West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1894-04-19
CHAPTER XVI.


"Sce here, You coon, you get out OF
bcrei" said the grocery man to the bad
boy az he came In the store with his face
black and shining. II don't wsrt any col
ered boys around here. White boys
break me up bad enough"
''Oh, philopene, said the bad boy as he
put his hands on his knees and laughed
so the candy jars ratified on the shelves.
You didn't know me. am the same boy
that comes in here and talks your arm
off" and the boy opened the cheesebox
and cut off n piece of cheese So natural
that the grocery man had no difficulty in
recognizing him.
what in the name of the seven sleep.
ing sisters have you got on your hands
and faceF' said the grocery man as he
took the boy by the ear and turned him
around. You would pass in n colored
prayer meeting, and no one would think
you were galvanized. What you got up
IN such an outlandish rig for?"
well, I'll tell you if you keep watch
at the door. If You see a baldheaded
colored man coming along the street
with club, you whistle, and will fall
down cellar. Tho baldheaded colored
man will be Pa. You see, we moved
yesterday. Pa told me to get vacation
from the livery stable, aud we would
have fun moving. But don't want any
more fun. know when have rot
enough fun. Pa carried all the light
things, and when it came to lifting he
had crick in the back. Gosh, never
was SO tired as was last night, and l
hope we have got settled, only some Of
the goods haven't turned up vet. A
drayman took one load over on the west
side and delivered them to house that
secmed to be expecting load Of house
hold furniture. he thought it was all
right If everybody that was moving got
a load OF goods. Well, after we got
moved Pa said we must make garden.
and we said we would go out and spade
mp the ground and SOW peas and radishes
and beets. There was some neighbors
lived in the next house to our new one
that was all wimmen, and Pa don't like
70 have them think he had to work. 60 he
said 1t would be a good joke to disguise
ourselves as tramps. and the neighbors
wotiid think we had hired some tralnps
to dig IN the garden. told Pa of boss
scheme to fool them.
~ suggested that we take some OF his
shoe backing that is put on with n
sponge and black our faces, and the
heighbors would think we had hired an
old colored man and his boy to work in
the garden. Pa said il was immense.
and he told me to go and black up.
and II it worked he would black his
self. So l went mp and put this burnt
cork ON my face, cause it would wash
on. and Pa looked at me and said it was
wack and for me to fix him up too. So
got the bottle OF shoe backing and
painted Pa so he looked like a colored
coal HEAVIER. Actually when Ma saw
him she ordered him off the premises.
and when he laughed at her and acted
sassy she was going TO throw bling
water on Pa But told her the schene
and she let up on Pa. Oh, you'd "a died
to see rs out in the garden. Pa looked
like Uncle Tom. and looked like Topsy.
only amt that kind Of q colored per.
SON. We worked tin boy throwed
some tomato cans over the alley fence
and hit me, and | piled over the fence
after him and left Pa. II was my chum.
and when ] had caught him we put up o
Job TO get Pa 20 chase us. We throwed
some moro cans, and Pa come out, and
my chum started, and after him, and
Pa after both Of MS.
He chased Us two blocks, and then we
got behind a policeman, and nv chun
told the policeman IL was n crazy old
coiored man that wanted to lidnap rs.
and the policeman took Pa by the neck
aud was gong 70 club him, but Pa said
he would 90 home and behave. He was
otm mad. and no went home, and we
looked through the alley fence and saw
Pa trying to wash of the blackinQ. You
see that blacking won't wash off. You
have 70 wear It OF. Pa would wash
his face with soapsuds and then look
IN the glass, and he was blacker every.
time he washed, and when Ma LATED at
him he said the offulest words. some
thing like Sweet spirit, hear my prayers
tlIen he washed himself again. lam GO
ing to leave my burnt cork on, cause Il
wash Il of Pa would know there had
been some srnougings somewhere. I asked
the shoe store man how long Il would
take the backing 70 wear OF, and he said
e ought 70 wear of in n week. Tguess
Pa won't go ont doors much unless n a.
IN the night. arm going 70 get him 10 LET
me 20 of IN the country fishing till mine
wears OF, md when get out Of town /
VIII wash M, Say, you don't think a
little backing hurts mans complexion.
do you, and yoa don't think a man ought
70 get mad because It won't wash Oh, do
1872