The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-05-25
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

Roy Octavus Cohen.
 Now, I am glad that our gifted young 1 townsman is making such a reputation
 and feathering his nest by introducing
 the up-to-date negro to the public, for
 his characterizations are taken from life and are therefore real studies.
 But as for me, give me the hang-overs from the ante-bellum days, about whose
 gray heads fingers the romance of the
 old south; for in a sense they are the best connecting link we have of it. This
 comes through the fact that while the
 southern colonel has to certain extent adopted more modern ways, his serv-
 ants still cling to pre-war customs of
 dress and speech.
 The old body-servants of the arsto- crats, and the negro ''mammies' of the
 rnistresses of the famous old households in which hospitality lowered, have the
 grand manner" suggesting mansions of white, with green blinds and porticoed pillars hid amid primeval forest trees, with wide lawns sloping down to sweep ing fields or rushing streams. It was a civilization that made southern chivalry synonym for all that was gay and true
 and brave.
 I have often said that there is no one in all the world who can introduce speaker and give that velvet touch which starts him off on his best foot like negro. Somehow they have the gift ot saying the right thing in the right way and while making known the good points of the one being introduced, also create in the audience just the proper atmo- sphere in which the message will strike home. It was this which so pleased
 Banker Davidson when he was here on
 the Red Cross drive and I arranged for him to speak to the colored state Baptist convention then in session at Pastor Gcodgame's church.
 I knew I was giving him the chance of his lifetime, for he had never spoken to body of colored people. I got in touch with the pastor and told him to get the congregation to sing "Old Time Religion ana lleD pass pll lIlO OWiil6 IOW, CWctt
 Chariot" before introducing Mir. Davi-
 son. He did so, and when the time came for the distinguished New Yorker to speak he was mellow and so was his crowd-a happy condition for speaker and
 audience.
 had also tipped off the pastor to move
 about among some of the leaders and tell
 them to encourage the northern when an orator cant swing out into the seventh oratorica1 heaven with such
 backing, he might as we'll quit, for he is
 lacking in temperament. But Brother
 Davison," as the negro saying is, soon
 got in weaving way and had his au-
 dience eating out of his hand, while they
 fed him to his full on applause and fer
 vent amens!
 It is small wonder, then, that it was an
 event in his life and that when he came down out of the pulpit and went to get into the limousine he turned to me and remarked: That was the most enthu- siastic and appreciative crowd 1 have ever spoken to, and I have just conn pleted a swing round the circle in Amer lea from Boston to San Francisco and back" I just chuckled inwardly, for I had planted the scene and knew just how the act would finish.
 Not only has the negro the ability an introducer but there is no courier in the ranks of the diplomats of the world who can use as subtle f1attery as your old
 ante-bellum valet. It isn't the "blarney' of the Irishman; it isn't the "savoir faire' of the Frenchman; it isn't the pol ish of the Italian, but it is all these and some more. for in manner there is def | erence, in voice carress. and in words a choice unknown even to the trio of polite nations above mentioned.
 
 Tn all literature I know of no such graceful speech as was made by an old family servant to a sister of mine. I was at home on vacation and she drove
 me out to see Uncle Harry and Aunt Harriet Strange as it may seem, the old man was passionately fond of his ] flowers and was never known to pull any | Of them But he came to the buggy | with an armful of his choicest ones and laid them in my sisters lap. His wife began to chide him for breaking the
 rule. He stood her chaf1ng for a bit and then. looking into the face of my sister, said: "Go way, ole oman! Flowers | can't grow too pretty for Miss Carrie l Can you match it?
 Then his wife began to tease him in earnest by saying: You won't show ] 'Marse Frank and Miss Carrie what you got in your upper vest pocket" He did his best to shut her up, but she kept digging at him. Finally my sister asked | Wont you show it to me. Uncle | Barry?' Reverently he pulled out a piece of paper and unwrapped it. and we saw just nipple" It was one he got | from a bottle used by little Edward, the haby boy of my sister Tmmie, who had died a few years ago. The old negro had worshipped the child. Aunt Hester" said: Miss Carrie, there ain't money enough in the bank to buy that nipple. | I am glad that the days of slavery ended at my birth and that l grew up
 without any knowledge of it, but surely
 there must have been some good in it to have been able to give to slave such l a love and such devotion to prattling