Morning journal and courier., 1890-10-03
The Lesson on the Ranio.



The Lesson on the Banjo.
lErom sketch by Francis A. Doughty in the
Home Magazine.l
When embowerd in my solitary bedroom
1 began to count the hours to be spent
there-25; and it would be impossible to
sleep away more than II of them.
Harkl Somebody was grooming snatch
es of quaint tune in the back premises.
An idea broke in upon mel disrobed my
banjo of its travelling ulstern Why not
spend time learning the songs the negroes
were singing over their work down in the
yard and kitchenl In all'the accounts of
southern life had read in novels and ma
gazines the negroes were always represent
ed as always singing merrily, except when
they Were drowsy and nodding.
tuned the banjo; then the tune stopped.
Not another note did Irhsar for an hodfi:
there was plenty of noise; but IL came from
the clatter of dishes, slamming of doors,
the steady rainfall, the sshrieking of the
Locomotives OF the seven reads. 1 was not
70 be balked in my project. 1 rang for the
chambermaid, and asked her to get some
colored man who could sing and play the
banjo to come up and give me a lesson
I would pay him well.
Imagination now began its work; / ex-
pected to see lively young fellow with
laughing eyes and dancing feet ushered in
to my room. 1t would be jolly; he should
teach me all he knew. Presently a muffied
knock came at the door
'Come in!'
A large middle-aged negro with a very
grave and very black face, stood on the
threshold, making a low bow with all the
.deportmept' of Turveydrop, hat in one
hand, banjo in the other.
L 4, He .weyesa shabby, blue tweed suit, his
toilet gattinglpoorer as it went down, the
cost. still attempting to make an impress
siense style, with its double row of white
china buttons, the pants well patched about
the knees and threadbare in spots, and his
shoes broken into gaping holes, and tied
with red twine strings.
/ Eyes, come right in. / sent for YOU.
| What's your name."
| '.Simon Barjona, dat's my proper name,
/ ma'am; but dey mostly call me Roy1 Roy-
| all bout heah, kase / come out o. de Royl
family in Fahginy TO come to Weldon. -
Il hope You are well, Royal:"
Pretty well, ma'am, 'cep'n subtle to
typhoid fever and consumption; when /
| gifts het up 1 is attacted wild de fever, an
eff gifts cold breaks out with consump-
ton; but makes out to keep agoin' my
health is tolable good now ma am"
| 81 am glad to hear it; sit down there"
| The negro looked doubtfully at the chair
indicated, as if it would be disrepectful to
me to take it.
Il want you to make yourself comforta-
bic, Royal, so you can teach me some of
your best songs. You sing, don't you.'
"Oh, yes'm!"
Royals voice quivered with a mysterious
parental tenderness and there was a moist
look in his eyes. But my membunce get
tim slack,-w'at kinder song dat yo' want
yo' humblin' servant teach yo'.'
I'D rather you should choose one"
With firm, solemn chord or two he
presented strangely stirring hymn / had
never heard before. What a roll and d
volume of sound he brought out of his
dilapidated banjo, as he sang this ''0ld
Ship Zioni" The wood work was warped
every string was tied at the bottom, yet
longing seized me to possess it, such as
violinist might cherish for an Amati. L
seemed to me it must have a superior sou
to that of my frisky, be-ribboned instru
ment, which was so independent of m,
touch that it would not twang and clam
with defiant metallic echoes. The co,
banjo deity was familiar of this grav
dignified negro, and yielded such melod,
to his fingers as l never heard from the ex
pert in the northern city who had beel
giving me lessons at the rate of 50 pc
hour. Royals voice showed no signs o
the consumption it is subject to; it wa
rich and deep beyond a suggestion of fs
tigue.
When the hymn ceased, said, 90 'Th
Old Ship Zion is very fine, 1 am glad {
hear it, but it's not exactly the kind Il
/ 1aarr, from vnu-T nan find that i
book some where. Let me have some G
your regular plantation tunes that you use
to sing at corn n-shuckings."
He hesitated a moment, with a reluctaI
air. ''Seem lax 1 kinder tu'n ter de hym
ehunes ter day, lady, des nachul, bet
mus try ter please yo" How yO' lax d
oneg'
Strengthening up briskly he changed IL
/. key entirely.
Look-alook heah, look -a-look a whar.
Look-olook away o. yander.
Don't you see the old grey goose
snlilin' at de gandahs
Uhh uhn um a low down.
!, Uhhu um, n low down.
Uhh uhn um, a low down.
Johnny come down de hollow.
settin' ON a ole gum log
r Alookin' for his dahtah.
Terrapin crope up behind dat frog
An pushed him into de watah
L Uhh unn url- a low uoWn1
uhh uhn urn, a low down.
Uhh uhn um. a low down.
a Johnny come down de hollow:
IS oh, de squirrel am got de bushy tail,
De 'possnm tail am bar,
l. De raccoon tail am ring all round
! An stumpy am de tail oh de har',
Uhh uhn um, a low down.
" Uhh uhn um, a low down.
Uhh uhn um, q low down.
1t wooow. Johnny come down de hollow.
laughed and clapped heartily-s'Sple
, did! Just the thing. I'll put the wor
II sheet of paper out of my satchel. mo
say the first words over"
tIook-look hear, look-a-look whar
,t he repeated; "set that down yo' remembe
,e andom book"
Then. when had all the words befo
me, began to sing them as well as
c. could, with a random accompaniment I
re my banjo. How weak and thin my INIT
It tionl
, ROYAL wriggled in his seat-'Scuse me
u / disrup' yo', a'am, but yer don't scree
sr mon half loud 'nuff; f;jes make pyo' min
at ter take de ruff off-dis way-'wooow,
He opened his mouth like a yawning {
yern-ss Johnny come down de hollov
is Strike der string dar'dat off string yands
IN pull on it lax yo' boun' ter rip de insid
re outen de banjeri Don't be a skeered o. ,
a. own voice, jes' holler 'wooow' wid de b
:. OBJ 'em. OATS some better After h
= gone over the song twice,-"Don' yo'
III disencouraged; eff had yo' two or Fl
sh days I'd make fust-rate singin' bird
a yo' Can't yo' lay yo' plans ter stay awh
!. here in weldoml"
10 "Stay here, in this places no indeed.'
sDat's wat dey all say dat has ter st
r. heah-dey's swivitin' to git on"
lie at wish you'd let me have your banjo
rs carry away with me, Royal, and take mi
in in place of it. Perhaps / could learn
SO play If had yours"
he J He glanced down lovingly at his as