Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-05-26

YOU Maybe some done got squar' wild
ole min Torn. She was passing him
M she| spoke and gave him sharp slap
ON tn, jaw.
CHAPTER II.
Whln Tom. warned by the sinking
sun. ~ his face homeward. he took a
cuurS,l that would carry him in or about
the c-iek bottom. TO which he had os-
tonsill ly sat out. His way led him by
the lol church, in which u neighborhood
preacher or elder held forth every sun
dny. Ike pt when the famous and &C.
ceniriI Rev. Joshua Sims visited II,
which was three or four times year.
As III approached the editice, which
stood ln "A pine thicket and boasted OF a
bush Irbor awning in front, he heard the
voice III n preacher breaking loudly upon
the afternoon calm. Never before had
Tom Known Of church meeting on Sat
urdaI afternoon. Ii was the time uni
versaty claimed by the negroes for town
SHOPPING or lolfing He knew Of no one
rccenily dead. and besides had any one
died that late in the week the body
would have been saved until Sunday.
In lpen morthed astonishment Ton
approlched a; the side Sure enough,
pred ching was going on. His first i'm
pulse Mss TO enter, but, still suspicious,
he plIccd his eve at a crevicc and looked
throuEh. There was only one pcrsor
within the church. and that was the
Rev. Joshua Sims Standing in the pull
pit. was preaching TO an imaginary
audieb bee the sermon evidently prepared
for IN, next day. Tom squatted down
on hill launches, and broad compre'
honsiIe grin lighted his face MS he real
lied ,he situation The speaker thnn'
dcrcdlovcr the book lying upon the pull
pit. slapping il vigorously from timo
TO uhe, and walking from side &c
side. Half of the Rev Joshua Sims
suoceis lay in his figure, tempestuous
delivlry and thrilling tones. and he
knevlit The sermon was delivered in
a shott. and wherever in sentence the
speak r sought for u word he would pro
long lhe preceding tone with ''er-rer. "
somtiimes saliva from his mouth flew
over jhe pulpit into the vacant auditori-
mn Is foam is tossed from horse :
mouth.
TON had missed the text, and indeed
most Of the serinon, but this much
reach d him through the crevice.
"Stake off yo' weightsl Shake ZEN.
off! bey es god ter put on er race horse
wen hey IS er trainin i'm. but wen de
time Eome ter race dey must b. nook
of. III yer gwine ter run er race wild de
debblI. shake of dem weights, an 90 ct
fun d. drop er dc hat.
"Sbake off yo' weights! Shake 'em
off, Sister, Il hits fine clo'es, shake
'em cE! Shake 'em off Dey amt no
fine Jlo'es IN hebben; de angels don't
wear |nu,hin but de PLANES kline, Yer
can't run no race wild or long gown
hangh ter yer an er hustle an er hoop
tr-fiob bpin aroun. Yer can't run no race
Mid dem sacks and high hats an fed
ders t.r ketch de win. an dem high heels
shoes Ter -ketchin en- de grass. Shake 'em
| off! shake off yo' weights
"Sbake of yo' weights! Shake 'em
of, tludders Yer can't run or r,Ee vid
de dcible an yer full er whisky. Ell
wise han i'll take or gourd er spring
wa,el at dc start an 60 bar footed, like
| Mosej roun de bush, an trus' de Lord
whem e want mo- ter run er branch
'crosii de- road. like he does fur de mule
gwinl ter town. Shake off de weights
Shakt EN- off
"Sbake off yo' weights? How does
Do sinner run? He runs wild de weights
on. alb 6sbble keep right long at his
heelsl SO close sinner hear him laugh
Dey tabble long tergedder, an bimeby.
70 Gey gifts ter de ms milepos', debble
trip Up po' sinner an win de race. Shake
of vi weights! Oh, shake em OIL
"How do de righteous run? He strips
off did weights an cuts out. Mos 70 yer
know e gwine run, e done gone, an
debbl le come erlong an kind trail SO cole
e doL't know wha' good man gone an
e w,b de race. Shake off yo' weights!
Yer III got weights, an I'm gwine tell
yer bout EN-. Deir's sump'n enside al
readt tell yer, but I'm gwine ter tell
out loud so ev'ybody know yer been
tole. He descended from the pulpit
and march Il up to the amen corner,
still lail.ip". Here's Bre'r Dan! Here's
Bre'.t Dam Bre'r Dan got weights,
an ,d ain shake 'em off. What es dem
weights name? Too much corn en- is CRIB
fur DE- size er is crop Too much colt n
en- il crib fur de size er lis patchl Too
mani chickens en- de pan fur two hens
an ID roosterl Too many shotes erbout
| Chrikmus fur er no sow man. Shake OF
| yo' Weights, Bre'r Dan-shake 'cra or!
Oh, " at es scch er sinner like? He like
er orje legged grasshopper, wa think e
es erI jumping somewhar, wen ev'ybody
know e les tu'nnin roun en- dc road,
p'indin or new way ev'y time. "
Tdm rolled over on the ground outside
and kicked his heels in the air, convuls-
ed with laughter. Somebody done got
squat wild Unc' Dan," he gasped Then
he qbickly rose up and glued his eye 10
the crack again. The preacher was
stanbing with uplifted hands over an
othet imaginary sinner.
a. kn heah ole Black Aleck! Bre'r
Aleck got weights No chutch on Sun
day fur Aleck. Mus fish tro'line an
hunt squ'r'L Mus hoe de gyardin an
hun1 guinea nes' en- de jimsun weeds.
Musl do anythin but heah de Lords
word, 'cept'n' ole Unc' Josh come ter
preakh. Dem de weights Bre'r Aleck
| got. Shake EN- of, er-rerl Shake 'em
of! oh, wat es sech er sinner like? he
like er las yer wasp en- er spider web
holllr an dry. an is wings won't flop
no mo-.
81 I'm heah es Bre'r Clay! Heah es my
deariBre'r Clay! Bre'r Clay got weights.
wa kind er weights e trying ter run
wid} Lazy weights. Won't work cott'n
patch, won't work tater patch, won't
work collurd patch, won't work nowhar.
o Lkrdi did anybody ever zee er lazy
man win er race? IT amt gwine ter
he'p| yer, Bre'r Clay, ter put on dem