Evening star., 1941-08-30


house had come Henry McLemors.
home on a visit and Alberta brought
up her breakfast tray.
Lessee" Alberta said, "your sis
ter, Miss Mildred done told me to
do three things. Fust was TO close
all your windows Then was to
light your fireplace. Now 1 done
forgot what the third thing was"
The daughter, who was Mrs.
Grantland Rice, tried to help Al
berta remember the all-importsnt
third thing.
"You Just stand here and chat
with me while I have breakfast"
Mrs. Rice said, "and maybe you'll
remember what the other thing
was"
"Yassum," said Alberta, and she
tucked her little black hands under
her white apron and chatted and
chatted.
All of a sudden she gave a start.
'LaWd, Miss Kate" she cried, Il
done remember what Miss Mildred
said was the third thing for me to
do. She done told me TO hurry right
back"
heard about Samson while I ives
sitting with Roark Bradford In the
patio of his home in New Orleans
French quarter.
Samson was my yard boy" the
author of John Henry said land he
was the finest whistler l ever heard.
Crosby couldn't touch him. One day
heard him giving the Star
Spangled Banner" all he had. Sousa
never did better by the anthem.
Samson was putting in flies. clari-
nets, drums and everything else. II
was so good I stood close by and
listened. He must have noticed the
look of appreciation on my face, be-
cause he turned and said:
That's a powerful pretty piece,
amt it Mister Brad? They used 10
play it a lot when was in the Army.
Do you happen to know the name Of
it, Mister Brad? I sho' would like to
know. It's one of my favorites"
Samson reminded Lyle Saxon Of
his man-about- -the-house Dan.
Dan said he was only IS" the
author of Fabulous New Orleans"
said, but on occasions he spoke so
authoritatively of Andrew Jackson's
bravery in the Battle Of New Or
| leans that you knew he must have
been living at that time. One day
I was telling Dan of some financial
reverses I had suffered and re-
marked that I might even have to
let him go. This distressed me. but
later in the day ran across Dan in
the courtyard. humming blithe
tune and giving every appearance
of loving the world and all that was
In it. I reminded him of what I
had told him earlier and asked If
he weren't worried.
"'Nawsuh, Mister Lyle, I amt
he said. 'Tain't no use in both of
us worrying about the same thing"
Nom Cherubs story came to me
while I was eating fried goggle-eye
and perch on the upper reaches of
the Dog River in Mobile. For so
years or more she had lived on the
edge of the cypress swamps, and for
so years she had found no trouble in
making her way through to the gen.
ersl store of provisions. But one
day she wasn't home at nightfall.
When midnight came and still there
was no Nom Cherub, a searching
party went out for her. They found
her at dawn, curled up under tree,
far off the beaten path. Her expla-
nation when asked how she could
have possibly gotten lost after so
years of walking the same trail was
straight and to the point.
I'm powerful glad you've come
and found me-" she said, because
after all these years just hatcher
ally lost control of my route"
There's little room left, 30 I'll
use it to tell you that Mister, Sister
and Blister are the names given col
ored triplets on Roark Bradford's
place in Tennessee, and that Dallas
and Rio Grande (but be sure to make
it Rye-oh- -GranD are twin brothers
of the triplets.
heard about Green here In New
Orleans, too. He lived for 81 years
within 10 miles of the Gulf of Mex
leo, but died without seeing 1t. His
explanation of this oversight, given
just before chariot swung low TO
take him away, was this:
II just never was a man 10 ram
BILE"
Distributed oy MeNausnton svnd4ssse, lneJ