The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-09-25

RuSSelI.)
Well. We had de time of his life get
ting Little Duke-dats my and
Duchess kiddie-on for school. When
it comes time for Duchess to give de
kid a few parting words 1 aid noting,
but just held me peace and listened
Nor mignon." she says, 4 give you
tree dozen pocket handkerchiefs and
I only asks dat wedder you has your
lessons or not" she i "wedder You
makes frens or enemies: wedder YOU IS
or bad in Odder ways: wedder you
8beses or keeps vOur spending money;
Wedder you makes frens wit de matron
as 1 has told you 10: wedder you some
times forgets, or always remembers
your this: wedder it is clear or cloudy;
Sunday or week day: if YOU is well or
i'll; / asks but dis one ting Duchess
says, de weeps coming mt her voice,
''only dis one solemn duty before all
. odders. and above all odder tingS,' she
4 says. and dat is. DAT you never Is
witout a clean, fresh hanky in your
pockets. If YOU fOrgets yourself and
tells a lie, or is impudent to Odder
boys. or don't have your French per-
feet, you can be forgiven by heaven
but mon enfant. heaven would not. and
your mOdder could not. forgive you if
you was found dead or wounded witOut
q clean. fresh hanky in your pocket"
SURF mama" says the kid, who
sometimes talks straight English like
his daddy: sure. III sink a clean wipe
III me jeans every day"
''Dat is right, cherI,' say Duchess.
a4nl-- s. r74uy cfr1- re hainn n Ocn-
tIeman. and OATS what we're going to
make you: but all signs fail on a man
who has not a fresh, clean hanky on
him. Odderwise a mar ma be in rags,
n stained wit travel and covered Wit
-wit-cOvered wit
wit hay seed" says l. willing to
ObIige. but Duchess grves me de trOu-
bled eye. n goes on. He may be
covered wit de soil of innocent games
and play. But when it comes to his
hanky-well, remember de words of
your mOdder!"
Duchess ALWAYS packs two kinds of
A~ipes herself: one for show, and one
for blow. Now she takes out de one
for show, and dabs her eyes, like she
was overcome wit commOtion, and l
L know from dat she had passed de deal
= 10 me. SO [ says Kiddie says l,
y "wha your ma says to you is on de
dead level. and if I ever hears of you
with a wip dat isn't up to de stand
ard I'll show you a new use for a
htiching strap besides to hitch"
Yes. daddy says kiddie. who was
sitting up and praying all kinds of at
tentlOn now.
4 has only a few wOids of advice for
to saw off on you, meself, and dey is
wOids about de end Of de game dat |
didn't go to no pay academy to lOin
about. In de fOist place, me little man,
don't go looking for trouble. It's a
funny ting about trouble dat dough de
void seems to be filled wit it, still dere
isn't so much. dat it is found witOut
looking for it. mostly. You'll e wise
b~azOOnuSeS pass it along dat dere is so
much trouble in de WOild de reason you
is not to look for it is. dat you'll get
all you can take care of WitOut look
ing for it. OATS de talk of a GUTTER
To be sure a mug gets some trouble in
dis wOild WitOut looking for it: but
what I'm telling you is. dat dere rs a
lot of trouble dat is like a sleeping dog
it wont bOdder you unless you poke it
wit 4 stick. to see what it is like. Just
don't look for it. and dere is a heap of
il dat YOU won't see.
cop me right. me ~01. I'm not tellIn
you dere is no trouble for does dat
dlu't look for it; neither am l trying
IL con you wit a song dat you
R%dge de trouble dat comes yOur way,
SNNAA ~ NOA L AAON oOAAAA ~ -
If you find yourself UP against 1t,
witOut looking for it, just tell yourself
dat n little Of it is a good ting to keep
you in mind at YOU are not made all
for show. but part for blow. Any Ole
kind of trOuble in dis woild a you
daddy ever had a Touchdown to-, is
like q tOOt dat has TO be pulled: de way
. to Ston trouble dat you can't duck. is to
get Just as busy Wit il as you know
( hOw-under de rules de game.
Don't dodge too much: of course If
you meet a trouble dat don't look so
much like yours. as some Odder fellows,
side step. and give it a chance to pass
witOut collision. Dere's no harm
in being polite even to trOuble-especial
if il looks like anOdder mugs brand.
4 de same son, if you are attendin
to your own business. and a trouble
comes your way. and won't take a hint
when YOU Side-Step, but butts in, like it
was saying. oh. me bold buck. In you
honey 0 and you can't escape me-
when a trouble talks to YOU in lang
wudge like dat, den hit quick. straight
and as hard as you know how. Don't
save Your best blow for your second
or thOid-be honest, and pass out de
best you has in your shop on de foist
Invitation.
7 has found dat a trouble dat gers
dat kind of treatment. mostly don't
care to PLAY in your back yard. but
takes its trade somewhere else.
You has heard de wise say I has
troubles Of me own Well. me son. dat
is de only kind you are dated wit-your
own \ mug dat don't NEEDLE wit n
but his own has more time to play ball
dan some good folks allow IS coming
to any but de wicked
Little Duke dinn't say anything to
, me den: but when Duchess was out
. of de way kiddie says TO me, Daddy.
please show me de back and front
mug. again
You know before a mus meant a man,
II meant De kind OF Strangle holt dat
foot pads give from behind. and dat
de cops soon Joined and uses TO make
a ugly customer he good. Den an old
time Boy on de Bowery invents De