Blighted Anticipations.

Manawatu Times, Volume IX, Issue 1121, 7 December 1883, Page 3

Blighted Anticipations.

.». <~> -*~ — • ' — — A coloured man o'er whose head about seventy summers had passed, vvas quietelybut'earnestly wrestling with a watermelon near the market; when he was disturbed by the ap* pearance of a small boy of his color, j'he." boy sait down on a box and looked grudgingly at the melon, and the old man, looked up at him and queried: •■ '= "Young man, I reckons I could gib you half dis melljon an' hab plenty left." , Thanks uncle." " But I shan't do it, kase it might ;be de Bj>ilm' ; bf ye. In de fust place, ide law am plain an' cl'ar on de pint dat what I leave behind goes to my nateral hairs. In de secou' place, a pussoh without hanticiparfhun mns' '.be'dreffully ouhappy. As de kase jnow stunds yon hanticipate. - You •hanticipate dat half dis yere mellyon willstuff hie full an' I'll 'ab to leave ; all de rest. You hanticipate dat I'll get choked on de seeds, or git sun* struck, or be 'tacked by de kolik. As de mellyon gradually disappears you'll hanticipate dat jj won't knaw ;the rinds werryclus..' As' the rinds :d:^pp^ ye console' yerseJf with de ifack, dat de seeds am left. As I wrap ide seeds up mmy hankerchif you'll Ireckon on lickin' de bod whar de ;de miaHyon' was cut An*' eaten/ but if irfif'^p t dat ho*d and gin yea. whack on the back ye'H hanticipate better |dan : to -crowd m whar ye 'ain't Swantedl ■. Now you skip !"— Detroit JHwto'iPfcei&U-' 777: ' ' . ! : - "'.-.■,