Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-07-14
FRIED CHILDREN I.r g'IR-
GfE.fEA.

A teacher in one of the freednans schools
in Virginia, in an interesting article con-
trbuted to Our Young Folks, gives the fol-
lowing account of the difficulty experienced
in obtaining the names of her pupils:
One little boy gave his name as
"Dandy Jim"
"What is your name?' | asked.
"Hain't got no odor name"
"What is your mothers name?"
"Name Aunt Polly"
"What is your fathers name"
"Name Uncle Jack"
"And haven't you any name but Jim?'
"Dohe tolo yer my name, Damdy jim.
Mamma ca me Jim, ole mass ca me Dam
dy Jim. Likes dat ar the hes"
Then l came to another who called him
self "Pres' dent Linkum.'
"Why," l sad, "you are not President
Lincolnr
SIS too. My nanny say so.'
| asked the mother about It, and sure
enough all the name he had was President
Lincoln, or as she called it, Pres dent
Linkum." Truth compels me to acknowl-
edge that president Lincoln" did not al
ways behave in just the manner that would
have been expected from parsonage with
such distinguished name.
Another had never been called anything
but Cluster" There was one pretty, bright
looking little fellow, about five years old,
with just enough of a lisp to make him AZ
cunning as possible. When ] asked his
name, he said, Ith Mahaa Thpragth'
boy"
"But what is your nam p
"Dat are my name"
"What does your mother call you?'
"Ca' me boy.">
"What do other people call you?'
''Ca' me Mahala Thpriggth boy
So there was nothing to be done but to
put him down as "Mahala Spriggs boy"
Then there was "Gin'ral Butler" and "Jim
Crow" as black as a crow, and as full Of
mischief as the Jim Grow who the old song
says used to cut such queer capers. don't
believe there was ever another school reg
lister like that one. When l called the
names they ran something in this way:
DANDY jim" :" president Lincoln" "Bus-
ter" "NIahala Spriggs' boy" General
Butler" "Jim Crow" And the owners of
these names answered to them rs seriously
as if there wasn't anything funny about it.
And there wasn't to them; they didn't see
that their names were at all out of the
way.
One little fellow, only seven years old,
had looked with longing eyes, as day after
day one and other came with primer. At
last 1 missed him. He was gone week,
then came with primer, which he showed
in triumph Ozone got my book, - he SAID.
lie was such a little fellow that l never
thought of his having bought it himself, so
| said, ~ am very glad. Who gave it to
your" He drew himself up with offended
dignity as he answered, Didn't nobody
CUB 1t to me. Dar don't nobody buy my
books; buys um myself
"Whcre did you get your money! l
asked.
"Done kotch bait for it,"
lie had caught small fish which he sold
to the fishermen for bait, and saving up the
pennies he earned in this way, at last had
enough to buy book. The boys had all
sorts of ways of making money, and knew
quite well how TO take care of their own in
terests. One boy, ten years old, as soon as
he could read the primer, started night
school. There were several men who want
ed to learn to read but as they were at
work all day they had no chance TO 90 to
school. They engaged little Dick to teach
them in the evening, paying him five cents
week each. lie always insisted upon be-
ing paid in advance. Iasked him why that
was
"Well,' he said, 81 dunno muffin bout
dem ar men; dey mout go oil any time, an
cf deys got dar week : larnin' iust, mout
whistle for my money. But rse only a
chile, l can't go nowhars widout my main
my, an cf dey pays dar money, doy's sho
nun ter git de larnin'.''