Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-01-08
Fellod,
MorfaLs
By LYDIA PERKINS

| + Copyright. 1902, by the +
/ S. S. Mcclure Company I
ss.s.sj
! "You are worthless nigger George" I"
Eyes, little mistiss.''
"And your master and l will have to
go to the almshouse'
eyes, little mistiss spec yo' will"
Then what will become of you,
George?"
go dar too'
"Do you think they would take in a
niger? You are more likely to get on
the chain gang"
'"Te. he, he, little mistissp'
what are you giggling aboutT"
I "Dey amt no chain gang. We goes
on de fahm."
"You have been there"
| Eyes; got sent dar bout a yeah
ago"
George, have you been criminal?"
His mistress looked at him with shrink
ing disgust.
"Spec l has," he returned glibly. 81
been mos eberyt'ing- shooter,
buck dancer an de res, an crimnel,"
he added, with touch of pride.
Mrs. Gusts was paying no heed to
the negro now. She looked dreamily
| out through the window at the mellow
| sunlight Of spring. A longing came
over her for her old home. She had en-
dured the long and cruel winter with
CTR I1x.
spring made the sap Of yearning rise in
her veins. Suddenly she buried her
face in her handkerchief, and like a
faithful dog George began to whine:
"Dar. little mistiss;. jes' yo wait till
de udder side de cloud fiummux over,
an yo'll see 'nough silver to mex
braid pam"
"Oh, go away. you worthless niggerp'
Mrs. Custis exclaimed, putting down
her handkerchief, and he jumped ex-
trayagantly just for the delight Of hear
ing her sweet old laugh, like the ring
ing of pure thin silver.
But, George" Mrs. Custis resumed,
with renewed dignity, at is true that
your master and are seriously think
ing of seeking public assistance" Her
delicate cheek flushed at the admission:
but, seeing his look Of childish horror.
she proceeded firmly:
"As simple as our living expenses are,
we cannot longer meet them, and we
must ask for help"
She threw up her little figure and
proudly left the room, but she stumbled
on the threshold, and the negro, with
intuitive devotion, knew that her eyes
were blinded with tears.
He stared with a dropped jaw at the
open door through which she had gone.
Then, with a volatile grin, he jumped
to his feet and, performing skillful
clog dance, seized his disreputable hat
and bolted from the house.
About a year before this Mr.. Cust1s
and his wife had drifted to the great
city of New York. they came from
Georgia, leaving their home desolate in
order to be near their daughter, who
had married a clever young artist 1t
did not take the parents Ieng to discov-
er that their son-in-law had difficulty in
supporting his little family, so they,
protesting grandly that they had an
ample income, moved to a cheap little
fiat on the east side and in the fright
ful closeness of a few narrow rooms
began an existence that was slow tor
ture to their pride.
One day George Harries, one of the
most unregenerate negroes in all New
York, sidled up on their front steps and
pulled the bell. A negro is not natu-
rally tramp, bat he was idle and
thought he could bully something from
these forlorn old people.
Mrs. Custis opened the door and look
ed her wrath at his presumption.
"Does yo' hab any wuk TO- po' cul-
iud manY he drawled insolently.
mo; l don't want any niggers to
work for mew she blazed out. "Get off
my front stepsw She was preparing
to slam the front door when he jerked
or his filthy hat and burst out
"'Fo' de Lawd. l didn't know yo'
wuz south'n lady; deed l didn't, lit
tie mistiss. Kin yo' give po' niggah
bite O somethin' to eat, an I'll wuk
my fingahs to de bone; deed WILL"
And that was the beginning of a
strange household = George Harries,
crap shooter, low comedian and natu-
raj singer and dancer, and these poor,
fine old southern people. And he was
as faithful as though he was their
siaye-they as autocratic as though he
was theirs by right Of purchase.
So on this sunny afternoon in spring
he shuffied along the street. dipping In
to old haunts that had not known him
for year. When he reached one of
his former stands, he looked shrewdly
about for policeman and, not seeing
one, began with great vigor and skill
what Is known to the initiated as a
buck dance" By the time he had
danced for five minutes the crowd was
so dense about the performer that it
took tall man to peep over the heads.
George paused in his dancing, took
of his hat and, singing in a musical
voice, coon, coon, coon,' went around
collecting. This was all very well, but
a policeman sauntered up. Finding the
attraction was d live negro and not
dead horse, he virtuously redistributed
the coins to the amused crowd, and
George took a free ride 10 tse police
station
By the time he was hustled before
the desk his most reckless look had
settled over his hardened face. The
magistrate, who was looking bored,
reused slightly when the officer ex-
| planned that the negro was indulging
In disorderly dance.
"Why were you dancingT' he asked.
with yawn.
"Cause wuz," was the sulky re-
tort.
George" said the magistrate srv=re-
~, II had hoped you had stopped your
| evil living. It has been nearly a year
SINCE you were arrested"
A subtle change passed over the home
IL features.
Deed, boss" he suffered, Il been
! f3vyfx<t ~