The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1925-08-27
SMILIN' THU
BY GORDON COOPER
Copyright 1925 by Gordon Cooper
THE DIGNITY OF THE LAW

the steps in the sunshine to light
cigar His air of well-beng was
plainly evident; he raised his head
and blew a cloud Of blue, fragrant
smoke into the air as he rocked
from heel to toe, one hand in his
pocket-at peace with the world.
Doc Bloom, negro preacher, philos-
opher and gardner, was puttering
around flower bed just around the
corner Occasionally his sonorous
voice broke out in peevish grumble.
Judge Sears heard him and strolled
across the lawn toward him.
"What's the trouble, Doc" he asked
in crisp tone OF good nature.
"Trouble nuff9 grumbled Doc.
without looking up "Some o dem
upstart freshmens been a-runnin' all
ober dis flow bed"
"Ah, but youth must be served,
Doc" the Judge replied in a patron
izing tone. you, as minister,
should realize that. I, myself, have
long since learned it as lawyer"
Then Doc Strengthened up. Law
dy, Jedge, All didn' know dat wuz
yo' till yo begin ter phlosophize!
But All reckons yo' is right-de
young uns is got ter hab dey
fling" And then flash Of anger
came into his voice. "But eff Abs
toP 'em once Abs tol' 'em hun'erd
times dat dey's plenty oh room ter
run aroun' dis campus widout run
min on de flow beds! Even eff All
is a preacher dey doan pay no ten
shun ter me. Yo' bein' Jedge,
dey listens ter yo', an yo' doan
know how aggervatin' hit It's fer ter
be allus a-tellin' EN-"
The Judges complacency was not
to be shaken. "But even if ! am a
Judge the most stringent thing |
can tell them is to go to Jail but
you, as a minister can tell them to
go to hell" And he laughed hear
tily at his on joke.
But Doe didn't join in the laugh
ter. "Huh! OATS right Ell fer e2
hit goes. But eff All tell 'em ter go
ter hell hit doan mean nothn'. But
wen yo' tells 'em ter go ter jail, dey
GOES ter jailw And then Doc let
out hearty cackle.
When the laughter had ceased,
"An' dat remins me- Doc continued,
"Yistiddy dat good fer-nothin' mig
ger, Tige Brown, come hyah ter see
Perfesser Willard. (Millard was a
practicing attorney of the town, and
also taught one of the law classes.)
He hung aroun' till de perfesser wuz
done wild his class. All AK i'm
whut he want but e jes' jaw back
dat it aim none o nah bizness."
"But All had 'spicion dat e wanted
ter make talk wild de perfesser bout
dat trial whut e gonna hab Tige
witnessin' in. An wen de perfess-
er took i'm in de offs All jes' hap
pen ter be workin right un'er de
winder OBJ de offs. And then observ-
ing the amused look in Judge Sears
eyes: "Now All wuzn't tryin' ter
do no eavesdrappin', he expostulat-
ed. "Ah jes' happen ter be workin
dere, an dey warn't no use o me
goin' outta nah way ter keep fun
hcarin' whit dey's talkin erbout. "
"Sure! Sure" soothed Judge
Sears. 81 see just how it was"
And sensing something amusing,
he added: "And what did they have
to say"
oval, hit seem dat de perfesser
wuz a-telin' Tige whut he gotta
say on dc witness stan. An fine
ly, he tells Tige, Now does yo' UNI
erstan' dat?' An Tige say he do,
An den de perfesser say, OATS
good! All yo's gotta do is tell de
truf Jes member dat eff dey axes
yo' questions on de witness stan.
Jes' de truf.' F."
AN right dere, Jedge, All couldn'
hep buttin' in All jes' sticks NAH
haid in at de winder an say, BUT
EFF DAT Niger TELLS DE
TRUF, YO' is SHO' TER LOSE
YO' CASE :" Doc cackled uproar-
ously. "An' yo' know, Perfesser Mil
lard wuz so mad dat ne jump up an
slam down de winderl" And he
cackled again.
Judge Sears had joined in the
laughter approximately. "Wait until
i | tell that one on Willard down at
the Law Club
Bloom cackled again. "But dat
ain no wuss dan de one OF Zelle
Putney pulled ON yo' Wen yo' wuz
a-tryin' i'm fer chicken stealin'," he
reminded the Judge.
The smile faded from JUDGE Sears
face "What do you mean?" he ask
ed sternly.
"Now ledge doan go gittin' mad "
Doc replied in a wheedling tone, "Ah
wuz jes' funnin'"
The JUDGE relented a little. Il
don't seem to remember zeke Put
ney," he said
ooh e wuz de niger whut'd been
a-stealin' so many chickens an dey
couldn' get no proof on i'm. 20
knowed e wuz guilty an All know
ed an ev'yhody else knowed hit. But
yo' had ter quit i'm ev'y time yo'
tried i'm"
"An' dat las time yo' tried Inn,
an aft yo' turn i'm loose ergin, yo'
axed i'm, 'Zeke, All wish yod tell
me jes' how 70 manages ter do hit
SO we'll MEMBER" And Doc watch