The Lambertville record., 1926-11-11

"Whar at did yo' put de fummadiddle often dis hya
lamp" inquired Doc Bloom as he balanced precarious
on rickety step ladder under the swinging lamp Il
the center of the Antioch African Baptist Church
South.
"Whut yo' mean fummaddde'?" replied fiddle
Banton, the weakened little jantor of the church H'
was bending over another lamp the floor which h
was filling with kerosene. 1t ticklish job and III
couldn't take his eyes off the stream of liquid gurgni
from the spout of the into the old-fashoned lamp
"Whut fummadiddle does yo' thinks All means p
Indignantly shouted Doc. He wasn't in very goot
humor to have found the lamps unattended with on!
scant half hour before service scheduled to be
gin. He knew that Fiddle" (who got his name as
"fddln fool" at the dances round-about) wout
putter around for hour before he got the lamps
filled and the wcks trimmed So he set in to help out
"Doan squat dere an me 'whut fummadiddle'! hi
continued Indignantly. Gwen Abs tryin' ter hep yo
out yo' oughta be grateful huff ter anser nah ques
tions. Now All yo, is yo or is yo' ain't?"
"Fiddle" settled back on his launches and turned
his weakened face up to Doc with peeved look "Whu
yo' mean, is All or is All ANTI" he demanded.
Doc was fit to be tied In his anger he let OF
the bracket of the ceiling light and it crashed to the
floor with clatter and tinkling of broken glass "AH
DIDN'T AK YO' is YO' is! All AXED Yo' is YO
AMT? AN FER DE LAS TIME, is Yo'?"
But Fiddle QldnJ near WoTu ne sdiu. me
broken lamp had nearly broken his heart He loved that
lamp It was gidy decorated affair he had nourshed
with the loving of mother. Now he crawled over
to the broken Fragments trying to piece them out
and wondering if they could be glued together again
"Oh, Lawd, hab mercy! he moaned. "De purtiest lamp
whut any chech evan had! An now hits all broke! Oh
Lawd, hab merey"
His genuine sorrow touched Docs heart, and he
climbed down off the step ladder with twinge of
I,J H. AnA hacs otino
as he watched "Fiddle" fumbling the lamps re-
mains. Then he knelt beside him and put his arm
around the sorrowng negro's shoulders
Oats all right" he comforted, "Ah knows whar
we kin git bettah lamp dan dat Dey's got some oil
lamps up ter Mercer University whut's de purtest
things yo evah seed Dey's' been slowed away in dc
attic fer de longes time since dey uster be used in dc
OF college buildn' Dey amt nobody know dey is dere
and All kin git lots o. EN- Deys all painted up wild
angels an flowers an evything.'
Thus cheered Fiddle" ceased his sorrowful moan
ing. SIS dey O. lamps whuts got merry
maid 2" he asked eagerly.
"Whut yo mean, merry maid? asked Doc.
"Ah o. dem things whut lives in dc
ocean an got body like oman an de bottom part
like fish. Merry maids, dey calls em. All done seed
one lamp in big chech down ter Savannah whut had
merry maids on hit an hit sho' would make happy
fer ter git lamp like dat!
Doc studied moment. Finally he smote his thgl
in a triumphant gesture. "Yassuh Seems like All dom
reccoeets seein one O. dem lamps wild fish 'omal
ON hit. All thinks hit painted up awful purity. D.
fish tail part painted wild green scales an d
body part kinder pink wild de bosom's O. d
breas stickin right out round an plain an de 'oma
wuz blowing on shell like hit horn. Yassuh
All reccoects dat lamp, an wes sho' gwine git hit!
praise de Lawd!" shouted "Fidde" he clappe
his hands. "All things ter i'm whut waits lon
nuffl Dat sho is fine! Doc Abs awful glad yo' brok
dat lamp. Cause All kin git lamp whut1l max
de res o. desc chech janitors 'shan,ed O. deysefs"
But after he had cleaned up the broken glass
Fiddle" turned to Doc and asked, "Whut da
fummadiddle yo akin me 'bout?"
Doc looked blank and scratched his head. "Dawg
gone me efen All amt done fergitv' he replied in
puzzled tone.