A Handy Guide for Beggars: Especially Those of the Poetic Fraternity: Being Sundry Explorations, Made While Afoot and Penniless in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. These Adventures Convey and Illustrate the Rules of Beggary for Poets and Some Others.Lindsay, Vachel
General
A Handy Guide for Beggars: Especially Those of the Poetic Fraternity: Being Sundry Explorations, Made While Afoot and Penniless in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. These Adventures Convey and Illustrate the Rules of Beggary for Poets and Some Others.
Lindsay, Vachel
Lindsay, Vachel, 1879-1931 -- Travel -- United States
Also I showed a little package of tracts in rhyme I was distributing to
the best people: _The Wings of the Morning_, or _The Tree of Laughing
Bells_.[1] I hinted he might become the possessor of one. I drew his
attention to the fact that there was no purse in the exhibit. I divided
my last four ginger-snaps with him. I showed him a letter commending me
to all pious souls from a leading religious worker in New York, Charles
F. Powlison.
_Soon we were thundering away to Valdosta!_ Mr. Temperance climbed to
the observation chair in the little box at the top of the caboose,
alternately puzzling over my _Wings of the Morning_,[2] and looking
out. The caboose bumped like a farm-wagon on a frozen road. The
pine-burning stove roared. The negro Adonis on the wood-pile had gold
in his teeth. He had eyes like dark jewels set in white marble, and he
polished lanterns as black as himself.
“By Jove,” I said. “That’s the handsomest bit of lacquer this side of
the Metropolitan Museum.”
“’Sh,” said Conductor Roundface, sobering himself. “You will queer
yourself with the old man. He wouldn’t let that drummer on because _he_
swore.”
The old man came down. I bridled my profane tongue while he lectured
the conductor on the necessity for more interest in the Georgia
public schools, and the beauty of total abstinence, and, at last, the
Japanese situation. This is a condensed translation of his speech:
“I was on the side of the Russians all through the Russo-Japanese
war. My friends said, ‘Hooray for Japan.’ But I say a Japanese is a
nigger. I have never seen one, but I have seen their pictures. The
Lord intended people to stay where they were put. We ought to have
trade, but no immigration. Chinese belong to China. They are adapted
to the Chinese climate. Niggers belong to Africa. They are adapted to
the African climate. Americans belong to America. They are adapted to
the American climate. Why, the mixing that is going on is something
scandalous. I had a nigger working for me once that was half-Spaniard
and half-Indian. There are just a few white people, and more mulattoes
every day. The white people ought to keep their blood pure. Russians
are white people. Germans, English, and Americans are white people.
French people are niggers. Dagoes are niggers. Jews are niggers. All
people are niggers but just these four. There is going to be a big war
in two or three years between all the white people and all the niggers.
The niggers are going to combine and force a fight, Japan in the lead.”
We reached Valdosta after dark. Conductor and inspector exchanged with
me most civil good-bys. Their hospitality had been nepenthe for my poor
broken heart. I reconciled myself to sitting in front of the station
fireplace all night. I thought my nearest friend was at Macon, one
hundred and fifty miles north; a gay cavalier who had read Omar Khayyam
with me in college.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account