Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1910-01-08
No Count
Wash
a Lazy Dairy Who IL
Spooncd fnfo HOG
ing ToferS.
BY FRANK II. SWEET.

|
Wash mu count: Dom say dat.
sah.' Uncle Nose was wont TO plead.
jrc'. 20 know. sab. Dey's 70 all de
worl' lax calves an colts an kittens.
Wen dey's young dcy kicks up deere
heels den dey steadleS down an chews
deere cuds an pulls deere loads an
ketoles deere mice jrs' lax 'sponsible
i'ingS mus. Wash he ain nary bad
spo, IN him. sab lie don't ink OATS
all. Wen his heels gii plumb steady
on de- groun' he'll pull his load shore
'nough. Yo'll see. sab
but IN spite OF the sanguine expec.
tatiuns Of Uncle Nose. who vas not
NaSh's uncle NJ all. but his grandpa
Their. the boy continued to ''proJec'." He
WAS now fourteen. aud his chief labor
seemed to consist In devising ways OF
Guiding chores and school aud just
puniShnIents. Ills habitual movements
were skulking. aud. though his eyes
danced fcarlessly aud his mouth
, broadened into almost perpetual mer-
| rlmenl. he sought rather the solitary
paths of the pine woods and Suwanee
banks than the more populous lanes
and roads OF his native EllaviIle.
There he was apt to be reminded OF
unfultilled contracts. stolen melons.
decorated doors and fences and OF
many other matters which he prefer
red to lei sink iDio forgetfulness. or
his own faniiTy~pssle Nose was the
only one WIZ whom he condescended
TO frateJS>lzc. and this concession was
due " much To the fact that the old
nyI 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. aud this familiarity
WAS especially comprehensive in re-
gard TO the fishing holes Of the Suwa
nee. Fifty years before he had been a
slave boy gu u neighboring plantation.
stealing Off TO the river on every pos
sible 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 u home and 10 lit hls-~tTfi6ren for
II future which should be- worthy Of
them as free citizens.
But as they grew up and branched
out for themselves he returned more
aud 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 stiffening
ipi,rs his early wanierings up and
down the river had narrowed down TO
Il bank beneath wide spreading. moss
grown tree. from which he could cast
Il line into water viii n experience had
taught him was congenia to fish,
Here after the sun had begun to throw
shadows 10 he esst he could generally
be found eithefsnlone or In company
with Wash.
His son Link was OF different ma
ture. He was Woodworking. shrewd,
more tolerant Of faults than OF frivol-
iiy or carelessness. able TO read n little
and subscribing for several political pa
peers. narrow In his politics and party
aud voting NJ every opportunity and
ON every possible pretext. lie was an
example OF strong. ambitious manhood
weighted down by lack OF knowl-
edge. Between him and Wash there
could be only Observation-Disclosures
preheusion and avoidance on the one
side. disappointment and upbraiding
on the other But before an open
break came there were rumors OF war.
It's declaration. a 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 iished under the
big tree for awhile. then wandered on
into the woods 10 look at his traps.
The next day he went 20 the big tree
again. but apparently did not like Dish
lflk ulODt. TOR ue SoOu ulu utS potc ahu |
once more wandered OF into the
woods. And the third day aud the |
fourth were the same. but after eating |
dinner on the nth. instead OF hurry |
lug out Ia dix bait. as usual. be looked
wistfully and irresolutely at Uncle
Nose aud when the old man rose and
went out followed him 10 the truck
patch behind the cabin.
Ain 20 gwine tishin' no mo. gran
papy" he asked disconsolately.
Uncle Nose leaned upon his hoe han
die and looked at him benignantly.
Not I'LL yo' pap gifts back. honey"
he answered. Oars heaps o. wuk
roun' dis place now. Yo' pap been do
hit mawnin's an arfer he done git
from wuk at de sawmill nights. an
'cep'n' TUX his place hit'll shore fall
on 20 nanny. an she hab mo- now
den she ought. No. no. honey. yo'll
halter look out TO de fish an let de ole
man ben bis back ober de taters an
inyuns an things"