Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-07-07
TRAVELLING MEN
LIFE IN VIRGINIA.
Pen Sketches by Mrs. lisa Carrin L ton
CnbeIl.
QIartford Courant).

Negroes are very reasonable people.
Amy, the cook here, was Il widow OF
six months when she decided to accept
Arthur, a young man half her age, for
a second husband. she had four children
and spirited temper, but she also
owned n pair Of steers, and whether that
greatest gift of Providence TO woman,
a faculty Of getting mad and staying
mad, won his jejune affections, or the
prospect OF sustaining a legal relation
TO the beasts was the moving cause, Is
hard to say. At any rate the hour was
set and Arthurs toilet made for the
church when Amy appeared at the house
looking perfectly resigned, but utterly
unbride-like.
"Why. Amy. why aren't you dressed?"
said Miss Polly.
II karnt GO" said Amy. positively.
Il got TO stay at home wild de chillen.
Julie Ann (her sister say she gwine 'en
if / go dell git burnt up. l los one
chile longer gitten burnt up now ZEN ]
amt gwine los desc here ] got'
But if Julie Ann goes to your we'd
ding and you aren't there Amy, there
won't be any wedding, so she'd as well
stay az home"
Dat what / say" said Amy. Dat
what | tell Julie Ann, but she got white
dress ZEN she all ready TO be a bride
maid 'en she say she gwine be one. She
younger'n me-" added the widow apollo
gctically. zen she got childish notion
bout gwine. / tell her ter go long
But she can't go If you don't. there
won't be any wedding" shouted Polly,
you amt such IA goose as not to see
that?"
''Yes'em / Is. Dat what / tell her. ]
tell her l bleeched to go, but she 'spute
ZEN | too ole ter 'spute. i come on 10
dee house 10 git out supper"
The tragedy ended by Julie AIMS
finally staying at home. but not until
Polly had represented to her the hope
lessness of Amys getting married in
church unless she was present on the
occasion.
STORY OF JONAH.
But this is not the only strange thing
that has happened this week, and.
strange as 1t Is. If the Courant dis
puted it. / really believe the boys on
this plantation would rise In arms and
we should have another civil war and
all the women be happy again.
Last spring an industrious hen on this
plantation Matched a brood OF chickens,
and though they were externally precisely
alike 10 the turn OF feather. there was
one whose mental traits were so indi-
yiCual, and who withal was so pleasant
a chicken that he got named the first
week, and before his down had darkened
was invited regularly TO dinner, and ate
out OF the plate with little Tom. In
honor Of the present craze about Napoleon
and also because his personal appearance
suggested the name, for he was n long,
thin chicken, the wits of the family
named him Bonaparte. and he was making
good his title by an illustrious career.
when one day the calf exasperated at his
frequent charges into his face, opened
his mouth and swallowed him whole.
For three long minutes the chicken stood
aeape after this tragedy. and the story
of Bonaparte was supposed to have been
told, but IL was not told. The calf was
the only person on the place whom
Bonaparte did not agree with-he had
been I'm his stomach three minutes by
the watch, when he was cast up awe
wei. and as cocky as ever with one ex-
cention-bis tail-feathers had been close
cropped. as II sheared with shearer
scissors.
OF course the wit at once named the
calf rayid. In memory of similar act
on the part of the Jewish captain whsh
he cut off bits Of Sauls garments 10
show him he had better take care whoih
he was fooling with, and Bonaparte
also lost his title with his insignia, anu
was rechristened Jonah.
A cropped chicken tells no tale, SO we
do not know what happened to Jonah
during the brief but exciting moments
he occupied David's interior He pre-
served the silence OF Lazarus and OF the
young man who had lain dead, ana
whose mother was a widow. The children,
however, are stout on one point-Napo-
leon during that brief period was Dorm
a-ain. =.
A few days after this occurrence ne
disappeared for AN hour every morn
ing. One morn they missed him from