The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1895-08-17
UNCLE MOSES.

with the stiaWS uanRilU9 lIoh ~. NSdt |
by, Just on the border of The house
roofs shadow and the sweltering mid
day sunlight, he leaves his wheel bar
row. 1t is of dark gray. is weather
stained, and contains two bushel meas
nres full of crab apples. bucket OF
figs. half dozen sweet potatoes and a
single canteloupe- Close TO the round
tan bashel measures, on cotton sack
sleeps Uncle Noses pet dog.
| look at the old darkey. black
skinned, with white. woody hair and
gray beard, and wonder how really
long he has lived. People say he is
"cracked." and you can't take his
word for the gospel truth.
Well, well, he doesn't seem decrepit,
so | give him half watermelon,
and am glad enough to listen to listen
to this relic of the old south talk.
"Yes. Use giving on Ia now. Pse
getting to be pretty old man. When
I first came to this kentry l never
'speeted to see things SO clarred away
Thar used to be nothin' round here
scept water and canebrakes. Them
willow woods. what's so thin now, use
to be as thick as cocoa grass is, at the
place wnar you wants to plant gard
en-"
..How old were you when you came
hereP"
..five years old. Jest big enough
to tote one plate round the table at a
time But [ was smart little chap.
My young missus. she think lots on
| me; and one day she SAINT me TO school.
A white lady taught all of de chiIuns
in de quarters, but | didn't like her.
She made all on us stand in row, and
sing arter her A, A. A; B. b. B; G. C. c..
| Den she come round and box cherry lit
tie niger, first on one side de face, den
OH tother. says didn't like her, so
| got my edlcatlon in two days. den ]
quit. De third mornin', jest at school
time. began cleaning knives SO bright
and putty dat when my young missus,
| in her fine white dress and her little
gold slippers, come to hunt me up. she
| looked at the knives and LATED
SO at dc way Miss Jennings boxed us,
she didn't say nothin' to me-"
Which side of the war did you fight
on?"
both. l liked de rebs. but was
scared OBJ de Yankees. Wish to the
Lord though, I'd stayed wild EN- long
nough to get nue. pension like ole
blind Charlie"
".Uncle Moses, how did the war hap.
pen TO break out?n
Different folks says different thing:
about dat. De way, though, that they
come to hab it here in Providence is
ole Abe Lincoln heered day treat d.
niggers bad, and so he got in biz
balloon. landed right in dat cotton delt
over thar, and says, says he, 'Bruddel
men, We shall be free.' Lor! hsv
skeered we was. We all turned rount
TO look at de ole fellow, but bless you
} life, he was gone away in his grea
big balloon fore we had time to sa,
nothin' to him."
: "Weil, l bet one thing. you al
haven't had as good time since yo'
] left your master, and have had to max
t living for yourself say.
mo chile, dat we haven't; but
manages to git along so so. Dare now
don't you wait to buy some of der
apples" You look at the ones farthes
from the little dog, and say you wi
take ten cents worth.
"Where did you get such nice az
plesPr you ask, and feel instantly whs
n break you have made. To ask Uncl
Moses where he got any of his good:
is an impertenence, an Awkward piee
i of impndence; especially is this II
e case concerning chickens. The oil
mans ways and means of traffic don
bear looking into, much better than d
u the ways and means of most busine
, men.
II Broadly speaking, Uncle Moses b
:. lieres in communism, thine is mir
and mine is thine" Some people viii
a mischievious turn of nature say
sticks to the first clause better than tt
a. last. but this deny. For often, whe
child has bought from him ten cen
of apples, I have seen him throw
- two or three peaches. a large sweet p
tato, and on one occasion, even a sma
. cantaloupe.
l. No, Uncle Moses is nothing. if he
,r not generous, and though his fowl raj
d ing (off the tree limbs) general
! takes place at night, still one can
= blame him very severity.
II While he eats bis watermelon the
sr in the sunlight and looks the perfe
,r picture of contentment, rememb
what alphabetically comlcal object
made of himself last spring, when
fe ran for town marshal.
le First of all, long before the electii
re he secured s. big stick, which
~ brandished constantly, at the san
). time threatening to arrest every neg
u in town. Then going to clerk in o.
of of the stores, he asked him to write or
a. slip of paper few words .tellin' t
d. folks they'd better vote vote for him
. IF you do this. IL won't rest You for not
'e ing you does" said Uncle Moses. +
OF young man wrote the recommendati'
as follow: I'VE, the undcrsigpe
consider this old man blame
in cracked idiot"
he Uncle Moses. not having learned,he
TO read in his two days schoolin
showed this to all of the gentlemen
o., the parish and asked them to sign
al They did so.