Arizona republican., 1902-05-20

 a long chat. and he read some of my stuff, which l had brought him to see. He said: That reads all right to me. Now what you need is the necessary grit tC make the world say just what I've said just now Since then I'N" tried. through everything. to have that kind of grit. 1 have never asked any body to help me. l shall not ask him; but l intend to write him and say that his words have been 'a lamp to my feet along the way 1 have gone; that I wish to acknowledge my gratitude to him, and that l trust he will take no Cffense at the mention l have made Of him in my book"
 Up to the present writing MT. Riley has not taken umbrage at the story re- ferred to. and it is to ba presumed that he enjoyed it as much as the other readers of the beck.
 RILEY AND THE WATERMELON.
 From .'The Black Cat Club" book Cf negro humCr and folklore. by James D. Corrothers: Funk X Wagnalls com pany, publishersD
 The Rev. Dark LOulmouth took the fcCr.
 
 in Injunap'lis. men Jeems Whitcom0 Riley eat many a good ole rillun to- gether, An Riley sho' kin eat. Wy. cf you Wuz to set i'm dcWn 'mungst ] passel O dahkies, an put 'em all to oatin' millun. you couldn't tell rom 'zaminin' de rines which Wuz Riley's an which WuZ de culiud folks.
 Went to his house one day. an l rung de do bell, an sen's in wo'd ':,t want 10 see Riley on DO tant business. Putty soon down he comes f'Om his study. ST: 'Br'er Riley, does you know milluns has gene up to fo'ty cents. an still a-risin'? S'e: No, Reverent: &inr it orful? SI: Yes. an l don't pose to pay it, Sc: 'Whut you gcin' to do? We mus had milIuns to eat
 "SI: 'Bre'r Riley, de's lots c fahms rCun' hyeah; an cn dem fahms dey's heaps C milluns: an de fahmahs 'ud he willin' to donate 'em tc you mcse any night youu come artsr 'em-'vidin' doy cain'C l-etch you, ST: I'm gcin' out to try ma luck tonight. an ] called 'roun' tc see f you'd go wit me- ST: 'Fc'ty cents fch q watah millun is a outrage
 He went to mumblin' sump'in bout imrrOpriety. moral suasion.' 'charac- ter 'settin' high example, an one thing a'nctker: ans I: You cain't eat dat An l seq I'd struck a terdah spot in in. Sc: Well. Reverent. call roun' tonight bout ten o'clock. ef de weathah's fair, an I'll thairk about it. , Sc: I'm wo'kin' on a piece C poetry now. n cCre to place whah l cain't fine a Ihyme-dcg ma melts f l kim ST. A lil fresh ar ud do you gooG.' Sc: Maybe 'twculd. Reverent' An 1 kuow'd I had m.
 Went back dat eb'nin-as Gci would hab it-an' Riley say: Wait tel I git ma hat. An eff we put-down de street-splittin Injunap'fs wide open, Riley had so't c hop-light-lady step, an I wu2 doin' de Mobile buck. Black cat tried tc cross us an We kicked de natu1 stufIins cuten i'm. An common f Ks we walked right ovah-same as dey was cobblestoles, Moon wuz shi-- in jes right-jes' huff foh us to see an not be seen: an as We lef' de city an struck de dirt road. ole Riley gun to feel de spurrit: an reeled off yahns dat would c driv' de blues cuten a bottle O indigo. Wy. Riley knoWed mo bout | at paint c de country n I aid,
 "Cand me out, he did bout fo' miles rom town. an stopped right in front uv 9 big ole fahm whah you could hyeah de milluns ies laughin' an a-tallEin, an a-snigglin' in d5y sle'bes, lak dey Wuz goin' to buss open.
 '" Now sez Riley, dis ole falIer here raises de bes' milluns in de state: but he keeps a mean dog. an dey say he watches his patch c nights wid g shot gun. l don know how true 'tis.'
 "S'I: I'm done walked too fur to back watah nov.' ST: I'm an ole han at dis business-foler me an you'll wah diamon's. An ovah de fence We cIum-dCWn on all fo's-an' inter de millun-patch. thumpin' milluns an te2Iin' vines fOh who las de longes', But We didn't eat none: case we ca lated to tote 'em home. an put em on ice fCh de neX' day.
 ''Wcu, arter wed bin in dah while. I swah we got los f'om one mother Made up ma mine to tas'e a piece Of millun. Went up to a stump. | did. an brought a millun down cross it-'bum.' , An de stump jumped up an tuck arter me. An I thought l hyeah'd d gun go cff-'bud- -du-ee,' An l spread ma wings an few ST: 'Br'er Riley. Go de bes' you kin fCh yo'se'f, De bible say: Flee fom de wrafr to cCme," An hy dat time 1 had done gone a mile. an had les coat. shoes an hat. l made i fch enc O ma membah's houses, ca de outskirts c de town. an I fell in de dc an s'i: Come an git me- An I fairted plum away.
 Mex mo min. on ma way home. 1 stepped ct Biley's house An dey tole l1e he wuz sick in bed. " ain't you hyern it?' sez dey. An dey showed me Whah de papahs said he'd bin hit in de he'd an helt up an robbed. ST: 'Ain't dat a shame!-nice q man as he is,' An | went in whah he wuz. an s'I: 'Fr'en' Riley, whut's de mattah?' Sc: 'Alattah?-mattah? Wy. Rev'unt. I didn't think you'd do me that-away.' ST: 'What'd I dc?' 'Do?' sez he. do: ! Wy ycu broke a watahmillun ovah ma head! Ma head hut ne so | could hardly get to town. Don 'speck l kin write none toh week S'e: I wouldn' | mine it so; but de millun wuz green, Anne allus acted col toGh2s Ire aTter