IT SETTLED THE QUESTION.
The Colonel was the possessor of a fat colored man who was extremely lazy—so much so that everybody in the town had tried to do something to liven him up. They usually abandoned their effort after a trial.
There was quite a gathering at the Colonel's one afternoon, and the question of the lazy colored man came up. Finally one of the gentlemen asked leave to experiment, and to gratify him the Colonel sent for his lazy servant. It was some time before Sam put in an appearance. When he came, the gentleman addressed him thus:
"Sam, as I was coming up the garden path I noticed several snails down near the gate. I want to show these gentlemen some of their peculiarities, so catch one for me, please."
Sam scratched his gray wool and departed.
The Colonel and his friends smoked and chatted for a long while, and still no Sam and no snail.
"Well, that fellow is really lazy," said the gentleman who had sent him on the quest. "Colonel, would you mind sending for him, and see what on earth he is doing?"
The Colonel did so, and Sam entered the room.
"Well," said the gentleman, "did you catch one of those snails?"
"'Deed no, sah," replied Sam; "dey was too powerful quick fo' me. Ise couldn't catch up wid dem!"
That settled the question.