Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-03-29
African Humor.
From Lecture by Bon. s. s. Co,

lrrOIu d Lecture Dy hon. d. .. COX.I
The humor of tie African is but the
reflex Of the originality with which the
homely speech of the nations of the con-
tinent is enriched. no the African hu-
NOR traces its fountain head. From this
it can be seen that the dark skin is not
the sign of degradation. The proverbs
so common among the colored people
would do justice to Franklin. Such SEN
fences as ''if you live with cane you
will learn to limp" 81 you pass your
time in the kitchen you will smell of
smoke" bear out their own application
SO forcibly that further language is sim
ply superfuous. The African is, like
the kaleidoscope, changing. He has his
extremes of Joy and sorrow, of sin and
penitence. The elements of his character
have puzzled the best analytical tests.
The ever varying and brightly scintillat
ing flashes of his lighter nature are well
calculated to do this. 'Bill," said my
father one day to negro, "here's
dram of whisky for you twenty-five years
DID," Looking obviously at the liquor
in the glass Bill said: eyes, massa, /
see, but OATS de smallest chile fur's age
I've ever seed" Laughter. And here's
another: Two negroes went out to the
haunt of bear; in the absence of bruin
one of the hunters ventured into the cave
to capture the young ones, leaving his
companion out side to watch. In the
sunshine and the stiffness the watcher
began to nod and then to sleep, waking
up, however, in time to see the parent
bear enter the cave into which his COM
panion had gone. Grabbing the animal
by the tail, the now thoroughly awaken
ed African held back with all the
strength with which he was capable.
Look we, what's de matter out dah--
what's dat in de hole ?" shouted the en-
trapped negro. ''Mattah ?' replied his
companion between his gasps, "dar's
lots de mattah; if dis yer tail Gums out
you'll soon see what's in dis hole. i"
Laughter.
These illustrations are refreshing.
The literature of the coast of Africa gives
color to the originality of African charac-
ter. A man under the care of doctor
was told to abstain from whisky If he
wanted to save his eyesight. Upon
pouring out his daily dose of medicine,
he filed the second glass with whisky.
Holding glass in each hand he studied
for about twenty minutes, but his love
for the ardent overcoming his scruples
he swallowed the whisky with the excla-
nation, ''Good-bye, eyes" A chaplain
once asked servant if he wanted to
read. :" Oh, yes" ssid the man. "What
paper do you choose" said the good
minister. "Well, if you choose, said
the negro, "I'lI chew a paper of tobac-
CO." Another man, evidently one of the
same kind, once said in reply to an adj
monition to refrain from drink, "Whis-
ky is the first thing given to child
when born and it is the last thing given
to man when dying, and as it is good
at both ends it must be good in the mid
die. Laughter. A negro having pro-
selyted from the Baptist Church and
joined the Methodist persuasion, he was
asked the next day why it was. ."Oh,
muffin; de Baptist dey want cash down,
while my Methodist brodern, dey give
me six months credit" Laughter.