The Washington herald., 1914-04-05

MY frens." said Brother Gardner as
the routine business of the regular weekly
meeting OF the Lime Kiln Club had been
concluded. de Hon. HOopalong Thomp-
son, OF Selma. Ala. arrove heah yister-
day. an at de present mint he am wait
in in de anty room to delibeT an address
befo' US De name of his subject am:
'WhaT Am Yo At% an he am cele-
brated as one OF de leadin orators OF de
South. hope dat all Of yo' will receive
him wild due respect an dat de moral
lesson conveyed by his remarks will sink
deep into yO'r hearts. Giveadam Jones
Will light up two mo lamps an drop an
other herrin' box into de stove"
I When the orator was escorted into the
hall by the reception committee he
proved to be 2 loose -jointed. Iong-legGed
man over six feet tall. and the length Of
his heels was something phenomenal. His
appearance was not that of an orator
| according to the standard OF the club.
but the members received him with
round OF applause and gave him to under
stand that they were willing to take him
on trust. The stranger had some trouble
To get his feet behind him and make a
bow. hut when this job had been accom-
plished he suddenly stretched forth his
right hand as II grabbing for 'possums
tail and began:
! My frens. ! hcy bin tTabblin' frew dis
world fur nigh upon fifty years. and Of
all de painful sights / hev witnessed il
was de man who goes sIoshin' around
widOut KNOWN whsT' he am at I meet
EN- by day and meet EN- by night
| hnd 'em in de biz cities an ! find 'em
out on de lonely p!antashun. Dey jest go
| slOsh, slosh, sIosh hey don't know
whether dey Is BON to preach, write
poetry. run a POssUfiis or work wild de
shovel an de hoe. Like a pumpkin vine.
dey go crawlin' to de right an de left an
den straight ahead. an dey never know
whar dey am 'Ewine 10 fotch up. Take
de case OF Waydown Bebee. of dis Lime
| Kiln Club. for instance, who am seated
befO' me. II he'd sOt down twenty yars
I ago an thought It all out an made up
his mind to be either a poet or a black
/ smith-a preacher or a carpenter-he'd
now be on top oh de heap. He didn't
do II. He jest went soshin' around like
a cow in truck patch. bitin' at dis an
bitin' at dat. an today he can't
] tell whar he am at. He dOan know
whether he am great man who
orter run for ConGriss. or a pusson wild
only brain nun to black stoves for Is
cents apiece. OATS de way will all de
I rest whO've bin sloshin'. While day hev
! bin sittin' on de doah-stcp an IOokin' at
DER toes de hull world has kept movin
around an got away from EN-"
There was a mixture OF groans, sighs,
and applause as the orator made a pause
and reached for the water pitcher. and
when ne had limbered up his tongue. he
continued.
"Ebery Guild child bon in dis kentry
orter hev an aim. OATS de way wild
white folks, an dat's why white folks
am eatin' ice cream when Guild folks
hev to take up wild apple sass. Let ebery
child aim TO be a preacher. poet. orator
carpenter. painter. or what not. Dat aim
should he as fixed as de hinges on a hen
house dOah. Keep II befu him as a
child. a youth. as a young man. Don't
let him git 10 sloshin' around an wonder
in whether de L4wd made him fur a
great Sineral in de army or de pOrest
hand in a cobbler's shop. When de Ro-
mans went at ii to build Rome dey din't
stop to wonder IL dey hadn't better 90
to CROWN sheep or TaiSIn' Strawberries
at de same time. D,y jest stuck to one
thIns. an when dey Sot frew dey had a
town to nrag about. Oar may be some
Of yo' heah tonight who hev heard Of
christopher Columbus? 'Sposin' he'd hev
bin me OF de sort to sIosh around2 Does
anybody reckon we'd hev bin heah to-
day? He'd hev jest sailed round an
round. Onsartin whether To diskiver
America or go fishin'. and dis great an
glorious land wouldn't hev bin heard Of
Columbus was no slOsher. He had an
aim. His aim Was to diskiber America
an all de brass bands an circuses an
coon tracks couldn't switch him on"
The applause was genuine and hearty
as the orator waited moment for breath
and there was increased vim in his tones
as he went ahead:
when yO hev got yor aim yO' must
hey ambition an perserN erance. De man
who aims to he a great orator. an make
4 nashun weep CT rejoice over his words
can't git dar by sitting on de fence an
wishn' he had a damon pin an a red
neCktie. He has got to hev ambshun in
his soul. He has got to carry all day
wild him fcelin' dat his heels am Iiftin'
ur. and when he goes To bed at night he
must dream OF jumrin' ober fences wild
out teChIn a toe. Along wild ambishun
he must hev perseverance. Dat means
hangin' on like dawg to a root. DE
man who keeps taking hold an letting go
agin ncbber pulls de limb down fur nun
to reach de perSimons. Its like huntin'
fur Coons. When yu' find coon track
m de mud keep right on de trail. As yo'
go along yO will cum across de tracks of
pOssums an woodchucks. an wild cats,