The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-02-14

DOW.
dat kin hev all desc things, but l likes
to t'ink dat yere ole Sandy Claws
brung some OBJ 'em. o Lawdy me!
done forgot Marse Abe Linkum an
how granny SEES If he hadn't set grand
pap free my pappy couldn't hey a but
tier job an git sight Of mummy. l
Dunno
"Whah 20 ben, III Azariah?" said
his old granny. Il guess yo' toeses is
mos froze off; come close to de fab
an warm up"
Azariah Ichabod sat down on stool
near the stove and slowly removed
his outer garments. Granny" he hes
itated. did ole Marse Sandy Claws
bring desc cloes to me or did Marse
Abe Linkum?' p
"Marse I-inkumY Granny stared
over her spectacles. Dat good man
been dead an berried dis fifty year.
How come it yo' got dem mixed up,
less now. III Azariah, guess yore
recollectin' whut granny said to yo'
bout how If Marse Linkum hadn't set
de slaves free mebbe yore pappy
wouldn't be wurkin up to de hall an
earnin' sights OBJ mummy fer u.s."
II wish yo'd tell me all bout dat
yere Marse Abe Linkum ag'in', gran
n.y. said Azariah.
Both Granny Peters and Azariah
Ichabod were in tears at the conclu-
sion of her recital, and when granny
had brought forth the brown covered
life of Abraham Lincoln" the old
woman and the little boy pored over
its crude woodcuts and large type with
complete forgetfulness of the burning
potatoes in the oven.
'sYore pappy larned his letters in dat
we're book" said granny proudly, "and
yo' recomember dat he larned yo'
yores too Now. doan' you never for
git, LII Azariah, dat yo' larned yo' fust
readin' in Marse Abe Linkum's book"
"S'posin' yo' read li'l' about him
now" coaxed granny, thrusting the
book into his hands. She lighted a
kerosene lamp and fished the charred
potatoes out of the oven with philo-
sophie cheerfulness and thrust in an
other batch. Begin now, honey"
Azariah Ichabod opened the book at
the first chapter and ran a small black
finger along the lines. reciting glibly
what he had already learned by heart
under the tuition of his father.
"Marse Abe Linkum wuz bon on
Febry twelve in de yeah-what's de
matter, granny" Azariah paused as
Mrs. Peters grasped the book from his
hand
''Li'r Azariah," cried his grandmoth-
er excitedly. II done forgot whut yore
pappy said dis mornin'. He come
down from de hall wild er newspaper
from de moth whut he'd found, an
ses he. Termorrer will be Marse
Abe Linkum's birthday. an dey's
gwine ter celybrate it up moth. It's.
all in dis we're paper. Now, do yo' tell
Azariah ter git some er dat creepin'
stuff from de woods an hang ober
Marse Linkum's pictur' declar'
done forgot all about 1t, an yore pap
py'll be mighty struck If -yo' doan' do
it."
'I'll git it in de mornin'. Dat Marse
Linkum mus have been dreffie good
ter make folks member his birthday.
wish l was like dat man, granny,
l reckon I'd do jes' as he did," assert
ed Azariah warmly as he drew up to
the table prepared by his grandmoth-
er.
''LrP boys kin do jes' as much good
In dere way" said granny wisely.
II couldn't set nobuddy free"
"Yaas, yo' could set somebody Free"
said granny suddenly. "Whah's dat
III rabbit 20 found in 20 trap yistid-
dy?"
Azariah rolled startled eye at his
grandmother Its locked up In de
woodshed. reckon dat yere li'r rabbit
likes me mon he does to run aroun' de
col woodses, granny. | want ter keep
him, dor
go long. Azariah Peters. rs sham
ed OBJ yo', declare l am, wild dat sam
pie OBJ Marse Abe Linkum right befo'
yo' all de time. Doan' yo talk to met
''Tomorrer I'll let him go free. Den
I'll be some like Marse Linkum.
reckon I'll give him some cabbidge
now" and Azariah left the table and
went to his little captive, while granny
hobbled around the room singing In a
high, cracked voice.
The next day Azariah's first duty
was to go to the adjacent woods and
search under the covering Of dead
leaves for trailing vines of sassafras
and "old mans hand" with which to
adorn the large picture of Abraham
Lincoln which hung on the kitchen
wall.
| After that he took the little gray rab-
bit from the woodshed and stumped
doggedly across the winding path to
the upland pasture. He could feel the
beating of the little frightened heart
against his hand, and he Struggled the
little furry body closer into his neck.
Dean yo' be 'fraid. li'p rabbit. rs
gwine ter take 70 straight ter yore
nanny" he comforted it. Then at
the pasture fence he kissed the trem-
bling animal and set 1t on the ground,
| For an instant it crouched, frightened
and tense. and then with bound II
left him and disappeared In the hedge.
"Lawdy sakes" calculated the round
| eyed Azariah. 81 didn't reckon It
made folkses SO glad to git away. !
| wished / could be noah like Marse
Linkum an set noah foIkses free