The morning call., 1892-06-26
and inquired politely as to how should ad-

L
dress him.
"Oh, me?" he said with broad, rich.
musical laugh. 'Ev'rybOddy knows who l
is Ise Sung er Solomon Peters, de boss
whitewasher OBJ dis hull section. l ain no
perfesser | ain. Dis Niger doan 90 in fer
no sech nonsense, but da ain nOthin upper
feshunal about my whitewashin, 80 can
bank on dat lady"
l concluded, very naturally. that he was
DESTROYS OF securing the job Of whitewash-
ing my office ceiling, which sorely needed
such attention, and had decided to allow
him to touch 1t up when he undeceived me
by saying:
Use bout concluded l halter git some
kyards lettered, settin forth my name n
occupation, fer de benedt oh der people, an
Jes came in ter insult 20 bout IL.
Certainly. certainly" l said, with an
eye to business as we'll as possible amuse-
ment 20 be derived from the incident, and
reaching down a specimen job-book ! began
turning over the pages of the card section,
showing him the different styles and let
tiers, eXpatiating. meanwhile, as my fore
man had carefully coached me Ia doing,
upon the particular merits Of each. 1t did
not take me long to ascertain that my visl-
tor was wholly ignorant of the art of read
ing, though he had some very distinct ideas
Of bis own on the subject.
''Ye doan read dat kerrect," be declared,
as l took off the legend on one very ornate
painter.
How SOP" asked, in surprise.
lie took the book from my hand and pro-
ceeded to illustrate. ''Yo say as how dat is
Joel HAIRLESS kyard. ] know Joel Harris
mighty WELL an | never knowed him ter
skinch on job 'thout yo didn't watch him
close enutf but OATS Bpthin' here nor dere
dis yere. l presDose ter be Joel HAIRLESS
name. amt it?" he said, designating line
upon which occurred the words Carriage
painter and decorator" | explained to him
his mistake and indicated the line he de-
sired "Jes 50, persactly; OATS what l
meant" he said, in no way disconnected.
Now, doan yer see, desc here little curly
cues an skew-wabb!es at de end OBJ der
name, | ain see nothin' whatSumdever Oh
yer readin' dem" l explained to him that
those were mere ornamental lines and -four
ishes, forming scroll, and designed to give
finish to the line.
'She, sho, now" ne said positively.
''doan' l know? Ain / ornamenter an'
decorator myself? | knows ornaments was
intended ter be seen, an how'se anybody
gwine ter see dem ornaments when yO
doan' read 'em off der kyard, jes tell ME ?"
| confessed my inability TO do so, and
basely sought to cover my confusion at my
Ignorance by pleading that was yet new
to my business duties and my foreman in
lnstructing me lad said nothing about read
ing of the flourlsEes. "Corse not, corse
not" was the reply. ''Probly didn't know
hisself; huccum he know ii. anyway, dis
we're poor white stuff nebber hab de adj
vantages OBJ rerlite sasSiety. Now, / be-
long ter de Faginny Fairfaxes fore de wah,
an learn what's what, | did Now you
listen ter me-" He held the card ont at
arms length. carefully adjusted a pair of
huge brass bowed spectaeles on his nose,
and proceeded to read Joel Harris an
nouneement of his business as carriage
painter. He stumbled little through re-
membering somewhat imperfectly the text
OF the card as l had read It, but on the
ornaments he came out strong. The name
OF the carriage painter was incl0Sed in
sort Of scroll with highly elaborated ends,
and these the reader indicated by rolling
his eyes and executing series of marvellous
and Intricate evolutions with his right fore
finger in the air. Certain round ornamental
characters at either side OF the second prom
inent line were rendered by a heavy frown
and clenched fist raised in the air. An
ornamental dash was expressed by bend
Of the body and the pointing hand that
called attention to the postscripted claim
terms reasonable" became, as rendered by
song OF Solomon Peters. veritable finger
OF fate pointing sternly the way to destruc-
ton. The effect was tremendous.
Now les see you do IL, !" he said when he
had ended the remarkable performance.
Partly to please him and partly for fun
took the card and read it aloud, carefully
them, every gesture and genufection the
old man had introduced. 1t required one
or two repetitions of my attempt before /
succeeded. but at last my rendering salts
fed even his critical sense
Oar" was his satisfied exclamation
when at last had reached the perfection
OF his achievement "Dat's der way orna-
mental resdin' shed be read. Now, yo min
what say, an when anyboddy's 'stonished
at yous readin' an wants ter know whar yo
gifts hit, jess say ole Sung er Solomon Peters
teacIed yo how"
as that really your name? | asked,
hardly able to believe that it could be.
Yes, indeedv, lady," was his reply
''Marse Gawge Fairfax himself gave me dat
name when my ole nanny was mos dispair-
full about fndin' scripter Eame fer me.
Marse Gawge he read her hull string er
names an she doan like one er 'em, an at
las he says, well. Lizzy, / doan see what
yo' call der picaninny ner less hit be Sung
er Solomon and she lit right on dot name,
an that's hueeuni hit mine"
"You want it on your card. of course" !
ventured to say
lob eorse. OBJ corse Tain no kyard
'theut name, no way tail. Hit needs ter
be writ large an ornamented appropriate,
sure"
How do you spell i,a" asked, on mis-
chief bent.
"Oh, OATS jess as easy s rollin' often or
lawg. Fus phase dere's Sung which is
sntsnly familyerous ter 20 if yo knows any
ting bout music. Well, soon's yous got
Sung, then there's er-er-Sung er an Solo
mon dat begins wild er S and ends with
Solomon, and dar you got ii pat"
He did not get this off as glibIy as II
sounds when told. but with many tug at
his short gray wool. and sundry tremendous
knittnes Of his black brows. and working