The age-herald., 1897-10-03
MIR. BUCK DUKES ls .ss "NlGGAHr FRIEND

From the New York Journal.
 I was waiting for a car and he was 1eaIning against the corner of a building watching me. He WAS tall, shambllng, ragged, dirty and black. He dropped at the shoulders and his head fung low, as if he feared something unseen in the air that might come down upon and crush hIm. He looked at once under meath his eyebrows like a badger In a den. His dejection was extreme and ap- parent.
 The car was long in coming, for the hour was late, and at last, when mo one else was in sight up or down ths dark street, he half stIai gfhtened himself and made bold to slouch forward toward me, taking off his hat as he did so. The act was humility itself and I turned round to meet him. He didn't hold out an open hard, as beggars generally do. He seem- ed to straighten himself a bit more when he said in tone that tremb1ed:
 ''Mistuh, will yuh gimme ufn tiime?o -sdf the mendieants of the side streets had half his pathos of manner and voice they would own tenements. There were years of bondage and servitude in the
  and he drew out the dime" in sort of moan, as if he knew he wouldn't get it. It was pitiful. ..------.
 What do you want with a dime?' g.,
 "'I want uh con. pone, suh." . You cant get a corn pone in New York; 20 . 3
 .'We1l, ,suh, might take chicken"
 The humor that lies at the bottom of every fiegro's heart had to crop out in spite of his miserable condition. He smiled an apologetc sort of smile. and in a moment you knew he didn't belong in his environment.
 "What's the matter with you, anyhow, Sam? Haven't you a home?'
 'Yes, suh, Pse got uh home, suh, but 'taiIG nyah"
 -T'Wdlere, then?"
 "Down in Moth Ca'lina, suh"
 'What on earth are you doing up here?"
 A"Wen, suh, I kafn' hahdly tell you dPout tha. I belongs tuh the Dukes down thah. Yuh knows thu Dukes? pfstah work in thu 'bacca patch flaw 'em, an me am Misuh Buck Duke ustah play tuhgethah long time ago. Mighty fine man now is Mistuh Buck. He's done gTowed up, an lef' home.
 "MistuIh Buck been gone now bout three yeahs, an I ustah kindah git tuh ILLLn TdW nlln SOfIf6DlIneS Wnen uHut -eoming was smilin' an thu fish was bit n, kase we ustah tuh do uh powah uv fish in lak uh sick cat twell one day I say to i<4 '4s'e ie gwine tun go whah he is an sstsy thah.,
 xts I'm makin' some money in thu patch an savin' it, an when I git nough I go tuh town, an thu white folks tel me Mistah Buck done com tuh New York, an is gwine live 1hyah all thu time. Then I say tuh masef tha' New York Is thu E place flaw me, an I lit uh shuck flaw thu { Steamboat landin'. I ain' nevah worked 'round thu house much an when I w nt- ed tuh wait on table tuh git tuh New Yawk, thu captain say he don want no field niggahs in his cabins an so I haf tuh pay nav way. It tux des bout all ma 'bacca patch tuh settle
 'sCose I didn' know New York was so flaw way. an Ise 'ginndn' tuh git skeered, when thu big whistle blow one mawnin', an thaIh was thu bank. I dldn' have no dunnagte, kase niggahS ain much flaw 2unpage, nohow, am when she s ide in tuh thu wqnahf, I des walk down the gang plank wiv a piece uv money in ma pocket, fyin' light uh Friday jay bind. I see uh big man wiv uh upfo'm on standiR on thu whahf, an I ast dnim eff he know whah Mistuh Buck Duke live. He look ait me kindah cu'ous lak an he say, Move on, now; move on.' Didn look lak he want tuh talk tall.
 ''I move on till I See uh gemman stan in in uh sto do, an asst him bout Mis- tuh Buck. He look at me an kindah laugh an say, Yes, uv cosa, des go up