MARS JEEMS’S NIGHTMARE

We found old Julius very useful when we moved to our new residence.  He had a thorough knowledge of the neighborhood, was familiar with the roads and the watercourses, knew the qualities of the various soils and what they would produce, and where the best hunting and fishing were to be had.  He was a marvelous hand in the management of horses and dogs, with whose mental processes he manifested a greater familiarity than mere use would seem to account for, though it was doubtless due to the simplicity of a life that had kept him close to nature.  Toward my tract of land and the things that were on it—­the creeks, the swamps, the hills, the meadows, the stones, the trees—­he maintained a peculiar personal attitude, that might be called predial rather than proprietary.  He had been accustomed, until long after middle life, to look upon himself as the property of another.  When this relation was no longer possible, owing to the war, and to his master’s death and the dispersion of the family, he had been unable to break off entirely the mental habits of a lifetime, but had attached himself to the old plantation, of which he seemed to consider himself an appurtenance.  We found him useful in many ways and entertaining in others, and my wife and I took quite a fancy to him.

Shortly after we became established in our home on the sand-hills, Julius brought up to the house one day a colored boy of about seventeen, whom he introduced as his grandson, and for whom he solicited employment.  I was not favorably impressed by the youth’s appearance,—­quite the contrary, in fact; but mainly to please the old man I hired Tom—­his name was Tom—­to help about the stables, weed the garden, cut wood and bring water, and in general to make himself useful about the outdoor work of the household.

My first impression of Tom proved to be correct.  He turned out to be very trifling, and I was much annoyed by his laziness, his carelessness, and his apparent lack of any sense of responsibility.  I kept him longer than I should, on Julius’s account, hoping that he might improve; but he seemed to grow worse instead of better, and when I finally reached the limit of my patience, I discharged him.

“I am sorry, Julius,” I said to the old man; “I should have liked to oblige you by keeping him; but I can’t stand Tom any longer.  He is absolutely untrustworthy.”

“Yas, suh,” replied Julius, with a deep sigh and a long shake of the head, “I knows he ain’ much account, en dey ain’ much ’pen’ence ter be put on ‘im.  But I wuz hopin’ dat you mought make some ‘lowance fuh a’ ign’ant young nigger, suh, en gib ‘im one mo’ chance.”

But I had hardened my heart.  I had always been too easily imposed upon, and had suffered too much from this weakness.  I determined to be firm as a rock in this instance.

“No, Julius,” I rejoined decidedly, “it is impossible.  I gave him more than a fair trial, and he simply won’t do.”