ROMANCE OF STATISTICS
On a warm morning, ten days later, William stood pensively among his mother's flower-
beds behind the house, his attitude denoting a low state of vitality.Not far away, an aged negro sat upon a wheelbarrow in the hot sun, tremulously yet skilfully whittling a piece of wood into the shape of a boat, labor more to his taste, evidently, than that which he had abandoned at the request of Jane.Allusion to this preference for a lighter task was made by Genesis, who was erecting a trellis on the border of the little garden.
``Pappy whittle all day,'' he chuckled.``Whittle all night, too! Pappy, I thought you 'uz goin' to git 'at long bed all spade' up fer me by noon.Ain't 'at what you tole me?''
``You let him alone, Genesis,'' said Jane, who sat by the old man's side, deeply fascinated.
``There's goin' to be a great deal of rain in the next few days.maybe, an' I haf to have this boat ready.''
The aged darky lifted his streaky and diminished eyes to the burnished sky, and laughed.
``Rain come some day, anyways,'' he said.``We git de boat ready 'fo' she fall, dat sho.'' His glance wandered to William and rested upon him with feeble curiosity.``Dat ain' yo' pappy, is it?'' he asked Jane.
``I should say it isn't!'' she exclaimed.``It's Willie.He was only seventeen about two or three months ago, Mr.Genesis.'' This was not the old man's name, but Jane had evolved it, inspired by respect for one so aged and so kind about whittling.He was the father of Genesis, and the latter, neither to her knowledge nor to her imagination, possessed a surname.
``I got cat'rack in my lef' eye,'' said Mr.
Genesis, ``an' de right one, she kine o' tricksy, too.Tell black man f'um white man, little f'um big.''
``I'd hate it if he was papa,'' said Jane, confidentially.``He's always cross about somep'm, because he's in love.'' She approached her mouth to her whittling friend's ear and continued in a whisper: ``He's in love of Miss Pratt.
She's out walkin' with Joe Bullitt.I was in the front yard with Willie, an' we saw 'em go by.
He's mad.''
William did not hear her.Moodily, he had discovered that there was something amiss with the buckle of his belt, and, having ungirded himself, he was biting the metal tongue of the buckle in order to straighten it.This fell under the observation of Genesis, who remonstrated.
``You break you' teef on 'at buckle,'' he said.
``No, I won't, either,'' William returned, crossly.
``Ain' my teef,'' said Genesis.``Break 'em, you want to!''
The attention of Mr.Genesis did not seem to be attracted to the speakers; he continued his whittling in a craftsman-like manner, which brought praise from Jane.
``You can see to whittle, Mr.Genesis,'' she said.``You whittle better than anybody in the world.''
``I speck so, mebbe,'' Mr.Genesis returned, with a little complacency.``How ole yo' pappy?''
``Oh, he's OLD!'' Jane explained.
William deigned to correct her.``He's not old, he's middle-aged.''
``Well, suh,'' said Mr.Genesis, ``I had three chillum 'fo' I 'uz twenty.I had two when I 'uz eighteem.''
William showed sudden interest.``You did!''
he exclaimed.``How old were you when you had the first one?''
``I 'uz jes' yo' age,'' said the old man.``I 'uz seventeem.''
``By George!'' cried William.
Jane seemed much less impressed than William, seventeen being a long way from ten, though, of course, to seventeen itself hardly any information could be imagined as more interesting than that conveyed by the words of the aged Mr.Genesis.The impression made upon William was obviously profound and favorable.
``By George!'' he cried again.
``Genesis he de youngis' one,'' said the old man.``Genesis he 'uz bawn when I 'uz sixty-one.''
William moved closer.``What became of the one that was born when you were seventeen?''
he asked.
``Well, suh,'' said Mr.Genesis, ``I nev' did know.''
At this, Jane's interest equaled William's.
Her eyes consented to leave the busy hands of the aged darky, and, much enlarged, rose to his face.After a little pause of awe and sympathy she inquired:
``Was it a boy or a girl?''
The old man deliberated within himself.
``Seem like it mus' been a boy.''
``Did it die?'' Jane asked, softly.
``I reckon it mus' be dead by now,'' he returned, musingly.``Good many of 'em dead:
what I KNOWS is dead.Yes'm, I reckon so.''
``How old were you when you were married?''
William asked, with a manner of peculiar earnestness;--it was the manner of one who addresses a colleague.
``Me? Well, suh, dat 'pen's.'' He seemed to search his memory.``I rickalect I 'uz ma'ied once in Looavle,'' he said.
Jane's interest still followed the first child.
``Was that where it was born, Mr.Genesis?'' she asked.
He looked puzzled, and paused in his whittling to rub his deeply corrugated forehead.``Well, suh, mus' been some bawn in Looavle.Genesis,''
he called to his industrious son, ``whaih 'uz YOU
bawn?''
``Right 'n 'is town,'' laughed Genesis.``You fergit a good deal, pappy, but I notice you don'
fergit come to meals!''
The old man grunted, resuming his whittling busily.``Hain' much use,'' he complained.
``Cain' eat nuff'm 'lessen it all gruelly.Man cain' eat nuff'm 'lessen he got teef.Genesis, di'n' I hyuh you tellin' dis white gemmun take caih his teef--not bite on no i'on?''
William smiled in pity.``I don't need to bother about that, I guess,'' he said.``I can crack nuts with my teeth.''
``Yes, suh,'' said the old man.``You kin now.
Ev'y nut you crac' now goin' cos' you a yell when you git 'long 'bout fawty an' fifty.You crack nuts now an' you'll holler den!''
``Well, I guess I won't worry myself much now about what won't happen till I'm forty or fifty,''
said William.``My teeth 'll last MY time, I guess.''
That brought a chuckle from Mr.Genesis.
``Jes' listen!'' he exclaimed.``Young man think he ain' nev' goin' be ole man.Else he think, `Dat ole man what I'm goin' to be, dat ain'
goin' be me 'tall--dat goin' be somebody else!
What I caih 'bout dat ole man? I ain't a-goin'
