put a stop to it."
just then Uncle Bob came running
around the corner of the house and
stopped before them. He did not
speak word, but simply stood and
stared at them with bulging eyes and
wide open mouth.
Uncle Bob had never accepted free
dom 80 far as to leave the home where
he had been reared and where he
had worked as a slave until eman
cipation was proclaimed. Mr. Bar
bour had been and always would be
Mars Jim" to him, and Mrs. Barbour
at the age of 60 was still Young
missus Uncle Bob's mind had never
been very bright, and of late some
how it seemed to rest under heavier
cloud than ever before.
To a person not acquainted with
Uncle Bob it would have seemed as
if something terrible had occurred to
give him that startled look. but it
brought only smile to Mr. Barbour's
face
What is the matter, Bob9' he
asked gently.
, "Hawgs in de tater patch. Mars
JIM"
After this information was given
his face relaxed somewhat, and the
terror that had been depicted upon it
vanished in moment.
go and drive out the hogs and re-
pair the fence"
'T'ze done fix de fence"
, "Well, then, what is the troublc9"
"Hawgs in de tater patch.
{ Didn't you drive them out9"
II sholy try, but dem hawgs dess
run an run an butt dey head gin de
fence till dey plum crazy"
"Oh, | see," laughed Mr.. Barbour.
.You closed up the gap where they
got in before you tried to drive them
out2"
''Laud, Mars Jim, dess sholy didr
And Uncle Bob started back toward
the potato patch, while Mr.. and Mrs.
Barbour laughed softly to themselves
over the blunder he had made.
"Bobs reasoning faculties are get
ting duller every day." said Mrs. Bar
bour. "Since Nose and Phyllis came
back here last spring it seems like he
is out of his wits oftener than he used
to be-"
( Nonsense, Kathleen. Bob is get
ting old; that Is all"
Perhaps so. But there is great
change in him since their return.
Nose and Phyllis were always full of
tricks, and there is no telling what
influence they are using over the poor
old fellow"
DO you think they have hoodooed
him2" laughed Mr.. Barbour.
mo, do not. But am sure they
are intimidating him in some way"
said Mrs. Barbour earnestly. Don't
you remember, james, the tricks they
resorted to while they were slaves to
get out of workl Nose was crippled
10 badly with rheumatics that he just
could creep around with the assistance
of a stick, and Phyllis was so hard OF
hearing that it was impossible to
make her understand anything ex-
cept through signs, and then she
would only understand as much as
suited her But the day they were
set free Nose cast away his stick and
hoped and danced as lively as any
one, and Phyllis was no longer
troubled with deafness.
We'll, my dear, that was comph-
mert to US. They knew no one would
buy them in that condition and pay
what they were worth To US. We
were always kind to them. and they
appreciated it. They simply played
that trick because they loved us"
. ''You know better, James 1t was
to keep out of hard work-to get the
best of US to cheat US SO far as we
would allow. Just remember how
quickly they left US after they were
set free. Nose and Phyllis were the
first to go away
"And the first to return to us" re-
piled Mr.. Barbour, with smile.
YES; they passed their useful days
An towp doing barely enough TO live,