Show v f myr pip ILI ai EE g pk r aa V k EEG all A ea who struck james whitcomb riley with an account of his abandonment of the Water mellon habit more or less truthfully told by THE REVEREND EZEKIL LOUDMOUTH tr in order that the reader may un der stand fully the events leading up to the misadventures herein set forth a brief sketch of the author Is feces mary the reverend ezekil loudmouth bad been the pastor of a colored in indianapolis but owing to his inability to recognize the differ nce once between tte the debit and credit side of the church s collection accounts was deposed and drifting to chicago had so effectually that the sole remains of his ministerial tife life appeared in his costume and the use of large and inappropriate words his every day dress consisted of the regulation ministerial garb top bat hat frock or as he termed it jim coat black trousers and white choker the reverend ezeall spent most of his wak ing hours in the various resorts where the gen tiemen of his color most do congregate tak ing such gifts as the fates pates might send in the way of re freshment tresh ment and volubly thank ing the lo 10 lod d tor for the drops and crumbs which fell to bis his bhare share naturally the fare in both forms being of an uncertain quality tho the times of famine were in an inverse ratio to the times of plenty and in consequence the tak talk of feasts to corne occupied more bo ho irs than their con eon on this particular eular occa lion the conversation had turned on the value of peaches as both a lucious and nutritious diet whereat the rev ezekil took the floor I 1 don t keer how high a dabkey gits up in de do worl ner how much lak white folks he tries to ack hell be 11 come right back to his natch ul se t f ef of you shet shot im up in a room alone wid a dillun an ali de white folks laks lake dillun too did ou know if deed dey does dey ain t no problem alien it cornea comes to wy when I 1 auz pas tab tah uv a little chuch chu ch in Injun aplis me n jeems whitcomb riley eat many a good ole dillun tog together ethert an riley sho kin lin eat W y et ef you auz to set im down aungst a passel 0 darkies an put cm em all to batin dillun you couldn coulden t tell t f on om de fines rines which auz wileys an which auz de culled folks I 1 fine man dat del riley is I 1 made ma me se set f quain quainter ted wid im in Us its i a an used to go up an tetch im almose any time for ma me chu ch dat auz ma me ole racket co se so I 1 spent de money as I 1 pleased an when I 1 d git broke I 1 go tetch riley agin ho he auz dead easy to wok gib any ole song oh ohl I 1 auz st in it tel I 1 went lak a tool an sp bp lit tit ma se t f wid im I 1 speck while I 1 in at it I 1 battah tell you how I 1 come to do it went to hs his house one flay day I 1 did great big square house made i red brick stan s on lockerby street i I 1 I 1 knows right it Is bin dah mo too times den I 1 got fingers an toe toes an I 1 rung de do bell an sen a tn n wo d at I 1 wants to see riley on cotant po tant business putty soon down he come f om his study SI S I 1 bre r rile does you know has gone up to to fo ty rents cents an still a 7 9 se S e no reverent ain t it SI S I 1 yes an I 1 don t pose to pay it S e you goin to do we mus hah hab to eat |