Middletown transcript., 1897-07-24

The next morning as came up I
the schoolhouse, there, leaning agains
the door, waiting for it to be opened
stood Cesar. He had, under his aim
an old slate, without frame, and on
corner broken off, an old blue bacl
spelling-book and Fourth Reader
with half of the back gone.
"Good-mawnin', mahm," he said
and raised his hat in The way whicl
had attracted my attention the day be
fore.
was janitor as well as teacher, anC
as usual l started to open the Windows
and dust the desks.
"I'll do that, mahm,n said Cesar
and tak ing the dustiDg-cloth, he mad'
the dust fly.
When his class was called he cam'
up shy and backward. But when h'
began to read / was surprised. He was
a beautiful reader. He was hard stu
dent, and at the end of his first Weel
had become used to the school and wa'
doing finely.
He very seldom went out at recess
but would stand at the window and
watch the others play.
l thought everything was going al
right until about two months after be
had started. came from dinner and
found Cesar with his head down on bis
desk, crying. l asked what the trouble
was; he only shook his head. At last
one Of the little girls taid the boys had
called him ',nigger," had told him that
his father was a chicken thief and
had made fun of his clothes.
/ sat down by him and put my arm
around him, and be burst right out.
Il had corrected his language and be
hardly ever spoke in the old way.
sob, Miss Clark, there's no use try
ing, am only nigger. They all hate
me 'cause ! IN black. Cant be any
body. can't help it If my pap don't
act right, can I2 l can't help it cause
Pm black. I've done nothing to them.
/ don't never go on the ground where
they Isl"
1 knew it was true. At nom he
would fake the little tin can in which
he brought his meager lunch, go off in
to the corner and eat it all by HIM
self.
/ let him cry without trying to stop
him. furI thoughtit would do him
good. fairly burned with indignation
as thought that the poor little fellow
was suffering all this because, as be
said, "He wanted to be somebody" /
thought of how he had cume there bare
footed on frosty mornings, shiVering
with cold, Until had given him pair
of shoes for sweeping the sehoolrOOm.
| thought, too, of his haId lot at home i
drunken, worthless father, and alas,
saddest of all, q drunken. worthless
motheii
drew the little suffering form close
up to me.
Every one doesn't hate you, Cesar.
I love you, my child.
Everybody but you and Linkum. /"
(Linkum was his deg, lop,eared
hound, whose one redeeming quality
was that he loved Cesar, you've
been so good to me, and -and-I've
tried to stand it; but Fcan't. oh, Tcan'tl
I'll have to quit"
mo, l wouldn't quit, Cesar-I
wouldn't give up my chance to be
somebody I said.
lis every place like thisP" he asked,
looking up at me with tear.stained
face and quivering lips; sis there any
place where people don't hate you
cause you'se black?"
Eyes, there are places where nc one
thinks Of color."
Son earthP You mean in Heaven,
don't you, Miss ClaIkP"
"No, here on earth; now, Cesar, you
must be brave and stay. l want you to
stay" took the little black hand in
mine.
s sDo you want me to stayPo
"Yes, Cesar, want you to stay"
"Well, then, I'll stayl but oh, Miss
CLARK, they hurt me AO!"
When schooi resumed I told the
scholars hs3 SI'lei they had been. How
cowardly tllsy had treated him who
had Deyer done them wrong.
I then told them to repeat after me
the following verse:
size prayeth best, who loveth best,
All things, both great and smalk
For the dear God who loyeth rs,
He made and loyeth all.
If they teased him any moie, l did
not know it, for Cesar never told me;
but several times | thought | saw
traces of tears.
have spoken Of his dog, "Linkum. !"
When not at school he and 'Linknm"
were inseparabIe. He was . scrawny,
lank, worthless hound; but to Cesar be
was grsater than 4 royal mastifr or
lordly st. Bernard. And "Linkum,'i =
who feared and hated everything else
on earth, loved Cesar with all the
strength Of dogs nature,
There was sonnet hing SO much alike
in their sorrowful histories. Both we're
at used at home and abroad. One Sat.
urday in. the spring, as l passed The
wretched little cabin, which. Cesar.
called home, sa W him trying to teach
aLinkumD to jump through an old
A travelling Snowman had
passed through the village with q
trained poodle dog, and Cesar was trya
ing to teach "Linkumn some Of his
A e