Little James, a Pardue Story

Little James

Ricky Pardue was all too well aware that he had no aspiration to be a farmer. That was his father's yen, and even he was never successful at it. Ricky's only serious attempt to grow something sat on the porch in a quart syrup can growing a sprig from a seed from a pear he had picked from the pear tree growing up by the Boot Hill Cemetery. It gave him constant reminder of his Ma who used to send him up to the tree for pears when they were in season.

As was his usual, Ricky was sitting on the porch in his Ma's homemade rocking chair parsing the words to a story about a bull frog that Miss Cindy, the school marm, had given him as a reading assignment. Both he and she were surprised at how fast Ricky was progressing with his reading. He reckoned he had a good half hour of reading time left before the shadows overtook the light.

He paused his reading and took note of a solitary rider astride a mule, wearing a well worn sweat stained hat, Union blue pants held up with suspenders, and cavalry boots, riding up to his porch.

"Good day to you," the man said to Ricky while taking off his hat and wiping his sweated forehead with a red bandana.

"Good day to you. What can I do for you?" Ricky responded.

"I'm hoping you might have some work for me, sir. I was asking around, and the school marm said I should check with you, that you might could use some help on your farm."

"Would that school marm be Miss Cindy?" After a yes nod, Ricky said," Come on up on the porch and let's talk. Would you like a cup of water? "

" That would be mighty kindly of you sir. My canteen is might nigh empty."

Ricky took a bell jar, blew into it to get rid of any dust or spiders that might reside therein, and filled the jar from an earthen pitcher. Handing the jar to his visitor he said," Tell me your name and what you know about farming."

"They call me Little James. My dad was Big James even though I grew to be biggern him. When I left the plantation and joined the Union army, they told me I needed a last name and I took on the name of where I was born as my new last name, Oakland. My name is Little James Oakland."

" My Mamma worked in the big house so I mostly worked in the vegetable garden. I know all about growing food. When to plant, how to cultivate the ground, when to pick, and how to preserve the food. For instance I'm betting that little pear tree you're trying to grow in that can could use a little dried horse manure mixed in the dirt and regular watering. You might want to keep it in the house this winter and then plant it in a sunny spot in the early spring before the sap rises."

"That sounds pretty good, James, but I'm not actually looking to hire anyone. I have no money to pay a worker and no place to lodge a worker."

"I understand, Mr. Purdue, times are hard. If you would be willing, I would be willing to work for just room and board. I could bed in the barn and not be a bother to you, and I can grow food enough to feed both of us and probably have enough left over to sell and we could split any money for things we sold."

"I don't know James…."

James interrupted, "Why don't we try it for a few months to see if it works out. If you tire of me, you could just send me on my way. What do you say?"

Ricky studied James for a minute, laughed, and said, "Okay, we'll do that and see how it goes. By the way, call me Ricky. Mr. Pardue is buried up in Boot Hill."