“Dat boy was born on Christmas day, an’ has been keepin’ Christmas ebber since,” commented Andy; “he’d jist like to set by de cob fire all winter, an’ go ter sleep in de sun all summer, an’ let de hoein’ take keer of itself. I allus tole him dat his laziness would done fotch him to jail, but I never mistrusted dat he would stop at de pore-house on his way.”
“Dar is wus places than the pore-house, Brudder Andy,” remarked Israel with dignity.
“Dat’s so, Brudder Isrel; ’deed dat is jis’ so! I is makin’ no deflections on de pore-house, but on dat misable Gabe Websta. De pore-house is fur ’flicted pussons an’ dem dat is too ol’ ter work, not for sich as Gabe.”
“Gabe says he is not able to work; he done says he has the rheumatiz,” supplemented Israel.
“He allus had som’thin’ or ’nother all his days, ’cept on Sattuday afternoons an’ Sundays, an’ ’lection days an’ Christmas week; at dem times Gabe was allus in a good state ob health.”
“Maybe he has the rheumatiz for certain to pay him up for play in’ ’possum so many times,” suggested Chloe.
“Maybe Chloe is right, Uncle Andy,” interposed Roy. “Let Israel, when he goes back, ask the overseer to get a doctor to investigate.”
“If Gabe wants to stay in de pore-house dar had better be no ’westigations,” said Uncle Andy with energy. “He’ll get turned out fo’ shore; he can’t fool dem doctahs like he fooled ol’ missus.”
“Gabe has had spells of rheumatiz afore, has he, Brudder Andy?” asked Israel.
“Yes, every time dar was a big job ob work on hand.”