The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-08-18

And all the world is yelled and sad.
w. II. Chandleo in Washington Star.
ADAMS PICKANTNNY,
Every one In the circus kicked and cuffe
him, and certainly he was the very uglies
niger ever scent He had joined the troo
when quito lad and because of his az
and graynoss all saw fit to make his har
life harder than it need have been.
Every one except Mimi, tho S-year-ol
child of the circus proprietor, and she
with the unerring instinct of the young
knew that most loyal and loving hear
beat beneath that hideous exterior an,
that the brown, patient eyes of the poo
old man wero the kindest ever seen. Con
sequently, and in defiance of all orders, sh
would seek out tho much abused Adam
and with her innocent questions and ador
able ways flood his barren existence witt
such sweetness that he sometimes forge
the smart of his bruises and, at night, hi
extreme WEAKNESS.
why are you so black, AdamP Why Il
your hair like wool and why have you
mouth like frogf' ono day asked the lit
Ito damsel, pressing, nevertheless, to tn,
old parched lips her own rosebud mouth.
II dunno, honey missoy," answered thu
old man, looking as though an angel hat
refreshed and sanctitied him. aspects
God made ole Adam ugly jos to show
what sweet wee missey ye Is! Niggers
doan' have golden hairs and white skins,
dearie-niggcrs Is made to be kicked and
do all the work that no ono else will do.
Can't spect niggers to DO treated like
white folks dcarie. But olo Adam he do
wish his mouth was like hummin bird a
instead of n frog's,'
"Birds have bcals you silly old Adam p
laughed Mimi.
so they hev, ye blissed, clever lamb
kin. Did ye ever see such tiny hand"-
taking tho child's fingers and laying them
across his horny palm-"dey jes' like lilley
spihcs; dey allus makes ole Adam s head
better"
adam got headachep' queried Mimi.
"Why, what big lump on your eyel How
did it como THEREOF
carlo he'd an acciden with his whip,
honey-hit me, instead OBJ 'oss. Kissin it
to make it we'll, are YEP God bless lilley
Nollty DiDy. NOW tCll Ole Auttlu HOW yo
gettin on wild yer ridin. Only anubber
week, and then We shall see pickaninny on
lllley white pony, and won't folks jos
clap! She'll hey bowkets and flowers, and
and sweeties, and when she gets dem
wings on her shoulders Adam'll DO 'fraid
honey 'ull fly straight away to dc blue,
blue sky. What'n Adam do den2'
"Cone too"
Dat he would; couldn't do wilout Ill
ley missey; she just keep i'm live"
"Do you say prayers every night, Adam,
and do you put clean clothes on every
weekly
eyes, Adam says his prayers ebbery
night-prays to tho big, kind Jesus what
honey told him about, and whom Adams
very sore with kicks he thinks of the dear
Lord on his wooden cross, of his blcedin
sides and ans and den he feels comforted,
an prays for lilley misscy too. As for dem
clean clos, washes dem myself cos gran
ny won't wash nigger's clos. No, Adam |
couldn't be dirty when he has white |
misscy wot comes to him. Adam feels
'shamed! Pickaninny come and SEQ tho
monkcys?"
Drop that kid, nigger" broke in loud
voice upon them. LII tell the boss how
you negleCks yer duties, and he'll fog yer
for slobburin over his child. She amt
brought up like lady to have Niger al
ways artcr horV'
A brutal, coarse faced man, dressed in
greasy check suit, came forward and -four
ishcd whip before the old man, but Mimi,
the color lcaping to her soft checks, sprang
off Adam knee and, fronting the bully,
said: "If you hits Adam, I'll kick you'll |
Adams goin to show me tho monkey-so,
there, you nasty, ugly, fat man! Como
along, Adaml" turning to her colored
friend. "Givo me your hand, Adam-In .
take care OF yOu" and the little creature,
with a ridiculous air of dignity, marched
past the astenlshed stablcman, who could .
only rub his nose and muttor, "Well, I'm
blowcdp'
Thus hand in hand, Mimi and Adam
made the round of the animals comprising
the bulk Of Signor Dingo's-in other
words, plain Jim Brown s-circus. These
were not-alas, for the success of Signor
DingO!-of particularly uncommon breed,
nor many in number. The lion, their piece
de resistance was growing almost too old
to roar; the two elephants were also some
what hoary, having passed their prime in
circus very different to the one they now
adorned. A cage Of jackals, q chmpanzce
and II few wizoncd monkeys were the other
features of attraction, and of course there
were performing horses, bad or indifferent.
But one beautiful little animal Signor
Dingo did possess, and that WAS the white
pony on which Mimi was to make her
debut 1t was like a tiny, dainty lady
with its satin coat and pink nose and owed
much of its elegance to the constant and
loving grooming Of Adam. How gently
the old man tended the little brute only
Mimi knew, and it was beautiful sight
to SEQ the poor old Niger with his baby
friend on one side and his dumb friend on
the other, for he would pretend that Floss
was talking to him of her little mistress,
and Mimi would listen, entranced I
And when the day of days arrived, all I
how important was Adam! None SO anx- ;
ious rs he that the site chosen to pitch
the circus tent should be favorable, none I
SO eager that the tent should be full. He
stole into the town to gaze upon the gaudy
posters that announced the fact that Sig
norma Dingo, child prodigy, would make
her first appearance that evening, and no &
pilgrim before shrine could have gazed {
more devotcdly upon his patron saint than I
did Adam upon the little figure thus glar- '
ingly advertised. 6
All during the afternoon he went rest t
lessly in and out the circus ring, raking {
the sawdust and removing every obstacle t
that might tend in any way to make Floss !
stumble. And the coat of Floss how it '
shone! What did he care that the clown
kicked, the jupglcr cuilod himY What heed
paid he when the stubcman knocked him
down because his ugly niggor face gave
him the Jumps His little pickaninny 1
was to ride forth like queen, and the
world would be the better for merely look Il
Ing upon her dear form
Half al hour before the performance be- b
4 n