Uncle Noahs Christmas Inspiration | Page 3

"Uncle Noah," he
said sternly, a suspicious brightness gleaming in his eyes, "that turkey
of yours is making a terrible noise under the window. Make him quit
gobbling. Patricia, I don't wonder he makes you nervous. He's an old
renegade!"
That the object of the Colonel's wrath had long since retired to roost
mattered not to his accuser. The turkey had developed a convenient
habit of gobbling under the window whenever emotion forced the
Colonel to seek a vent in stern commands. Uncle Noah crossed to the
window and commanded Job to be silent. Mrs. Fairfax, southern
gentlewoman and thoroughbred from tip to toe, quivered proudly, and,
as Uncle Noah returned, bade him serve the supper in tones as well
controlled as they were gentle.

II
The Inspiration

II
In the great barren kitchen Uncle Noah wiped his steel-rimmed
spectacles and glared angrily about him.
"Ol' Missus grievin' her heart out foh young Massa Dick," he reflected,
"and de Colonel say 'slight no one!' Gord-a-massy, whut am dis yere ol'
worl' a-comin' to? Ebery time ol' Mis' cry for young Massa Dick,
Colonel say Job gobbles--"

The old darky choked miserably at the thought of the destined check to
Job's gobbling career and, replacing his spectacles, carefully carried in
the supper, prolonging its simple service to the uttermost, with the
single idea of adding precious minutes to the doomed turkey's span of
life.
When at length he sought the barn it was quite dark and the velvet
stillness of the night was dotted thickly with snowflakes. With
trembling fingers he opened the great barn-door, lit a queer old lantern
hanging just within, and hung it high upon a projecting hook. The dim
light revealed an antique carriage-house, in one corner of which upon a
rude, improvised roost of shingles the tyrant Job slept the sleep of the
just and the unjust rolled into one. As the lights flickered upon his
ruffled feathers the turkey emitted a throaty grunt of disapproval and
moved cumbrously around to avoid the light.
Uncle Noah addressed him with great firmness. "Now see yere, Massa
Job," he said, "tain't no use yoh puttin' on yoh high and mighty airs
to-night. I'se come to interview yoh, sah! Understand?"
Job majestically tucked his head beneath his wing as if to intimate his
indifference to the proposed interview.
Uncle Noah surveyed his ruffled back feathers with increased respect.
"So," he said, "yoh refuse me an interview, Massa Job Fairfax. Yoh is
sleepy, sah, dat's whut's got into yoh." He stroked the turkey with a
gentle hand, and, Job, resenting the indignity, withdrew his head from
the sheltering wing and pecked at the brown fingers, turning around
with a stately movement and facing the light once more with a sleepy
blink of his bright, beadlike eyes.
"Now, sah, we can talk," exclaimed the negro in delight. Drawing up an
old box he seated himself before the roost and beamed benevolently
over his glasses.
"Colonel done say yoh gobble under de winder 'bout suppertime," he
began confidentially. "When ol' Mis' cry 'bout young Massa Dick de
Colonel he jus' gotta scold 'bout sumthin', and as yoh is de mos'
important person about he jus' naturally selects yoh."
The turkey held his head upon one side, apparently in critical
admiration of the darky's quaint old scarfpin which resembled a grain
of corn mounted on a needle.
Uncle Noah, who had always had a faint mistrust of Job's attitude

toward this ancient Ethiopian heirloom, promptly removed it to a place
of safety. Then with a sudden resolve that no thought of the coming
tragedy should mar his last visit with his old companion he rose and
sought a dim, cobwebby corner of the barn, whence he returned with a
box.
"Dese yere, Job," he explained, "is de flowers whut young Massa Dick
have sent to his mother ebery holiday since he done went away from
yere. Mornin', I specs, when de Colonel sees 'em at her plate, he'll
declare yoh gobblin' sumthin' fierce under de winder again; he always
do."
The old negro broke the string of the box and removed a glowing mass
of purple orchids--odd, transient tenants of the crazy old barn. Job
suddenly reached over and pecked a blossom from its stem, ate the
heart with the dainty air of an epicure, and discarded the remainder
with a noise akin to a gobble of disgust.
Uncle Noah rose in scandalized protest. "Yoh good-foh-nothin',
miserable, sassy turkey!" he scolded, hastily removing the orchids;
"you sartinly is de mos' scan'lous, no-'count bird I ever knowed. Eat
one o' ol' Missus's orchards! Laws-a-massy, Job, yoh goes mos' too far.
Now, sah, yoh be quiet and listen to dis note I gets from young Massa
Dick," and he carefully deciphered the written lines for