The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-08

bonded with what had been my ideas of Sunday School celebration. I thought it the place to get something good to eat. I knew very well what the bill of fare in our basket called for, and very shortly. after we had reached our destination. began to insist that 1t was dinner time. Bess finally yielded to my importunities and allowed us to eat dinner. And we consumed all of our lunch in quick time According to my ideas there ] was no more business of importance to be transacted by the picnic party. and made a dash for home, rushed into the dining room, where my parents and their guests were assembled around the table, and. at the top of 1 my voice, exclaimed, Ma, I want some more rooster!" The merriment that l greeted my announcement convinced me that F. more than any one else, contributed to- the entertainment of the company on that occasion.
 An old Time Merchant.
 MT. R. E. Coxe made many presents to my brothers and myself. He gave, at one time. a nice pony to my older brother. The little animal. to our deep regret. lived but short time. Mir. Coxe next presented to him a beauti- full little lawn. For safe keeping our mother had 1t placed in the garden. One night there was a heavy rainfall, anj next morning the little deer was found dead at the garden -gate-it had been drowned One Christmas MT. Coxe gave each of us a beautiful pie ture book--the prettiest books had ever seen. Another time he gave us three drums graded as to size. to cor respond with the sizes of the three little boys to whom they had been presented, We slung them, by their straps. around our necks and playing. with all our might. the drumsticks. we marched about the yard, delighted with the consciousness that we were making a racket. Later in the day. we marched down the avenue toward the public road. Joe Vickers joined us. He saw cart drawn by oxen. passing along the road. The negro driver was lying in the bottom of the vehicle, fast asleep. Joe Vickers said to my older brother. Zoe, lets make those oxen run away with the wagon The suggestgion suited my brothers ideas of the fitness of things during Christmas holidays, and the two Joe's made a dash for the cart, the elder having snatched my drum from my hand and with a big stick. taken from the ground, was pounding 1t with all
 
 my drum having one of it's heads beaten into frazzle, the driver being aroused from his slumbers: but the sluggish oxen did not respond to the runaway proposition. No one but a little child who has been similarly treated, can realize the grief I felt at the loss of my beautiful little drum -the ony drum I ever possessed.
 Travelling eastward from Bogue- AN~ .afA- our home was the first residence. Still farther eastward was the home of Mir. Pat Murphy. and next came the resi- dence of Colonel LaPrade. My father owned all of the land on both sides of the road, to the line of MT. Murphy's land. My fathers field bordering on the left side of the road was known as the "Cobbield,' and this is how 1t acquired that name: free negro named Charley Cobb lived in Mont gomery. By professioon. Charley was a carpenter or barber. I am not cer- tain which. He owned a slave named George. Very naturally. he wished his "nigger" to be self lf-supporting To that end, he rented the afoTemen- toned field, bought a horse and set George up in bushes. I we'll remem- Der the morning he first put in his appearance at the well in our yard. l but George was different from all. When he walked. he lifted his feet like a Shanghai chicken that had been frosted. He brought a jug which he filled with water. My mothers old house servant, Maum Flora, sought and received an introduction to George. They passed the compliments of the season Each morning thereafter. George, jug In hand, appeared at the we'll and each morning Maum Flora would meet him at the trysting place the shade of the big oak tree that stood near the well. With the old couple. 1t seems a case of love at first sight. and, for once. true love ran very smoothly. But one of them was neglecting his duties shamefully; con- sequently. his crop went to the bad Meantime, Charley, the master. had been plying his trade in Montgomery to support George and the horse. At the close of the season, Charley wish ed to know of my father how much money in addition to all of the crop. would satisfy him for the rent of the land. I never heard that George was aver A "fugitive" from such a master