The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-17

| negro type, any more than there is uni
versal type OF white man. Saxon, Celt. and
Latin are no more different than the diff
ferent tribes, types, and social grades OF
American negro, and that is n fact which
has not been generally recognized.
Tony. the negro Of the ''piney woods"
of North Carolina. is simply child
credulous. unveracious, fond of chatter.
| and Of infantile shrewdness, and alto
! gether lovable and interesting. All the
| stories are very much of the same type,
some being folklore tales, and others
sagas of what happened on the planta-
ton of "Mahs McKeevuh." Two of the
best are THE Rise and Fall Of Absalom"
| and king Bip.'
Absalom was a fish, and Mains Me-
Keevuh, in a mischievous mood, took it
! into his head to feed the fish on good
| liquor. The result was what might have
been expected.
| But dat wife con It done teck to wuckin' on
| Absalom bahmby an sho'! doan' he be mussy!
| He git full of fight, sub. He swush 'mongst dem
gof flesh, an dem silvuh feesh, an dem streaky
| flesh. an he shove 'em, an he punch EN-, and
| he swat 'em. Uni-nl-m-,n. how he do swat dem
po fcesh! lie act desp'ut, sub, an ! declah l
| spec ev' minute dat he done pull razuh De
| gor flesh, an de silvuh flesh, an de streaky
| feesh, dey done squiihe away an hide hes dey
| kim an den AbsaIom he tu'n to an pick fuss
| wiz one o dem crawfeesh. Dat crawfeesh he ain
dab to be joggle by no crazy blind drunk mud
| snoot mullet, an he des rtch out wiz one claw
| an clutch Absalom side he jaw, an ritch
| out wiz he uddah claw an clutch Absalom on de
uddah side he jaw, an he hof on, an pinch an
nip an squeeze de powfulle kyine, an done lick
dat big mussy feesh quick he dunno waffo he
livin' an he mighty glad to stagguh off an hide
hind rock an nuss he So haid.
Dab, Tony Mahs McKeevuh say. "see what
dc cu us o lekuh done dol Fight shy Of it. il
n an |
| tampuh wiv, sub!
But dat bean pow'full temp,anee leetchnh,
sho'ly, sub, an done fight mighty shy o.
tank yo' sub! Tank yo', subj Ah-h-h. FL
Mahs' MeKeevuh only DIES done keep it lax dat,
sub, Absalom he bean Twin yit, sho's yo' bon,
an nevuh done spen' all desc hyuh yeahs fight
in shy, sub!
king Bip'' is a story OF quite differ
ent sort. 1t concerns one of those char
acters of whom almost every plantation
has its traditions-a native African VINO,
king In his own country. refused to &C
knowledge his servitude in this. The cover
of the book is not the least attractive part
of it, the picture of old Tony which adorns
1t being evidently taken from life. New
York: Grosset & Dunlap. s1.25)
"In the Wake Of War by Verne S.
Pease, is a story OF reconstruction days
in Tennessee. When Red Rock" appeared
on the market it achieved a tremen ious
sale. partly because of the authors repu-
tation as a recognized authority on var
ginia life, partly because of a new
aroused interest in the period of winch II
treats, and partly from the real merit q
the book itself. Its success has apparently
inspired every half-educated SOltherner OF
any pretensious to literary ability to try to
do a reconstruction story, and some OF
them are fearfully and wonderfully made.
inns particular one is moi better Vi
worse than the average. 1here Is me
usual extolling OF the Southern lady
and the southern gentleman ana the
old time negro and the usual intima-
ton that by some peculiar process the en-
tire character OF the four millions pc
longing to the black and colored race IN
the South was changed by the Emancipa-
tion Proclamation. and from being faith
full friends, Industrious workers. and de-
vout Christians they became everything
that was bad In this world or the next
The idea seems rather an improbable one.
but we are asked to entertain it hccpit-
ably.
1t is also impressed upon the reader
that Northern gentlemen were always re-
they had overwhelmed by force of arms,
and as an example Of such suavity We find
this speech. addressed to one of them by
Southern lady-tit maybe explained that
the Northerner had offered to escort the
young lazy through somewhat dubious
quarter OF the town, ana that ne had
saved her and her iamiiy from numerous
annoyances)'
think it easier to pray for those who persc
cute US, than even to tolerate our enemies; Hnt
- .uu .l i", ,'.os WI "ru IN, ana,.
tho Service with becoming consideration
mere Is aiso gu a'.enp' ~ eApiain ,ne
,, steIes anu uoiiss U. tne hu nun
nan put =. 10 10. e.e
piahalioii, oeirs ia'ne, III tne nae", , VI d
oooins. ane ine auenU, 10 evnpeu ~
tbo Loot cb,nters be descr;hes an oIection-
ha;, ,nId ~ ia mart, IF White Sn,,.hl
o.nas. o,s.,, ,ro,,, tho yici,ity % ,ba Lille
nrioLod with HE havonet rho torse ~ a
romnn i,dy In tho n,rtv For this ofycnce
/, is recoydad the comnanv was wbinned
and tho offender 1vncbed nv tho KHAN
perbans this was a case al an ..o,,traga,'
for which Ivnrbinp is iustifiabIe Tho an
~ saans IN thirL en- f,bic,go. Ceorga
I;II e. 10,
80 ..
ezra Hardman. NJ. A.: and Other sto-
a,,,.i,. sn,,ar,I romancas ~ ,ridaI,. Az
- -, ..Tho CbevaIior n,Arto;s,, l..
..i 49, o.,,o,,.,,a. -
81 IIn.,.,hnrno ..rI,o ciant., S.ro,a.h,,
Oh IA AM, .no,T - c;ra,,,,,s,.,,aa.,
anu in .ui., -, - ,s, ,
rather pa'he.iI sap ',n y, eoinese me- anu
so Is the she'en winch s..es us '''ie 10 'ne
doom. anu Whi.h Po, one Oh 'hose
struggling egotisticai' haH educated stu
dents common IN pioneer eoiieses' ii Is
hardly proDaDie. however. that. as an
nOunCed on the cover OF the book, -four