The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-01-21
CIR CUmSTANTlAL.

Oncle Sin, tucre y ~ ouutuh S"oSeoA
over there In the yard that you can have
II you want 1t. It's Jacks, but he's away
at school, and the quarrelsome little
thing has become a nuisance.
Much 'blseged, Marst9 Henderson.
much 'bleeeed, sah," said the old negro.
"I'ze been roun heap dis mawnin tryin
ter cit sumpin sides taters an sidemeat
TO- dinner termerrer, kase isss C'ris'mas,
an Preacher Yates he's gone sent us word
dat he wos gwine to dine wifi Us. T"
"A bantam won't go very far with a
preacher" said Henderson,. laughing.
"but como along and get him."
Oats so, dat's so" muttered Uncle
Sim as he shambled into the yard. "Dar
hain't much meat on banty nohow, but
dc Gle woman she'll jist hab ter make
heaps OBJ grady an stretch dat burd
mighty long ways ] furnishes de best
dat dc market 'fords, an II she can't git
up spectacle meal dat's her own out
lookin." ss.s
When Henderson gave him tho bantam,
the old darky carefully concealed 1t he
meath his coat, much to the amusement OF
the good natured donor. 80
"What are you hiding him for, Simf
You didn't steal him." said Henderson.
'Dat's so, sab, suah's yo' born, F" replied
Uncle Sim, rolling his eyes to one side till
nothing but the whites could be seen. II
gin'rally carries dem dat way In cold
weather, sab, kase dar Is nuthin dat so
onfts chicken TO eatin like bein nigh
froze ter death 10 dey is killed." And
with the bantam under his arm he hobbled
homeward, while Henderson smiled when
he drew a mental picture OF the banquet
Mt Uncle Sims on the morrow,
Uncle Sim was a queer combination of
piety and cunning. He was boastfully
proud Of having been "a member OF do
church TO- fawty years." but, like most OF
us, he was not righteous beyond certain
degree fixed by himself at a convenient
distance from perfection. Many hen rocst
robberies had he been accused OF, but if he
were guilty he always covered his tracks
SO we'll that he escaped punishment. He
was regarded ms remarkable negro In
one respect-when he made promise he
religiously kept 1t.
Midway between the Henderson resi-
dence and Uncle Sims shanty lived Mr..
Dawson, an irascible individual, with q
penchant for fancy fowls, and the proud
possessor of flock of high class Brahma
chickens As was his daily custom,. Da-
n, ",
ing his fowls, counted them and found
that there was one missing, a large roost-
or, which had In battle or otherwise lost
the spur of the right leg
Dawson at once declared that Uncle
Sim was the thief for the old man had been
seen about the premises on the evening
before.
With but little hope of being able to
convict the cunning old negro the chicken
fancier started for Uncle Sims home.
When within short distance of the shan
ty, Dawson picked up the head of n
Brahma rooster, and when, few yards
farther on, he found leg minus the spur
he was wild with rage. fastening to the
nearest magistrates Office, d warrant was
procured, and just as Preacher Yates fin
ished the blessing a constable came to
march old Sim of to answer to the charge
of chicken stealing.
Uncle Sim begged to be permitted to
eat his dinner, but the officer Of the law
was obdurate, and as he was led out OF
the door Uncle Sim said:
Preacher Yates, you'se welcome to NIL
OBJ dat burd dat you kin eat, but I'd be
mighty much 'bleeeed ter yo' II you'd
!ist lay side wing an laig fur me till !
gifts back -
Things looked rather blue for the old
man when he was arraigned. There were
the legs and head OF Brahma rooster,
and there was Davisons affidavit that
s'the legs and head aforesaid, found on the
premises OF the defendant, were recognized
by the prosecution as having belonged to
his fowl, now missing.
All the defense the old man had was the
statement;
II hain't sayin but wot dat might hab
been Marstcr Davison's rooster, but 'clar
TO Gawd dat didn steal himl"
And again, Frightening up at the
thought, he said:
"Ef he'd stoled dat rooster, ! nevah
woul hab lit dem head an laigs lay roun
80 car, .sss No, indeed, sab /"
While the trial was progressing bright
looking youth Of about 10 years rushed up
to Mr.. Henderson, who was standing In
front Of his house, wondering what had
attracted the crowd about the squire S
office.
"Mr Henderson," the boy began hesi
tatingly, you gave Uncle Sim that ban
tam rooster Of Jacks, didn't your
Yes, George. What of TT" said Hen.
derson, suspccting something wrong from
tho boys manner.
On, MT. IltuuCTcOu, CTlcu tuS ittic
fellow, hts eyes filling, ''please help me
out Of this scrape But always wanted
that bantam so bad, and when Uncle Sim
came along with him under his arm and
told me that you had given 1t to him, and
that he was going to kill 1t and eat It, l
wanted 1t worse than ever, and--and"-
well, whati You didn't steal 1t from
old Sim, did your
'Oh, worse than that, Mr. Henderson,
continued George. II traded him one Of
fathers Brahmas for the bantam, and now
father has Uncle Sim arrested for stealing
his chicken made Uncle Sim promise
that be wouldn't tell any one that we
traded Please, Mr.. Henderson, go up and
tell Squire Propes how 1t was, and III
keep out of fathers way until he's over
bis mad spell.
Henderson arrived ut the magistrate's 9
Office just as that dignitary was about TO
pronounce sentence on the old negro. Aft
or hearing Hpnderson's exclamation the