The National tribune., 1897-10-21

1
father. Dis didn't keep dem from playin'
tricks dat deg wouldn't hab tried on wild
anybody else.
| One day when we wuz layin' back nigh
| Alexandry, an de Chaplain had gone ober
| tub Washington for few days tub look
| arter some o., de Buys in de hospittle, he left
his tent an things in de keer of Mistuh Jo
who he thought heap on, bekase Mistuh
10 usedter send n chicken or quarter OBJ
fresh pig tub de Cbaplain,s tent when he
| come in from foragin'. he led de singin' mt
de meetings, an occasionally licked one OBJ
de boys fur not 'teudiu' tub his religious
duties.
De Chaplain often said dat Mistnh 10 had
grand, sweet soul Some day he'd turn
from de error OBJ his ways an become
bright an shinin' light in de church
doubted it ez long ez de war lasted.
Ez dar wuzzent anything gwins on at de
front Mistuh 10 got miiey restless like, an
see dat onless de regiment moved soon dat
he wnz sartn tub make q scene.
He wanted nifty bad tub go down intuh
Alexandry tub see how de war wuz a-gwine
on dar, but de Kunnel had ordered dat no
passes should be glib tub no one tub 60 intuh
town. He said he wuz done tired OBJ habin
our boys lickin' de provo guards an runnin'
de town. Glib de ole town a chance tub run
ITSELF fob awhile
One bright morDin' I wuz astonished tub
see Mistuh 10 come out OBJ de Chaplain's
tent dressed in de Chaplain's uniform He
WIZ shaved clean, had on a paper stand-up
collar an gloves. His coat wuz buttoned
clean tub de froat he stood up berry stiff an
his face looked ez solemn ez if he wuz a
gwine tuh induct funeral Behind him
come Fence Rail Pete, who'd put on suit
oh citizen preachers close they'd found in
de tent
Fall in three PAGES tuh de rear, Snow
ball." says Mistuh 10; keep your ize
peeled, but don't you oper your mOuf, cept
tub grin"
We slipped around tub de back OBJ de
camp, whar de rest OBJ de Mornin' Glory
Mess wuz on gyard, dey winked an pre-
sented aims, Mistuh 10 salooted, an out we
went
We struck de main road fur Alexandry,
an when ebber we come tub guards Mistuh
Jo'd march up tub dem bold ez brass, dey'd
present aims, Mistuh 10 ID return de saloot,
an wayin Fence Rail Pete an me trough ID
say:
My fren, Rev. Mistuh Dawson, OBJ de
Sanitary COmmishun, an my servant"
You nebber see any thing work so slick. /
begin tuh feel de influence myself an drawed
down de corners OBJ my mouf, quit GRIMM,
an looked solum ez eff / wuz jinooHine
preachers niger
Bime-by we come to tent alongside de
road whar man had a tent full OBJ Bibles
an testaments an tracks, which he wuz a
distrbutin' tub de men.
Oats our lay" SEE Mistuh 10, winkin'
in a most un-preacher-like way to Fence
Rail Pete. GWine up tub de man he SEE,
seZzee:
Brother, we'll only be too glad tub help
you in yo' good work. Glib my servant here
ez many OBJ yo' tracks ez you keer tub, an
we'll 'stribute dem whar dey'll do good"
De man wuZ very thank full, an loaded me
down wild tracks, on de sin oh doing most eb-
beryting dat soljer wants tub do, an some
tings dat he nebber thinks bout doin' We
handed one OBJ dem tub ebbery body we met
So fur ebberyting wuz goin' on splendid,
but was afeared it'd get little too tame
fur Mistuh 10.
Bime-by we walked right up tub crowd
what wuz playin' chuckaluck. Deg wuz
so intent dat dey dident see us come up.
"A wicked, sinful game" groaned Mis-
tub 10, an dey all looked up skeered-like |
/" Gamblin's de vice oh de army SNOWFALL, |
glib each of desc men a track on de wicked
ness OBJ gamblin'. Besides, can't you blamed |
fools see dat dat feller's skinner He |
fingered de dice on you ebbery time. / see
de four come up three times hand-runnin',
an lie turn it wild his little finger. You
chumps haven't ez much eyes ez bats. You
couldn't see six-muie team if it 6ruv |
acrost de board"
'Yer liar" de man who wuz runnin' de |
sweatboard tried tub say, but afore be could |
git de words outen his mouf Mstuh Jo'd |
k knocked him down an kicked de board |
ober
De men scattered nifty quick, fur dey wuz |
afeared OBJ de Provo-Gyard.
"Mistuh 10, Mistuh Jo." SEE /, "you |
haddent orter done dat. Dat izzent de way |
fur Chaplains tub act"
"Dat's so," SEE Mistuh 10, GOBLIN down. |
:" wuz too tumultous-like. But / Jest |
can't a. bear tub see a blamed citizen skin de |
boys dat-a-way. It's all right among our |
ownselves, but no gol-darnei citizen must |
be allowed solier's privileges"
Wild dat he went back an glib de gambler |
two or tree orful kicks, an ordered him |
outen camp, or he'd kill him.
We see anudder crowd in de brush away |
off tub de right, an Mistuh 10 he p'inted
straight fur hit.
"Dar's somebody sellin' whisky dar," he
SEE. '"Snowba git out all de tracks on de
sin OBJ intemperance. Well do some mission
cry work fur Temperance whar it's most
needed"
Some OBJ de men see us a-comin', an tried
tub scatter, but Mistuh JOS long legs ID no
trouble in comm up to dem. He tuck de
fust man by de collar, an seq: "My man, |
le'me see what you've got dar." De man
wuz so skeered dat he lib right up Mistuh |
10 run his hand inside his blouse, an pulled |
ont q flask oh likker.
:" Ez vile stuff ez ebbsr passed mans
lips" sezze uncorkin' de bottle an drinkin' |
down bout half "Vitriol, kyan pepper an
prussic acid. Is it not so, Brother Dawson?"
passin' de bottle tub Fence Rail Pete.
I" 1t sartinly u.s." oaned Pete, drinkin'
down de rest " 1t sartinly is. Tan-bark
Juice, terbacker-stems an poke-root. Wus-
ser'n all, it's new. Not week old. / kin
smell de mans breff what plowed de corn. !"
AN he's bin chargin' you a dollar flask
fur dis soul-destroyin' stuff-dis liquid dam
nation" groaned Mistuh 10. Les ride
him on a rail-"
Dat Jest suited the ideas oh de boys.
Afore de words wuz outen Mistuh JOS mouf
ley'd got rail, an wuz jouncin' &c ikker-
seller long on it
"I'Il take bottle or two of his wet hell
ire long wild me tub de hospittle tuh hab
lie doctors annelize it, SEE he, pickin' up
couple. "Im sho' it's 'sponsible fur all de
ronhla in de armvD