Evening star., 1914-12-13
CHANCE ACQUAINTANCES
Continued rom page 10

You've evidently heard of it betOre-but
why don't you have something of the kind
out here?'
His reply was mixture of snort and a
sniff.
then went on my Journey into Iowa, and
at the end of about ten days was back in
Chicago once more and in need of further
renovation l again sought the assistance of
my tonsoria1 friend. After cordial greeting
he said:
SAY told my wife how I'd fixed you
up the other day, and she'd heard of you
before You wrote book called Tea and
Coffee once, didn't chap
Something like that" 1 replied. at was
called Coffee and Repartee."
well, anyhow, whatever the thing was
called, she'd read it, said the barber.
II have met two other people who have
done the same thing and lived; so don't
worry" observed.
"Whaddyer suppose she asst me?' he
queried.
II give it up" said I. "What?"
@She asst me- said he, "was you so
very comical, and 1 told her no, he ain't
so damned comical, but he's hell of
kidder!"
l may be wrong, but it has ever since
seemed to me that there was a particularly
nice distinction involved in this spontaneous
estimate of my character, and it may be
that great many of Our American humor-
lists, so called, would be more aptly de-
scribed as kidders. Our guying propensities,
and the the-cheek style of humor
so prevalent today, suggest the thought any
how that the term kiddey is more discrimi-
mating than that of hnmorist, as signifying
the qualities of Cervantes, Rabelais, a
Swift, or Mark Twain.
TT was in South Carolina barber shop that
the second nicely came unexpectedly
upon me. l had looked for a certain quaint
philosophy and humor among the negroes
of the South, and must confess to consider
able disappointment in not finding much
of it. The picturesque article in the African
line that has so delighted us in the fiction of
our masters of the pen from the South
seems either to have vanished completely
from the face of the earth or to be trifle
shy in the revelation of itself to outsiders.
At any rate I found little of it in my
wanderings in that territory; although a
somewhat disagreeable amount of self-con-
scious quaintness, "for revenue only was
not wanting among the negroes encoun-
tered.
But this white barber, an anenic little
man, whose lazy drawl and languid manner
bespoke anything but independence of spirit,
ana III whose presence 1lllSllfCtlEely tllOllSllC
of the term "white trash,' gave me in full
measure what had looked for in the sons
of Ham. After sitting in his chair for few
minutes l mentioned casually that South
Carolina had "fine Governor" referring
to an individual named Blease, who at
that time and l believe does still, occupied
the high, seat at Columbia, ard of whose
gyroscopic talents l had yet to find
South Carolinian of standing who was
proud.
"I amt got no use fo' Mistuh Blcase,
Suh,' the man replied, stroking his razor rp
and down the strop with vigor entirely ott
of keeping with his presumed character.
If l had been blind man, l should have
felt sure he was a negro, such was his ac-
cent.
Il am sorry to hear that said I. at
would be pleasant to find somebody in the
State who has some Use for him; but so far
it all seems to be the other way"
"No, Sub, amt got no use fo' him, Sub,
continued the barber. Il don't like his kind,
Sub. l have shaved Mistnh Blease many
time, sub, an when he was runnin' fo
'Governah he came in hyere most every day,
sub. One mornin' | says to him, 'NIistuh
Blease, says l, you'd ought to be mighty
proud man, sub, runnin fo' Governah of