The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-01-21
COULDN'T EXPLAIN.
4 Sentimental white Man Tries to Pick .
Quarrel with an Old Nasro.

Sentimental White Man TrIes tc Pick .
Quarrel with m Old Negro.
A traveller who had read much OF the
negro, and who had, while listening to
negro melodies sung by white men,
been impressed with the 'darkey's"
fullness Of sentiment, stood watching
an old negro WHO worked at country
hotel.
''How do you dop" said the whito
man, bowling with a sort of tender and
sympathetic politeness.
How does 1 dop' replied the old
fellow.
Yes H
"Wall, 1 docs bout de bes' I ken,
sah.'
II mean how is your healthp''
''Sorter slow at de present. Amt
been all right in mer health fur seb-
eral days. Went de uder day whar er
frien' O. mine killed haugs an I stood
roun' de fire. roostin' haug melts on de
hot rocks an eatin' EN-, I did, till da
made me sick. 1t amt gwine do fur
er ole man ter ack like er boy, sab;
amt gwine ter do er tall. wy, wen
Iwuz er boy uster go ter er haug-
KILN an eat all day laung. lister
chaw, I did, till couldn' hardly shet
mer niouf wen opened It,"
IA simple child of nature" mused
the tr weller, ian instrument upon
which the skilled politician may play
the tune of his INSCRIPTIONS improvisa-
tion." Then addressing the old negro
the sympathetic traveller added: You
love poetry, do you notp"
20. vas. sab, yas; likes any thing
dat's good ter eat"
"You don't understand. Poetry is
not to eat You can drink
''Suthin' ter drink Hits me now,
yer does. When it comes ter suthin'
ter drink, wy. my top-not stan's up
like er ROSTERS. Wars de bottlep
Show me de bottle Of yer wants ter sec
+ me bite de naik off.
"You still misunderstood me, and in
truth, I do not see how l am to en-
tighten you. Poetry--and wish now
that hadn't mentioned its nothing
to eat or drink
''Suthin' to war, den, ehp Wall,
like ter dress up ez much ez anybody.
Jes mix some red in er suit o. clozc ar
I'm dar, I tell yer"
''Just keep quiet now until / ex-
plain myself. Poetry is the music
Of"
Emusic! Now I got yer-got yer dis
time, sho. Music-w'y, bless yer life.
chile, Use er fiddler fru,n de ole house.
Use made all desc yere folks roun' yero
shake do hoofs at dances. 1 tell yer.
Use got er ole fiddle dat'll take de gout
an rheumatic outen er foot in two min
it's
II am determined to make you un-
derstand me. Poetry-and when ex-
plain it know that you will acknowl.
edge its inauence-is revival of a
feeling which you have felt before. a
feeling brought up by certain words,
whose tenderness, like the falling OF
teardrops, brings glimpses of your own
soul"
'Look yere. Mister, Use er peaccable
man. is. an Use been here too laung
fur er pusson ter come roun' talkin' ter
me dat way. You talk ter me like Use
been stealin' suthin, talks ter me like
dat jedge done ober yander in de cou't-
house, an l wants yer ter UNI 'erstan'
dat Use er man dat tends ter mer own
bizness. come out yere ter scou' dis
flo an not be slan'ered. sah."
"Poor. deluded-''
"Who's er 'luded? Call me er 'luded
ergin an I'll hit yer wild dis wet rag.
Go on outen yere. now. ur I'll call de
boss. Come huntin' me up wen
want doin' nothin' ter you an calm
me er 'ludcd. You's er luded yerse'f,
sab; you's er blame son O. er 'luded,
dat w'ut yer is. No, sab, no; doan
stop ter say ernuder word. OATS right.
move on. Huh, imperdest man eber
seed. Come down yere tryin' ter raise
er row an I lay ne gets it. ."-Arkansaw
Traveller.