Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 March 1880 — Brother Gardner and the “Ile Paintin'." [ARTICLE]

Brother Gardner and the “Ile Paintin'."

“I HKZ accidentally I’arned,” began Brother Gardner, of the Lime-Kiln Club, as the meeting opened, “ dat de local members of our club am makin’ up a shake puree to buy me an He paintin’ as a present. I hope the skeme will stop short. Not dat I wouldn’t feel honored—not dat I wouldn’t be grateful—not dat I wouldn’t ’predate de kind motives of de givers, but kase it would be money frown away. I lib in a humble cabin. We hesgbt some stuffed green chars in de parlor, an’ some ohromeos on de wall dat dbsttwo sMllin’s apiece, but it am he place dar fur an He paintin’. It would be just as much outer place in. my cabin, and wid my surroundins’, as lace curtains ober a* smoke house winder. My green cha’re now harmonize wid my ingrain carpet; my ehromeoe doan’ look bad ’longside of a plaster of Paris bust of Shakespeare; my three-dollar elock hain’t any too gorgeous for de chintz lambrequins which de ole woman made. We are only de slave-folks up dar, but we know better dan to w’ar seben dollars’ worf of hat wid two dollars’ worf of butes. If white women Want to come down town wid a hundred dollar dak’s no guide tor my de woman. If guide fur me. No. gem’len, doan’ upsot my house wid an Tie paintin’. Doan’ make up no present, nor nuflin, but keep yer change down in yer pockets, for sore fronts, or a tech of fever.”— Detroit Free Prut