Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-11-16
FOGGY BOTTOM LITERARY.
Members OF the Club Eater Into n
Dispute Which Wakes
I Warm.

anan, as he wiped his square silver
"immed glasses, de purpose O. dishere
ssociety is ter meet am discuss de
;:,rcntes' literary works in de Africc>
English language"
Oar ain' no sech language" inter
;rupted Miss Desdemona Todd, com
oaratively ]ight-complexioned young
woman with an air of general frivolitv.
Look yere; you doesn' wantcr say
1t dat way. Say yoh had yoh sp'icions,
bat don't say IT'S ner faint case
yoh's gwineter git tripped if YOU docs
1list'ry done shows US dat dc Angles
an de Saxons made de Anglo-saxon
Language about which YOU read SO much
in de newspapers"
LET i'm alone! Let i'm alone" said
Mr.. Erastus pinkley, admirinrlv.
Hes been de janitor in two high
schools, an he knows what he's talki.l'
bout begs yo' padding, Uncle Ras-
berry he added, as the old man turned
n reproving look in his direction
Now, hyah in Foggy Bottom, some
er &c talk we uses is white an some
is cullud; which is WHY l makes it
known to dis asscmSiagc, an thence TO
lie worI, as de Africo-Eng1ish lar
,guage."
Il 'sputes de pint" remarked big
young man with polka dot collar ara
shirt front, and cane with a large
silver-plated handle.
"On what groun's does YOU desiah 70
dispute. it?' inquired the old man, on
inousfv.
I doesn' make no diff'unce bout
de groun's. I'll 'spute it right hy1,1
on de flo"
lie had arisen from his chair. but
q couple Of others pulled him back
The chairman walked over to the stove
stirred the fire nervously, and then pro-
ceeded:
'As I was sayin', we is hyah to let dc
gentle influences of poetry an prose
flow ovuh our souls. l hab ALWAYS in
sisted dat man who gifts his system
we'll soaked wifi poetry is incapable Of
crime De selection which I has Sc
lected fob discussion dis evcnin' is dat
beautiful verse, which begins: DC boy
stood on de hurnin' deck"
Il 'sputes dat pint" said the burlv
man with the polka dots
There was buzz of apprehension,
and the chairman looked ANNOYED, bu,
he controlled himself and went on:
Now, ladies an gemmen. eli yoh
wants to git &c true benefit Of poetry,
you,s got1er go deep down. Who vas
dis boy dat stood on dc burnin' deck"
he was a wahm member" comment
ed Mr.. Pinkley
Dat is we'll taken" observed Uncle
Raspberry, affably. "Now, er'ybotv
was tellin' him to come awav an he
wouldn' move. What were de matterco-'
II oncet knowcd gcmmen dat got
excited an stood on his own foot SOS
he couldn't move" said Miss Miami
Brown.
dis war only boy" was the grave
response. "His weight wouldn' have
held i'm down. We has not looked
down deep enough. We has took DAT
boy to our hearts an whooped it up foh
i'm jes' because somebody done wrote
a piece poetry bout i'm My private
'pinion bout dat case is dat de boy
aat stood on de burnin deck was de
same breed as de man dat loesn' know
enough to come In oUt'n dc rain"
Il 'sputes dat pint" came tie inter
ruption from the big young mans cor
ner.
rs de PATTY dat spoke got any weap-
ons on imp" asked the old man, after
looking at him sternly over the TOP Of
his spectacles.
Yes" was the prompt answer. as
got q razzer; an Is ready to make
good"
is he got revolver?"
NO"
We'll. sub, isn't got no razzer, but
# he will allow me ter use de stove
poker as my weapon, lie Kin take out
ais razzer an come on
Friends tried to dissuade the old man
from his rash enterprise, but he held to
his purpose. and the crowd fell away
when the big young man staggered
up with one hand at his hip pocket.
lie drew his razor, flung it open. and
was about to make a lunge when Uncle
Rasherry reached over to the stove
and drew the poker. The bully fei!
back in CONSERVATION. The poker was
red hot.
As his assailant LETT the place the
old man said:
Ladies an gemmen, we will meet
Dex' Saturday night as usual De sub
!ect fob discussion on dat occasion will
be de wonders of nce."-Washinr
ton Star.
Her Explanation.