Covington High School - Lest We Forget Yearbook (Covington, KY)

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JULIUS CAESAR. Mammy, am I named aftah a' great a man as Geo'ge Washington White, or Abraham Lincoln Coleman, or Napoleon Johnson is F H Course yo' is! The shiniest of black faces, that was ever lit up by two rows of unconcealed teeth and two sparkling eyes, beamed over the ironing board at the pair of breeches, at the bot- tom of which protruded two dusky feetg and at the other end a red shirt and two big round wistful eyes, set in a small round face, were most conspicuous. 'Deed yo' is! Julius Caesah wah de greatest man dat eber libed. An' I done gib you dat entitle- ment 'cayse I'd nevah been called nuth'n 'cept jes' plain 'Happyf on de count 0' mah smil'n all de time. An' yo' daddy, he wah jes' 'Ole Ike'g an' I done say to him fo' yo'se bohn datnour chillun's done gwiue hab mo' noblier cognomens den what we got, an' so yo' Julius Caesah Jones. 'K But Geo'ge Washiiigton Wliite say de gen'al dat he's named aftah done weah a big hat wid a plume, an' hab a jeweled swo'd, an' gold buttons, an' ride a big white hoss, an' lick a nuddah gen'al all to pieces, dat wuz a rid'n down de road on a little ole gray mule, an' dat made him de father ob dis yeah country. Abraham Lincoln Coleman, he say he done named aftah de man dat made us free, an' dat he wuz de biggest man dat eber libed. An' Napoleon R. Johnson's named aftah de greatest ob all gen'alsg an' he knows, cuzz his sistah, Lida Mae, she done studied it all at de high schoolg an' he knows jes' how ole Gen'al Napoleon done had an awful fall, an' he wa'n't much 'count aftah dat. Say, mammy, what wuz Julius Czesah? The iron came down with a thud. VVhy, honey, he wuz a play-act'n' man. Am dat bery much? Dey don't weah no fine close, an' big hats, an' hab gold swo'ds, do dey ? Happy looked admiringly at the linen and wiped the perspiration from her face. 'K 'Deed dey do weah fine close, an' dey libe in de theatah, what's all 'lectric lights, an' cush'n seats, an' folks done hab to pay i545

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I could see the rose on each ruddy cheek As she blushingly hung her head, And declared that she, too, loved me, And of course some day we should wed. And then, all was dark for a minute, And I rubbed my eyes to see I was gazing on the old churchyard S0 dear to my memory. I could see the graves of my loved ones gone, Then some unseen hand led the way And showed me a grave with a little white stone VVhich bore that dear name May, Suddenly that vision vanished, And I opened my weary eyesg And I lay still, gazing upward, Yes, even beyond the skies. I felt that she was near me, And my soul grew perfectly calm: A peace seemed to settle o'er me, A soothing and healing balm. I was glad that I had known her, That she had been a part of my lifeg And I felt as if I were better prepared To encounter this old world's strife. XTERTNER DEUPREE, '1o. wx- Qxbll Wf- iise i A oe. f I I , fi? , c I l? f lyjtf I sim es my Bukrl Ball t 53 ,AA

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a whole lot to come an' see dem act, an' dance, an' heah 'em sing an, speak pieces. At this Julius Caesar's eyes grew still larger. I kin speak pieces, can't I, mammy? An' did de great man I'se named aftah speak pieces like mine P Julius Caesar, in his interest, slid down from his stool and came over to the ironing board. Yas, sah, I spec' ole Julius Caesah done speak de same variety ob recitations dat you speak, only on a larger scale. Look out dah, chile, yo' don' want-a let dis yeah hot iron come in con- tact wid yo, han'. But as I wuz a-say'n', de theatah am a mighty Hne place. Yo' daddy an' me wuz dah on our honeymoon, an' we su'tainly did enjoy ourselbs skumptuously, wid de music, an' sing'n', an' speak'n'. When we wuz a go'n, out aftah de show, I done see in de hall, dat's all lit up, a pictuah, an' ober it wuz de Wo'ds, 'Next weekf It wah de pictuah ob de han'son1est man eber I see, wid a gold crown, an' silber shield, an' big purple robes, wid a jeweled-handled sWo'd a hold'n' up ober his head. Laws-a-massy, but he wuz gran' an' big look'n. An' undah de pictuah wah de name 'Julius Caesah'. I ain't so little, am I, mammy? It's dese yeah pants dat makes me look so little an' funny. Honey, yo' know yo' don't hab to weah dem breeches, only jes' to play in. Yo, jes' be a good boy, an' yo'll be eber bit as big as Julius Caesahf' Mammy. kin I get out dat crown I had when I wuz de King ob May ? VVhat yo' want wid dat, chile? Yo' knows I wants to sabe dat til' yo, a big man. Mammy, I won't hu't it. I'se gwintah get de fellahs, an' hab a show ober in Napoleon Johnson's shed, an' I'se gwintah be de great Julius Czesah. Say, mammy, can I hab yo' ole red schawl fo' de robe, an' dat zink off dat ole wash boa'd I kin use fo' a schield, an, we kin make wooden swo'ds? Dey won't look berry pretty, but we can't hu't ourselbs wid 'em. Say, mammy, don't Julius Cmsah kill all de rest ob de fellahs in de show ? I done know, honey, but I 'spec' he do, fo' he look so powerful in de pictuah, wid dat big swo'd in his han'. Gee! Ain't dat great? I'se gwine ober an' call Napoleon, an' we'll hab de best show we eber did hab. Good-bye, mammy, I'se gwinef' ' C 55 J