Middletown transcript., 1897-07-24

Il
saWmill, one flour-mill, two stores, one
drugstore and the post-effice.
No Negroes had ever lived there and
when colored family moved into a lit
tie tumble-down shanty on the outer
edge of the village there was great ex-
citement, especially among the young
people. Some of my pupils had never
seen Negro, and acted very much
/ like boys on first seeing an ele-
phant.
To this family Cesar belonged. re-
1 member the first time I saw him. 1t
4 was bright October morning, and |
was on my way to the schoolhouse. l
had stopped, and was looking at the
flaming banners which swamp-maple
by the wayside waveAtauntingly at me.
/ wanted some OF those leaves. | could
not reach them, and dared not climb.
| 1 was about to pass on when a little
black boy came down the road, whis-
1 tling as loudly and as clearly as athros-
| tie.
He had a sd-brimmed straw hat
that il. what brim was left was broad
and tattered trousers which | really
believe could accommodate two boys Of
his size. These last we're held up SO
high by suspenders Of once white mus
/ lin that the Waistband almost toucht d
his chin. But there was something
very pleasant in the round black face
and the large dark eyes.
He broke his whistle short off when
he saw me, and saids with smile that
showed teeth which would make cap
| ital advertisement for some denti-
frice:
| sGood-mawnin', mahm." As be said
this, bis hand touched the worn brim
| of his old straw hat, not with servility.l
but with that true, honest respect
which the race has for womankind.
s'Good-morning, my little maD," |
replied, cheerily; for liked him at
once. "You are stranger here.n
'.Yes'm we's been iieatI only bout a
fortnight.
"Where did you live before you came
hereP"
"We'se fun way down on de coast
OBJ Virginny, mahm."
"Well, what is your names"
.Julius Cesar Lewis, mahn," again
the hand l,suched the hat-brim.
"Wei1, Julius''
''Dey calls me Cesar at home,
mahm.
"Well, Cesar. want some Of those
bright maple leaves; will you get me
some2"
"Yes indeed, mahm.n In moment
be was up The sWaWp-mupie Ike
squirrel. held my apron while he
broke off branch after branch and
dropped them into it. At last l told
him that had enough.
"Dry's iist an cfful purity ole right
ov r my head; Iii git it fust," he re-
piled, aud reaching, up broke off and
threw down TO me the finest bunch Of
leaves had ever seen.
AS he came downI thanked him and
offered MIN dime. A panied express
sion came into his face.
81 done it as favor, mahm,n he
said.
| felt rebuked. There he stood. rag
ged, barefooted, black, but a perfect
little gentleman, with an intuition
that he should net accept pay for an
act like that. He shut his eyes TO the
fact that that dime meant twelve sticks
Of candy at Bill jones grocery around
the corner, or a whole pocketful of
marbles.
became interested in this s'little
gentleman in black"
"Did you ever go 10 school. Cesarp'i
| asked.a
"No, mahm; but Kin read and
write, right smaht. A lady down on
de coast lurLed me. / used ter run err
rands fur her,"
"Would you like to go?"
"Oh yes, mahnl." Hisface bright
ened and then fell as he said; But dey
wouldn't let me. Use niggerS am
welI-niggeIs amt. as good as other
folks; is dey, mahnf" His voice trem-
bled: 81 wants to lurn, deed | does,
mahm; wants to be somebody"
"WelI, you shall learn, ~ answered.
"You come around 70 rae schoolhouse
in the morning, bring whatever school
books you have. viii help you all
can.D
.sOh, thank you. mahmP' and away
he ran down The road, too happy to
walk.
l went around to the directors
louses and saw them all that evening.
DR.. Brown was willing that he should
90; but Mr.. Hays, who ian the -FOUR
mill, said that the boys parents were
reckless sort of peopls-chicken
thieves, etc. That his father, Zeke
Lewis, was drunken, idle fellow.
Th D some OF the parents might OBJ
ject.
| told him that the boy could pot
help what bis father was or didia for
the people, did not think they would
seriously object.
"Wal, Miss Clark, but there hes
never any darkies lived hereabouts; an
[ don't just know how 1t will
take.u
aThen, Mr.. Hays, it is not ques-
tion Of right OF wrong with you, but Of
how it viii takep'
He hum med and haWed, and finally
- .xxxrs n n. T1~omvs 0nd Snnifna