Evening star., 1900-12-22
THE CHRISTMAS STAKES.
A Story Of Old Virginia.

Having accepted an invitation from a
| former college mate to spend the Christmas
| holidays with him at his home in Virginia.
1 found myself on Christmas eve at a rail-
| road station, a few miles distant from his
| home, and awaiting little old negro
man. AS had been the only passenger to
alght from the train, the old fellow made
his way toward me, and after learning my
name, he explained that 'Marse George
as he called my friend, done been called
way to tend ole Jedge Snowden. who Is
| ruther porely, an done 'structed me, sah
TO to meet yo' an 'scort yo' to de house"
The old then led the way to hitch
ing post nearby, to which were fastened
two unusually fne-looklng saddle horSes
One in particular attracted my admiration
a rich colored bay, whose clean-cut legs,
powerful but delicate frame and intelligent
| head, evidenced animal of the purest
breeding. This horse. the old negro in
formed me, was to ride. "Marse George,
he said, done tell me dat yo' is mighty
fon' of a good horse. sab, an TO dat rea-
son, sah he done structed me TO to bring
long Donis, std of drivin' yo' to de house.
Dat 'Donis horse, sab, yo'll find is all dat
yo' could want, sab"
"Adonis Is well named, l assured the
old man, "for finer-looking animal have
never seem
"Well, sah." he replied, affectionately
patting the animal. when 1 tells yo' who
dat Donis is. 1 knows yo' amt gwine to
be s'prised at anything dat horse does, TO
dat Donis amt nuthin' else den l don't
know TO shore how many great-great-
gran'son Of Ole Hick'ry. I specs. sab, yo'
done hear tell of Ole Hick'ry?''
Much to his evident astonishment, the old
fellow learn ed that 1 had never heard OF
but one "Old Hickory" and he was only
man. But we mounted our horses and
rode off, after he had given my baggage to
q Young negro. he said.
"Ole Hick'ry. sab, b'longed to Marse
Georges mothers father. ole Marse
he ~ done give dat horse yo' ain't
gwine to have much trubble lookin
fo' de politics of ole Marse Tom. But dat
sab, was befo' de war. an yt it all seem
leet1e more'n yestiddy. You see sab, ole
Marse Tom Buford care fo' jest two things
-one of 'em was de young missis, Miss
Mildred. his onliest chile. an de udder was
his horses, de principuest of dem bein' Ole
Hlck Ty. De young missis, she jes like Ole
Hick'ry. sab. all quality, bofe of 'em bein
bred from de bes' stock. l reckon. sab, de
young missis was de puttiest ever born.
Leastwise, l never see any pulitzer an l has
been all over Virginny.
Now Ole Hick'ry he was ez fas as de
young misss was putty. an bofe of 'em ez
high-sperited ez yo' ever see. Course de
young missis she mighty well liked by all
de young MEMS but dere warnt but one
dat she consarn herself bout, an he was no
udder den Marse Georges father, dat in de
war come to be Gneral Bentley. But sab,
ole Marse Tom Buford an Marse Georges
fathers father dey mortal inimies hatin'
each udder bout hard ez yo' ever heerd
tell of. What it was all bout. 'ceptin' dat
one was dem'crat an de udder wig.
disremembers. but it was sumthin' powr-
full. | know. from de way dey hate each
udder.
Course, from dis, sab, yo' kin see dat no
matter how much de young folks think of
each udder. an it was an awful lot sab,
dey know well enuff dat ez long ez de ole
folks ac like dey do dere amt gwine to be
no gvin' in to dere love maxim. Deed, sab
de young folks have to meet each udder
unbeknownst to de ole folks Yit. it seem
like everybody else 'cept old Marse Tom and
Marse Georges fathers father knew what
gwine on. But l specs. sah dat no me
amt sayin' nuthin' 'caT~n dev know 10 tn~-
rbul kermotion dat would shorely be If they
say any thing. Eeder aat. sah or dey done
put den selves in de shoes of de young
folks. an was a-doin like what dey would
be done by. But be dat as it may sah
de ole folks didn't s'picion nuthin', an ole
Marse Tom Buford he his horses an
Marse Georges fathers father he vote his
time to his dOctorin' folks
AN speakin' of racin' horses sah |
wishes to say dat in dem days dere warn't
none of dis here racn' whar de horses is
off dis mint an at de finish de mex. No.
