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OFFICIAL STUDENTS' PUBLICATION OF STETSON UNIVERSITY
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Yol. XIX DeLand, Florida, Wednesday, February 13, 1907. ^oTl5
The April Fool of John Bartholomew.
to the other player, "runup to? Slowly he sauntered out into
de big house an'ax Miss Lucy (the back yard. There had been
please ma'am woan she sen' me a (much rain lately, and Minervy
HI piece ob bees wax tuh rub off ( Ann had taken the boards off of
mah flat 'irons. Foh de lan'sUhetop of the well in order to
sake, Mary Juno, git outen fum catch all the water she could
undah mah feet!" jThe well top still lay on the
Aunt Minervv Ann sang vi°"or-<i "ol1 brethren yuh aughtahab ben dah? ground, and the old bucked
ously as she bent over her ironing. ( Y™ ma* LaW<L" . .. . £ dangled from the creaking pulley.
BRETHREN, yuh oughta hab
ben da
Yaas mah Lawd.
A settin in de kingdom
To see ole Jordan roll.
Roll Jordan roll,
Roll Jordan roll.
I wanta go to Heben when I dies
To see ole Jordan roll."
It was a warm, sunny morning j ^ {°hn Bartholomew dawdled Close beside the well wa8 a den8e
-the first day of April Outside along towards home with the bees-j clump of bamboo> As hig
. . . . , , , . wax he rolled his e\es idly
the mockingbirds seemed to vie< , , ... ...
with Minervy Ann, chattering farch of. P0S8lble opportunities gave ft satisrled chuckl6) with a
excitedly as they hopped about C ! hasty glance at his mother, to
among the fresh green leaves of
the chinaberry tree. Even the
old Plymouth Rock hen seemed
to feel that spring had come, as
she scratched diligently in the
little yard, in search of tempting
morsels for her family of chicks
In the doorway of the little cabin
purring contentedly in the sun
shine, while three scrawny kittens
rolled and tumbled playfully
around her. And up from under
the doorstep came the uhn-uhn of
a lean black pig, nosing around
in the sand
Inside the tiny cabin, rolling
and tumbling among the kittens
and every now and then under the
very feet of Minerva Ann herself,
played ten lictle pickaninnies,
ranging in age from six month
to ten yeirs, and in name from
Juno to George Washington
"Roll Jordan roll,
Roll Jordan roll."
Minervy Ann slammed an iron
down on the top of the stove and
turned to her first born, who sat
"Fo de Lawd!" he exclaimed satisiy himself that he was unob
suddenly, "effen hit ain' April served? he raI1 to the wood pile
Fool's Day an' Mammy's done near by and picked out a large
rer*ot all about hit. I sholy am gtick of lightwood. then hastened
irwine tuh fool huh, dis day, foh back to the weU#
uh fac.'' And he sat down by<
the side of the road to plan Fit- ^ 'jS^roU-"
teen minutes later a broad grin (,
Minervy Ann's back was just
^visible as she swayed back and
„ n , ., , ) spread over his face and he danced
an old yellow and white cat lay) r . , ,...,, .■,,, e
. J ,. . ±1 ) a triumphant ng in the middle ot
phant jig
the road.
Hi yi," he shouted, "I done W
got hit! Mammy'1 sholy be
scaihed intuh fits. He, he!" and
he hurried away towards the cab-
forth, once more engrossed in her
want-a go tuh Heaven when
I dies—
Suh see old Jordan—"
Minervy Ann evolved up from
A blood-curdling shriek rent
the air. From the direction of
her ironing and frowned as Johnube weji came the sound of a
Bartholomew entered the cabin
door.
"Huccome hit tek yuh so long;
tuh git back?" she demanded.
"Miss Lucy, she done kep me<
lookin' foh de bees wax," said1
the delinquent, cheerfully, and;
started for the door.
"Whar yuh gwine?" asked his<
mother.
"Jes out tuh de well," he re
in the corner playing jacks with plied, innocently.
his next younger brother :
"Yuh David Webster, git up
fum dar an' go'n fetch me some
kindlin' fum de wood pile> 'fo'
fall in,'
'Min' yuh doan
warned his mother.
'Yaas'm, I sholy will," he an-
heavy splash. Minervy Ann
dropped her iron and rushed out
of the back door.
Yuh, John Bartholomew!"
No answer.
Minervy Ann had reached the
well now and was gazing frantically down at the rippled surface
of the dark water.
"Lawd hab mercy!" she
screamed. The little pickaninnies came tumbling out of the
house. Darkies from the neighboring cabins came rushing in
and soon filled the little yard.
Foh de lan's sake, Mis'
swered, while a wicked grin
dis hear nah gwine clean out?^spread over his mischievous coun-^bram~ what am, de mattah?
And John Bartholomew," turning ^tenance.
