Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1910-01-08

! nlout TX de truck patch wuk, lax 20
say. but dar's odder t'Ings. aim to
hep yo' mummy bout her chickeNr
an washin nn' housewuk. She ain
strong lux she lnoui me-"
Wash dug his heels deeper into the
sand and smiled As he heard IL a
sudden hardness came into the old
mans eyes.
AN dar's anudder ring" he con.
tinued. leiriing again upon his hoe
handle and looking straight NJ Wash.
u aim TO chop an pile up 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 kinle her lire. case dey
ain not'in' round de wood pile 'cep'in'
big sticks witch yo' pap brung an
wicb ain chop up. aim TO cut hit
all an pile hit 'ginst de do whnr hitll
be handy 70 20 nanny. No. no.
honey. cayn't 70 fishin' nohow. 70
mus do de tshin' yosc'f now"
Wash dropped his gaze TO the ground,
an unusual thing for him: but. then,
|
he so studiously shirked.
rs gwine wuk hard wen Is big
ger" he muttercd deprecatIngly. My
nanny say boys mus make mos o.
deere playtime. Wen rs man rs
gwine wuk hard lax my pup. an'-an
be soger." for In spite OF their an
tagonism. Wash regarded his father as
embodying all that was manly and
heroic.
"Yo'll nebber be lax yo' pap" Uncle
Nose said. He study an wuk hard
wen he's boy. Yo' mo- lax ole rag
ged Jake" Then his gaze dropped In
sudden abashcd consciousness of hay-
Ing upbraided his favorite. ana II the
boy had waited a moment longer he
would have heard the most abject apol-
ogy and contrite Don yo min.
honey: hits jes' de ole man n talkin'.
Yo's a good boy. sho' nough good
boy"
But Wash did not hear: He was
speeding toward the woods with dim
eyes and heaving breast. He like dis.
reputable Jake. the scoff Of the entire
community, II his father or any OF
those pho were accustomed to upbraid
him hid said the words he would not
have remcmbercd them minute after
they were spoken. but Uncle Nose,
who haa never scoldcd him In ali his
life before and from whom harsh
word could not be wrung except by
direful proyocation.
The words were true. He knew 1t
even while combating them In impo-
tent anger and wrath. And they stung
and lashed him TO the big tree. TO his
traps. to spot IN dense thIcket
where he lay for full hour picking
vindictiyely AT the leaves and finally
10 his bed In the loft. He not TO he
like his father when everybody said
he was growing up big aud strong aud
would some time be his very image.
And this was his last thought when.
far in the night. he fell asleep with
two big tears still undried on his black
cheeks.
The next morning Uncle Moses first
thought was OF reconciliation with
Wash. But the boy was not In his bed
nor In the kitchen below. and only
when he went TO the door and heard
faint click clicking from the truck
patch did he understand that Wash
was digging bait for an unusually
early start. Shutting In the direction
Or the sound. the old man stopped at
the corner of the COW shed In sudden
incredulous Amusement. for there was
the boy. not digging bait. as he had
supposed. but hoeing potatoes.
Wash looked up With an odd smile
on his good hatured face.
"Yo better 90 hep nanny wild her
chickens. gran'pap." he commented.
not even pausing to rest on his hoe
handle as he spoke. but working Wig
orously on. Il finish desc taters."
Then. as the old man opened his
mouth without seeming able 10 make
a sound. the boy continued:
Il t'ink bout what 20 say. gran
pap. an rs gwine be lax pap. an
ain gwine be lax ole Jake. An
reckon 20 right bout mammy. | ain
nebber motifs befo'. but dis mawnin'
| low she do look porely. Wen desc
taters IL done rs gwine chop dat wood
an do lots odder things. Now 20 bet
ter go long. gran'pap. case is In a
hurry"
This was the beginning OF big
reformation In Wash-a reformation
brought about by the force Of exam
pie. Aud this Is the origin of all refor- |
nations. Great military leaders have
not said Co" but "Follow me-" The |
Christian martyrs supported the in
FAINT religion by an example that was
effective not only 1000 years ago. but
Is n shining light to millions OF Chris.
tlans 10 the present day.
And So II Is Ia our everyday life. |
Uncle Nose. II Is true. spoke TO the |
boy about what be was doing. but only
10 explain why he did II. that he might
make the lesson Of his own Industry |
the more effective.
A week later there was not a weed
left In the truck patch. not stick OF
wood that was uncut aud not chore
about the place that WAS In argent