Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1917-04-27
A World
Of Injustice
By OSCAR COX

AAooAACN'
VIVA 70 don't get married? Cos
I'm one oh de new women yo' hearn
talkin' about. De new women don't
get married"
why notY
10 plenty reasons. In de fuS' place,
day hab to promise to Tub, hOnah and
obey. Yo' t'ink a woman dat hab any
respec' TO herself gwine promise to
obey a gooS TO nothin man? In de
secon' place. de law make de woman
leabe off her own name an take de
name OBJ de man she maaries. S'pose
I'm gwine to drop de name OBJ John
sing and take de name oh Skinner"
But Miss Johnsing, yo' mus be
powerful lonesome out yere on dis fam
all alone by yO'self."
Reckon l am lonesome sometimes
especially nights when de wind blows
had. l keep thinlin' cherry time a
big gust o. wind comes dat hants is
passin'. | cober up nah haid with de
blankets and wait TO 'em to go by
OATS de only use l kin see fo' fool
man-to keep de hants Off"
"S'posin', Miss Johnsing, dat bring
W u LhuI w lluI an al ulu " huAIo'
what don't keer about yo' promisin' to
obey him and what don't objec' to
yo calm yo'self any name yo' please
Do yo' think yO' could bring yo'self to
MARY dat MANI
Miss Johnson scratched her head In
thought.
WAL, eff yo' bring me a might fine
man not afraid O. hants and don't keer
about nah obeyin' or takin' his name
mebby might bring mahself to MARY
him. Who de manY
Reckon I'm de man TO- to max yO'
happy"
"G'long! Yo' foolln'r'
mo, Miss Johnsing, | amt foolin'
Eff yo' marry me yo' needn't promise
to obey me. Yo' may be Miss John
sing all de same. And when de wind
blow in de night, and de house shake,
and de fire done gone out, and de
ceilin' crack, and de-
shut up. niggah! Amt yo' tryin' to
scare me into matrimOnyW
Oar go pa'son Bill Jones. Shall l
call him?"
Before the lady could stop him Sam
Skinner had called the clergyman and
in presence of Susan Johnson instruct
ed him to marry Them leaving out the
word obey from the ceremony and to
| introduce a clause giving Susan the
right to keep her own name after the
wedding.
1t was a tempestuous night. Mr.
Skinner and his wife suddenly awoke
to hear great gust of wind strike
the house and shake it like a cat get
ting the life out of a mouse, then go
shrieking over the plain till, striking
a deserted barn, it demolished it with
a crash.
"What dat?" said Sam, sitting up in
bed and his hair standing on end.
de hants," replied his wife.
Sam ducked under the covers.
"What de matter with YOU" cried
Susan. Thought yo' want afraid O
! hants."
There was no reply, for Sam was
buried under the bedclothing Susan's
timidity gave place to indignation.
See hayar, yo' low down niggah,"
she cried. Didn't marry 20 TO
perfection? Didn't 20 say dat 20
want afeared O. hants? Yo' been
ibin' yere all dis time. eatin' all de
con pone and sassages yo wanted.
not dom a stroke O. wo'k, and when
de time comes to brace yo' wife up
agin de hants whar are yo'? Under
de bedclothes."
By this time the gust had gone too
far on its way to be heard. Sam put
his head out from under the covers
Did yo' hear wha' said ?" asked his
wife in no uncertain tones.
"Wha' yo' say, Mrs. JohnsingT'
Susan repeated what she had said
adding to it number of statements
by no means complimentary.
Mrs. Johnsing," said Sam. when
you married me didn't yo' say 20
must keep your own Manner
"S'posen l didY
"And didn't yo' say yo' wouldn't
obey me?
"Cose l did"
Oats two out O. three points in 20
favor"
At this moment old Boreas came
tearing along like a mile a minute rail
road train, breaking, shrieking, strik-
ing the house as a storm wave will
break against a sand dune. Sam GOV
cred his head again and contracted
himself in the center of the bed. Susan
got up, pulled the covers off him and.
Selling a broom, began to lambaste
him.
cit out O. dis, 20 good fo' nothin'
niggah!" she cried
Mrs. Johnsing'- began Sam pitt.
fully.
"Yo' git out O. dat bed and put on
yo' clothes, and yo' go find anudder
place. Yo' amt no use to me. Wha'
want yo' To-? Perfection agin hants.
Wha' kind O. perfection air yo' any
way?"
Even the worm will turn at last
Sam sprang out of bed, hustled his
wife out. through the door, locked 1t
and went back to bed.
Half an hour later on her promise to
be good he let her in again