Meantime, Mr. Graham had again crossed the ocean, landing in New York,
from whence he started for home, meeting, as we have seen, with a
detention in Canandaigua, where he accidentally fell in with Uncle
Timothy, who, being minus quite a little sum of money on account of his
transgression, was lamenting his ill fortune to one of his
acquaintances, and threatening to give up tavern keeping if the Maine
law wasn’t repealed.
“Here,” said he, “it has cost me up’ards of fifty dollars, and I’ll bet
I hain’t sold mor’n a barrel, besides what wine that Kentucky chap has
bought for his gal, and I suppose they call that nothin’, bein’ it’s
for sickness. Why, good Lord, the hull on’t was for medicine, or
chimistry, or mechanics!”
This reminded his friend to inquire after the sick lady, whose name he
did not remember.
“It’s ’Lena,” answered Uncle Timothy, “’Lena Rivers that dandified chap
calls her, and it’s plaguy curis to me what she’s a runnin’ away for,
and he a streakin’ it through the country arter her; there’s mischief
summers, so I tell ’em, but that’s no consarn of mine so long as he
pays down regular.”
Mr. Graham’s curiosity was instantly aroused, and the moment he could
speak to Uncle Timothy alone, he asked what he meant by the sick lady.
In his own peculiar dialect, Uncle Timothy told all he knew, adding, “A
relation of yourn, mebby?”
“Yes, yes,” said Mr. Graham. “Is it far to Laurel Hill?”
“Better’n a dozen miles! Was you goin’ out there?”
Mr. Graham replied in the affirmative, at the same time asking if he
could procure a horse and carriage there.
Uncle Timothy never let an opportunity pass for turning a penny, and
now nudging Mr. Graham with his elbow, he said, “Them liv’ry scamps’ll
charge you tew dollars, at the lowest calkerlation. I’m going right
out, and will take you for six shillin’. What do you think?”
Mr. Graham’s thoughts were not very complimentary to the shrewd Yankee,
but keeping his opinion to himself, he replied that he would go,
suggesting that they should start immediately.
“In less than five minits. You jest set down while I go to the store
arter some jimcracks for the old woman,” said Uncle Timothy, starting
up the street, which was the last Mr. Graham saw of him for three long
hours.
At the end of that time, the little man came stubbing down the walk,
making many apologies, and saying “he got so engaged about the darned
‘liquor law,’ and the putty-heads that made it, that he’d no idee ’twas
so late.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account