e
Southern States. He was a man of an independent turn of mind, and he
much desired to own the house in which he lived and the small
garden-patch around it. This valuable piece of property belonged to Mr.
Morris, and as it was an outlying corner of his large farm he had no
objection to sell it to Grandison, provided the latter could pay for it;
but of this he had great doubts. The man was industrious enough, but he
often seemed to have a great deal of difficulty about paying the very
small rental charged for his place, and Mr. Morris, consequently, had
well-grounded doubts about his ability to purchase it.

"But, sah," said Grandison one day when these objections had been placed
before him, "I's been turnin' dis thing ober in my min' ober an' ober. I
know jes' how much I kin make an' how much I's got to spend an' how I
kin save ter buy the house, an' if I agree to pay you so much money on
such a day an' so much on such anudder day I's gwine ter do it. You kin
jes' put that down, sah, for sartin shuh."

"Well, Grandison," said Mr. Morris, "I'll give you a trial. If, at the
end of six months, you can pay me the first instalment, I'll have the
necessary papers made out, and you can go on and buy the place, but if
you are not up to time on the first payment, I want to hear no more
about the purchase."

"All right, Mahs'r Morris," said Grandison. "If I gibs you my word ter
pay de money on de fus' day ob October, I's gwine to do it. Dat's sartin
shuh."

Months passed on, and, although Grandison worked as steadily as usual,
he found toward the end of September that, in the ordinary course of
things, he would not be able to make up the sum necessary for the first
payment. Other methods out of the ordinary course came into his mind,
but he had doubts about availing himself of them. He was extremely
anxious to make up the amount due, for he knew very well that if he did
not pay it on the day appointed he might bid farewell to his hope of
becoming a freeholder. In his perplexity he resolved to consult Brother
'Bijah, the minister of the little church in the pine-woods to which
Grandison belonged.

"Now, look-a-heah, Brudder 'Bijah," said he, "wot's I gwine to do 'bout
dis bizness? I done promised ter pay dis money on de fus' day ob de
comin' month, an' dar's six dollars ob it dat I ain't got yit."

"An' aint dar any way ter git it?" asked 'Bijah.

"Yaas, dar's one way," said Grandison, "I's been turnin' dis matter ober
an