The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1910-07-15
MARS TOM
ASHLEY
By F. A. Mitchell
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.
By F. A. Mitchell

."Uncle." | said TO an old darky sit
ting on barrel. ..who owns this plan
tation?'
Mars Tom Ashley"
Have the Ashleys always lived
here?''
Reckon dey hab. sab. De Ashleys
de wah. De oldes' son OBJ de oldes' son
allus growed up to drap into de ole
mans shoes. Dey come might nigh
bein' a break once. though
How was ,that?'
''Hit was Mars Toms father, Mars
Pape Ashley. He father. Mars Toms
grandfather. Thomas Ashley, war
might fine man.
Mars Pape he went norf to college.
an somehow or udder he got no'thern
notions In he head. Dat war a few
yeas befo' de wah. Mars Pape get de
'diculous idee dat all de niggers in de
souf had oughten be free. Wus'n dat.
he fell in Tub wild a no'thern lady an
married her.
Il recommended might we'll when
all dat happen. Mars Pape he come
down heah an he talk wild de ole
man. An he try to max de ole man
beliebe dat he oughter glib all us mig
gers on dis heah plantation free pa
pers. an de ole man ought to stick up
TO- de Union an all dat kind O talk.
Yo' know what Mars Thomas say? He
say: My son. yo' hab disgrace yo' an
chesters. Yo' unworthy to be called
my son. I'm gwine to disinherit yo'
an Leah dis plantation to yo' cousin
Ernest Crane
An 20 know wha' Mars Pape say Z
He say: DE plantation won't be WORT
bale O. cotton. Yo' niggers II all be
free. an de souf II be no count
"Den yo' know wha' Mars Thomas
say? He say: One southern man kin
whip ave Yankees
MARS Pape he go MORT, an nobody
didn' see him no mo- in dis yere kentry
till after de wah. He didn' lax to fight
agin bis southern friends. so he go
to speculAtin'. He had some money
OBJ his own. an he buy all de cotton he
kin get his hands on. Mars Thomas
he raise regiment O. southern troops.
and he fight lax de debble. He come
back big gin'l. but he only got one
leg an one eye. All his niggers was
free. de plantation was all pulled to
pieces by f}rs' de northern troops. den
de southern troops. an dar want bit
o. fencin' anywhar All the niggers go
OF 'cept me. l stay heah to TAX car o
de ole man when he come back.
Mars Thomas he wa MT so proud as
he war when he went AWAY. ali dress
| up, in his new sojer cio'es. He wouldn't
! nebber talk to a Niger den. but when
he 'foun. me heah all alone an saw
how de plantation look he seem might
sorry. He say to me. Julius. ma boy,
| yo' WORT 500 Urinary white men,.
| AFTER dat he talk to me bout eb-
crying. One day he come to me an
say: julie, l got a letter from Pape to-
day. He say he bought cotton at .
cents pound an sold it at dollar a
pound. He got all de money he want.
| He offers me plenty to restock de plan
tation.' An l say. 'Gwine TAX 1t.
mars'r An he say: TAX it! Yo'
s'pose l gwine to TAX money from my
son what stay in de MORT all through
de wah instead o. bein' heah an fight
in To- de souf? No. sab. Ma son daid
to me. l gwine to Leah dis heah plan
tation to Ernest Crane
Zone mawnin' while war down at
de crick crossin' who l see but Mars
Pape. He TAX my ham an might glad
to see me. He ask me all bout de ole
man an say he come down wild his
wife an leetle boy to git recunciiia-
ton. He ask me to let 'em all in de
house when de gin'l amt dar. Hs
say dey gwine to try to take de place
by storm. He tell me dot he got plenty
money TO- his ladder an no use he
libin' all alone an de old home gwine
more an more to rack.
Il t'ink it might fine ting TO- de ole
man, an say help 'em all kin. Sc
one mawnin' early let 'em all In
Mars Pape and Missy Ashley dey gil
in a closet in de dinin' room an pretty
nigh shut de do. put de little boy
on de family chillen's high chair, an
he wait dar TO- he grandfather tt
come down to breakfast. When de OLE
man come into de room and see de lit
tie fellah setttn' up on de udder side
o. de table he stood still wild he mou1
an eyes wide open.
"'Howde, grandpaY said de chile.
"eWho are yo'Y axed de gin'l.
''Tom Ashley, de mex owner OBJ d.
plantation after yo' an papa
"Yo' see, Mars Pape tell him what tt
say. Mars Thomas war SO Lonesome
an de chile war SO purt dat de ole mai
couldn' stand dat. He jis went tt
Mars Tommy an put he arms arount
him an Rugged him. When l SCI
somepin shinin' in de gin'ls eye i'll
open de closet do and out steps Mars
Pape an he wife.
missy Ashley she went up to d
. gin'l an put out her ham. De gin
too fine man not to take lady,
ham. He took it an. bowin' lax
south'n gentleman, very low down. b.
kissed it. She put de gin'ps han II