Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1910-08-18
The Little Black
Servant

From the Philadelphia Public Ledger.
The practical press agent of a mod
ern minstrel man lately put his pet be-
fore the vaudeville public with story
something like this:
Sammy Screamer, the clever black
face comedian, will give box at the
aooray Music hall to friend to use
for the entire week. John Barfield, a
colored man who came from his home
IN Wulfulla, Ala, two weeks ago to visit
Philadelphia, called on Mr.. Screamer
on Monday, and the vaudeville star
round that he was playmate of his
poyhood down in sunny Dixie. In fact,
Barfeld was sort of nurse for Mr..
Screamer, and it is for old times sake
that the box will be given to the col-
Ored man.
There's nothing strange about this
story" said a southerner In
fact, almost every little boy in the
south has one of these proteges or
bodyguards. About the time Teddy's
mother buys him his first pair of little
breeches he begins to feel that he is of
distinctive sex, and he wants to do
the things that boys do. 1t is then that
a small colored boy some or 10 years
or age takes in hand the little 6-year
old White companion. And the old
'mauma. as they call her in Charles
ton, begins on one of the new arrivals
in the family.
"Fidus and Achates would shrink
Ground corner in jealousy and anger
II they could see the devotion lavished
betN .en the two boys. And the negro
boy is always intensely admired by his
comrade--for he is the one who can
do things No matter how costly the
little red-bodied, wire-wheeled wagon
that Teddys mother buys for him,
Isaac can always make one out of a
soap box and four flour barrel heads
that will run twice SC we'll and be
far more enticing to ride in. Enoch
also knows how to take u can OF to-
matoes in each hand and turn cart
wheels all the way home from the gro
GERS. and the desire to emulate this is
what sends Teddy wailing to his mother
with u torn ear
The Southerner laughed and scratched
his head. IF you don't believe that we
love these negroes and never forget
them I'll prove it to you-at least in
one instance. l came to Philadelphia
to live about two months ago, and
shortly after 1 got here, while looking
in the ID part of the directory.
came across the name of my own par
ticular body servant 1 looked him up
and after some difficulty found him in
the Lombard street district. l selected
Sunday as a time when he would be
away from the bank where he has a
good job as a messenger
- Gawd! This can't be little Mr.
joe he said. 1t is almost 25 years
since he saw me last way down in one
of the Carolinas, and 1t was great
pleasure to both of us to talk and to
discuss old times and our fortunes in
the quarter century that has gone
His particular name-I won't tell
You what 1t is-happens to be one of the
Oldest and proudest in the state came
from, and | guess he has more or less
claim to it, too. for you know that
there are some things of the old south
that we of the new south must con-
fess, even though we are ashamed of
Them
Down below the now forgotten line.
little southern boys still have these
regularly appointed playmate guard
lans. and they always will, 1 reckon, y
he SAID 1T is part of the south and
an illustration of that adherence to GUS
tom and tradition and understanding
that induced Colonel Finewine, of Tex
missabama, to say with perfect conf
dence. for the fifth time, Pardon me.
Captain Pegram. but will you have the
urbanity to pass me over stack of
the blues. I have no change with me.
the weather being so exceedingly warm
that 1t caused me to leave my vest at
home There are lots of queer things
still in the south, you know"