Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-04-04
A Little Yaller Baby.
BY EUGENE FIELD.

course if there warn't no wimmin folks
there wouldn't be no men folks-least-
wise, that's what the medikil books
say. But never wuz much on dis.
cussin' human economy what hev
allus thought'nd said wuz that wimmin
folks wuz II kind NV luxury. nd the
best kind, TOO Maybe its because |
hain't he'd much TO do with 'em that
I'm sot on em. Never did get real
well acquainted with more'n three or
four NV 'em in all my life seemed
like it wuz meant that | shouldn't hev
'em round me as most men hev Mother
died when | wuz little tyke, an Ant
Mary raised me till | wuz lig enuif to
make my own livin'. Down here in
the southwest, you see, most NV the
girls is boys there amt none ny them
civilizin' influences folks talk NV
nothin' but flowers nd birds and such
things as poetry tells about. SO kind
NV growed up with the curis notion
that wimmin folks wuz too good for
our part NV the country, nd | hevnt
quite got that notion out'n my head
yet.
One time wall, ! reckon t wuz
about four years ago-I got letter
frum OF Col Sibley To come up to
Saint Louey nd consult with him
bout some stock nt'rests we he'd
together. Railroad travelin' wuz no
new thing TO me. he'd been prutty
posperous and got past hevin' to ride
in caboose nd git out at every stop
TO punch up the steers. He'd money
in the lloostn bank nd use to 90 to
Tchicargo oncet year; he'd met Fill
Armer nd shook hands with him, nd
oncet the city papers he'd colume
article about nv bein' millionaire :
uy course I warn't so, but feller
kind nv likes that sort NV thing, YOU
know.
The mornin' after got that letter
from Col. Sibley started for Saint
L0uey. took a bunk in the Pullman
car, like he'd been doin' for SIX wears
past nd | reckon the other folks
must hev thought ! wuz heap NV a
man, for every haii-hour | give the
nigger hat dollar 10 bresh me off.
The car wuz full nv people rich peo-
pie, too, ! reckon. for they wore good
clO'es nd criticised the scenery. Jest
across frum me there wuz a lady with
a big, fat baby-the pruttiest woman
| he'd seen in month NV SUNDAYS !:
and the baby why. doggone my skin
when | wuzn't payin' money to the
nigger, darned it | didn't set there
watchn' the big, fat little cuss, like he
wuz the only baby ever seen. amt
much OF Il hand at babies, cause
haint seen many NV 'em, nd when it
comes 10 handlin' 'em-whv, that
would break me all up, md like 5 not
t would break the baby all up, too.
But it has allus been my notion that
mex TO wimmin folks babies wuz lust
about the incest things on earth. So
the more looked at that big. fat little
baby Settin' in lis mothers lap cross
the way, the more | wanted To look
seemed like | wuz hoodooed by the
little tyke; nd the first thing | knew
there wuz water in my eyes don't
know why it is, hut il alus makes me
kind ur slop over to set nd watch a
baby cooin' nd playin' in its mothers
lap.
Look a hyar, SAM" says 10 the
nigger, ''come hyar nd bresh me off
agin Why amt you tendin' to biz
ness -
But il didn't do no good tail pre-
tendin' TO be cross with the nigger
might fool the other folks in the car,
but it didn't fool me. wuz dead
stuck on that baby-gol durn his
piciur'. And there the little tyke set
in its mothers lap, doublin' up its fists
nd tryin' 10 swaller EN-, nd talkin'
like to lis mother in lingo | couldn't
undersian', hut which the mother
Icould, for she talked back To the baby
in soolhin' lingo which | couldn't
understand, but which | liked to hear,
nd she kissed the baby nd stroked its
hair nd petted it like wimmin do.
II made me mad to hear them other
folks in the car criticism the scenery
nd things. A mans in mighty poor
bizness, anyhow, to be lookin at
scenery when there's woman in
sight woman and baby,
Prutty soon-oh, maybe in houl
or two-the baby began 10 fret md
worrit. Seemed to me like the little
criIter wuz hungry. Known that
there wuzn't no eaten house this side
NV Bowieville, Jest called the train
boy, nd says TO him: "lIev you got
any victuals that will do for baby ?
"How is oranges nd bananas ~ saw
he.
That ought TO do" sez l. ".Ii>t d'
up dozen NV your best oranges nd !
dozen NV your hest bananas nd taxi
'em over To that baby with my com