The Afro-American advance. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1899-19??, 1900-07-14

an entirely personal nature; relating
especially to the donkey and his dom
key mothers for several generations
back.
Limkins then proceeded to be
very mean 10 the donkey and ended up
by incasing him IN coil Of clothes
line, which he found in the barn.
Around and around he wound the
clothes-line until there was nothing
of the donkey left visible but his head
and ears With the donkey in this
helpless condition, Mr.. Limkins took a
fresh start at the beginning of his
speech and recited It over and over
again several times. Every time Mr..
Limkins reached that particular eli
max, and made those magnificent Rest-
ureS,#tbere was a perceptible culver
in the bundle of ciothes-line, which al
ways caused slight break at that par
ticuiar part. In the otherwise easy flow
of Mr.. Limkins speech.
.At.last Mr.. Limkins felt that he
could not improve by further practice.
and, giving the bundle of clothes-iine
. parting kick, closed the interview.
That night Mr.. Limkins listened TO
the several speakers that preceded
him, his heart swelled with pride as
he thought how favorabIy his speech
would compare with any that had been
delivered. II may be that 1t is inn
possible to impress a man that Is so
thoroughly interested in himself as
was Mr.. Limkins; but be that as 1t
may, Mr. Limkins failed to find any
thing worth noting. As ne arose in
his place to respond TO "our Sons" he
felt confident that he would take his
seat the hero of the evening.
A slight nervousness, together with
some Impotence to reach his most
impressive periods, made him talk rap
idly at first; and he also had some
little difficulty In controlling his eyes,
which showed decided tendency to-
wards a fixed stare. However, he
managed 10 vary the stare TO some
extent, and continued TO do fairly
well until he reached that particular
part which the donkey had pointed
off 30 perslstently. At this point
Mr.. Limkins made a slight pause and
could not recall his next few lines
although he made heroic effort 60
do so.
The picture of the donkey suddenly
filed his mind 90 such an extent as to
drive out everything else. For a mo-
ment IL seemed impossible for him
TO get away from the scenes in the
barn. One view after another swift
1y chased each other through his
mind. He wondered II anyone had
found the donkey and set him free; or
whether he was still embalmed in the
clothes.line He wondered who would
be the one to find him--whether the
cook. Silas, Jr., or one OF the neigh
bors. He speculated on the chances
of having been seen entering the
barn Ia the afternoon. and what ex-
PLANTATION he would make II ques-
toned about il. He thought II would
have been wiser to have restored the
donkey his liberty before he left him.
He could see the sad, lonesome look
In his face as IL protruded from the
bundle of clothes.line; lying there
through the long night on the cold
floor Of the barn.
All this was but q few lightning
flashes through Mr.. Limkins' mind.
and he was vainly trying to fix his
thoughts on his subject. From this
point Mr.. Limkins was obliged to
proceed in n truly "extemporaueous"
manner, lie wandered on tremulous-
ly-~sometimcs on the track, some
times of. and sometimes partly on
and partly off. Occasionally he would
get gllmpses Of his prepared speech;
and when he did. he would eagerly
fire them off--whether they fitted the
place where they occurred 10 him, or
not--sometimes getting things con-
aiderably mixed.
For instance. referring to Mr., Linn
klns' notes at one place. he should
have said: "Who can tell how great
our sons may be, or what grand
thoughts the fathers of,"--and Mr..
Limkins. as he caught this ON the
fly. challenged the company with:
"Nho-who can tell whose son he may
be. or who his father was9" Again. in
another place, according To the notes
that were slowed away in his inside
pocket. he should have said; "0ur
forefathers. who for eight long years
daily drank the bitter cup Of want.
that we might now De free they
never hoped for such development as
this" And Mr.. Limkins waylaid this
as II went by. and waving his glass OF
wine before him, said: Our forefa-
theirs. who for eight long years daily
drunken that bitter cup that is now
SO frre~~they never dreamed--of any
anything Hike this"
All things must have an end; and
when the marks OF approval, which
Mrs. Iimkins had been administering
from beneath the table, became too
pointed TO longer overlook. Mr., Lin
kinR came 10 an end--ahruptly.
Side by side AIR. and Mrs. Limkins
silently walked TO their home that
night; and 10 MIR. Limkins there was
an omiuous sound In the steady, de-
termined grinding of the snow and ice
beneath Mrs. Limkins' feet. Occasion.
ally he stole a humble glance in her
direction. but found nothing in the
steady. sober face to give him hope,
Sadly he turned into his street:
aud as he still more sadly turned be-
meath an avenue Of trees leading 20
his own door the moon came out in all
her gentle glory. the stars looked