The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-17

ain my time, if black man had
walked into grocery and ordered de
grocer to send him up half pound of
tea. two pounds of butter, pound of
coffee and a box of bakin, powder, dar
would have bin people sayin' dat de
Judgment Day was not fur off. Now
dar's puthin's thought about 1t. In my
DAY, II a husband had come home and
found his old woman giyin' a high tea
he would have drapped dead. Nova
days, husbands help to wait on de COM
pany.
IF I had come home from town
bringin' cuckoo clock under my arm
de old woman would have looked at
me fur mint in a Gurus way. Den
she would have felt of my head to
find de soft spot. Den she would have
gone out under de plum tree and
knelt down and axed de Lawd to glib
me my senses back and not leave her
in de hole. She would have taken it
dat was plumb crazy, and eberybody
else fur ten miles around would have
agreed wild her.
Had peddler come along wild
ten-dollar rug and axed me to buy it
on de installment plan, and had
wasted five minits talkin' wild him at de
gate, should have felt a whack from
a broomstick across my shoulders 1t
would have bin considered a sin in de
sight of de Lawd to buy SIGH a rug.
All de crows and buzzards and pos
sums and coons fur twenty miles
around would have come flockin' to
look at it and call me a fule.
81 took a leetle walk today, and I
saw lace curtains and heard pianers
playin'. saw grocery wagons and
butcher carts drivin' up. saw Guild
women goin' out and comm home in
cowpays. I saw Guild chi11'n on de
street whose clothes cost mo- dan it
used to cost me to dress my hull fam
lily of eight. I saw Guild women in
silks. and Guild men in Prince Alberts.
l. saw EN- Duy1n' rugs and carpets and
statuary. / heard de women talkin'
about DER dressmakers. and de men
talkin' about DER tailors. I saw
all dis and much more, and when /
got home sot down in my cheer and
thunk till my old head was whirlin'
round wild thunkin'. De old woman
towel around my head, but all night
long I was dreamin' of long purces-
sion of folks marchin' past my cabin
On de way to de pore-houset and de
graveyard beyand.
when I look up and down de aisIes
dis eavenin' 1 catch de sparkle of dia-i
monds; behold patent leather shoes;
see embroidered socks SIGH as de
clothes dat cost $z5; I see members
OF de club who am gwine home to walk
on Persian rugs and drink port wine
befo' dey tumbIes into bed wild a $40
spread kivered ober. de top to WOO de
angels.
My frens. you has bin gwine de pace.
You has got dar. You am at de top.
What am gwine to foller? Ar you
gwine to be de happier fur it, You
will answer dat you am, but it's all a
bluff. Oar hain't a man o. you but
what's in debt. Oar hain't a man of
you dat could raise fifty dollars in cash
on pinch. You am libin' from hand
to mouth and don't know what de in
side of a savings bank looks like. Let
a carbuncle on de neck lay any of you
up fur a week and you'd be around
borrowin' money to keep de wolf from
de doah. Your wives ride in cowpays
while you owe de butcher and am
gwine block outer your way to dodge
him. You am eatin' ice cream while
you owe de grocer fur Goldfish. You
am stuffin' down sweetcake while your
betters am satisfied wild co'n-meal You
am wcarin' patent leather shoes while
you am standinn' de coal man Off You
am rentfn' boxes at de possoffice while
your chillen want fur school books.
Y GU am swellin" about and talkin' pol
lytics while folks am offering good
money for whitewashin'.
81 say all right to dis. It's none o.
my funeral If de pace suits you keep
1t up. 1t hain't fur me to butt in and
Spite your day dreams, but when de
crash comes, as come it must, don't
come shoutin' to me fur cold Eaters