He spressify his condidence too much ter meck uh ’bater;
Dat auntydote dey call it wud nebber tech meh thote
Ef I hadn’ pestered pollyticks an’ sole fuh weeds meh vote.
“SKYLARK.”
Mars Matthew wuz ridin’ in de lead on Skylark, an’ his favorite hound, Jerry Myah, wuz tonguein’
ez sweet ez er Melojin, an’ leadin’ de pack.
EZRA.
Ezzy, as the servants called him, was a brother to Little Billy, almost as smart, but in character as unlike as Jacob and Esau were in appearance, for Billy had very little character and Ezzy a great deal. He was short of stature, well figured, good featured, perfect teeth, and though 60 years old, was full of life, gracious and light-hearted. He doted on a horse race, could cut the pigeon wing and was as fond of a fox hunt as Squire Weston. As much as he loved to eat, he would leave a steaming breakfast of hominy and sparerib if he heard a pack in full cry.
He had a most remarkable memory; for instance, he knew the mothers of all the calves and lambs, the names of all the oyster pungies, schooners and canoes in the river. I suppose in Bolingbrook District there were a hundred foxhounds; he knew all of their names, and when they passed him in full cry would exclaim, “Da goes Chimes, Jerry-Myah, Boxer, Juno, Jew-Drap, Sweet-lips, Heatherbell, Sweetheart,” etc. He sang, played the banjo and was a decided beau. Indeed, he was a born sport, and like his brother, Little Billy, not fond of hard work. He was an exceptionally good horseman, had good hands and good judgment; in Queen Anne’s County had ridden and won two races for his Marster; could break a yoke of oxen in a week; schooled the hunters, broke the colts, rode them bare-back, and, as he would say, “Dey jes’ drapped into his ways.”
Ezra had his faults, however, and annoyed the overseers with his shortcomings. For example, he doted on coon hunting, and when he had been coon hunting all night, would go to sleep for hours next day husking corn and not husk enough to pay for his bacon. If a fox was run through the estate, Ezra would pack in and forget his work. When the overseers would call him to account he would say, “I cudn’ help gittin’ ’stracted an’ harkin’ up dem houn’s. Mars Matthew wuz ridin’ in de lead on Skylark, an’ his favorite houn’, Jerry-Myah, wuz tonguein’ ez sweet ez uh melojin, an’ leadin’ de pack.”
Late in September, 1857, to judge Cotswold sheep his Marster was invited to the great cattle and horse show to be held in Memphis, Tenn., the next month. As Ezra was fond of animals, and trifling about hard work, had good manners and full of kindness, his Marster concluded to send him to Memphis with eight sheep, the pick of the flock.