Georgia Scenes. Darby Anvil [pp. 43-52]

44 Georgia Scenes. [JAnUARY,
fit;" but as hlie spoke freely of the incidents of the
Revolution, and at a time when tories were very
scarce and very mute, it was taken for granted that
he fought on the right side.
Darby established himself upon a lot in the then
village of, which cost him nothing; for in his
day, town lots, and even large tracts of land were
granted to any one, who would occupy them for a
given time. Two log huts soon rose upon Darby's
lot; into one of which, he stowed his wife and
children, and in the other his blacksmith's tools.
He now plied his trade assiduously; and as all
trades flourished at that time, he grew rich apace.
A year had hardly rolled away before a snug framed
house rose in front of his log dwelling; and his
shop gave place to one of more taste and conve nience, from the hands of a carpenter. The brand
of horse-shoes upon the shop door, no longer served
Darby for a sign; but high over the entrance of
the smithery from a piece of iron work, of crooks
and convolutions unutterable, hung a flaming sign hoard, decorated on either side, with appropriate
designs. On one side was Darby in person, shoe ing General Washington's horse —I say it was
Washington's horse, because Darby said so, and
Billy Spikes, who painted it, said so. Certainly it
was large enough foir Washington's horse! for
taking Darby, whose height I knew for a gague,
and the horse could not have been less than five-aniidtwenty feet high. On the other side was a plough,
with handles nine feet long, by the same measure;
studded with hoes, and axes, staples and horseshoes. Every thing around Darby bore the aspect
of thrift and comfort. In short, his fortune increased, even faster than his children: and this is
no small compliment to his industry and economy;
for Mrs. Anvil had not, fi)r many years, suffered
eighteen months to pass, without reminding him,
with a blush through a smerk, that she would "soon
want a little sugar and coffee and sweeten'd dram
for the little stranger." Darby had just received
the tenth notice of this kind, when he resolved to turn
politician. Whether they had any influence upon
him in forming this rash resolution I am not prepared to say, but certain it is, that he had received
these notices for several years preceding, with a
rapidly declining interest; insomuch, that when the
last came, it g ave t o his coulntenance an expressio n
better suited to dyspepsia than to such joyous
tidingfs; and hle was proceedlingf to make a most
uncourteous response, when the kindling fire of his
lady's eye, b rough t him to an a srtitlimax of passive
gentility. "W Ahy, Nancy!" said he, " Lord a'
massy on my soul! I don't grudge you the rum and
sugar and coffee; but —-r'aly it does seemn to me —
that - we're herin' a powertffl chance o' chlildre>n,
some how or nother." I am digressing a little,
but I cannot resume my subject, without dating Mrs.
Anvil the justice to say, that she defended her
dignity with becoming spirit, and by a short but
pungent syllogism, taught Darby that he had more
cause for self-condemnation, than for grudgings or
astonishment.
Darby Anvil, though ignorant in the extreme, had
some shrewdness, and much low cunning. He
knew well the prejudi ce s and we akne sse s of the
common people of the couIntv, and had no little tact
in turning them to his own advantage.
Two attorne ys of e minence, w ho had repeatedly
served the state in herdeliberative assemblies, during
and after the ar, waere candidat es for the popular
branch of the legis l ature, when Darby de termined
to make a third and supernumerary candidate. He
announced h i s aims in t he only way in which he
coutld h ave an nounce d t hem with out exposing him selfto overwhelming ridicule; for the people of those
day s pretty generally harbored the superstitious
notion, that talenits were indispensable to whole s ome legislation.
There was-a great barbecue in the county. It
was the wager of a hunting match, and conse quently every body was invited, and every body
attended. During the festival, when Darby and
ten or twelve of his oven class were collected round
the bottle, " boys," said he, " how'bout the'lection
this year."
"Oh," says one, "there's no opposition."
"No opposition!" continued Darby; " by zounds,
that'll never do; we'll have no fun. I'll be ding'd
if I don't offer myself, it I can't git a smarter man
to offer, rather than have no fun at all. What do
you say, Bill Rucker; wont you go in for the old
blacksmith against the lawyers!", smiling and wink ing to the bystanders,
" Oh yes," said Bill, carelessly, " I'll go in for
you to a red heat."
"W Well, thar's one vote for the old blacksmith,
any how."
"Johnny, you'll stick to uncle Darby, agin the
lawyers, I know, won't you, Johnny?"
"Yes." said John Fields, " I'll stick to you like
grim death to a dead nigger."
"Jimnmv Johns'I] go oh no, I've no chance
of Jitmmy's vote; bein' as how he's a mighty takin'
to~lawyers since his brother Bob's case was tryn.
How'bouit that Jimmy?" with a dry, equivocal laugh.
" Blast there infernal souls!" said Jim, "I'd vote
for the devil'fore I'd vote for either of them. They
made out my evidence was nothin't all but swearingf lies for brother Bob from one eend to tother."
"WMell, Jimmy," pursued Darby," "you mulstn't
mind uncle Darby's laugshin', my son. I c an't help
laughiu' every time I think htow tmad you was when
you come to my shop that day; but you know I told
youl you'd get over it, and vote for the'squires at last,
didn't I?"
" Yes, and youl told a lie too; did n't you uncle
Darby ~."
Here Darby roared immoderately, and then becoming suddenly fiery grave, he proceeded:
[JANUARY,
44
Geor,aia Sce7?es.