The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-04-05

darby, with a catfish smile and a
jaybird eye. He was ever ready for
laugh, a joke, drink, or profess
sion of religion. He would spend his
night as quickly in barroom as at
prayer meeting, and by day he was
equally as ready to battle for poll
tics as for religion. But his strong
card was his wonderful experience
"endurin' de wah", whittier he went
as body servant to "Marse John"
Tom had belonged to the old Judge
"befo' de wah," and had gone through
that fiery ordeal with his master.
There is a peculiarly strong bond ex-
listing, in the South, between the mas
ter and the servant who have thus
faced death together.
The old Judge now stood up for
Tom through thick and thin, and
while he openly lamented Toms
worthlessness, secretly he never fail
ed to come to his assistance when in
trouble or supply him and his family
with food when hungry. If Tom got
into jail, he "saunt for Marse john"
who quickly bailed him out.
One day something happened. The
grand jury returned true bill
against Tom for hog stealing. The
old Judge would do anything in the
world for Tom outside of his own
court, but when Tom got into that
temple of justice, he found, himself
among the laws of the Modes and
/ Persians-and he knew it.
He had stolen the shoat from "the
majah" the Judges neighbor, and the
major made out a plain, dead-shot
case against Tom.
His lawyer made feeble effort at
defense, and, after submitting
charge or two to the old Judge, who
promptly overruled them, the jury
were duly charged, retired, and quick
ly brought in a verdict sentencing
Tom to five years in the penitentiary.
This made Tom chuckle outright--to
the disgust of the Court and the as
constituent of his own lawyer.
"Stand up, sir!" gruffiy Numbered
the old Judge. Tom arose with his
broadcast grin and most waggish air.
"Have you anything to say why this
sentence should not be passed upon
your" said the Judge, looking sternly
at the prisoner.
And then came rich scene.
"Look er heer, Marse john shuah
am s'prised at you-to sot up dar on
dat bench, an hear dis jury scan'lize
my ripertashun lax dat, an den you
turn rum dar, so sassy-lak, in dat
cheer, an ak me what / got to say
about it. cert'ny is, Marse John.
What sho'ly do you mean by doin' dat
err way?"
The old Judge flushed with anger:
"Mr. Sheriff, take the prisoner to
jail"
For a moment Tom was thunder
struck. Could it be possible that Marse
John, the only friend he had, had de-
serted him? With an instinct that
was racial, he dropped his bantering
way and assumed look of earnest
ness.
"Hol' on, Marse John, hol' on jes'
leetle bit, You done ak me now, an
eff muffin else gwine ter do you, I'll
halter tell you whit l do kno' bout
it sho' huff. Er-huh-er-huh-wal,
sub, ur co'se / tuck de Majah's little
ole POI shoat, but de Majah knows /
jes' snapped wild him. I'm gwine ter
give him enur pig back dis fall. He
kno's dat kase I've borrowed things
frum him befo', amt l, Majah?
Gan dis horg? Pc? Why, gen.
men, dat little ole pig he want one
good square meal fur two little twin
boys / got--de Majah an de Judge
let lone me an Dinah-fo' God, he
want. Eff it amt so, gen'men, an eff
! dat want de leetles' razor-back /
ever snapped fur, den amt nuver
stole no horgs in Gregory.
Observation-Disclosures stole no
horgs in Gregory! An now Pm get
tim dar, is l, Marse John? But you
bar in mind, Majah--Marse John done
fotch all dis down on hisse'f. I'd nuv-
err tole on 'im-no, not even at the
Judgement mornin'-don't keer how
hard ole Gabriel keep tootin his horn
an lookin' at me so searchin'-lak wild
his fire eyes an sayin': tom, whit
you kno' bout horgstaalin' in Greg
j. ory?' An | jes' say: Muffin tall,
Marse Gabril, Cord bless YOU soul,
muffin tall. nuver wuz in Gregory
in my life, subj"
"But I can't say dat now, gon'men,
kase Marse John done ak me hisse'f
TO tell what / kno' bout it.
oval, dis whut I kno', gen'men:
when l went to war wild Marse John
to wait on i'm, wuz as homes mig
gah as uver stole cracklins frum his
mammy's soap gourd. But l hadn't
been in dat war six months TO- I'd
steal everything frum a mule to de
New Testament outen dead soljer's
pocket. Everything frum a hen egg
to a govment steer. An why? God
bless you, gen'men, Marse John dar
had to have sumpin' fur to eat. You
think I goin' see my young marster
fightin' night an day wild no chance
to get anything to eat jes' on account
ur a little 1igus skooples? No, gen.
men we jes' called it furagin' an KEEP
a gwine.
"Menny an menny mornin' Marse
John ud' get up hungry an say: Tom,
you sly raskil, did you furrage emmy
| las night
"He calls II stealin' now, mind you,
gen'nlen. An I'd laf an say: 's.Marse
John, you kno' you amt nuver gin