Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-07
Gift for Story-T cling Won
"Fidd1in Boil" ay1orF anne

a bullet in a rusty gun. His prodigious
Adams apple shot up to his chin, and
he looked around at my grandfather
| and said:
Mr.. Haynes, 1 am choked.'
He scrambled from the table and
pranced about the room and turned pur-
| pie in the face. My grandfather dealt
him blow after blow in the back, which
sounded like the blows Of a mallet on a
dry hide, but the ham wouldn't bulge.
There wasn't doctor within 1--WE miles;
The old man was choking to death;
| something had to be done
Suddenly an idea struck my grand
father, and he ran out into the back yard
and he grabbed up piece of plank about
three feet long and two inches thick
! and rushed back into the dining room
with il drawn.
Now. William" he shouted, "get down
on all fours."
William got down. He laid the old
mans coattail over on his back. and
Now, William. when 1 hit you swal-
low
He hit, and William shot like a rocket
to the farthest corner Of the room; but
before anybody was aware Of il old Will
table. with a broad grin on his face.
us it down, William" my grand
Yes. Mr.. Haynes. it's gone. Please pass
me the nam.
4
Two old fiddlers banqueted at a ban
quet. They banoueted all night long.
They kept up the banquet for a week
over; but they got separated one morning
and met in the afternoon.
One Of them said Good morning"
Il.
Its morning, and that's the sun. 1
know what 1 am talking about
No. sir; it's evening, and that's the
ton"
WELL" said the first, we'll not have
any fuss over 1t. Well leave it to the
first gentleman we come across to settle
whether it's morning or evening
They locked arms and staggered down
the street together until they came upon
another gentleman hanging on q lamp
post. One Of them approached him and
said:
Friend. we don't desire to interfere
with your meditation. but this gentleman
says It's morning. and that's the sun.
say it's evening. and that's the full
moon We desire to get you to settle
the question
The fellow stood and looked at 1t q
full minute and finally said:
Gentlemen. you'll have to excuse me;
I'm a stranger in this town."
AA
Not long ago I wandered back to the
scenes Of my boyhood on my fathers
old farm on the bank Of the river in the
beautiful land Of my native Tennessee
mountains. strayed once more through
the painless woods with my rife on my
shoulder I sat on the old familiar logs
amid the falling leaves Of autumn. and
heard the squirrels bark and shake the
branches as they jumped from tree to
tree. 1 heard the plaintive song Of the
whip-poor-will and the drumming of
pheasant and the boot of a wise owl way
over in Sleepy Hollow. heard the tink-
ling Of bells on the distant hills sweetly
mingling with the happy chorus Of the
song birds in their evening serenade.
All living creatures seemed to be chant
ing hymn Of praise to their God just
as they used to long ago; and as I sat
there on that familiar spot and listened
to the weird, wild harmony. I was rapt
as in reverie.
A vision Of the happy past opened be-
fore me. 1 thought l was boy again.
and played around the cabins of the old
plantation and heard the old-time darkies
laugh and sing and play the fiddle as
they used to long ago. I though l sat
once more in old Uncle Rufus cabin and
listened 10 tne OlQ IIlAu 0tOIy S8AIu
remembered the story Of Uncle Rufus
at prayer.
Uncle Rufus was in his cabin one night
all alone, with barred and bolted door,
praying at the top Of his voice:
20 Lord send de good angels down to
take po' ole Rufus home
About that time some mischievous boys
who heard him knocked loudly on the
door outside. Uncle Rufus shot under the
bed and shouted:
w.
The angel of the Lord has come to
take po' old Rufus home
"Gawd bless you. Marse Angel. that
ole fool don't live here now, he's done
gone"
remembered the story OF Uncle Rufus
and the rabbit. Uncle Rufus was prowl-
ing around one night in slavery days,
and the ''paterrollers' got after him. he
jumped the fence and went across the
field like cyclone. He ran over a raib-
bit and the two got badly mixed. each
trying to get away from the other. FL
nally Uncle Rufus kicked At the rabbit
and shouted:
"Varmint. eff you can't run. git out Nv
run
1 remembered the story of Uncle Rufus
and the ghost His young master said
to him one evening:
Uncle Rufus. don't you want to go up
there in the dark hollow In that old
haunted church and see ghost!"
"G'way I'm heah. chile. Don't come
aroun' me talkin' bout no ghOsts!'
But finally he persuaded him. and led
the trembling old man into the dark and
silent church and seated him on q bench.
One of his young masters pals, with
sheet wrapped around him. glided across
the church floor, sat down by Uncle Ru-
fus, and said in hoarse and solemn
voice:
Uncle Rufus. there are only two Of us
here."
God bless you, therell be only one of
us here in about two seconds"
And the old man shot out OF tho door
and down the road and over the hills and
through the woods until he had run him
self out of breath. He sat down on
log In the woods to rest.
Another pal Of his young master, with
a sheet wrapped around him, rose up
from behind the log. sat down by Uncle
Rufus and said:
Uncle Rufus, We had q terrible race"
Yes. an bless God. We gw1ns ter hab
another onei
And there was nothing but q little cloud
Of dust way down the valley.
1 will tell you a little story Of Uncle
"Ephraham." He lived alone in his cabin.
as MANY of the old -time darl<ies lived.