sab; 70 in dem days dey bred horses to run
not only fas. but to stay, sab. Dem days
dey run fo' miles, an run em in heats,
sab. None of desc here dash-way races.
NOW. at de time 1 mas IN mlnd, san, ole
Marse Tom Buford he'd what he lowed
de champeen race horse. an dat horse sab
warn't no udder den Ole Hick'ry, de berry
antecede mt, sab. of dat horse yo' is ridin,
an no udder, sab Ole Hick'ry, done beat
ev'ry horse dat he run agin, an ole Marse
Tom low dat dere amt no horse lvin' nur
dead. sab, dat his equal I amt sayn'
dat dere was, an l amt sayin' dat dere
Warn't. but / does know sab, dat we,
meanin me an Marse Georges father. had
| a mare ies den dat we lowed could bofe go
an stay wild any of EN-. Course, never
he'd de chance of runnin' Firefiy, which was
| de name of dat berry mare. sah ag.n ole
Marse Tom Buford's Ole Hi k ry, fo de
| reason dat ole Marse Tom done hate Marse
| Georges fathers father SO dat he amt
thinkin' of runnin' his horse agin ourn.
But, sab. dem two horses did run agin
each udder, an it all come bout jes ike
dis: One day. when it was gittin' long
| toward Chris'mus, Marse Georges father
| an de young missis happen to meet on de
| maj read, bofe Of EFF bein' horseback
| isn't sayin' dat dere meetin' was by pint
| ment, an | isn't a-deny.n' dat it was. /
leaves dat sab. to yo' figurin out. How
| snmever, dey done meet dat day, an off dey
| ride, jes eZ happy as young folks what
| thinks a pow'rful of each udder can be.
| Bofe Of EN- mighty fine riders, an dey was
| ridin long fine ez yo please, sah laugh n
an talkin'. when all of sudden. in turnin'
a ben Of de road who does dey come up
ag III but de young missus' father hissef,
| ole Marse Tom Ruford. Ole Marse Tom
| horse when he see who de young missis
wild an he fly into sech temper dat fo'
vile he amt able fo' to say a word.
| But when he do git to sayin' sumthin' he
say to Marse Georges father So sab. yo'
| Is bout to steal my chile, sab, ez yo father
done try to steal my Ian. sah.' Marse
| Georges father say. My father, sab, neb-
ber tempted to steal yo Ian. sab, an I'm
not bout to steal yo' chile. sab, fo' l have
reason to b'leve. sab. that I've done won
| her, sah. Won de debbil, sah.' say old
Marse Tom. No, sah,' say Marse Georges
| father, won an angel, sah.'
"Won. de debbil, sah!'. say ole Marse
| Tom ag'in who ever heerd tell of
| Bentley winnin anything, sab? Dey was
| nebber known. sab. to beat anybody but
| dere creditors. sah Dat remark, sah'
say Marse Georges father. fs unworthy Of
even yo'. sab, an I amt b'lievin' dat yo'
mean it, sah.' Marse Georges father say
| all dis in a berry polite but at de same
| time in berry firm way an his manner
or sumthin other sorter sober ole Marse
| Tom Buford up, an he amt SO rambump-
| shus he at fus'. L hev no 'ten.ion
of insultin' yo sah.' he say. but 1 does
wish to say. sab. dat Bentley dat ever
liv' kin beat me, sab. nur anything dat l
has, sah.' think, Mr.. Buford, say
Marse Georges father. dat has a horse
| sah dat kin beat anything in yO' stable.