The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1909-12-14
No Count
Wash
a Lazy D0rky Who IL
-Spooned InrO Hoe
ing T0ssrS.
BY FRANK II. SWEET.
Copyright. 1909 by American Press
Association.

= Copyright, 1903, by American Press
~ Association. Z
x~~~>~%%~~~~<~~~~~%~
Wash no count? Don say dat,
sah," Uncle Nose was wont to plead
Hes jes' projectin'. Boys viii pro
jec', yo' know, sab. Dey's TO- all de
worp lax calves an colts an kittens.
Wen dey's young dey kicks up dere
heels; den dey steadies down an chews
dere cuds an pulls dere loads an
ketches dere mice jes' lax 'sponsible
t'ings mus Wash he aim nary bad
spot in him, sab. He don't fink; OATS
all Wen his heels git plumb steady
on de groun he'll pull his load shore
'nough You see. sab"
But in spite Of the sanguine expec-
tations of Uncle Nose, who was not
Wash's uncle at all, but his grandfa-
Their, the boy continued to ''projec'." he
was now fourteen. and his chief labor
seemed to consist in devising ways Of
eluding chores and school and just
punishments. His habitual movements
were skulking, and. though his eyes
| danced fearlessly and his mouth
broadened into almost perpetual mer-
riment, he sought rather the solitary
paths of the pine woods and Suwanee
banks than the more populous lanes
and roads Of his native Hllaville.
There be was apt to be reminded OF
nfulflIed contracts, stolen melons,
decorated doors and fences and of
many other matters which he prefer
red to let sink into forgetfulness. OF
his own family Uncle Nose was the
only one with whom he condescended
| to fraternize, and this concession was
due as much to the fact that the old
man excelled him in his own chosen
pursuits Of trapping and fishing as to
his being openly sympathetic.
There were few spots inside radius
of ten miles with which Uncle Nose
was not familiar, and this familiarity
was especially comprehensive In re-
gard to the fishing holes of the Suwa-
nee. Fifty years before he had been
6ldNC IVY vi q ACA6AOOAA46 RAs~AStASAS~~S
stealing of to the river on every pos
sibIe occasion, and this love for the
sport had been the one great pleasure
of his life, interrupted only through
the score of years which followed his
emancipation, during which time he
was working hard to provide himself
with home and to fit his children for
NV <nH
them as free citizens.
But as they grew up and branched
out for themselves be returned more
and more to the pleasure OF his child
hood until now there was scarcely an
afternoon which was not spent In part
upon the Suwanee banks. And with
accommodating years and stinen1ng
Joints his early wanderings up and
down the river had narrowed down to
bank beneath a wide spreading, moss
grown tree. from which he could cast
a line into water which experience had
taught him was congenial to fish,
Here after the sun had begun to throw
shadows to the east he could generally
be found either alone or In company
with Wash.
His son Link was OF different ma
ture. He was handwriting, shrewd,
more tolerant of faults than Of trivol-
tty or careIessness, able to read a little
and subscribing for several political pa
pers, narrow in his politics and party
and voting at every opportunity ana
on every possible pretext. he was an
example Of strong. ambitious manhood
weighted down by a lack Of knowl-
edge. Between him and Wash there
could be only misunderstanding-ap-
prehension and avoidance on the one
side, disappointment and upbraiding
on the other But before an open
break came there were rumors OF war,
its declaration, call for troops. and
then before the family realized what
was happening Link had volunteered
and been accepted, the first to join the
immunes from his county,
The day after he left Uncle Nose did
not even look toward the river Wash
skulked down and tished under the
big tree for awhile. then wandered on
into the woods to look at his traps
The next day he went to the big tree
again, but apparently did not ike nsh-
ing alone, for he soon hid his pole and
once more wandered of into the
woods. And the third day and the
fourth were the same, but after eating
dinner on the fifth, instead OF hurry
ing out to dig bait, as usual. he looked
wistfully and irresolutely at Uncle
Nose and when the old man rose and
went out followed him to the truck
patch behind the cabin.
Ain yo' gwine fishin' no mo-. gran
pap?" he asked disconsolately.
Uncle Nose leaned upon his hoe han
die and looked at him benignantly.
Not till yo' pap gifts back. honey"
he answered. Oars heaps O. wuk
roun' dis place now. Yo' pap been do
hit mawnin's an arter be done git
from wuk at de sawmill nights, an
'cep'n' ! tux his place hit'l shore fall
on yo' nanny, an she hab mo- now
den she ought. No. no, honey. yo'H
halter look out TO- de fish an let de ole
man ben his back ober de taters an
zayuns an t'ings."
The boy dug his heels into the sand.
81 reckon yo' ain car TO- flshin' no
how, gran'pap." he said irritably. IF
yo' did yo'd fix de wax some way"
Uncle Nose sank the blade Of bis
hoe among the weeds at his feet
FPS been fishin' of an on mon 6fty
yeahs." he said detensively, IAN yo'
ain mon ten. Dat means car TO
hit FIVE times mon yo'. But we
mus'n leabe wuk TO good times, honey
mout fix de truck patch wuk, lax yo
say. but dar's odder things. ] aim to
hep 20 nanny bout her chickens
an washin an housewuk She ain
strong lax she mout me-
Wash dug his heels deeper into the
sand and shifted AS he heard 1t
sudden hardness came into the old
mans eyes.
IAN dar's anudder fling" he con-
tinued. leaning again upon his hoe
handle and looking straight at Wash.
81 aim to chop an pile up a heap O.
nice wood TO yo' nanny She hab
to go out un'er de trees mos cherry
day to pick up bits o. stick an bark
an chips to kin'le her fire, case dey
ain not'in' round de wood pile 'cep'in'
big sticks witch 20 pap brung an
witch ain chop up, aim to cut hit
all an pile hit 'ginst de do whar hit'll
be handy TO 20 nanny. No, no,
honey, cayn't go fishin' nohow. Yo'
mus do de fishin' yo'se'f now"
Wash dropped his gaze to the ground.
an unusual thing for him; but, then.
the woodcutting was one Of the chores
he SO studiously shirked.