The Evening Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1917-1920, 1919-02-22
Round About

Week was Arthur F. ("Fatty Lewis'D
Killick of Kansas City. Mr.. Killick
is short story writer and a former
newspaper man. He is fond of story
telling and amused some of the visit
ing farmers with this story. in which
the speaker is supposed to be an old
negro parson.
Long years ago come to a towr,
whar dey done were habing a meeting
ub de Grand Amalgamated Sons ub
Israel Lodge.
LAS l must hab place to sleep,
goes down to de hotel dere and asks
de man foah a room.
Sorry, Brudder Parson,' he says.
says he, but we done amt got no
noah rooms
'H-m-mm.' says l. 4 must hab a
place to retire mahself'
HE mods his head mo-
Il was dumbfiOundered. Finally de
niggah spoke agin. Says he, Here.
Brudder Parson, JUS recollects NAH
self house foah you to put yoahself.
Dey hab de finest eatin' room and de
shiniest ub brass beds and de beds
are all made and de fires all laid
Il says, How come?
wall. dey do say how's its done
hab ha'nts, but you all bein' a son ub
de Lord ought not to be afeared.'
II acquiesceses and goes down dere.
Shore enough, twas the way dat dere
niggah says.
'Fust thing I sits down and eats
NAH suppah. de finest suppah / eber
ate. wild golden knives and forks and
silber plates. Den aftah suppah 1 sits
down in de velvet sofa and begins to
read nah Bible
Il turns to page AL in de second
line, where l reads. JUS den down
de stairs l heard de strangest noise
acomin' / looks up and | sees de
biggest black cat / eber piped afore,
comm down de stairs, putin each
paw slowly on de marble stairs til
down de stairs
HE walks to de fireplace what is
made from solid marble, puts his
paw in de ashes. and den rubs de
ashes on his nose and looks at me
and says 'P-s-s-t! p-s-s-t,' Den he
sits down on nah left
Il begins to feel strange like. so /
takes up nah book agin, turnin' to
page 1868, where / reads. Den down
de stairs comes anudder black cat
twice de size ub de fust black cat,
with eyes as big as yeller saucers
He goes to de fireplace. whar he rubs
his paw in de ashes and den de ashes
on his nose and den he says to me
'P-s-s-t- p-s-s-tl' Den he mods
friendly like to de fust black cat and
sits down on the right ub me-
Den de fust black cat mods back
agin to him and smiles and says to de
second black cat Shall we wuk on him.
Brudder?
"De second black cat looked at me
and says. Nav! Leah him for Mar
TIM
Il begins to feel like I might need
some reverential consolation so i
turns to NAH Good Book, whar on
page 38 l reads. Den down de stairs
comes a third black cat twice as big
as both ub dem udder black cats. And
he walks ober to de fireplace puts his
paw in de ashes. and wipes de ashes
on his shiny nose, looks at me and
says 'P-s-s-t! p-s-s-ti'
Den he sits down 'xactly right in
front OBJ me and mods to dem other
two cats
Soon de fust big black cat, de trou-
BILE maxim little imp, breaks our
blessed silence and says. Say, shall
we wuk on him now, Brudder?"
NAV de other says winking. let's
leab him for Martin
Right den and dere it gifts warm in
de room. so stands up and goes to
de window to look out. None ub dem
cats pays no attention to me- / peers
out but it is got dark since | come,
co nan'f caa nothing Co 7 adpec