Sketches New and Old


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"
Well, one night--it was a Friday night--dey comes a whole platoon f'm a  
NIGGER ridgment da was on guard at de house--de house was head quarters,  
you know-an' den I was jist A-BILIN’! Mad? I was jist A-BOOMIN’! I  
swelled aroun', an swelled aroun'; I jist was a-itchin' for 'em to do  
somefin for to start me. AN' dey was a-waltzin' an a dancin'! MY! but dey  
was havin' a time! an I jist a-swellin' an' a-swellin' up! Pooty soon,'long  
comes sich a spruce young nigger a-sailin' down de room wid a  
yaller wench roun' de wais'; an' roun an' roun' an roun' dey went, enough  
to make a body drunk to look at 'em; an' when dey got abreas' o' me, dey  
went to kin' o' balancin' aroun' fust on one leg an' den on t'other, an'  
smilin' at my big red turban, an' makin' fun, an' I ups an' says 'GIT  
along wid you!--rubbage!' De young man's face kin' o' changed, all of a  
sudden, for 'bout a second, but den he went to smilin' ag'in, same as he  
was befo'. Well, 'bout dis time, in comes some niggers dat played music  
and b'long' to de ban', an' dey NEVER could git along widout puttin' on  
airs. ‘An de very fust air dey put on dat night, I lit into em! Dey  
laughed, an' dat made me wuss. De res' o' de niggers got to laughin',  
an' den my soul alive but I was hot! My eye was jist a-blazin'! I jist  
straightened myself up so--jist as I is now, plum to de ceilin', mos'  
-
-an' I digs my fists into my hips, an' I says, 'Look-a-heah!' I says, 'I  
want you niggers to understan' dat I wa'n't bawn in de mash to be fool'  
by trash! I's one o' de ole Blue hen's Chickens, I is!'--an' den I see  
dat young man stan' a-starin' an' stiff, lookin' kin' o' up at de ceilin'  
like he fo'got somefin, an' couldn't 'member it no mo'. Well, I jist  
march' on dem niggers--so, lookin' like a gen'l--an' dey jist cave' away  
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Page
253 254 255 256 257

Quick Jump
1 101 201 302 402